Thursday, November 21, 2024
The Cosmic Clash

Author: Case Cockrell

King Gizzard at Germania
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: King Gizzard played marathon three hour set at Germania Amphitheater

Case Cockrell 184 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The trek out to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas racetrack where Germania Amphitheater is located is a daunting one. From taking in an hour of traffic, ludicrous drink prices, and baffling ticket expenditures, the Formula 1 Racing spot has most Austin music fans disinterested in driving out to the sticks to experience its monstrosity. (17 miles outside of the downtown area to be exact.) In last Friday night’s case, fans of a certain Australian band made an exception.

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The Sword 1 Stubb's
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Day 3 and 4 of Levitation wrapped with standout performances by The Sword, Wine Lips and more

Case Cockrell 418 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Levitation Festival 2024 soared into the weekend with its expected triumphant intent. Every Halloween weekend, fest producers The Black Angels and show runner Rob Fitzpatrick never miss the mark in serving music fans both the hot up and comers and the legacy acts that paved the way for those new acts to take form. The Cosmic Clash team witnessed the annual extravaganza from its Thursday kickoff until the closing moments and picked out our favorite highlights that lit up the weekend to make up one of Levitation’s most landmark years yet. With a multi-venue format that requires fans to jump from show to show to get the most out of their experience, there isn’t a shortage of music to see, which makes a statement for both the robustness and openness of the Austin music sphere.

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The Black Angels Levitation 2024
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Day one and two of Levitation brought world’s best independent acts to Austin

Case Cockrell 377 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The first two days of Levitation Festival 2024 featured multiple stacked bills for a plethora of packed venues in the downtown Austin area and beyond. The Cosmic Clash team was in attendance to capture the action and highlighted some of our favorite acts that made their way to Austin for the action-packed Halloween weekend. From the Red River Cultural District to South Austin, the carefully curated talent brought their best for the masses that flock to the local music joints to watch the coveted Black Angels produced weekend with some of the independent music world’s best acts.

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Case CockrellInterviewsLive Music

Interview: Austin stoner metal act The Sword talk return, Austin scene, weed, to play Levitation this weekend

Case Cockrell 800 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Revered Austin metal act The Sword is back and locked in for a performance on Sunday at Levitation Festival in Austin, Texas. The doom act announced their breakup in 2022 after 19 years as a band and fans have been feigning for a reunion ever since. The local heavy act will close out the Black Angels-produced festival with a headlining set at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre in the Red River Cultural District in the downtown area and will be joined by local acts Gran Moreno, The Well, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, and also famed proto metal act, Pentagram. Frontman/guitarist John D. Cronise, bassist Bryan Richie, drummer Jimmy Vela, and lead guitarist Kyle Shutt all showed up to deliver their insight on why it made sense to come back. To get a feel on how the band returned and what the quartet has been up to in the interim, we sat down with them after their rehearsal and discussed what the reunion means and how it all came together.

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Fuzz - Pooneh Ghana
Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Seven more bands to see at Levitation 2024

Case Cockrell 389 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The 2024 edition of Levitation is coming up fast this Halloween weekend. Each year, Austin’s The Black Angels and trusted booking powerhouse and Festival Director Rob Fitzpatrick continue to deliver star-studded lineups and cutting edge acts that never disappoint local and out-of-town music fans traveling to Austin for the annual multi-venue programming. The Cosmic Clash team is here to provide another list of bands you need to see over the four-day festival takeover at venues all over the Austin area. Fans have the option of purchasing access to the entire lineup or purchase individual shows. Set times and tickets can be found on the Levitation website for fans to plan their daily excursions to see all the music they can throughout the weekend. 

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THE BLACK ANGELS at Stubb's
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music preview: Six bands to see at LEVITATION 2024

Case Cockrell 496 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

World-renowned psychedelic Austin musician Roky Erickson once said, “At one time, I had it notarised that I was from another planet. By a lawyer.” Regardless of whether that makes sense or not, Erickson’s legacy still holds true in the city of Austin, Texas. We’re decades removed from the 60s, but folks like Austin’s The Black Angels and their proxies have kept his legacy alive by delivering endless programming of neo-psych rock utopia.  Festival founders Rob Fitzpatrick and The Black Angels’ Levitation is back this Halloween weekend for yet another multi-venue installment, and the booked talent continues to deliver a factor of “Wow.” The Cosmic Clash team will join the festivities yet again and is here to prescribe another list of bands you need to see for the end-of-October festivities. All set times can be found on the Levitation website.

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High On Fire at Mohawk
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: High On Fire sold-out Mohawk with Weedeater and Burnt Skull

Case Cockrell 346 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

When it’s October in Austin, Texas and it’s still 95 degrees outside, outdoor sold-out shows can feel like the Summer season never changed. With Austin Italian cuisine staple Marinara Miracles slinging their signature dishes and Lone Star Beers overflowing the venue trash cans, fans in attendance at Mohawk on October 5 were indulged and ready to see a modern heavy metal favorite deliver a gig doing what they do best. For Oakland’s High on Fire’s second Austin appearance in just under a year on Saturday night, stoner metal fans came in full force to experience another helping of crushing riffs, bombastic drum beats, and relentless stampedes of bass that have become their trademark since being assembled in 1998. 

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White Denim Sagebrush Paul Ramsey landscape
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: White Denim delivered epic two set show at Sagebrush

Case Cockrell 474 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

White Denim appeared earlier this year at Red River Cultural District staple Mohawk, joined by Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band, and featured a sit-in from guitarist Raze Regal to commemorate their long-awaited joint album Raze Regal and White Denim Inc. Petralli and company opted for far-South Austin haunt Sagebrush on September 26 for their triumphant return to Austin. Not only this, the announcement came with the note that the Austin gig would be a two-set performance, producing a career-spanning evening with the legendary Austin indie rock act. To describe the Thursday night shindig, a word that comes to mind is “Epic.”

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King Dunn at Antone's
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Butthole Surfers member JD Pinkus and Melvins front man Buzz Osborne at Antone’s

Case Cockrell 436 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

If you’ve ever seen Washington’s Melvins in a live setting, you know the uncontrolled chaos that ensues with every live occurrence. For frontman Buzz Osborne, he lives and breathes it. Since releasing the latest Melvins LP Tarantula Heart, Osborne has embarked on a solo acoustic tour with none other than Texas legend JD Pinkus from the titans of weird, The Butthole Surfers. A chilled-out crowd made their way to coveted downtown Austin music haunt Antone’s on September 21 for a stripped-back gauntlet of tunes fans of the main Melvins act rejoice in with thunderous audience fury in their typical, abrasive format.

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Sexpop PR photo Who To Call
Case CockrellReviewSong

Single review: Sexpop drops new song and video for Who To Call

Case Cockrell 585 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Blaise Eldred’s Sexpop was just a one-man band when the Berklee College of Music attendee arrived in Austin as a member of the now-defunct psychedelic collective Acid Carousel. Before arriving in Austin, Eldred had two albums of material with his musical vehicle Sexpop and another record with Boston-based indiegaze act RVRCT. (pronounced Rivercat) On new single “Who To Call,” Eldred takes a break from local funk mega-ensemble Grandmaster, revisiting his passion project with a fresh, refined approach with an accompanying music video to boot.

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Redd Kross Parish Troy Gonazales 8
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Legendary alt rockers Redd Kross played Parish on Rock and Roll Party tour

Case Cockrell 664 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Since reforming and recording a double, self-titled record, Redd Kross is touring again and bringing what bassist McDonald would call a “Rock and Roll Party” to every city the Kross has placed on their itinerary. For the Austin stop on their tour, the California alt-rockers rolled into East Side hideaway, Parish on August 7, ready to deliver their top-down assault of tunes that made for a career-spanning performance. 

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