TEXAS ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Oh No Oh My - Be A Star

Oh No Oh My is four-piece indie rock band from the brains of Greg Barkley, Joel Calvin, Daniel Hoxmeier, and Tim Regan, all of whom reside in Austin. The band began in 2005 and self-released their first album, Oh No! Oh My!, in summer 2006. Almost 3 years later, with 2 more self-released EPs (Between the Devil and the Sea and Dmitrij Dmitrij) and dozens of tours spanning the US and Europe under their belt, the band is currently writing their sophomore follow up album, due sometime in early 2010.

The foursome plays skin-softening, mellow indie rock tunes in an agreeable blend of flavors that go down smooth. Pleasant chord progressions, gentle effects embellishments, alternating lead singers, bandmembers who share instruments – this is the mood.
(Source: Luxury Wafers)

Summery 60’s pop with enough quirk and intrigue layered on top to keep it compelling.
(Source: Anthem)

The band’s unique charisma should garner results in your heart’s blog search engine.
(Source: Pitchfork)

Oh No Oh My is opening for Neko Case!

Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth

Buckets of Rain

Bought and Sold

LOCAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Creede Williams

There are many things you can’t tell about Creede Williams from listening to his albums. You can’t tell that the Dallas musician learned to play guitar while writing and recording his 2005 debut album Something Borrowed. You can’t tell that when he’s not touring he works as lawyer in the violent world of professional wrestling. However, in an instant of listening you immediately notice one thing—this is an engaging, genuine and unabashedly upfront artist—and it isn’t often that the music of a singer-songwriter can speak so loudly for itself.
(Source: Myspace)

When asked about goals, Williams responds, “Ultimately my goal is to write songs that might actually fit in on that road trip mix tape of my dreams. Music appreciation, for me at least, is born in the car and learns to walk in the living room.” SOMETHING BORROWED is a warm introduction to an artist who is defining what is real versus what just feels like it.
(Source: Last fm)

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Graham Colton

Graham Colton is a singer-songwriter native to Oklahoma. While a student at Southern Methodist University, Colton began writing and performing songs in and around the Dallas pubs and coffee houses. It was there that fate and the Internet took Graham and his music to new heights. “I would return to my college dorm room and have e-mails from kids across the country asking where to buy the album,” says Colton. Quickly Colton began recording songs on a shoestring budget for his ever-growing local fan-base and distant admirers. The self-titled demo became a local favorite and began making waves outside the Texas music scene. It wasn’t long before the CD fell into the hands of Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) who quickly asked Graham to support them on their ’02 fall tour. Since then, Colton has toured with John Mayer, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, and Kelly Clarkson, and appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Late Show with David Letterman. His hit song “Best Days” was  featured on the television series American Idol and Kyle XY.
(Source: Last fm)

Creede Williams and Graham Colton are opening for Jackopierce!

Final Fantasy - Song Song Song

Final Fantasy is essentially a solo group lead by Owen Pallett, a violinist and singer from Toronto. As Final Fantasy, Pallett has been noted for his live performances, where he plays his violin into a loop pedal and then plays additional parts of the song simultaneously (a technique also used by musicians such as Andrew Bird and Zoe Keating). He has also performed with more traditional string quartets as backing musicians.

Final Fantasy’s last album, He Poos Clouds, was released in June 2006. The album consists entirely of string quartet arrangements, and eight of the ten songs are about each of the schools of magic as described in the rules of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game. The album was named winner of the 2006 Polaris Music Prize, which is based solely on artistic merit, on September 18, 2006. Uncomfortable with receiving a prize sponsored by a mobile phone conglomerate, Pallett gave the money away to bands he liked who needed financial help.

Since He Poos Clouds, Pallett has released several EPs and singles, and in March 2008, collaborated with Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste on a cover of Björk’s “Possibly Maybe” as part of a tribute to Björk’s album, Post. His latest album, Heartland, is expected to be released in January 2010.

Final Fantasy is opening for The Mountain Goats - check it out:

Lovecraft in Brooklyn

Genesis 3:23

LOCAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: The O’s

The O’s are just a couple of guys that like making music for good people. Simple as that. Having known one another from each other’s bands (Polyphonic Spree, Rose County Fair, Boys Named Sue, and The BAcksliders), Taylor Young and John Pedigo joined forces back in 2008 to create The O’s. They have since released their debut album titled “We Are The O’s”, played SXSW, and been named one of the Top 100 Bands To See by Alternative Press.

It’s not difficult to fall in love with the richness and authenticity of the perfectly blended vocals of The O’s, aka Taylor Young and John Pedigo. The band’s debut effort, We Are The O’s, truly gets to the heart of human existence.
(Source: Alternative Press)

Imagine, if you will, a singular stereophonic entertainment, a melodious marvel, a lankily potent one-man band incarnated as a two-man band, spreading gospels of broken hearts, empty whiskey bottles, train tracks, lost highways and rawboned emotion. Got that?
(Source: Modern Luxury Magazine)

The O’s are performing this Saturday night with Rhett Miller, Salim Nourallah and Shibboleth in the Breathe Easy Benefit for Cystic Fibrosis.

Pretty Lights - City of One

**UPDATE: Doors open at 8pm**

Interested in some free music?

Pretty Lights is the musical vision of the ultra-versatile Colorado based producer Derek Vincent Smith, accompanied in the live setting by drummer, Cory Eberhard. Together these two achieve a raw energy rarely reached in the realm of electronic music.
(Source: JamBase)

Pretty Lights’ first two albums, Taking Up Your Precious Time and Filling Up The City Skies are online and free to download at www.prettylightsmusic.com. So far his albums have been downloaded over 300,000 times, which equates to over 6.15 million track downloads. Pretty Lights returns with his new album, Passing By Behind Your Eyes, released on October 6 and also available for free download at PrettyLightsMusic.com. Go check it out!

Pelican - Embedding the Moss

Hailing from a Chicago-based band called Tusk, Pelican is a band that is known for its different melodies and extensive track lengths paired with doom-rock and post-metal influences. The band just released their fourth album called What We All Come To Need on Oct. 27 with Southern Lord Records. What We All Come to Need is a fantastic, dynamic collection. Here Pelican adopt compositional elements from stoner-rock circles and beyond, slowing their riffs down so that they bludgeon like a cartoon anvil inside a pillow case – softly enough initially, but once the blows have accumulated a delightful dizziness sets it.
(Source: BBC Music)

MEN - Simultaneously

MEN is a Brooklyn-based band and art/performance collective that focuses on the energy of live performance and radical potential of dance music. MEN speaks to issues such as wartime economies, sexual compromise, and demanding liberties through lyrical content and an exciting stage show. The group began in 2007 as the DJ/production/remix team of LE TIGRE members JD Samson and Johanna Fateman. JD and Hirsute members Michael O’Neill (Princess, Ladybug Transistor) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR, The Ballet) now comprise the core of MEN, with Johanna and artist Emily Roysdon contributing as writers, consultants, and producers.
(Source: MySpace)

MEN is opening for the alternative-punk band The Butthole Surfers and the electroclash, glam-rock songwriter called Peaches.

The Butthole Surfers - Good King Wenceslas

Peaches - I Feel Cream

Peaches - Billionaire

TEXAS ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Micah P. Hinson - The Times They Are a Changin’

Micah P. Hinson is a singer/songwriter from Abilene, Texas with a warm, husky voice. His music has an americana/alternative country slant, with hints of gospel and blues. He has released five albums including his most recent release All Dressed Up and Smelling of Strangers.
(Source: Last.fm)

In early 2005, Hinson experienced an injury to his back, causing back pain that was unalleviated by surgery. This caused problems with the singer’s touring schedule, hindered his ability to create new music, and ultimately lead to an addiction to pain medications and other drug dependencies. Despite fighting addiction, Hinson became immersed in the local music scene. Emerging from this dark time as a Texas music treasure, greatly respected in Europe, his story echoes the archetype of a phoenix flown from the ashes. Hinson has since toured with artists such as Iron & Wine and Calexico; and will be touring with Wilco in Europe.

Hinson will be opening for pop-folk band Blind Pilot and folk-rock band The Low Anthem:

Blind Pilot - One Red Thread

Blind Pilot - Go On, Say It

The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin

The Low Anthem - Cigarettes and Whiskey

Brother Ali & Evidence - The Freshest Kids

Born into Hip-Hop through break dancing, Brother Ali’s music ranges from purpose to passionate, yet always soulful and true to the boastful heritage of hip hop culture. An emcee, producer, host and overall party-starter, Brother Ali’s talents are a well-defined addition to the Rhymesayers family. On stage with only a DJ, Ali’s magical gift for capturing the imagination of his audience has been compared to that of a gospel preacher. Brother Ali has perfected the live performance, having played countless shows with Guru, Mos Def, and De La Soul, to name a few.
(Source: Last.fm)

Evidence, a rapper and producer from Venice Beach, came from the group Dilated Peoples, and is a new member of the Rhymesayers Entertainment label. He shares a stage with Brother Ali, Toki Wright, and DJ BK-One on their Fresh Air Tour, and has a new full-length album, Cats and Dogs, coming out in 2010.

Most known as opening act and hypeman for Brother Ali, Toki Wright is not only a well established emcee but one of the hardest working community activists in the Twin Cities area. With numerous accolades and a tour history that has taken him from New York to Uganada, Toki Wright is ready to take his next step as the first artist in the Rhymesayers Spotlight Series with A Different Mirror. Toki Wright, Evidence, BK-One, and Brother Ali have worked together with Rhymesayers to create a single called The Freshest Kids, just for the tour.

Better known as Brother Ali’s DJ, BK-One takes his years of experience as a DJ and puts on his producer hat to create his own album called Rádio Do Canibal. From the Brazilian sounds of bossa nova, Bahian folk, and samba, to international styles like psychedelic pop, reggae, Portuguese fado, and the soul, jazz, and funk music of the U.S., nothing was off limits. Rádio Do Canibal is a humble attempt to capture the spirit of that Brazilian music, creating something new and exciting.
(Source: MySpace)

Brother Ali and Evidence are playing Tuesday with Toki Wright and DJ Bk One!

Toki Wright - Next Best Thing