Archives For LarryKloess

HOUSE SHOW: STAR & MICEY AND CAROLINA STORY

LarryKloess —  July 19, 2012 — Leave a comment

As we are running short on time this week, we have an abbreviated post to announce what we believe is going to be one of the most fun house shows we have had the chance to put on in quite some time. Memphis buzz-band Star & Micey headline with local favorites Carolina Story making a return appearance to the Cause A Scene house show stage. This Friday night, July 20th, we’ll open up our doors at 7:30 for our 16th house show of the year. Tickets are $7 with an advance RSVP, which you can take care of by emailing shows@causeascenemusic.com or by registered on our Eventbrite page here. Tickets will also be available at the door for $10. (Note: At this time, we only accept cash, so please plan accordingly.)

We’ve run into some parking issues the last couple shows we’ve had, so in the spirit of not attracting the cops for a third time (our neighbors really are the bee’s knees), please park across the street at the church. It’s a short twenty second walk from their parking lot to our driveway. And now without further adieu, I present you with the words of several folks we hold in high regard who have already caught on to one of Tennessee’s next great bands:

“Star & Micey breezed into our New Faces Nite at The Basement and schooled every other act on the bill. Did the Avett Bros set up camp in Memphis? Upbeat and alive. They made me smile big time.” – Mike “Grimey” Grimes, The Basement

“In their four-year career as a band, Star & Micey have crafted then steadily smoothed out out a brand of folksy pop that brings to mind Memphis legends Big Star and The Avett Brothers. Every live show I’ve seen of theirs (upwards of 20 at this point) feels like an all-out energy sacrifice, complete with backflips, crowd-mingling and full-throttle “bah-dah-bah”-ing.” – Paste Magazine

“Star & Micey make winsome, feel-good, old-timey-tinged pop tunes that owe as much to sea shanty-spouting indie acts like the Decmeberists as they do straight-up bluegrass bands like Freakwater and Nickel Creek.” – AllMusic Guide

(Good gosh the harmonies on this last one are about as perfect as harmonies can get.)

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The Name’s Graves, Shakey Graves

LarryKloess —  July 17, 2012 — 2 Comments

(I was first introduced to this artist by Paige Newton of Austin-based Paige Newton Photography when I asked her what Texas bands were must-listens for her. Shakey Graves rolled off her tongue before I even finished asking the question, and since then I’ve been hooked on the music that Alejandro Rose-Garcia creates so effortlessly. When I asked my friend Brittany Price, who also currently resides in Texas, to write on an artist she was currently addicted to, her response was almost as immediate as Paige’s several months ago. I think you’ll take to Shakey Graves just as quickly.)

We recognize a place in the way a person speaks. Whether it’s their inflection, local vocabulary or simply the way words seem to roll off the tongue, we know. In a group of people, it hardly takes minutes before we point to the Georgian and the Boston native. West coast-ers can pick out someone from the east coast without laying eyes on them. It works both ways.

Say what you will, there’s a certain beauty in being so closely tied to your home. It’s a unique weight that shows up with each word. Music is no different. With a few strums, taps or snaps, a musician takes his audience home.

Although I grew up in Georgia, Texas has become my home in the past few years. My ears have learned the difference between a Georgia drawl and a Texas twang. I’ve also come to know and love the gritty, raw pluck of Texas musicians.

In my mind, no modern musician embodies true, deep Texas soul as well as Alejandro Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves. This Austin native sings stories in his uniquely Texan way. They’re a little rough-around-the-edges but it’s difficult to imagine his gravelly voice painting any other sort. Plucking at his guitar, the musician belongs to a one-man-band, keeping beat with a rigged up kick-drum and tambourine combo. Although he sings about places from California to Georgia, the rattle in Shakey Graves‘ serious, but never-too-serious, voice always points us back to his roots.

In fact, everything about the musician speaks to his southern roots. Usually dressed in 1940’s style suspenders, slacks and fedora, this Texas boy makes sure to pair the ensemble with his old, broken-in cowboy boots. His stage name, Shakey Graves, was created while joking with friends around a campfire and it stuck.

If you dig Jack White’s grit, The Tallest Man on Earth’s stories and the homemade sound of The Lumineers, you’ll fall for Shakey Graves. Every song will have you tapping your toes and turning the volume up just a bit louder. You may also experience an inexplicable desire to get into some trouble, just a little. In this situation, we will assume no legal responsibility for what happens next.

Currently, Shakey Graves is touring within his home state of Texas. We’re hoping that one day soon he’ll get the urge to head up towards Nashville. We can handle his brand of soul, we think.

In Causing A Scene ,
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HOUSE SHOW: CAUSE A SCENE COLLECTIVE, PART TWO

LarryKloess —  July 12, 2012 — Leave a comment

Over the course of the first 14 house shows we have had the pleasure of hosting at Cause A Scene HQ, few have remain so fully ingrained in my memory like our first Collective show back in March. It feels like ages ago despite only a little over three months time elapsing. For me it was the first time getting to hear most of the artists perform, many of which have become good friends since that show. That night holds a very special place in my heart, not just for the memory of the actual experience itself, but for the tours and co-writes and creative connections that came out of that show. That night was the perfect illustration of what we are trying to achieve with Cause A Scene: build a magnificently dynamic music community of people who believe in something much bigger than themselves. Part One also happened to be one of the most well-attended shows we’ve ever had with people unfortunately stuck on the back porch looking through the windows trying to catch a glimpse of the incomparable performances taking place inside.

Now we have the distinct privilege of hosting not 10, but 11, incredible artists who seem to get better and better each time I listen to them play and who have very strong careers ahead of them. We are on pace to set an attendance record with this show, and I think after watching the videos below, the reason why will become very clear.

But first, if you’re planning on attending but haven’t RSVPed yet, please email shows@causeascenemusic.com and we’ll get the event details to you ASAP. Advance RSVPs are available through the end of Thursday for $5 at the door. We will also have a small amount of tickets available at the door for $10. And now, without any further ado, I give you the Cause A Scene Collective:

REED PITTMAN

ERIN RAE

NICK JORDAN

STACY LANTZ

BENJAMIN HOEFLING

MERRY ELLEN KIRK

JAMESON ELDER

LEAH EDWARDS

THE CLAY STATES

MARIE HINES

ROBERT KELLY

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A Kaleidoscopic Dream

LarryKloess —  July 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

Years ago when I lived in Birmingham, I remember spending hours and days painting my bedroom, with original 1950s beadboard walls and all, whilst simultaneously diving headfirst into the dream pop of Beach House. I’m not sure if it was my first foray into the genre, but the unintentional mixture of the duo’s hypnotizing beats and vocals and the slightly intoxicating paint fumes made for a chimerical combination that is probably the closest I’ll ever come to having an out-of-body experience. Fast forward a handful of years to present day, and the duo’s latest release was all but slated to be my early pick for Album of the Year. That was, until Seattle-based Lemolo came along with their debut album “The Kaleidoscope” and completely relegated Beach House to the #2 spot with an album that is all at once a profound, haunting, sublime, glistening, enchanting listen. It’s an album perfectly suited to soundtrack the summers of bronzed youth from coast to coast. Picture yourself taking an inflated tube down a lazy river, slowly winding to and fro without too many doglegged stretches of water and you have an album perfectly suited to be your guide along the way.

Lemolo, comprised of 25-year-old Meagan Grandall and 22-year-old Kendra Cox, have created quite the buzz in the Pacific Northwest, opening for indie darlings The Head and the Heart on several of their West Coast dates and at Bumbershoot and Dave Matthews Band’s Caravan Festivals. At the tail end of June, they sold out Seattle’s Columbia City Theatre for not one but two album release shows, selling out the first in a mere 11 hours. The only band to sellout the venue quicker for a debut album? Oh, just Fleet Foxes(!!). You may have heard of them. Just this past week when they officially released “The Kaleidoscope” on their website and in select stores in and around Seattle, they placed #1 on the top sellers list for Seattle’s Sonic Boom Records, outpacing Fiona Apple, Tallest Man on Earth, Jack White and The Walkmen, among others. I could go on and on about this band and how promising I believe their career is going to be, but the truth is, all you need to do is listen to them and their music will do much, much more to convince you of that than my words ever will. But be warned, once you start listening, you won’t want to wake up from this kaleidoscopic dream.

In Causing A Scene
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Show Your Support: July Edition

LarryKloess —  July 2, 2012 — Leave a comment

The websites PledgeMusic and Kickstarter have been receiving a lot of pub lately, and rightfully so. With many recognizable acts joining the ranks of bands and artists looking to fans to help fund their latest releases and projects, both noteworthy sites have become viable options for artists to put together enough capital to give the world their music, while also rewarding fans in the process.

At Cause A Scene, we’re all about helping out the independent artists, and with that, we bring you the first in our monthly series of posts highlighting some of our favorite artists that are currently looking to fund their latest projects. Show them some love, won’t you?

ANGEL SNOW

8% of Target Pledged | 55 Days Left

Nashville songstress Angel Snow is releasing her new album this fall, but needs some help in order to do so. Among the exclusive items available are 2 VIP tickets + meet/greet passes to a show in 2012 for $50 and the chance to introduce the band from the stage at a show for $75. What makes this project even cooler, is that Angel is donating 10% of the money raised to the American Cancer Society. Also, while you’re at it, download her 6-song Live from Eddie’s Attic EP from NoiseTrade.

THE GIVING TREE BAND

20% of Target Pledged | 34 Days Left

We recently featured The Giving Tree Band, who opened for and performing with Joe Purdy in Nashville in June. If you need convincing of why you should support this band, go back and read that review from Brad Hughes right this instant. I love the way they describe their new album, Vacilador: “it refers to an adventurer who goes on a quest for something he knows cannot be found. But what is discovered along the path proves to be more valuable than what he was searching for in the first place.” Sounds pretty spectacular to me! For $40 you can get a signed double vinyl, and if you’re feeling extra generous, how about the $500 signed kick drum head. Only 1 available!

MAGGIE ECKFORD

64% of Target Pledged | 20 Days Left

Fellow Nashvillian Maggie Eckford is looking to release her brand new second album later this year. Everything has been written and recorded, but everyone involved needs to get paid. That’s where you fine readers come in. For $125, you can get your name in the liner notes of the album, plus a signed poster, personal note and a copy of the album to boot. And if you just so happened to hit the lottery this weekend? How about $750 to be shown around Nashville by Maggie herself for an afternoon of discovering her favorite spots. Sounds like an afternoon well spent to me!

BEARS OF MANITOU

87% of Target Pledged | 9 Days Left

One of my favorite recent musical discoveries (thanks, Romi!!) has been Arizona’s indie folk band Bears of Manitou. They just strike me as people you’d really enjoy spending time with, and hearing play live, no less. They are oh so close to their goal with just over a week to go. They do an excellent job of breaking down the individual costs associated with the amount they are looking to raise. The coolest reward available? A camping trip with the band for $700, plus you get a digital download of the album, signed CD, signed limited-edition poster, t-shirt and a vinyl! Pack up your tent and get them to their goal already!

HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL

89% of Target Pledged | 4 Days Left

Greensboro, North Carolina’s Holy Ghost Tent Revival creates a sound all their own that has been characterized as “explosively intoxicating”, molding bluegrass, Americana, folk, gospel and rock all in to one gorgeously-textured amalgamation of goodness. They are looking to release their appropriately titled “Sweat Like the Old Days” album this year, and need your support for the next 4 days to reach their goal. Have $75 to spare? You’ll get the chance to introduce the band from stage and have VIP passes. Double your pleasure, double your fun for $150 and get to experience a personal green room performance.

Please join us in supporting independent music through funding these artists’ efforts to release their albums. If you have an artist you’d like to see featured in future months, email me at larry@causeascenemusic.com.

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