Sunday Reading: Garage A Tois, Heavy Pets, more

As always, click the picture to read the story.

Alexa Woodward, a folk artists hailing from New York City, is hitting very small pub and bar from Louisville to Chicago, from Knoxville to Lexington and back. The venues include Skull Alley, Ear X-Tacy, and the Preservation Pub. Woodward’s Americana/folk music is personal and these bars and small venues will make the shows even more intimate.

Garage A Tois is a group of highly talented and professional musicians. On their résumés are reference names like Roger Walters (Pink Floyd), Fred Wesley, Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Matt Chamberlain (Wallflowers) and the main-brain behind Primus, Les Claypool. SaY caught up with Mike Dillon of the group in between shows for a Q and A with one of the most creative jazz improv groups out there.

The Heavy Pets are out of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and this group of five friends is hitting it big on the jam band circuit as they combine elements of jazz, funk, rock and reggae into an energetic blended sound. For the past few years, they have hit up some of the biggest festivals including Moe.Down, Langerado, SXSW and Bonnaroo where they played a pre-Phish set. They have played over 440 shows since forming in 2006.

This is not a gimmick. It’s “one man. Five instruments. No Machines.” Matt Kurz’s extremities all have a dedicated instrument. His head will take full credit for the voice. His right foot can handle the snare and bass drum. His hands get into the guitar, cymbals and such. Oh, and his left foot – the bass. He’s heading to Gainesville, Fla. for his next show.

Sunday Reading: Whigs, Nana Grizol, Garaga A Tois

You know the drill, click the photos to read the story.

It was a week of fewer stories, but I gotta think they were better stories. Quality beats quantity, anyways.

Garage A Tois’ “Power Patriot” falls to the shelves this week. The band is a jazz improv group from New Orleans. These are great musicians, having played with the best, all the way up to Les Claypool. Download an MP3 or two on this story.

Awesome New Republic’s new album,“Hearts,” is out this week, and they released the first track from it. “Alleycat” solidifies the group as a dance-music generator. This is probably the group’s most impressive track yet.

The Whigs are slowly ticking up the national buzz rollercoaster and joining the ranks of a growing subgenre, and Patrick Shannon’s column for SaY tells all about it. The success of “Mission Control” landed them a spot on tour with Kings of Leon in the earlier part of the year. Let the comparisons begin.

Sunday Reading: Four free MP3s from these artists

As always, click the photo to the left to read the story.

It was something like a five year hiatus for Eels. But now, after going musty and stale for a while, kind of like a hotel room that hasn’t been used in about eight months, Eels are releasing two full length albums within a year. This story has a free Eels MP3.

The Mountain Goats have been let loose on Europe, but are being rounded up for a return to the US. It will be a month or so before the group gets down South, and once they are here they will have about six shows. Two free Mountain Goat MP3s.

Landon Antonetti brought us the news about CunninLynguists’ new EP coming soon. The Kentucky boys headed West to work with E-40 and Mr. Slow Flow, the result being “Evidence” on the first single for “Strange Journey Vol. 2,” the second installment in the “Strange Journey” series and their second release of the year. Another free MP3.

And finally, my column on the aftermath of Boomslang. I would love to see it turn this attention into something more, but it will take Lexington’s own to keep being patrons of the great venues and bands that are in your own cities to help grow the music scene and keep touring artists interested.

Sunday Reading: Frozen Bears, Dead Confederate, more

As always, click the photo for the story.

The week got kicked off with These United States releasing a new video for the new album’s title track, “Everything Touches Everything.” Think Wizard of Oz with sweet tunes.

Dead Confederate has a new album out, and is about to kick off a tour. Several Southern cities are included in the tour, and you can read about the latest album.

Frozen Bears’ “2000″ is good for Southern rock. Pound for pound, the album can hold its own with garage punk and psychedelic bands anywhere.

Garage A Tois released a sample of the upcoming “Power Patriot” album, which will get a full review probably this week. But you can expect nothing less than great New Orleans improv jazz with a dump truck full of oddity.

Sunday Reading: Avett Bros., Saul, Kings of Leon

As always, click the picture to the left to read the story.

This was a great week, one that was really hard to narrow down to the four biggest stories on SaY, but here they are.

The Avett Brothers released another great album (one that’s playing on my end right now). “I and Love and You” harnesses a few different energies in folk, and the banjo has resided a bit to allow the guitar to reclaim its thrown. Don’t fret (pun intended), the song writing on this album is impeccable.

SaY readers know that Saul Williams is a favorite, so it’s no surprise when he heads out on tour it gets attention. But he’s out with other like-minded, out-spoken individuals on the Afro Punk Festival tour. Really cool.

The most read story this week was about Kings of Leon’s opening act, White Lies, giving away tickets to the shows. Even if you’re not familiar with the White Lies, that doesn’t matter – free tickets to White Lies, means free tickets to Kings of Leon.

And pick up your copy of “Bleach Deluxe” this week. But in case you’re going to be too busy you can listen to one of the 12 new, previously unreleased live tracks now. They sound amazing.

Thanks for reading.

Sunday Reading: Folked up, Athens festival, metal

As always, click the pictures to read the story.

Being a metal band in Southeastern Kentucky can be difficult. One of the first stories this week was about a metal band, stuck in Appalachia, miles from any large music venues and right in the heart of folk music. But after many shows and home recordings, the group signed with a start-up label. Metal fans, you’ll want to read about Indiana’s big break and a dream come true.

The fall festival season kicks off in Athens as local band Circulatory System will team up with German rockers Faust for the AUX Festival. If you didn’t know, it’s kind of a big deal to bring a band all the way from Germany to a humble southern town.  It’s even harder to help fund the recording of the band’s twelve-city American tour.  But that’s just what the good folks at AUX plan to do.

Have you heard of Jessica Lea Mayfield? Psh. And you call yourself a folk fan. Her powerful lyrics and domineering voice give her the ability to capture and captivate as if she were  a young Bob Dylan trapped in Ani DiFranco’s body. Well, maybe that’s a little creepy, but still not too far fetched. And that ability is on tour now, coming to a city near you.

The banjo-pickin’ man on the bottom corner here is actually a link to a documentary video, not a story. But after seeing a friend’s video about John Haywood. The banjo player travels Kentucky and Tennessee, too, according to the video producer, Derek Poore. He was recently in Louisville and played in Bristol, Tenn., on Sept. 19. His Web site is here. 

Sunday Reading: Athens music, Zoos of Berlin, Boomslang

As always, click the pictures to read the story.

The Orange Twin festival is coming to Athens in October, and SaY had the story. Elf Power, Nana Grizol and more.

Venice is Sinking had a brilliant idea for a maxi-single/EP. It’s a hybrid of originals and a tribute to their favorite band, which all translates to being “Okay.” The EP is just what fans need to hold them over to VIS’ next album, which is already in the making.

There was the debut release from Zoos of Berlin, which was a throwback to throwbacks, a glimpse of glamor and peek at true pop-glossed rock. This album is for those who appreciate a class act.

Mission of Burma will replace Shipping News in Lexington’s Boomslang Music Festival. The group is an experimental indie punk band full of fuzzy noise that will be more aggressive than some of the bands at Boomslang, but has the experience and know-how to make it a compelling addition to the festival.

Sunday Reading: Buster’s, These United, MP3s

As always, click the photos to see the story.

At the beginning of this week, SaY had coverage of Tanya Morgan’s intimate show in Lexington, brought to you by Landon Antonetti. Check out the story for the photos, too.

On Tuesday, you got the review of These United States’ new album, “Everything Touches Everything.” It’s a very good album and very beefed out. You’ll like it, and the free MP3s this story offers. It was also a very, very popular story this week.

Portland songbird Shelley Short recently released an MP3 from her upcoming album, “A Cave, A Canoo.” It’s a duet of Short and the black and white keys. Her music is very pretty and if you think you probably already know what female pop singer on keys sounds like, you might be right, but you should check it out because it’s a free download.

Buster’s opened up, and this is the last beating of this dead horse, and you can read a little more about what makes this bar special and unique for Lexington.

Sunday Reading: Avett Bros., Karen O and more

A ton of MP3 give aways hit Say this week. Click the picture for the story you’re interested in.

The Avett Brothers have an album coming out next month, and they recently played a show where they played a few songs that have never been recorded and a few coming out soon. SaY also gave away the album’s title track, “I and Love and You.”

No Age has an EP coming out in October and is streaming that entire thing so you know you want it before putting your name in for the vinyl. You can also download one of the songs.

Did you know Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) did the soundtrack to Where the Wild Things Are? One of the songs is available for purchase (and free streams). Check out the awesome trailer for the movie, too.

Desktop is a collaboration of two Michigan musicians and they are just giving it away for free. Think 1989’s drum machine with roller skates and dancing.

Sunday Reading: Free music & tickets, RJD2, Girl Talk

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There was some exciting news and good findings this week on SaY.

Early in the week, SaY announced that Girl Talk tickets were on sale, along with giving away an MP3 from the new album.

Buster’s is coming back in just a couple of weekends, and you could go to the first show for free if you enter SaY’s contest for tickets. There’s only about 10 people signed up, so you have a good chance to win.

Later in the week, a founder of Amie Street contacted SaY about the Web site. As it turned out, the site was awesome – you can download new and underground music for free or hardly anything. This site is one of the cheapest places online to buy music.

RJD2 announced just a couple of days ago that he was launching his own label, re-releasing some of his albums on vinyl, and he has an album coming out in early 2010.

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