Fourth of July is on the horizon, the summer weather still hasn’t made up its mind and you need some live music to see. It’s another weekend in Austin and we’ve got it all figured out. I’ll pay your cover myself if any of you have the audacity to claim any of these shows were less than spectacular. See you there!
Friday:
I first met Purple at a venue they weren’t even playing at, but that didn’t stop them from stealing the show. They were the only other dancing maniacs who put me to shame, and I stored away the friendly faces in the back of my head. I immediately gave them a listen when I got home and was blown away by the rambunctious raw energy of drummer and vocalist Hanna Brewer on “Big Light”. After a lengthy tour supporting Austin fuzzy psych-rockers Ringo Deathstarr and a few stops in the UK that won them an entire new continent of fans, Purple is back with an evolved sound and distinct surf punk foray. Joining them will be the tripped out Fort Worth band Animal Spirit, newly formed spoken word experimentation Casual Strangers and indie pop duo Bitter Birds who sound like a minimalist Frankie Rose. If you miss the type of shows were you find yourself incapable of refraining from dancing then treat yo self and come check out Purple. Doors are at 9 at Holy Mountain for $8 and good news kiddos, its all ages! – Nate Abernethy
In late May, Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires released Deconstructed, the band’s debut on Sub Pop Records. For those of you who haven not taken a listen yet, the album is sleazy good time full of anthemic party jams, good southern vibes, and of course, a sea of heavy guitar riffage all anchored by the robust vocals of Lee Bains III himself. Lee and his Glory Fires are bringing their party on tour this summer and they will be in Austin tonight at Red 7. Joining them will be two of Austin’s finest garage rock groups. White collar bad asses, Austin veterans, and champions of free beer, The Midgetmen, will be kicking the night off and the always incredible Diarrhea Planet will be closing the night out (with no less than 5 guitar players I am sure). If you like straight up, guitar-shredding rock and roll and are looking for a guaranteed good time this weekend, look no further than this show. Doors are at 9pm so get there by 10pm to catch all 3 of these great bands. – Cody Kimbell
Saturday
First off you should be frantically spamming us with your favorite Presidents unless you don’t like BYOB festivals with a killer lineup and free camping. Seriously enter the contest now and I will throw in a bottle of Jester King that I will personally present to you during Leopold & His Fiction. However if you insist on being lame and remaining firmly within the city limits then its okay, we’ve got you covered. The crazy fast explosion of how expertly Sweet Spirit has honed their sound to perfection has distracted wonderfully from the demise of Bobby Jealousy, but I know there’s still a few broken hearts out there. So if you want to be consoled and blown away you should probably check yourself into Hotel Vegas on Saturday. The Austin Chronicle premiered Sweet Spirit’s first track back in April, and it is still on regular… okay fine, constant rotation in my daily playlists. Fun and catchy with a flawless blending of countless genres they’re just that good. Even better news! The other remnant of Bobbby Jealousy, Seth Gibbs who has been keeping busy guiding newcomer soulful southern rockers Rolland Hazzard, is back with his new endeavor The Downtown Lips. An unironic fully committed delve into 60s pop this is your chance to arrive early and say you heard them first. Joining the bill is the retro Mikey & The Drags with garage influenced classic jams that are so catchy they remind me of fuzzy-tinged version of Raphael Saadiq’s fantastic 2011 album Stone Rollin’. Also performing will be The Ugly Beats, who in a weird but nice way sound like a modern Beach Boys should, and the shoe-scooting Quitty & The Don’ts. Its only $5 for just a packed lineup so no excuses, see you at Hotel Vegas at 9pm! – NA
Sunday
Back in February we took notice of a dynamic duo known as Twin Vision as we examined their track “I Believe In Drugs”. Thanks entirely to a few nice sentences from us, Twin Vision abandoned their Russian post and came flying back to Austin to impress us further with the premiere of the music video. Twin Vison is relentless, varied, and intriguingly different. From hints of jangly swagger to brooding blues-influenced garage, front man Michael Kristoph is a master of maintaining a familiar sound while scoffing at anything less than bold experimentation. If being amongst the first to see the video premiere plus catching the restless space rock live isn’t enough for you then fine. Brand spanking new psychedelic lo-fi band Nilo Bronco and mysterious pop five-some Templo X will also be rocking your socks off. To top it all off its free and at our favorite local haunt Cheer Up Charlie’s. Doors at 9pm! – NA