Free Shows To Consider (3/14-3/16)

A Small Sampling of Free

Image from innovativesportsnetwork.com

By Sean Claes

INsite asked folks to let us know about the free shows their acts are playing this week for free. Here are a few options for those who aren’t displaying a badge or wristband from Thursday – Saturday. Enjoy.

Thursday, March 14^th

Blue Sky Riders (Nashville, TN and Santa Barbara, CA)

blueskyridersband.com

Venue: John Lennon Educational Tour Bus @ Aussie's Grill (306 Barton Springs) @ 1 PM

Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, Gary Burr) will be playing several shows at SXSW this year. They recently  released their first full-length album, "Finally Home."

Chali 2na (Chicago, IL)

chali2na.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 5:00pm
Bearing an identifiably deep baritone voice, Chali became the unofficial point man for West Coast underground favorite Jurassic 5. Chali emerged as J5's most popular member and solo foray began in 2004 with his Fish Market mixtapes.

Corb Lund (Alberta, Canada)

corblund.com

Venue: St. Vincent De Paul Parking Lot, 1327 S. Congress
"A revelation" (Washington Post), Corb Lund is the descendent of four generations of Albertan ranchers and former punk/metal player. In the Nashville Scene's 13th Annual Country Music Critics' Poll, Corb Lund is the #10 male vocalist and 'Cabin Fever' is the #20 best album of 2012. 'Cabin Fever' is out now on New West Records.

Robert DeLong (Echo Park, CA)
robertdelong.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 4:00pm
Robert DeLong is a one-man futuristic dance party with beats as cerebral as Orbital and club-ready as Calvin Harris, DeLong is also a profoundly gifted singer/songwriter who raises questions about identity and spirituality. Those two elements join together on his debut album Just Movement, a dazzling collection of dance beats, pop hooks and thought-provoking queries that could very well be the soundtrack for 2013.

Thomas Dybdahl (Norway)
thomasdybdahl.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 3:00pm
One of Norway's most popular and acclaimed singer/songwriters, Thomas Dybdahl has gained a growing international following for his elegant and expressive songs of love and loss, which have earned him comparisons to Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. 

Mission South (Washington, D.C.)
missionsouth.com

Venue: Amped, 11pm
The roots/rock trio from Washington D.C. known as Mission South will release their sophomore 6-track EP 'Migration Vol. 2' on April 9th, 2013. With a sound reminiscent of Dr. Dogand Ben Harper, Mission South goes beyond their blues-rock roots by adding a mixture of pop, folk, and modern tones while maintaining the soulful edge that makes their music so impactful. They have shared the stage with Keller Williams, Holy Ghost Tent Revival and played the famed 9:30 Club in D.C., The Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans, and will hit The Fox Theatre in Denver this Spring as part of a 50-date national tour in support of the new EP.

Poolside (Los Angeles, CA)

poolsidemusic.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 6:00pm

Poolside are Los Angeles based duo Filip Nikolic and Jeffrey Paradise-their sound is described as "Daytime Disco." Their popular indie Stereolablike record became a quick Bay favorite, securing a full touring schedule for these mop-headed, bespectacled and perennially nineteen-year-old boys from back on the farm.

Keaton Simons (Los Angeles, CA)

keatonsimons.com

Venue: BlackBerry House (78, 80 & 82 Rainey St.) @ 4-6 PM

Keaton Simons, a singer/songwriter/musician, is at
SXSW for the ninth time this year! You will hear music at his Austin shows
from his upcoming album, "Beautiful Pain," which is set to be released on
April 30, 2013.

Sir Sly (Los Angeles, CA)

soundcloud.com/sirsly

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 7:00pm

Sir Sly is a mystery band based in Los Angeles, California.

Friday, March 15^th

Ólafur Arnalds (Iceland)

olafurarnalds.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @  6:00pm

At only 21 years of age, Ólafur Arnalds is Iceland's latest export. Having already sold out The Barbican Hall in London, toured major European festivals and having opened for Sigur Rós on their most recent European tour, the future seems bright for this young, extraordinary talent.

Blue Sky Riders (Nashville, TN and Santa Barbara, CA)

blueskyridersband.com           

Venue: Whole Foods Market Austin 525 N Lamar Blvd. @ 3:30 PM

Dance for the Dying (Washington, D.C.)
danceforthedying.com

Venue: DC v Austin Showcase, The Sidebar (602 E 7th St.) @ 12:20pm
On the heels of their CMJ success, the D.C. based synth-driven dance-rock quartet Dance for the Dying will be heading down south to play in Austin. With a sound reminiscent of Blondie, The Cure and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dance for the Dying brings a new-age appeal to 80's and 90's post-punk and New Wave rock. The band effortlessly fuses the joyful with the melancholy to craft infectiously danceable and catchy tunes, complete with hand claps, soaring synths and explosive choruses.

The Robert Glasper Experiment (Houston, TX)

robertglasper.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 7:00pm
The Robert Glasper Experiment is a quartet comprised of jazz pianist Robert Glasper, bassist Derrick Hodge, drummer Chris Dave (from the pianist's acoustic trio), and Casey Benjamin on saxes and vocoder. Debuting on one half of Glasper's two-disc Double Booked for Blue Note in 2009, the first half featured Glasper's acoustic trio, the Experiment contrasted on the other, incorporating elements of neo-soul, hip-hop, and jazz-funk into its sound.

Kitten (Los Angeles, CA)
kittentheband.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 3:00pm
With mature vocals, dynamic melodies and strong lyrics, Kitten's EP "Sunday School" has exquisite soul.Though together for less than a year, the Los Angeles natives have already performed at South by Southwest, nabbed a tour with Young The Giant, aired their video on MTV and been recognized as one of the most promising young bands by spin.com.

John Murry (San Francisco)

johnmurry.com

Venue: Hole in the Wall @ 2:45pm
The "Masterful" (Baeble Music) John Murry – the southern literature-inspired songwriter, William Faulkner's second cousin, and darling of UK music scene – has been named a Next artist by NPR's World Café, which praises his music as music "alluring, emotional and infectious." 'The Graceless Age' comes out April 2 on Evangelina Recording Co. 

Keaton Simons (Los Angeles, CA)

keatonsimons.com

Venue: Bayou Lounge (500 6th St.) @ 4:40 PM

WILDCAT! WILDCAT! (Los Angeles, CA)
wildcatwildcat.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 5:00pm

The pop concoctions of lead singers, Jesse Taylor and Michael Wilson and drummer, Jesse Carmichael fall squarely onto the plate of today's now-fashionable indie R&B - lush melodies, falsetto vocals, arching harmonies, all done produced with admirable restraint. There's nothing minimalist about the emotional uplift of their two singles.

Winslow (Cleveland, OH)
winslowsoul.com

Venue: Cleveland Rocks Showcase - Tiniest Bar in Texas @ 5:30pm
Winslow is a soul/rock band from Cleveland about to release their sophomore album, Left of the Right Direction, due out March 26th via Little Fish Records & RCR Recording Studios. The 6-piece has opened for Incubus, Earth Wind & Fire, OAR, Robert Randolph, Keane, Lupe Fiasco, Rusted Root, and many more.

"Monsters with Misdemeanors" by Yellow Red Sparks from Look Sessions on Vimeo.

Yellow Red Sparks (Yellow Pine, ID)

yellowredsparks.com

Venue: Sonos Studio @ (606 East 3rd Street) @ 4:00pm

Songwriter, Joshua Hanson compels us to look within ourselves for the truth, guiding us as we navigate through our own deepest personal relationships while allowing us to relate to the complexity of where he's coming from. With the addition of Goldy (drums and vocals) and Sara Lynn (upright bass, piano, vocals and banjo), Yellow Red Sparks create music with a timeless feel and continues the tradition of providing an open and honest perspective to raw universal emotions that come with the everyday trials of life.

Saturday, March 16

Blue Sky Riders (Nashville, TN and Santa Barbara, CA)

blueskyridersband.com           

Venue: Rachael Ray's party at Stubb's 801 Red River St @ 3 PM

New Day Dawn

Venue: The Warhorse (209B W. 5th) @ 10p

“Singer/songwriter Dawn Botti returns with this spot-on tuneful and dynamic five song EP CD. Botti’s strong and supple voice once again soars to the heavens with characteristic verve and graceful agility. Moreover, the songwriting cuts to the heart of the matter with bracing directness. The skillful playing on the tight arrangements serves as the delicious cherry on an already quite tasty sonic cake: The guitars cut and slash with galvanizing precision, the drums lay down a potent stomping beat, and the bass provides a gutty undertow. Best of all, there’s a smart and reflective mature sensibility at work that gives this beautifully melodic music extra substance and resonance. An absolute gem.” – Jersey Beat

Tako Lako (Copenhagen, Denmark)

takolako.dk

Venue: Pedernales Lofts, 2401 E. 6th Street, Austin 78702 at 4:00 pm
With their visionary mix of trashy world beats and psychedelic gypsy tunes, the critically acclaimed Danish/Serbian band Tako Lako has swept away European audiences. They have been named one of the "biggest upcoming acts" by MTV, and have already achieved cult status in Scandinavia and the UK.

Hedda Layne (Austin, TX)
heddalayne.com

Venue:  Central Market (N. Lamar) @ 5:30 p.m.

Experience the New World Diva - Hedda Layne and band bring modern electro-lounge to rapt audiences. Hedda is a woman of many moods, talents and looks and entertains listeners with her unique voice and vision.

Five Free Festivities March 11-16, 2013

By Sean Claes
It's that week again. Arguably the best week of music in Austin Texas each year. This year LL Cool J peddles Doritos, grumpy cat makes people happy, and everyone wants to see what Rachael Ray will be cooking up during her day party.

It's also the week where badges seem to think they rule the streets.

Here's a hint Austinites have known for years... you don't need a badge to see great music this week. Heck, if you keep your ear to the ground, you'll probably get to see the act a badge waited in line for 3 hours to get to the back of the room in a sweaty club... for free with 100 or less people.

We thought we'd help you out a little. Here are five of our favorite multiple-day shows that happen this week. Oh.. and they are ALL FREE.

Heart of Texas Rockfest

http://www.texasrockfest.com

The 2013 Texas Rockfest blasts into downtown Austin on Wednesday, March 13 through Saturday, March 16 featuring some of the best talent rising from the burgeoning indie rock scene.

The line-up includes Austin natives Broken Teeth, Dirty Wormz, D-A-D, Street Light Suzie, Vallejo, South Austin Moonlighters and more.

There are two outdoor stages smack dab in the middle of downtown (7th & Neches) that provide non-stop music, and Austin venues Shiners Saloon, War Horse and Blue Moon are also Rockfest venues. The fest is free, open to the public and benefits Caritas of Austin. No badges or wristbands are needed. Info: http://texasrockfest.com

Locations:TRF Outdoor 1 and 2 - (7th & Neches) Schedule
Shiners Saloon (422 Congress Avenue) Schedule
War Horse (209B W 5th) Schedule
Blue Moon (2200 S IH 35) Schedule

Red Gorilla Music Fest

http://www.redgorillamusic.com

The Blind Pig (317 E. 6th St.)

Thirsty Nickel (325 E. 6th Street)

Bourbon Girl (212 E. 6th St.)
Chuggin’ Monkey (219 E. 6th St.)

The Dizzy Rooster (306 E. 6th Street)

Amped  (300 E. 6th St.)

HandleBar (121 E. 5th St.)



Red Gorilla Music Fest has been a mainstay for the last decade on 6th Street during the week of music in Austin. Their mission is to "promote up-and-coming independent music in all genres and help independent artists further their careers." They give the stage to between 300 - 550 bands each year.

A few bands we reccomend that are playing Red Gorilla: Starma, The Statesboro Revue, Last One Out, and Gobi.

To see the full schedule, visit - http://www.redgorillamusic.com/schedule/

The Outlaw Roadshow

rsvp here

 

Location: Rusty's (405 East 7th)

This RSVP on DO512 show features 19 bands and, if last year was any indication, some of the best free swag available in Austin this week. It starts at noon on Saturday and has three stages going, so there's never a lull in the music.   This show is produced by Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) and Ryan Spaulding (rsblog.com).   Callout bands include Nakia, Daniel & the Lion, and Field Report
Listen to and download some of the bands playing here - link

Waterloo Records - Outdoor Stage

Yeah.. it's appropriate that, in a list of Free shows, I put a Macklemore & Ryan Lewis day show here. Who hasn't had "Thrift Shop" stuck in their heads in the last few weeks? If not... here... you're welcome. Anyhow... this is on the "you'll be in a huge crowd and it may not be totally worth it but HEY... where else are you going to see The Mavricks and Emmylou Haiirs for free" list.

Besides... Waterloo Records deserves some support. They are a RECORD STORE IN 2013. And, as far as I can tell, they're actually making it work.

The biggest drawback to these shows is parking. If you find a space...covet it... and as long as you're there, you may as well wander down to The Tiniest Bar In Texas a block away for  their day shows... (see the next on the list).

Here's a link to some free music from bands playing the day party: http://waterloorecords.com/NewsItem/3446

See the full line-up here: link

Best Lil' Big Fest in Texas

Location: Tiniest Bar in Texas (817 W. 5th Street)

You could truly spend the entire day in between Waterloo Records and The Tiniest Bar in Texas (especially considering you've got Whole Foods and Amy's Ice Cream right there for snacks).
  Looking at this year's line-up we'd HIGHLY reccomend Wednesday's Austin Independent Radio Day Party (Whisky Shivers, Mike & the Moonpies & The Sour Notes), as well as catching sets by Paper Lions, Henry + the Invisibles and Indofin.  

See the entire line-up here - link  

Free with RSVP:
Day 1 - http://do512.com/c/sx2013/event/2013/03/13/best-lil-big-fest-in-texas-day-one
Day 2 - http://do512.com/c/sx2013/event/2013/03/14/best-lil-big-fest-in-texas-day-two
Day 3 - http://do512.com/c/sx2013/event/2013/03/15/best-lil-big-fest-in-texas-day-three
Day 4 - http://do512.com/c/sx2013/event/2013/03/16/best-lil-big-fest-in-texas-day-four  

So... all you folks who will invade downtown Austin this week....

Go forth and be free.
Don't be mean to the badges... it's not their fault they don't understand the beauty of free.
Oh... and he who gets the best swag wins.

Deserts of Mars Interview

Catching up with Stoner Metal Power Trio Deserts of Mars

By Sean Claes

If you like your metal with the sludgy vibe of stoner rock, you should discover Austin’s Desert of Mars. This power trio has been around for a few years, but they’ve got some interesting tricks up their sleeves for 2013.

Tony Salvaggio (bass/vocals) and Billy Garretsen (drums) formed the band around 2006 and once they added guitarist Bob Hoff, they honed their “Mars Metal” sound and set their sites on Austin’s Red River District, a perfect place for their brand of rock and roll during that time period.

Over the years they played a lot of shows with a lot of fellow Austin metal bands, recorded an album in 2011 called Transmission and collected a steady set of fans, called Martian Maniacs.

Last year Garretsen decided to step down from the band and the guys were blessed to find the talented Erik Kinservik to step in. Because of the change in this three-man power trio, they’ve been keeping a low profile as of late, but are planning to come back with a new passion and new tracks.

INsite owner Sean Claes had a chance to chat with the band recently.

Sean Claes: I kind of get that old-school Iron Maiden rock sound from you guys. How would you describe your sound?

Tony Salvaggio: We usually get Sabbath meets Motorhead with a dose of Monster Magnet and I think that is fair.

I am a huge stoner rock/metal fan and I think that a lot of our riffs (esp. on the first album) come from that. All of the members of the band have really varied tastes in music, so sometimes it can be hard to pin it down.

To me, it’s riff based driving rock/metal that is heavy but polished and fairly accessible. It’s why we started calling it Mars Metal. It doesn’t fit into straight up stoner rock and it has influences from all over the place.

Claes: What’s in a name? Why Deserts of Mars (DoM)?

Salvaggio: I wanted a name that has many connotations, is catchy, and hearkened back to the Desert Rock/Stoner Rock influences.

I also liked that it can evoke different imagery depending on the person. It’s an interesting planet that we actively explore, it’s the God of War, its been in Sci-Fi and in our heads for years... Billy took that and ran with it on our flyers, so now we have a kind of space rock thing going on as well.

Claes: Your fans are known as Martian Maniacs. How’d that come about?

Salvaggio: Ha! I just thought it sounded cool at the time. I haven’t asked anyone if they actually dig being called Martian Maniacs, but it seemed to work. Like how Voivod has the Iron Gang, and metal bands all had cool names for their fan clubs. Maybe I just read too many Metal Maniac mags back in the day.

Claes: Your debut release Transmission came out in March 2011. Does it still stand up to who Deserts of Mars is as a band?

Salvaggio: I think so. We took a bit more time than I wanted to when Billy (Garretsen, the original drummer) left, but we really wanted to make sure we have a tight band of friends with similar goals rather than just moving on to new drummer X.

With Erik in the band now, of course he brings a different take (if you come to a show with him bringing the thunder you’ll hear some new takes on the old material), but we’ve really gelled as rhythm section and the new stuff is really moving in a direction we dig.

A lot of the music still comes from bass riffs as a starting point. So, it may be different, but it will always be straight from the heart and DoM through and through.

Bob Hoff: I agree. I am really proud of that body of work. I think the songs are still interesting and, at least for me, still a lot of fun to play.

Erik Kinservik: I would say that it does, but we are maturing as a band and progressing to a harder, more syncopated style that is focused on a tight rhythm section with groove, impact, and energy.

Claes: Who did the artwork for the CD? It’s pretty fantastic.

Hoff: It was a collaborative effort. If I recall, the concept really took form at a post-gig Kirby Lane session. The initial photography and digital effects were done by John Sommer. Then Billy took those images and kicked them up to 11 with additional digital compositing.

Salvaggio: We wanted to keep the space rock vibe going and I think it was captured well.

As a band we’re lucky that Billy is an awesome artist and he’s still pretty jazzed to do posters and such for us a well when he has the time. People remember the poster art of DoM even if they haven’t seen a show.

Claes: For your CD release party in 2011, you donated all of your profits to the relief effort in Japan, citing you have a lot of friends there. We seem to forget things when the next news cycle hits… so… It’s 2 years later. How are the friends doing now?

Salvaggio: Luckily my friends were in Tokyo and were fine for the most part. Their families are also doing well. It was a rough time though since they had children who were obviously scared with all the blackouts and craziness.

I ended up sending care packages of snacks, batteries, and flashlights and such as well. I think things are pretty good for everyone I knew who was affected. However, there are a lot of places still recovering and that is heartbreaking and sobering. All in all, it was just the right thing to do.

Claes: Have you written/recorded any new material since Transmission?

Kinservik: Not yet, but soon. I’m looking forward to it!

Hoff: Yeah we’re working on that right now. Our tentative plan is to have some material put together and hopefully at least have an EP available this summer.

Claes: Tell me about a track or two.

Salvaggio: The first one we reworked it a heavy wall of sound kind of anthem called “Pyramids.” I wanted the kind of vibe that The Sword has on some of their heavier more raw tracks and Erik has really started beefing that up.

In our new jams, there is some straight up groove stuff, a song that I want to mix in my love of classic doom metal like St. Vitus and Cathedral, and there’s a few riffs that I’m not sure where they will go. It’s all Mars Metal to us.

Claes: In late 2012 you brought on Erik Kinservik to replace Billy Garretsen on drums, citing Billy’s need to “train his newborn daughter to fight Rocktopi on Mars and beyond.” How is the new trio gelling?

Salvaggio: Really, really well. Like I said before, it took us a bit longer than I wanted to get back to playing live (but still shorter than our previous guitarist change which took around a year), but it has been awesome.

Erik’s drive and time spent behind the drums has really added an extra bit of oomph to the sound. Billy’s raw power and of course his friendship are missed. He’s still a really good friend and he wants to do more artwork and be a part of the band outside of drums, which is awesome.

However, Erik is an awesome musician, great friend, and really cool guy. I can’t stress how important finding the right combo of attitude/drive/understanding of what we want to do is in a band. So, it was all well worth the wait!

Hoff: Surprisingly well! Finding a new member wasn’t something we were looking forward to at all. But after meeting and jamming with Erik, it was clear that he was the right person to bring in. It has been an absolute blast getting to know him. He also brings with him a great deal of industry experience (and great road stories). Oh yeah, he’s an amazing drummer too!

Kinservik: For me it’s going Awesome! I like bringing some fresh ideas to the mix and it’s been cool so far.

Claes: Can each member tell me about your favorite original song to perform live and why?

Salvaggio: Even though we’ve played it a million times, I still dig “Send More Gasoline” because it seems to be a crowd favorite.

I also really dig the doomy parts to “Strike,” and “Cities on Fire” is always fun.

Kinservik: “Pyramids.” I love the dynamicisim, simplicity, and groove of this new track.

Hoff: My favorite would probably be “1000 Suns.” It is a heavy song and the lyrics are very personal. Two things that I like in my music!

Claes: Looks like you were pretty busy last year during that “certain week in March” in Austin last year. What are your plans for this year?

Salvaggio: This year will be low key. Erik is actually going into surgery this week, so he will be recovering. I’ll still be out and about going to heavy shows.

It would be nice to be playing during that week, but it’s more important that we have a healthy Space Viking so that we can take over the universe this year!

A past show DoM Poster

Claes: You've all got really interesting and creative day jobs. Tell me a little bit about them.

Salvaggio: I work as a tech artist at Intific, company that does simulation and edutainment projects. I’ve been in the games industry since 1996 and Intific is run by people who have all been in the games industry.

On the side I also have written some comic books and I’m working on a few screenplay ideas (I plan on doing more of that this year as well).

Kinservik: I manage a team of great people at Bazaarvoice. I also own Pressurehead, a high-end Audio System design/build company.

Hoff: I work at a software company named GameSalad. We make a tool that allows people who don’t have traditional coding experience to make video games.

Claes: Tony, you have a side project that plays Japanese rock covers. Tell me about Pocari Shred.

Salvaggio: I met Pocari Shred’s guitarist Liao Hsien-Hsiu through a mutual friend and he had been trying to get the band together in a few incarnations. I’ve almost never played covers in a band, so I was kind of hesitant.

Once I started jamming with them it all just fell into place. It’s really fun music and I’ve been a fan of Japanese pop culture for a really long time so it fits. Lots of fun and some of the songs are really challenging so I get to stretch a bit which I can roll back into my technique when playing with DoM.

We play heavy tunes, some anime theme song covers and we’re learning some punk tunes for an upcoming Punk Vs. Rockabilly gig in March (Sunday, March 10 @ Flamingo Cantina). As far as I know, we’re the only J-Rock cover band in Austin… which is kind of a cool niche.

Claes: You seem to favor the Red River scene. Tell me a few of your favorite clubs to play in Austin?

Salvaggio: Red Eyed Fly has definitely given us a home from the beginning of the band, while we were still getting our sound together. That has been awesome.

Outside of that, I really, really dig playing Red 7 and would love to play the Mohawk as well. I’ve seen so many good shows at those venues. Playing the Grackle was fun last year and I’ve been to some cool shows at Dirty Dog, Holy Mountain, Frontier Bar and the 29th Street (Spiderhouse) Ballroom.

We’re down to play almost anywhere as long as we can play loud and heavy. We’ve been talking to lots of bands that we are friends with so hopefully we’ll be breaking out into ALL of our favorite venues soon.

Hoff: Red Eyed Fly has always treated us with respect. I enjoyed playing at Red 7 and the Parish too!

Salvaggio: Yeah, it would be cool if all venues had the lights and sound that the Parish has!

Claes: Who are some bands we should check out?

Salvaggio: Ok, I want to name a bunch, but I hope I don’t leave anyone out. If I skip anyone at all, I hope they don’t get offended if I forget because there are tons of great bands in Austin, and we’ve played with a lot of awesome people.

Some of my favorite bands to see are (in no particular order) Boars, The Unmothered, Wet Lungs, Communion, Mala Suerte, The Millipede, Awesome Death, Neon Cobra, Eagle Claw, Skycrawler, Destroyer of Light, Egypt(TX), and most recently Sky Acre.

One of my favorite non heavy bands is Danger*Cakes, they rock the nostalgia/rockabilly tunes like no one else.

Hoff: (Non-Locally) Animals As Leaders!!! Intervals, Periphery, Russian Circles....

Claes: Once Erick recovers, what is on the horizon for Deserts of Mars?

Salvaggio: First of all, we’re making plans for our second album, and we’re working on playing outside of Austin as much as possible. We’re also making plans to play with other friends of ours in heavy bands around town and possibly on tour in our never ending quest to rule the universe.

We’re also part of the Austin Sound Sampler compilation that will be passed around at various venues next week. You can get a preview and/or free download online through bandcamp http://austinsoundsampler.bandcamp.com/

A poster from 7/10/07

Claes: Anything else to add?

Salvaggio: Just thanks for the interview and that we hope to see new and old Martian Maniacs all over Austin and the rest of the galaxy very soon. 

If anyone reads this and picks up the album or visits our sites, feel free to send us a message or email. We love talking to everyone about Mars Metal, music,games, movies and anything else cool and heavy. Check us out on Facebook, Bandcamp, Cdbaby and almost any other digital service, and let us know what you think about Mars Metal.

Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DesertsofMars

Website: http://www.desertsofmars.com/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/desertsofmars

CdBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/desertsofmars

Bandcamp: http://desertsofmars.bandcamp.com/

BONUS: Here's the making of one of Deserts of Mars' posters - a Valentine's Day work:

You’re Invited to INsite Owner’s 40th Birthday Party

Audiolight, Mike Truth and the Replacement Killers
and Jenny Hollub Sandoval to play Benefit show 2/9/13
at Milt’s Pit BBQ in Kyle, Texas

Sean Claes, the owner and Managing Editor of INsite is turning 40. So, what does the owner of an entertainment magazine do to celebrate such a milestone? Throw a free show, of course. Not just a free show, but a show to benefit a worthy cause – the Jeff Henderson Scholarship for Journalism Excellence.

On February 9, 2013 from 6p-11p the world is invited to Milt’s Pit BBQ in Kyle, Texas for an evening of fantastic BBQ, phenomenal music and just plain celebration. Here's a link to the Facebook Invite - Link

Hear Sean Claes talk about himself, INsite, life in general and this party on Kyle Life’s Podcast - Link

FREE LIVE MUSIC!

6:30-8:00: Jenny Hollub Sandoval

singer/songwriter

 (Kyle, TX)



8:30-9:45: Mike Truth and the Replacement Killers (Austin, TX)

Hip-Hop/Jazz/R&B/Rock all wrapped into one

10:00-11:00: Audiolight (Austin, TX)



Rock



What: Sean Claes’ 40th Birthday Party
Where: Milt's Pit BBQ (208 W Center, Kyle, Texas)
When: Saturday, February 9, 2013 6p-11p

Benefit: Jeff Henderson Scholarship for Journalism Excellence



Cost: Nothing. Please donate to the scholarship and tip the band.

Notes on Milt’s Pit BBQ:

1. Milt’s is a cash-only establishment



2. Milt’s is located

3. The stage at Milt’s is outside, with dining inside.

4. Beer and wine are available for purchase, otherwise BYOB

5. Free parking on the square in Kyle.

The Tie-in - Sean Claes and Jeff Henderson:



Jeff Henderson



Sean Claes is a 1999 graduate of Southwest Texas State University where he spent 4 years working with and for Jeff Henderson. Claes credits Henderson for a large part of the shaping of his journalistic career and counts "El Jefe" as a good friend.

Professionally, Claes has done a few things with his journalism degree. he's the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine, and has been a creative copywriter for an advertising agency, a Communications Specialist, and is currently in charge of communications for one of the Global Learning and Development groups within Dell.

"There is not a week that goes by that I don't think about Jeff, hanging out on the front porch of Old Main talking, judging UIL with him and hearing bad jokes and good advice," Claes said.

As Claes reaches the landmark of 40 years old, he wanted to party with a purpose, so he contacted Fred Stewart with the Texas Intercollegiate Press Assoication and asked if he could make "The Jeff Henderson Scholarship for Journalism Excellence" the benificiery of the evening.

 



INTERVIEW: Sheer Khan and the Space Case

Putting the Fun Back into Austin's Funk

Sheer Khan and the Space Case

By Sean Claes
With a name like Sheer Khan and the Space Case, I knew I was in for something different when I got the CD in the mail. Add the fact that their CD was entitled Tropical Space Funk and the CD looked like it was on an acid trip (all the pretty colors) and I was certain it was either going to be really good or extemely bad.

This is a fantastically fun jam band that has funk and reggae influences to their sound. What set it off for me was the fact that is just sounded like they were having a great time. The band was formed in 2008 when Kasey Jaime (Bass/Vocals) and Brice Bowden (Vocals/Guitar) met as coworkers at Freebirds World Burrito. As of press-time David McKnight (Saxophone/keys - formerly of Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears) and Travis Rea (drums) round out the band.

I had a chance to talk with Kasey Jaime recently about the band, some of the music, and the future of the funk.

Sean Claes: What’s in a name… Why choose Sheer Khan (assuming the reference to Shere Khan from The Jungle Book)

Kasey Jaime: Funny question actually, We all grew up in the era with the Disney movie so it makes it easy to associate the name with that reference. I read the book as well growing up and liked him ever since. But because of the movie, its in our heads.

Brice (Bowden) actually had a friend back in his hometown with a gigantic “peace pipe” that always was on the hunt for little kids running through the forest, so they named it Sheer Khan. Brice then vowed that he would call his band the same and it started there.

Claes: Sheer Khan and the Space Case has been around for about four years. How do you feel you’ve progressed musically?

Jaime: Man. Honestly, we have had so many line up changes since then. Bringing in new people allows you to jam with others and new ideas. It’s the grooving with new ideas that causes us to grow musically and makes our songs get better too.

It has caused me to seek out new musicians to jam with because everyone can teach you something. Good or bad, a new sound will cause you to think differently.

Claes: How’d you form?

Jaime: Brice and I (Kasey) met while working at Freebirds back in 2008 and we started jamming in his apartment. We originally had another drummer and another guitar player jump on board and we started to create a sound that we have been working on since.

When those two dropped out, we found Aadrian (Pedroza) on Craigslist and found (David) McKnight through a mutual friend of Brice’s at ACC. The four of us put in tons of work together and created our album, Tropical Space Funk.

Unfortunately, after our cd release, Aadrian dropped out for his own personal reasons. We found Travis Rea through mutual drinking buddies and have been getting him up to speed ever since. He is a fast learner and brings a new style into our sound. He also plays in Strange Gun.

Claes: In August you performed “Loony Bus” for a Balcony TV shoot (posted above).

Jaime: That was a fun afternoon. Balcony TV is pretty cool. They had us meet at Joe’s Crab Shack and we set our stuff up in a tiny corner on the patio. As you can tell from the video, there were six of us so space was limited.

We were told we had 30 minutes to run through the song making sure it was perfect. As the first take ended, the video man told us, “Alright, that was great, Thanks Guys” Of course we messed up a bit because of no warm ups, but since it was such a long song, they let us do only one take!

Claes: What’s the song about?

Jaime: We came up with that song by jamming in our garage. We put all the pieces together and needed a name. It reflected our mix of styles so we called it “The Looney Bus.” We call our van The Looney Bus and it stuck ever since!

Claes: On to the music. You’ve got that feel-good funk/reggae feel and you’ve captured your sound well in your debut CD – Tropical Space Funk. Tell me about how you chose the 15 tracks to include.

Jaime: For the last 4 years, we have been developing our sound, writing new songs and putting words to some of them. As we were preparing for the recording process, the thought of capturing the listener and getting them glued to the cd were important. The order was a headache to put together, but once we figured it out, it was ready!

Do you have a favorite track on the album?

Jaime: “Drunk on the Funk” is a favorite. I also really enjoy “Hot Buttered Buns!” I got to play an old school Mini Moog which sounded sick!

Claes: If I had to pick a favorite party track from your album, I’d probably pick “Drunk on the Funk.” How’d that track come to life?

Jaime: We played the 512 Brewery’s launch party for a beer last Octoberish and as we were waiting for the first band to show up it happened. Four overall clad hippies got out of their hatchback with tons of Christian hippie stickers on the back door. You could tell they were different and far out.

A girl started carrying a stand up bass to the music area so I asked what kind of music they played. What she said next was the perfect start to a day of drinking and funk! “We play gospel music. We are hoping to put a little bit of Jesus into everyone today.”

I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. McKnight then started singing Jesus gave me the funk. A few months later, we had the perfect shell for that chorus and the song was born!

Claes: Is there a crowd favorite when you play live?

Jaime: “Buccaneer’s Howl.” People are drinking at shows and who doesn’t love pirates??

Claes: Speaking of…September 16 was “International Talk Like A Pirate Day.” Did you have occasion to play “Buccaneer’s Howl?”

Jaime: Of course, we made sure during practice we busted that one out. Instead of beers, we had rum!

Claes: Reggae/Funk music lost a great venue when Ruta Maya closed last month. Along with Flamingo Cantina, Ruta Maya seemed to be base-camp for supporters of this style of music. Have we seen another club step-up?

Jaime: Man, we are still looking out for that one. We have been playing a lot at The Music Ranch, it’s a mutual love from us and the staff out there! In fact, we just played the Alloveus Festival put on by our friends at The Music Ranch. Still trying to find a perfect place to release our tropical space funk at!

Claes: Where are some of your favorite places to play?

Jaime: Of course The Music Ranch. We really miss Ruta Maya. Flamingo is a fun place to be especially for the reggae side of all of us! We got to play the Continental Club and Stubbs last year, great stages. Still looking to get into The Mohawk, so if any of yall out there wanna hook us up, funk yeah!

Claes: What are your thoughts about the Austin music scene.

Jaime: It’s a loving community. At least for us, most of the bands we have met over the years have helped develop into great friendships and prosperous shows! Its great to go out any night and find some music playing and hopefully that doesn’t stop!

Claes: Who are some Austin bands we should be listening to?

Jaime: We really love Henry + The Invisibles. That guy can entertain and he seems to like us! Some more of our friends in the Jam-Funk scence like FunkOTron, Holding Space, Loose Leaf, Dimitri’s Ascent.

Also some of our favorite Reggae Bands like Ashes of Babylon and Audic Empire. Also, if you ever see a gig with Brice and The Blind Mice, stop in and say hello to us!

Claes: Looks like you’ve got a gig coming up on Sunday 9/30 at Austin’s Pecan Street Festival at 4p on the Trinity Stage. What can we expect from a mid-day show?

Jaime: You will get tons of energy from us! You will also have a chance to hear us with the Hometown Horns, the guys that recorded the extra horn parts on our album, Eduardo Ramirez and Marc Oran. Expect something different playing in the streets!

What else is coming up for Sheer Khan and the Space Case?

Jaime: More music, more fun. We are constantly writing new songs and since releasing the album, we already have about 3 new songs put together.

Constantly putting together shows and meeting with new bands.

October 5th we play Maggie Mae’s.

October 13th We play Frank.

October 19th 512 Bar.

October 27th at Frontier Bar for our Halloween show!

We are also looking to set up a tour but still figuring out to where. We have a lot of friends all over the place so picking our destination is difficult sometimes.

Claes: Anything to add?

Jaime: Try adding 46819273+9854671 and tell me what you get!

You can find our album all over the internet such as Itunes and Spotify and Amazon! Help us out. We have T-shirts and stickers and lighters too!

Long Live The Funk!