All posts by hokey

SXSW

I’m Checking Into The Empress Hotel

Leave a comment

Pop music seems to infiltrated by fake-hard rappers and limp voiced acoustic guitar jammers.  If that’s not enough, you have to deal with manufactured mainstream shooters too well known to mention here.  That’s fine.  There’s room in this great big world for everybody.  But when I want to hear some authentic pop music, I don’t have to look no further than Empress Hotel.  They’ll be at SXSW this year and I will use them as my replacement for the 5-hour Energy Drink.

It’s going to be warm soon, so to better help realize how fresh ‘Here Comes the New Challenger’ sounds, I’m going to recommend listening to this at a temperature of at least 70 degrees.  The keys are almost Victorian in sound and the cadence brings me back to the playground where this fat, chunky kid’s claim to fame was a rugby toughness.  Hey kids play and they play hard.  Empress Hotel plays just as hard.

[audio:http://146.190.132.255/audio/Empress_Hotel-Here_Comes_the_New_Challenger.mp3]

SXSW

Look Out For Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers

Leave a comment

I was never a big fan of the Pretenders but it’s hard to say that now that I’ve listened to Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers. Yes, I get the Misfits feel for this band but it’s not as crystal clear as one would expect. Shilpa Ray keeps the band at bay with her shrill and beautiful voice, with Andrew Bailey, John Adamski, and Nick Hundley bending to her will. Oh they will be at SXSW and oh, they will rock out hard.

Do me a kindness and crank up ‘Venus Shaver.’ The comparison to Chrissie Hynde is way to obvious. What I like is that they pull the epic move much like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in middle of this jam. I mean at the peak of the chorus you can feel the ethereal tear at your bones when Ms. Ray rips into it with her voice. I’m still trembling. Still trembling.

[audio:http://146.190.132.255/audio/Shilpa_Ray__and__Her_Happy_Hookers-Venus_Shaver.mp3]

SXSW

The Soundtrack of Our Lives, In Theaters Now

Leave a comment

Even in Sweden, you can have alternative, grungy sounding music. Just look at The Soundtrack of Our Lives. Now they are not head banging type grunge, but something I like to call Swedish Grunge. Yes, Swedish Grunge, where one can get lost in the sound of harpsichords and bemoan wistfully about lives and days gone by. The Soundtrack of Our Lives, led by Ebbot Lundberg, will be at SXSW supporting their first greatest hits album this year.

When one listens to TSOOL, as they are known by the TSOOL-oupies, they can’t help but come square down on the conclusion that they are also the Swedish version of Muse. Which is the newer British version of Pink Floyd. Not unlike the American version of Tool, which found its progressive roots pulled from the foundation of American grunge. It’s all there in black in white. Listen to ‘Second Life Replay’ to hear a Nirvana/Pink Floyd mix blowing up to the Muse/Tool mix. Are we clear?

[audio:http://146.190.132.255/audio/The_Soundtrack_of_Our_Lives-Second_Life_Replay.mp3]

SXSW

RAMS’ Pocket Radio is Better than an iPod

Leave a comment

Now I’m stoked to be heading out to SXSW during spring break and all but I’m also mega stoked that I will be there during St. Patrick’s Day. Now, there will be plenty of Irish representatives there in Austin this year, including Flogging Molly, but I want to talk about RAMS’ Pocket Radio. Peter McCauley pretty much does everything for this electric outfit. That would be drums, piano, singing, and songwriting. He does it all.

Check out ‘Dogs Run In Packs.’ The piano bangs with attitude while McCauley’s voice tries to keep it cool. I want to say it’s an Irish version of The White Stripes, but RAMS’ Pocket Radio feels more melodic to me. Maybe it’s the piano that washes around the rough edges of the rest of the song. At any rate, I’ll plan on jamming out to these guys (or this guy) while trying to think I’m cool. Maybe it will work. Just maybe.

[audio:http://146.190.132.255/audio/Rams’_pocket_radio-Dogs_Run_in_Packs.mp3]

SXSW

Kopecky Family Band on the Run

Leave a comment

They aren’t on the run actually, but I am. I’m sitting here in my car while my trusty love handles the wheel rolling down the late night highway. We had out of town business to attend and I’m knocking this bad boy out ultra-mobile like. It also serves as great practice for next week when we take a longer trek down to Austin for SXSW. One of the bands that I have on my speed gun radar is the Kopecky Family Band. Straight out of Tennessee, this Radiohead and Sigur Ros influenced faux family soothes and rocks at the same time.

Give a listen to ‘Birds.’ At first you hear a little bit of some new Black Keys but then it swings around into some new age like Stereolab. The endearing tone lays the foundation starting with Kelsey and the followed by the emotive voice Gabe. Seriously, when Gabe comes in, it tears you away and makes you feel how hard he his feeling. It’s hard to hear that in a pop song but somehow The Kopecky Family Band does it.

[audio:http://146.190.132.255/audio/Kopecky_Family_Band-Birds.mp3]