After a small farewell tour — called the “Goodbye, Cruel World… Tour” — Voxtrot will call it quits. Says Ramesh Srivastava on the band’s website: “The career path of Voxtrot was truly one of long, simmering build, explosion, and almost instantaneous decay. Slowly, I am learning to replace any feelings of regret with positive memories of how amazing the whole thing was, and how it has, in an unexpected way, fortified my character.” He goes on to explain why the band is ending.

Read More...

After spending some time in Berlin, Ramesh and his reconfigured Austin indie pop outfit are back with another one-off single. Hear the fittingly titled “Berlin, Without Return” at MySpace. (Thanks for the tip, Mike.)

Back in ’06 Voxtrot stormed out of Austin with two memorable EPs of concise, soft and warm indie pop. The next year they put out a less memorable full-length, and subsequently clammed up, seeming to be alright with being forgotten by the internet-music hype circus for these past two years. Until today. Because today is the Monday where the world’s attention is turning toward Voxtrot’s hometown, and they’ve cooked up something with another Austinite and are giving it away for free. Lead singer Ramesh Srivastava posted this note:

Read More...

Kudos to our brother in blogging Brooklyn Vegan for curating a kick-ass CMJ opening night show at Bowery Ballroom! Boos to CMJ for not making sure Miracle Fortress knew they needed more than just a letter from the festival (how about a work visa?), and to the border patrol for once again getting in the way of a highly anticipated show (Handsome Furs, M.I.A., Lily, etc.). Apparently the border patrol Google’d the show to find that Ticketmaster was selling tix! The good news? Rest easy folks, those are some seriously secure borders.

Anyway, the first set we saw at CMJ ’07 will probably be one of the very best: We learned Bon Iver is simply astounding. (We also learned it’s pronounced “bone ee-vare.”) A little too much reliance on that big crash cymbal build-up outro device everybody loves, but that man’s voice is magical. As massive Luna fans, it was a thrill to get to see Dean & Brita do their thing, too. Most Serene Republic made up for a shaky set from Shaky Hands, we didn’t see the Rosebuds (tried to see Jennifer O’Connor but the Living Room was waaay off sched), and “special secret surprise guests” Voxtrot (so billed to keep bookers from starting a turf war) took us into the wee morning hours with a superb and solid set.

But night one’s big winner? Bon Iver. Try and see him today at BV’s day show at Pianos (5PM). Take the jump for pretty pics.

Read More...

After navigating the throngs of Fest folks looking for transportation from Zilker Park (pedicabs were the order of the weekend, though we had good cab karma), downtown afterparty options were plentiful. But few were free, and fewer still exclusively featured ACL-neglected artists; that’s where our friends in blogging come in, having curated the second Hot Freaks! party, at the Mohawk ‘n’ Club De Ville on Red River. Night One: Two Ed-heads for the price of nothing! We got to the show Friday night in time for Grizzly Bear, playing against Club De Ville’s man-made Red Rocks-y backdrop. The set also yielded the “most random thing ever” sighting in the words of Mr. Droste: There to see Grizz were Brandon Flowers and the rest of the Killers! And according to those who chatted ‘em up, B. Flow left impressed. Make of all that what you will, we still don’t know what to say.

After that came Art Brut, whose set reminded us that Eddie Argos is the best standup comedian in rock, particularly in his piss take of the night’s unavoidable sponsor, Dell, after having his mic cut a few times:

Read More...

Did you spend Saturday with eyes glued to The Deathly Hallows? Or ears glued to The Black Lips? We did neither, but these folks managed to do both:

(Pic by Paul Antonson.)

Yep, no Siren for Stereogum. Not ’cause the line-up was so much weaker than years past (well, maybe a little); we’ve just had our fill of most of the performers for the year. We know some of you went, though! Fill us in: Did Lavender Diamond’s operatic pop rise above the Cyclone screams? Did Twilight Sad cover Radiohead? Did Voxtrot rail against music bloggers? Does Harry die at the end?

After the jump, some video clips that do little to convince us we missed anything spectacular.

Read More...

No classic albums played in their entirety, but any fest day during which your mind is blown thrice is indeed a good fest day. As noted, there’s a hipster agenda at play at Pitchfork Music Festival (duh), but the lineup is anything but hegemonic: Scottish shoegaze, coke rap, psych-folk, Yoko … Saturday’s bill had the bases covered. Along with Battles, Clipse, and Mastodon, post-show chatter gave big ups to Stereofaves and OKX alum the Twilight Sad (we caught the tail end of a typically blistering “And She Would Darken The Memory,” so so good — that’s the band above with Battles’ Dave Konopka) and Grizzly Bear (you’ve seen ‘em, we’ve seen ‘em, but folks here hadn’t — and they fell head over paws). Cat Power sounded great (and looked like a Chanel model), but sound issues took their toll. Califone‘s early day set was ace, which we chased with an infectious and excited set from Voxtrot, showing off road-honed popscapes and stage-hopping, serving up a welcome combatant to festival fatigue. Iron & Wine … not so much. Sam’s put together a very fine new record, and he delivered it with lovely delicacy, but the low sound and hushed Beam-ing sent us straight to Rehab (the energy drink of choice this weekend). Yoko Ono closed out the night, and it was a lot like we got at Øya last summer: a ten-minute videotaped intro/lesson on how to flash “I Love You” with the provided “Onochord” penlight; performance pieces seeing her act out both sides of an abusive relationship; and a lot of slinky-grooved rock/Ono caterwauling. And as last time, we spent half the set staring in amazement, half pondering if we’ll have a fraction that cool when we’re septuagenarians. Probably not.

And then there’s the stuff we’re kicking ourselves for having missed: Ed Droste joining Girl Talk onstage with a live vocal for Gregg’s “Knife” remix, and the fire marshall shutting down Dan Deacon for his (literally) smoking setup and crowd management issues. Probably won’t see the live Grizzly Talk mashup again anytime soon, but there’s still chance to see the authorities shut down Mr. Deacon in Chi town. If you’re in the city, join us at the “secret” Deacon/Deerhunter show at 217 Wolcott St. Starts at midnight CST! Get in a cab, or if you’re feeling lazy, click below for Saturday’s pictorial platter.

Read More...

This is so not the video Voxtrot needed to make. If you found the band’s self-titled LP soporific, this pastiche of clips from a November Bowery gig and moments in the studio (with no relation or regard to the song itself) will do nothing to wake you. Though it is cute to see the guys in non-music mode (maybe should’ve just run with that?). Get us when the next EP’s out. (via BV)

RELATED: The new Smiths?

Australian singer-songwriter Ben Lee’s calling in some favors for Ripe, his follow up to Awake Is The New Sleep, roping in Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins, Mandy Moore, Benji Madden, and folks from Rooney on the cameo-heavy record. Below, Ben gives us a little peek at the arduous work environment he’s created in the studio.

Thinking Lee oughta get that guy to turn on his synth. Or fire him. Ben’s posting plenty of peeks at his progress in the studio on YouTube. Head here for Rooney, here for Benji Madden, and listen to Mandy Moore here (alas you can’t see her, which, we know, is pointless). If that insane collection of talent doesn’t get ya, see just how Ripe Ben’s new tunes are by watching him track “Blush” and the promisingly titled “Sex Without Love.”

Updating from the studio is the new not updating from the studio, apparently; after the jump, Dntel’s Jimmy Tamborello teaches you how to make beats in the control booth, and Voxtrot offers the first installment of an eight-part “Behind The Recording Of Voxtrot” documentary, which likely will be more interesting than the record itself.

Read More...

Though voraciously devoured upon leak, the watercooler buzz on Voxtrot’s forthcoming, self-titled debut on Beggars Banquet has, well, cooled. The band’s soft and warm indie pop found fans across the blogs with their excellent EPs, but Voxtrot doesn’t match those past efforts’ concision, or wit. Still, “Steven”‘s piano pop is one of the LP’s stronger moments, save the schlocky string arrangements. Hear it at MySpace.