AudioADD

Drive-By Truckers Bring The Rock

2010-03-13T04:12:47Z

Waiting on the Old 97's to start their set at Austin City Limits 2008, a little band from Georgia called Drive-By Truckers took the stage to warm up the crowd. Little did I know that an hour later I would have begun a love affair that would build on itself over the course of two years.

DBT have been creating and releasing music since 1998 and their newest release, The Big To-Do is possibly a defining moment in their career. The Truckers have made a name for themselves as an alternative country group as they've toured all across the states with a number of different acts, but taking the southern-drawled vocals out of the mix, The Big To-Do is a by-the-book rock album.

"Daddy Learned to Fly" starts you off easy with a nice alternative riff. After ten seconds, I thought I had accidentally hit play on a Foo Fighters record. "The Fourth Night of My Drinking" brought that Tom-Petty-meets-Tripping-Daisy groove that I've come to love form Drive-By Truckers. It's a calmer track that leads you to think that the band has taken the edge off for the new record...

Then comes "Birthday Boy" (available for free download here), packed with hard-hitting melodies that let you know that this is going to be a rock-and-roll roadtrip. "Drag the Lake Charlie" brings complexity by layering organs and fuzzy guitars like a track off of Sgt. Pepper. "The Wig He Made Her Wear" is a great storyteller song full of some funky rhythms and a catchy tune.

The album takes a turn with "You Got Another", when bassist Shonna Tucker steps up to the mic. It's the kind of jam that makes you feel like you're in a church. Just as you're caught up in the angelic hymn, you're dirtied up again by the pent-up aggression and brutal harmonies in "This Fucking Job." Segue into "Get Downtown" - A smokey bar, blues guitar, piano rocking, biscuits and grits southern rock anthem.

"After the Scene Dies" tells the story of a road-worn band while "(It's Gonna Be) I Told You So" and "Santa Fe" calm things down a bit and let the slowmo-swing shine. "The Flying Wallendas" is a beautiful couples'-dance song filled with ebbs and flows. The pairing of banjos and organs with a fantastic build at the end is a seamless climax to the album. Bringing it home are the acoustic guitar and a Wurlitzer in the beautiful lullaby "Eyes Like Glue."

After over a decade packed full of major releases, it's strange to say that it's a good time to start listening to a band, but if you've not heard Drive-By Truckers yet, The Big To-Do is a great jumping-off point. The album hits shelves March 16 and can be ordered in CD, digital download, vinyl, and deluxe formats on the band's website.

Farouk, Farouk, Farouk Is On Fire!

2010-03-02T17:07:31Z

We don't generally get political on AudioADD, and in no way is this an endorsement of any candidtate, but this is just too good to pass up.

Local Houston rapper J. Xavier has offered up his "talent" to the Farouk Shami for Texas Governor Campaign.

The following video is what he came up with. Fire away in the comments - we'd love to hear what you think!

New Wayside Drive LP Coming for Free

2010-03-01T20:27:49Z

This afternoon, the AudioADD Crew received an exciting press release from some friends of ours: Houston musicians, Wayside Drive. Here's how it read:

Wayside Drive's 2nd full-length album “The Other Side” will be released for free digital download. Starting tomorrow 3/2 one song will be available for free download every Tuesday until all 12 songs are released. With each single’s release there will be individual artwork, the stems for remixing, and a band trivia poll.

The album was recorded and produced by the band and mastered at ES Mastering located in SugarHill Studios. On this album the band expanded it's instrumental line-up adding sitar, tabla, doumbek, tin whistle, and more. Among the guest artists on the album are Houston's own Aric Alan (formerly of Awaken From Falling) playing guitar on three tracks.

Track listing:
1. Last Dream I Remember
2. The Other Side
3. I Will Rise Above The World
4. Forgetting
5. I Don’t Belong Here
6. Revolver 9
7. Static Attraction
8. The Great Divide
9. Listen To What’s Missing
10. Just 5 Minutes More
11. The Best Part of Me
12. The Final Exit

We're pumped about what this eclectic and original group has produced for the new album! For more about Wayside Drive and to find out where you can catch them live, check out their website.

Advice for Music Bloggers (from EFF.org)

2010-02-24T20:46:25Z

As a music blog, this article , Practical Advice for Music Bloggers Worried About DMCA Takedown Censorship, is very poignant. At the same time, it's worth looking over for the you, the reader. There are many people out there, you included, who might post links to favorite music and not know that doing so violates copyright laws. So, for your own protection in this litigious society, it is well worth the short time necessary to read.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF, is a non-profit organization that strives to protect our freedom in the ever-changing technological world by

"Blending the expertise of lawyers, policy analysts, activists, and technologists, EFF achieves significant victories on behalf of consumers and the general public. EFF fights for freedom primarily in the courts, bringing and defending lawsuits even when that means taking on the US government or large corporations. By mobilizing more than 50,000 concerned citizens through our Action Center, EFF beats back bad legislation. In addition to advising policymakers, EFF educates the press and public."

Free Press Summer Fest 2010

2010-02-14T21:11:56Z

via www.freepresssummerfest.comOur friends at Free Press Houston just tipped off the world to what they have in store for Summer Fest 2010. Let's just say there should be something to delight everyone...

The event, slated for June 6-7, 2010 in Elanor Tinsley Park, has us jonesing for summer to be here now! Flaming Lips, Lucero, Slim Thug, Mix Master Mike, Girl Talk, Detroit Cobras, Kid Sister, and Cro-Mags, Dead Prez, Buxton, Robert Ellis and more (just to name a few).

Hop on over to their site for the full line-up and access to passes ($15 for a limited time). We'll see you there!

The Forgotten South

2010-02-10T21:15:02Z

Thumbing through some old photos the other day, I came across some snapshots of the blazing-hot Austin City Limits festival in 2008. One that caught my eye was an image of my father smiling ear-to-ear, clutching his Lone Star tallboy as Conor Oberst rocked the stage in a purple mariachi suit behind him.

I chuckled at the picture and sighed, 'too bad I'll never see Conor play live again.'

Then I began to question my thought process. Why did I know that I'll never see that band play another show? They're still alive, still writing music, and still touring. Then, it came to me: The world is stricken with southern prejudice.

My musical tastes range from the seldom-heard-of to the ultra-megastars, however it seems like I've only gotten to see the latter live. It's almost as if bands that haven't won a Grammy or two will never make it to my town, which is strange because I live in the fourth largest city in the US. Bands from the midwest, the east or west coast all cruise straight through the center of the island - hitting Denver, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh - the obligatory New York City and Los Angeles. No one seems to venture through Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi - it's like we're the armpit of America.

It's a shame that we have to wait around for big festivals like ACL or Voodoo to come around to catch some of our favorite bands. So now, I'm asking you, bands! What gives? I'm sure just as many people in my state listen to your music than in Utah. It's not like we're in Montana or something (no offense to our Montanan readers, of course). We're all clamoring to hear your answers, and so we open our comments section to you!

Playing At SXSW?

2010-01-30T21:19:22Z

Has your band or musical act snagged a coveted spot at this year's SXSW music festival? If months of applying, begging, and brown-nosing have paid off for you or anyone you know, we want to hear about it!

The AudioADD crew will be cruising the streets of Austin this year looking for YOU! If you'd like to see us at your show, drop us a line! We're currently arranging Q&A's, video interviews, and live acoustic sets for March 17-21. If you're interested in being part of the action, hit us up at info@AudioADD.net!

The Cover Band Conundrum

2010-01-17T00:26:58Z

Cover bands are and always have been a necessary part of the music scene. On those nights when you're out for a few drinks with friends and want to hear some familiar tunes, they're a welcome upgrade from a typical jukebox.

Now I don't want to get off on a rant here, but earlier this week I visited a local pub with a 90's grunge cover band. It's a typical sound for this part of town on a weeknight, and as many pub crawlers grew up with the soundscapes of the 80's and 90's, it was a good fit. After a nice "throwback" medley of "Margaritaville" and "Voodoo Child," I heard the guitarist tune to drop-D and I knew what was coming.

I became suddenly nauseous. Where's the originality anymore? I've literally heard this song in 4 different cover bands' sets in the past six weeks or so. Granted, a lot of songs are done in drop-D, but I knew it was coming.

I announced to my friends, "If these guys play 'Killing In The Name,' I'm leaving." About 2 minutes of silence from the band passed, the drummer played a four-count on the hi-hat, and at the first open strum of the guitar, I threw my chair back and stormed out.

There are so many things wrong with playing this song at a bar. First, if you're going to cover Rage, pick a song that's a challenge! This is the easiest song you can pick from a band who had a huge catalog of hits to choose from. Second, if you're going to play the easiest song, YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT RIGHT! I didn't hear an accurate version in the five different accounts; The words were wrong, the timing was off, or the guitar wasn't playing the riff quite right. We're not talking about taking creative liberties, we're talking about not knowing what the right way is.

You hear that, cover bands? Use a little creativity when you chose your set lists. We come see you play because we're sick of hearing the same old songs on the jukeboxes at our local joints. We don't want to hear you play them. If you're going to make your own version of a song, it should be drastically different from the original.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong...

The 12 Days Of Christmas: Day 1

2009-12-25T20:15:28Z

The big day is finally here! The day where we wrap up our 12 Days of Christmas series with the number one song of the decade, according the Rolling Stone magazine. Coincidentally, today also happens to be Christmas. The entire AudioADD crew would like to wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season. Now that we've gotten the necessary holiday cheer out of the way, lets get on with the important stuff. Sitting at the top of the list is a smash hit by a duo that originally began as a parody. Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" steals Santa's cookies this year. (Hopefully Danger Mouse ate them all as Santa and Cee-Lo could use to lose a few LB's)

While there are other songs that AudioADD feels could have contended for the number one spot, we have long been fans of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo's colaborations, as well as their past individual projects. (Goodie Mob)

Rolling Stone magazine had the following to say about Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy":

In this frazzled and fragmented decade, when the Top 40 broke down into squabbling niches, the idea of a universal pop hit, a song anybody could love, seemed like a sweet old-fashioned notion. Then these guys showed up. Atlanta rapper Cee-Lo and indie producer Danger Mouse decided it would be a gas to pretend to be the world's greatest pop group, and so they gave the world "Crazy." Everybody loved this song, from your mom to your ex-girlfriend's art professor. It blasted in punk clubs and Burger King bathrooms. Every sucky band on earth tried a lame cover. For the summer of 2006, "Crazy" united us all into one nation under a groove. Gnarls Barkley packed a career's worth of genius ideas into three minutes — and then they basically disappeared. Does that make them crazy? Probably. But was this the most glorious pop thrill of our time? Totally.

If you haven't spun the track since late 2007 (a year after release) like we had, I suggest you give it another listen. AudioADD thinks it's a pretty catchy diddy.

Here's a clip of Gnarls Barkley performing Crazy at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards:

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (2006 MTV Star Wars)
Uploaded by romuxzooh. - Explore more music videos.

Now we have to get back to some chores around the AudioADD digs, like fixing the chimney that Santa's fat ass broke last night. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, music-land.

The 12 Days Of Christmas: Day 2

2009-12-25T04:30:42Z

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house; Not a creature was stirring, not even a Jigga! Coming in at number 2 the night before Christmas is Mr. Knowles himself with "99 Problems." (He's the one who put a ring on it) With a hook shared from Ice T, Jay Z's Black Album track was a smash. Rolling Stone Magazine claims "It was the funkiest thing Rick Rubin had touched since the Eighties," regarding the track's producer. Rolling Stone continued by saying: "needless to say, it was a relief for Beyoncé to be upgraded to "nonproblem" status."

Do you agree with the votes? Is Jigga's 99 Problems deserving of the number 2 spot? Drop a note in the comments.

Check back tomorrow for our final post in the countdown to Christmas series. Don't forget to put your lox and bagels out tonight, or whatever you choose to leave for santa. Merry Christmas!