In preparation for tonight’s big New Year’s Eve party at Cheer Up Charlie’s, we asked the Sour Notes to reflect on some of their highlights from 2013. Here is what they had to say:
Favorite Shows You Saw: Television, Bill Callahan & Julie Ruin at Fun Fun Fun Fest. Tame Impala & Grizzly Bear at Stubbs. Twin Peaks at Mohawk. Living Grateful at Sahara Lounge. White Walls, Spray Paint and Holy Wave at Red 7 for Free Week. Letting Up Despite Great Faults at The Blackheart. Mirror Travel tour kickoff at Hotel Vegas. Blackstone Rangers, Dana Falconberry, Shivering Timbers at Cheer Up Charlies during SXSW. Why? at The Horseshoe Tavern during NXNE. Clinic at Psych Fest. Destruction Unit at Beerland. Ava Luna & Zorch at Museum of Human Achievement. Japandroids at Free Press Summer Fest. Ringo Deathstarr at Holy Mountain. Joy Formidable at Lustre Pearl.
Favorite Things About Cheer Up Charlie’s: It’s grown so quickly and awesomely in its four short years, from a vegan food trailer to a full-fledged venue hosting Thurston Moore, Dan Deacon, Moby and Skrillex shows during SXSW and Chaos in Tejas showcases in the summer. So much work went into that tiny little building and the surrounding space to make it a good hang. Every year it’s morphed into a more soundlessly functioning machine. Can’t wait to see what the sequel is like.
Favorite Records from 2013: Run Fast (Jule Ruin), Light Up Gold (Parquet Courts), Rodeo Songs & Spray Paint (Spray Paint), Dream River (Bill Callahan), ZzoorrcchH (Zorch), Coming Apart (Body/Head)
Favorite Moments from Touring: The house party after our show in Chicago on our Summer Tour. Our pals in Chicago band Bring Your Ray Gun live under some elevated train tracks where they projected ‘Dazed & Confused’ underneath the stars, made a fire and had many beers to share.
Favorite Rediscovered Albums: Forever Breathes the Lonely World (Felt), Cure For Pain (Morphine), I Should Coco (Supergrass), Berlin (Lou Reed), The Glow Pt. 2 (Microphones), Tallahassee & All Hail West Texas (The Mountain Goats)
Fave New Bands we just heard about in roughly the past 365 days: Ruby Fray (Emily Beanblossom’s new band on K Recs), Ghost Wolves (an energetic guitar/drum duo) , Middle Twin (Lawrence, KS), Tele Novella, RF Shannon, Quitters, Those Howlins, The Villettes, Calliope Musicals, Holiday Mountain
Which songs you’re most looking forward to hearing by another artist at the NYE show: Lake Charlevoix or Possum Song by Dana Falconberry + Future Death’s set at 7:30pm they are new and awesome
