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Flanfire (Duggan Flanakin) is bringing LIFE to Austin music -- and telling the world how sweet it is!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Celebrate Austin's Latino Music!
Who wouldn't be dancing to Vallejo?
Okay -- May is officially Latin music month in Austin! Even before the huge Cinco de Mayo celebrations kick in, the Austin Latino Music Association (in conjunction with the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau) has released what may well be one of the BEST collections of music ever put together here -- "The Sound Is Brown."
The CD was unveiled last week at the Gibson Guitar showroom at a VIP event (attended by yours truly) that featured music from Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox and Vallejo (that's valley joe in Alabama, where the lads travailed after leaving their native El Campo). All day long Channel 8 featured our pal Gina Chavez frolicking to the sounds of her song "Embrujo." But the crowning event will be the Pachanga Festival on May 31st at Waterloo Park -- we will figure out how to run back and forth from the big Blastbeat-Rock Camp Austin battle of the bands at Emo's Lounge that same day. My friend Sarah Wimer says that NOT TO BE MISSED is a special performance by Mexico City's La Conquista -- these ladies are spicier than the Spice Girls! And, yes, the ladies have adopted Texas as their second home!
Back to the CD (which I am told is available for $18 and well worth it)! This music never stops -- from Vallejo's "Sweet Maria" to Ruben Ramos' "Mi Prietita Consentida (Sw Que No Debo Querrette). WHERE ELSE can you get this kind of compilation -- Del Castillo, Alejandro Escovedo, Grupo Fantasmo, Patricia Vonne, Rosie Flores, Rick Trevino, David Garza, Cienfuegos, Charanga Cakewalk, Gina Chavez, El Tule, Boca Arajo, Mary Welch and Los Curanderos, Cerronato, Vitera (that's Hadyn Vitera!), Maneta Beto, and Kanko. And if you THINK you know which of these performers is your favorite (or "best"), think again! Every song is a HUGE HIT -- and every band is different. Just get it -- and get out to some of the shows highlighted on the ALMA website [ www.austinlatinomusic.com ].
Moving on, last weekend was full of celebrations -- my old barefoot bass player friend Doug Dillon paid me a visit and we went out to Evangeline Cafe (yum!) to hear Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus of Edge City with special guests Jon Sanchez, Ron Flynt, and Sweet Mary Hattersley [there's jim without a mike singing amidst the crowd!]. 
Then on Sunday, Doug and I were guests at the Harmoni Kelley [gushing!] birthday bash at Club De Ville. Two pretty fair bands - McLemore Avenue and the Greyhounds - were bookended around the amazing Suzanna Choffel, who had to do without newlywed bass player Johnny Vogelsang (congrats, dude!) -- which meant we had to "suffer" through bass by Brad (bass) Houser -- with occasional keyboards from magic man Mark Addison and Dave Madden [can you believe this untouched-up surrealist photo?].Next night, Harmoni was "scheduled" to play bass with Jeremy Nail at Momo's -- good thing the healed-up Justin Wade Thompson was on hand to fill in. I had been out earlier that evening to catch a set from Slowtrain (with special guests Bryce Clifford and Juan Gutierrez and others too) helping to christen the "brand new club" Deja Vu (which of course is the not very old at all Club 115 at 115 San Jacinto). [This place BEGS to be a jazz club -- for which additional venues are MUCH needed here.]
I will save my review of Chris Brecht's new EP for another time -- and also a long-delayed review of Steve Ulrich's new record -- and brand new music from Bright Light Social Hour and The Bubbles (not to mention upcoming releases galore!). Instead, I will send a big HATS OFF to the Akins High Key Club for their well-attended benefit for Invisible Children at Mohawk.
Aaron from the El Guapos celebrates energy; members of Frank Smith (not the name of anyone in the band!); Jack and AJ from Bright Light Social Hour; a topside view of The Lemurs.
What a great day of music. INSIDE were the teen bands -- The Daze, the Bubbles (review to come of these psychedelic poprockers), The El Guapos and the Diving Captain (who will be among the bands duking it out to go to Ireland), Cranes of the Republic (who hope to get into the Blastbeat-Rock Camp Austin finals), and the Bright Light Social Hour (with a new EP!).
OUTSIDE (I love this venue!) it was the Lemurs, Stella Rose, Frank Smith, Golden Bear, the Politics, Built by Snow, and Frontier Brothers (I only got to see a few of these guys). Stella Rose is a three-piece hard rock band from Fort Worth notably with the very female McKenna Madget on bass; the Lemurs have two keyboard players (one also plays guitar) and are an up and coming indie rock band loved by Andy Langer; while Frank Smith features Austin native Aaron Sinclair who went off to Berklee a dozen years or so ago and got homesick and brought his band back with him (hi, mom! I've got company -- hope you have an extra fridge full of food?). I loved this band -- and got a laugh reading that Aaron once played DRUMS in the "noise punk" band Lot Six and a real buzz from hearing of the band's connection to Juliana Hatfield. The band is taking a month or so off (darn it!) -- which just gives me more prep time for their next gig.
Flanfire -- Bringing LIFE to Austin music.
