This Friday, we at Cause A Scene are proud to present a night of firsts. Not only is this our first show at one of Nashville’s best venues, 3rd & Lindsley, but it is also our first time featuring three of this city’s most fun and most promising bands. Machines Are People Too, originally formed in Chattanooga, TN, recently relocated to here in Music City and are quickly making themselves known among the local music scene and beyond. Fresh off the release of their second EP, Nickels and Dimes, Machines Are People Too are artfully crafting a synth-pop sound that is both vocally and instrumentally driven. We at CAS have been fans of this band’s catchy melodies for some time now. Having written multiple posts about their climb up the musical ladder, we are thrilled to finally have them on a CAS bill. MRP2 has devoted the better part of this year working on their new EP and are now focusing on a series of tour dates, one of the first of which was a slot at this year’s Lollapalooza, earlier this month in Chicago.
Completing the lineup for the evening are two other bands that both call Nashville home. Vinyl Thief are an electro-rock band that blend electronic samples and rock guitars to form a sound that has developed a strong local following. The band has spent the last several months on the road, touring across the eastern US as well as recording their first full album, Fathoms, due to release this fall. The album’s first single, “Smooth,” was released earlier this month. The Joy of Painting are another Nashville band with a garage pop sound that is defined by messy guitar riffs and carefully constructed melodies. The result is a unique and contrasting sound that has them beginning popping up on radars all across the Southeast. At a near breakneck speed, the band has recorded and released three EPs in less than two years, the most recent of which, Tender Age, was released earlier this summer.
You better bring your dancing shoes this Friday, because these three bands are going to put on one hell of a shindig that you will not want to miss! Listen below to a sample of what you will hear this weekend.You can purchase your ticket here for $10. Doors open at 9:00PM and the fun starts at 9:30PM.
For all you Cause A Scene followers who enjoy getting down to a little house music, Aviciiis a name you want to keep on your radar. This Swedish DJ is only 23 and has been a hot name in the European DJ circuit for several years now, but it is his new single ‘Wake Me Up’ that caught my ear, and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since. The track samples soul singer and hip hop artist, Aloe Blacc’s song by the same title and there is no other way to describe the track than infectious. With a powerful vocal hook and pulsing beat produced by the young Swede, ‘Wake Me Up’ has dominated the European charts. Released just this past June, “Wake Me Up” has garnered the crown of the UK’s fastest selling single of 2013 in just over a month. The song was previewed by BBC Radio 1 and was described as being ‘a complete change in style’ for the young DJ.
While it is only just beginning to get airplay in the US, remember that you heard it from CAS when we say that in just a few weeks time, “Wake Me Up” will be rivaling it’s UK popularity in the States. If the rest of you music lovers out there are as entranced by this track as I am, it will prove be exactly what Avicii needs to drum up a serious fan base here on the other side of “the pond.”
Come on out next Wednesday night for another great CAS lineup at The Basement. The Electric Hearts will be headlining the evening with a sound that is self-described as “a blend of 60s and 70s rock, pop and psychedelia with a touch of modern indie rock,” and they are sure to be a good fit for the tight knit, homegrown vibe that The Basement so effortlessly provides. This Nashville-based band will appeal to fans of acts such as the Alabama Shakes and Gary Clark Jr. (both of whom the band has recently supported as they have toured across the Southeast), as well as Luella and the Sun and ZZ Ward. The band, currently Lightning 100’s Artist of the Week, also recently played Red Bull Sound Select with Airborne Toxic Event and Alanna Royale. The Electric Hearts released their most recent EP, The Life and Death of Fritz Pepper, just this passed June.
Also on the bill for the evening is another Nashville musician, Jeffrey James, who’s roots rock instrumentals, helmed by his soulful vocals, have made him a Cause A Scene alumni favorite and will also make him the perfect complimenting act to The Electric Hearts. James’s 2012 EP, Make Your Way To The Flashing Lights, was mixed and produced by Konrad Snyder, who has also worked with fellow hot Nashville up-and-comers, Night Beds and Kopecky Family Band. James is taking a different and more unconventional approach with his new material. Under the name the Wide Awake Project, James is releasing one song at a time. The turnaround between each song ends up being about every month or so, just as quickly as it can be written, recorded and promoted. The new format is an intentional removal from the traditional EP or LP multi song write/record/release method that takes place over several months. The new process seems to mimic a sort of artistic stream of conscious, and stems from James’s desire to experiment with the freedom and control that comes with being and independent artist.
Brooklyn, NY-based singer-songwriter, Nick Africano, will be rounding out the evenings lineup. With a sound described as being somewhere in between the mysterious space of rock and roll, storytelling and folk music, Africano has toured much of the US. As of recently he has also jumped the pond, touring in England and Sweden. Africano has independently recorded and produced two LPs, the most recent of which, The Butterfly Bull, he released in May of 2012. Africano’s new single, “Lonely Hearts,” was released just last week.
The evening’s music will start at 9:00PM. Doors open at 8:00PM. Tickets can be purchased here for $5 in advance. Tickets will be $7 DOS. All advanced online purchases will come with a free download of Jeffrey James’s new single, “Bad Woman,” which released just this week.
Join us this upcoming Monday, back at 5008 Longstreet, for an evening to remember. Cause A Scene is proud to be hosting Austin’s The Trishas, a four-piece unit comprised of Jamie Wilson, Liz Foster, Kelley MickWee and Savannah Welch. Each of the four lend a vocal singularity that melt together to form twisting harmonies, giving nods to blues, folk and bluegrass, creating a sound and musical identity that has become a must know throughout Texas, and for beyond.
Starting out the evening on a high note, we will be privilege of hearing from fellow Nashvillian, Neal Carpenter. With a pair of such talent, Monday evening will surely be a lineup not to be missed. Tickets can be purchase here in advance for $10. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.
When hearing about new music coming out of Texas, most people’s thoughts go immediately to Austin, but there is a band out of Dallas that is making some big noise that is extending far beyond the Lone Star State lines. Douglas Hale (vocals, keys, guitar), Dragan Jakovljevic (guitar, BGVs, percussion), Richard Carpenter (keys, BGVs, percussion), Jeff Taylor (bass, BGVs), and Justin Robinson (drums) began making music together in 2008 in a suburb of Dallas. In a year’s time they had written enough songs to record and self-release their first record, and Air Review was formed.
The band has spent the years since, spreading their music and honing their craft, playing all across Texas as well as other cities across the southern U.S. In their most recent album, Low Wishes that was released in January of this year, Air Review masterfully utilize a variety of tones and melodies resulting in what I like to describe a sort of ambient-folk sound that gives Air Review a unique musical identity.
I was fortunate enough to recently speak with Richard Carpenter about the new album, the ambitions for the band, as well as number of other worldly topics.
How was the band formed? Did you all know each other beforehand? -CL
Doug and Jeff got together a few times and talked about writing some music when they approached me. Doug and I have known each other since day one, our parents being friends and all. The rest of us knew each from various musician-for-hire scenarios or, what you might call, musical social circles. But the key thing is that we’ve all become better friends since forming Air Review. I don’t know if that happens very often, but it’s been a crucial part of making Air Review what it is. -RC
What/who are the bands’ inspiration and influences? This could be both musical and personal.
We all have different musical interests these days. Doug loves electro girl pop, and so do I. I can’t stop listening to Purity Ring. Last year I was obsessed with Youth Lagoon (still kind of am) and I’m listening to POLICA right now. Jeff has always been a big Elbow fan as well as Doves. Justin would probably tell you about David Bazan or Rogue Wave and Dragan would shamelessly tell you that he listens to Boy George, though I don’t know if he’d call it an influence…
Is there anything about Texas that spills into your music?
Though we’re not all from Texas, we’ve all been here for a while. I’d say that it spills into our music in many ways, though it would be hard to pinpoint anything. For me, I think there is something about Texas that makes people feel big and small at the same time. Watching the Texas skyline has always been a favorite part of growing up here. Standing under something so huge and beautiful has always made me feel insignificant while simultaneously nudging me to reach for big things. That may sound silly, but I feel like it’s true.
What is your favorite Air Review moment or accomplishment thus far?
We’re all pretty proud of the new record. We put a lot of our own guts into it and in a way we’re still doing so. We certainly don’t think it’s perfect, but we believe in it.
What is the bands favorite city and favorite venue to play in?
I mean, can we really say anything other than our hometown, Dallas? Honestly, we really do love Dallas. It’s been kind to us. As for a favorite venue, there are so many great ones to choose from, but we love Trees in Deep Ellum. Great sound system and great owner.
Not sure if you have made it up to Nashville yet, but if so, what is your favorite venue to play? What do you like most about Nashville?
Unfortunately, we haven’t been to Nashville yet. I don’t think I’ve ever been there, but I have friends that absolutely love it and keep telling me that I’ve got to make the trip. We hope to get there soon.
I know you just released Low Wishes. Is this your second full length album?
Technically, yes, it is our second full length. Our first, Landmarks, is pretty different from Low Wishes. Some people might not even recognize it as us. It was a first and a conglomeration of many years of pent up music. We’re glad we wrote it, but we’re glad to be past it at the same time.
Following the release of Low Wishes, what is next for Air Review? I know you have a few dates scheduled in Texas, but will you be doing an extended tour? Maybe you’ll be making it up this way?
We have some shows booked for south Texas: Bryan, Austin, Waco. Then we have shows in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Jackson, Mississippi in the middle of March. Other than that, there’s lots in the works. We hope people will check in with us regularly.
What is Air Review’s mission? How do you plan to affect the world with your music?
I don’t know if we’re looking to change the world. We want to make the best music that we can and we hope that people will be inspired by it in the same way that we have been inspired by music.
What is the next goal Air Review hopes to accomplish?
We’re dying to hit the road. We love playing live shows and playing in new places. We’ve got all kinds of plans in the works, to play in surrounding states as well as a trip out to the west coast. We’re just trying to be patient and do our best to be ready to go when the right opportunities present themselves.
Any pre-show rituals?
It’s funny, we really don’t. There’s always so much going on before shows and most of the venues we play don’t really have a place for us to gather privately.
If Air Review could play with one artist/band, who would it be?
It varies for each of us, but I think Radiohead comes closest to a band we can all agree on.
What is the Air Review’s favorite fast food/drive-thru tour pit stop?
Oh geez, that’s something we never agree on.
Which angry bird is your favorite angry bird?
I didn’t know there was more than one.
Lethal Weapon or Die Hard?
This is the toughest question for me. I really can’t decide.
