Austra ("OH-stra") have released the official video to go with their song Home, but YouTube won't let me post it here due to some sort of copyright issue (why put up an embed code, then?), so here's a live version:
It's nice to see the Tasseomancy twins playing with her at SXSW (they weren't along when she opened for The xx at The Tabernacle). In any event, we might get to see the full Austra band, including Tasseomancy, as MFNW just announced that Austa will be playing there this year. This is the second line-up announcement for the Portland festival, following the prior news that Godspeed You! Black Emperor will be performing for two consecutive nights.
For those staying closer to home (and if your home is Atlanta), and/or if my MFNW plans fall through, Austra will be coming to The Earl on September 17, 2013.
Seattle's Pickwick played their first-ever Atlanta show last night at The Earl, with the adorable Basia Bulat opening.
Basia is a great musician, playing at various times what looked like a twelve-string uke, an electric piano, a guitar, and an autoharp, all while singing with a terrific, strong voice to her own well-written songs. It was also her first Atlanta show, and she was a bit of a revelation - what little I'd seen and heard from her didn't prepare me for what a complete performer she is.
We've seen Pickwick before, at Bumbershoot 2011 in their hometown of Seattle and then MFNW in Portland that same year (same week, actually). It's been a long wait to have them come South, but touring in support of their debut album, Can't Talk Medicine, they've finally come down.
They sounded more energized than before, possibly due to the addition of a new drummer and possibly a new guitarist (I couldn't tell for sure - it's been over two years) and they put on a great show for a small but wildly enthusiastic audience.
Pickwick's sound revolves around the soulful singing of frontman Galen Disston. He was in fine form last night, bringing equal parts Stax-style R&B and old-time revival fervor to the songs. Considering the roots of the music he's singing, it's rather surprising that they haven't come South before.
Basia Bulat joined Pickwick on stage to sing the Sharon Van Etten part of their song Lady Luck.
In gratitude, Pickwick performed two covers by her apparently favorite musician, Elvis Costello, including Pump It Up for their encore. Basia came out from backstage to listen, shouting out "Thank you!" after the song.
FWIW, here's a little video-clip digest my camera prepared last night without my even knowing it, presented in all of its unedited, random, and jumpy glory. It still gives a fair idea of what last night was like
Pickwick, the greatest band you've never heard of, are playing this evening at The Earl. They once described themselves as "a bluegrass band that heard a Sam Cooke record" and were never the same again. Damien Jurado's a fan, and you should be too. These guys are great.
The adorable Basia Bulat, who you would go to see on her own anyway, opens.
This evening's Vampire Weekend concert at NY's Roseland Ballroom is being broadcast live at 9:00 pm tonight at http://amexunstaged.com. Added bonus points: the broadcast will be directed by Steve Buscemi.
Personally, I'll be watching Game of Thrones at 9:00, but logging onto the website later in hopes of a re-broadcast.
But all of this is a set-up for what I really wanted to present: what Grimes said. Here she is in another Buscemi video (which is how I found out about the Vampire Weekend webcast):
On her Tumblr site last week, Grimes wrote an essay that I think is worth reading (and worth re-printing):
I don’t want to have to compromise my morals in order to make a living
i dont want my words to be taken out of context
i dont want to be infantilized because i refuse to be sexualized
i dont want to be molested at shows or on the street by people who perceive me as an object that exists for their personal satisfaction
i dont want to live in a world where im gonna have to start employing body guards because this kind of behavior is so commonplace and accepted and I’m pissed that when I express concern over my own safety it’s often ignored until people see firsthand what happens and then they apologize for not taking me seriously after the fact…
I’m tired of men who aren’t professional or even accomplished musicians continually offering to ‘help me out’ (without being asked), as if i did this by accident and i’m gonna flounder without them. or as if the fact that I’m a woman makes me incapable of using technology. I have never seen this kind of thing happen to any of my male peers
I’m tired of the weird insistence that i need a band or i need to work with outside producers (and I’m eternally grateful to the people who don’t do this)
im tired of being considered vapid for liking pop music or caring about fashion as if these things inherently lack substance or as if the things i enjoy somehow make me a lesser person
im tired of being congratulated for being thin because i can more easily fit into sample sizes from the runway
im tired of people i love betraying me so they can get credit or money
I’m sad that it’s uncool or offensive to talk about environmental or human rights issues
I’m tired of creeps on message boards discussing whether or not they’d “fuck” me
I’m tired of people harassing my dancers and treating them like they aren’t human beings
I’m sad that my desire to be treated as an equal and as a human being is interpreted as hatred
of men, rather than a request to be included and respected (I have four brothers and many male best friends and a dad and i promise i do not hate men at all, nor do i believe that all men are sexist or that all men behave in the ways described above)
im tired of being referred to as ‘cute,’ as a ‘waif’ etc., even when the author, fan, friend, family member etc. is being positive
(fyi)waif |wāf|
noun 1 a homeless and helpless person, esp. a neglected or abandoned child: she is foster-mother to various waifs and strays .
• an abandoned pet animal.
cute |kyo͞ot|
adjective 1 attractive in a pretty or endearing way: a cute kitten.
• informal sexually attractive.
I’m tired of people assuming that just because something happens regularly it’s ok
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i have so much love for everyone who has been cool and amazing. I have the best job in the world but I’m done with being passive about any kind of status quo that allows anyone to suffer or to be disrespected
Grimes world tour is officially over, the visions album cycle is officially over, and I’m now taking the time to overhaul everything and make it better
much love to every fan - stuff can be lame sometimes but its really cool to have this support <3
