Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Author: Case Cockrell

Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Free Week presented by RRCD takes place first weekend of January

For the first weekend of each year (January 5=6) , Austin non-profit, Red River Cultural District (RRCD) celebrates the new year by inviting music fans to a free, no-strings-attached series of shows from local bands and touring acts as a part of Austin’s annual Free Week. With each consecutive year of door cover-free performances, a wide array of local talent takes the reins to deliver a weekend full of fun and musical discovery. With Austin mainstays like Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band, Billy Glitter, and Redbud being invited for the parties, Free Week is Austin’s destination to dip into a little bit of everything as the local talent prepares for yet another year in the vibrant Austin music scene. Here are some acts music fans should catch over the first weekend in January. All for free in the Red River Cultural District in the downtown Austin area.

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicOpinion

Opinion: Family of deceased Power Trip singer Riley Gale not consulted about Austin reunion show, reacts negatively

A statement issued by the Riley Gale Memorial Foundation has expressed disdain for the recent live reunion in Austin on Friday, December 1. The 5-song reunion set took place at Austin’s premiere Red River Cultural District venue, Mohawk, as a part of the billed headliner Fugitive’s encore for the evening. The surviving members of Power Trip, guitarist/vocalist Blake Ibanez, guitarist/vocalist Nick Stewart, bassist Chris Whetzel, and drummer/vocalist Chris Ulsh joined each other on stage while Skourge’s/Fugitive frontman Seth Gilmore filled in on vocals. Gale passed away tragically in 2020 at age 34.

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Eclectic musical gathering Wizard Rodeo marks third year at The Long Time

Wizard Rodeo isn’t a rodeo for spell-casting wizards.. There aren’t any wizards, horses, bulls, lassos, or anything like that there

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Drone metal band Sunn O))) blew the doors off Paramount Theater last week

When Seattle’s Sunn O))) (Pronounced Sun) takes the reins of any stage, a cloud of fog appears, and the Drone Metal collective is off to the races in a slow and steady spectacle. The Washington State joint is a complex performance oddity. Equipped with a dozen or so amplifiers stacked to the level of ancient monuments, the sonic abilities of the Pacific Northwest group know no end. On Wednesday night at Paramount Theater in Austin, Sunn summoned a mystical performance that showcased their unending ability to create glacial soundscapes that made the audience’s jaws drop to the floor with their slow-burning modus operandi. 

Read More
AlbumCase CockrellReview

Album review: Danny Brown delivered reflective Warp Records solo record Quaranta

With a blockbuster collaboration and tour with experimental Hip Hop powerhouse JPEGMAFIA under the Detroit-turned-Austin artist’s belt, the modern rap icon has ceremoniously unveiled his most personal album to date, Quaranta. For those who aren’t fluent in Italian, the record’s title means 40, showing Brown’s vulnerability as he ages into a seasoned rhyme sculptor who still feels like he has lots to prove despite his glowing resume. On Quaranta, he treats like Hip Hop has been a double-edged sword, and he is finally seeing destiny as he has painted it over his long, fabled career.

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Atlanta garage punks Black Lips rocked Parish with Gus Baldwin and Death Party

Atlanta’s Black Lips have kept this dream alive since the label’s dissolution. Since embarking on numerous tours and album cycles since 1999, the garage outfit has been a musical binge since their inception. With a stage show that goes the lo-fi, rocking distance, there was never a dull moment on Friday night at Austin’s Parish in the city’s East Side. 

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Flaming Lips celebrated 20 years of Yoshimi with three-hour spectacle at ACL Live

Oklahoma’s The Flaming Lips are a generational treasure. With frontman Wayne Coyne and his trusted associates going 40 years strong as of 2023, the band has nothing left to prove. That being said, The Oklahoma City act embodies rock and roll longevity. For the band’s latest outings, Coyne and company has been treating fans to a full-length presentation of their 2002 record Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots last Wednesday at ACL Live.

Read More
AlbumCase CockrellReview

Album review: Walkabouts shows chops with honed songwriting on debut, Bloomin’ Ocotillo

After assembling a lineup of seasoned local musicians who called the Midwest home like the band’s founder—bassist Kyle Douglas, lead guitarist Ryan Girard, and drummer Drew Dederer—Bandleader, Sam Shaffer has built his full band, Walkabouts. Since getting their bearings, the rising Austin act has been chipping away at the musical block to craft energetic live shows that drift between personable songwriting and dynamic rock-and-roll energy. For Walkabouts’ debut full-length, Bloomin’ Ocotillo, the Midwest-turned Austin musicians take a new stride that provokes thoughtful lyricism and massive instrumental triumph.

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: The best of LEVITATION Festival 2023

For 2023, Levitation, founded by Austin psych-rock wizards The Black Angels and festival organizer Rob Fitzpatrick, brought the goods for this year’s installment. From garage rock overlord Ty Segall to EDM titan Flying Lotus to the neo psych-rock of Black Angels, Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre,  Levitation brought a vast array of elements that makes festival’s Austin takeover something special for fans and performing artists alike

Read More

Sign up for our newsletter!

Find new music around Austin!