Austin takes on three times the fun

DJ sets, indie, hardcore, hip-hop, punk, and an air sex contest all in one place? Say it ain’t so!

FunFunFun Fest
(photo courtesy: FunFunFun)

Well it is and the seamless union of those elements is all thanks to Austin’s own sixth annual Fun Fun Fun Fest, which is being held at Auditorium Shores November 4 through November 6.

Not as mainstream as Austin City Limits or South by Southwest, Fun Fun Fun Fest has succeeded in attracting a more alternative and underground following of attendees that have flocked to the festival to see a great mix of indie, rock, hip hop, and techno for the past five years.

Initially a one day event held in December at Waterloo Park, Fun Fun Fun Fest has grown in attendance and popularity, steadily drawing in big name bands like Bad Religion, Girl Talk, Atmosphere, Of Montreal, and MGMT.  Numerous other alternative and local bands are also listed on the bill year after year, allowing for greater exposure.

2011 headliner Public Enemy
(photo courtesy: HipHop Wired)

One of the cool things about Fun Fun Fun Fest is that each of the four stages is geared toward a particular style of music, so you really can’t go wrong with hanging around a particular stage if you like what it has to offer. If you need to take a breather from all the music, the yellow stage offers stand up and improvisation acts, as well as some contests that are always a hit with the audience.

This year’s lineup includes Spoon, Slayer, Passion Pit, Public Enemy, Childish Gambino,Odd Future, Henry Rollins, and Hot Snakes. Tons of other great bands will also be in attendance and the entire line up and schedule can be viewed here.

2011 headliner Slayer
(photo courtesy: Houston Press)

Fun Fun Fun Fest also organizes aftershows throughout the Austin area every night of the festival, which are free to attend if you’ve got a wristband, so be sure to get your tickets here and reap all the benefits that the festival has to offer. There’s always a ticket booth set up for walk up sales each day of the festival, so getting tickets isn’t too much of an ordeal.

If you’re in town this weekend and looking to kill some time, head out to Auditorium Shores to experience fun to the power of three. Fun is in the name; you can’t go wrong.

Check out the recap of Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 below to get a taste of what to expect!

Cerebral Ballzy ensures that punk's not dead

Punk bands that solidified the hardcore movement, like Black Flag and Minor Threat, may have hit their stride in the 1980s, but Cerebral Ballzy has ensured that questioning authority and kicking ass aren’t things of the past.  

Members of Cerebral Ballzy
(photo courtesy: Afro Punk)

The Brooklyn-based five-piece has succeeded in attracting an underground following of seemingly belligerent punks that are looking to get trashed, flip up their flat bills, and swing some fists at the establishment.

Undeniably, those are the makings of a good time and Cerebral Ballzy delivers on all accounts.

Cerebral Ballzy formed in 2008 and have readily proclaimed their love for 80s punk, drawing inspiration from the likes of Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, and of course, Black Flag. The band’s approach is apparent in its self titled album, utilizing the same brutal delivery that defined the hardcore genre.  

Lead singer Honor Titus shouts and slurs his way through the tracks, demanding attention and making it feel as though he’s grabbed you by the shoulders and delivered every single line directly in your face.

The self titled record, released earlier this year, stays true to the punk composition, with songs that are hard hitting and rarely exceed two minutes, which is great if you’ve got a short attention span and couldn’t be bothered to wait through a 45 second intro before there’s anything worth listening to.

Lead singer Honor Titus delivers some vocals
(photo courtesy: This Is Not a Photograph)

While Cerebral Ballzy’s style undeniably draws upon the manner of hardcore punk’s heavy hitters, its musicality isn’t completely stripped down to the basics; the heavier layering of riffs builds a deeper and more constructed sound, which ultimately distinguishes the band from merely being an homage act to the 1980s.  

Lyrics like “Tired of your gimmicks/And we’re tired of your images/Tired of your messages/And we’re tired of your influence,” make Cerebral Ballzy’s middle finger to society pretty apparent. 

But unlike their old school counterparts, they never definitively take any political or societal position, which definitely strays from the underlying goal of the punk movement.

Sure, they find the establishment to be a downer, but their main concern is being able to party and tear things up without having to face the consequences. And a philosophy like that is pretty hard to argue with.

If you're looking for an album that's fast paced and hard hitting with tracks that don't last longer than a red light at an intersection, Cerebral Ballzy definitely caters to those needs and doesn't disappoint with its revived brand of hardcore that gives a well deserved shout out to the greats.

Check out Cerebral Ballzy's "Don't Tell Me What To Do" below!

 You can stream their full, self titled album here on Revolver's website and pick up a copy here!

Mastodon hunts down a new approach

Few bands are ever equated to the likes of heavy metal greats like Metallica and Slayer, but Atlanta based powerhouse Mastodon may be well on their way to joining the ranks of the metal elite.

They've already been called "the greatest metal band of their generation" by Rolling Stone in 2009, but Mastodon continues to push the boundaries of their throwback heavy metal style.

Members of Mastodon
(photo courtesy: Metal Archives)

The band first got their start in 1999 and released their first full length album, Remission, in 2002, reprising the distorted and abrasive sound of sludge metal that grew in popularity during the mid-1980s.

“They are the most ambitious, most fearless, most fun heavy metal band to have breached the mainstream since the genre oozed its way out of the Midlands in the 1970s." said BBC of the band. 

Known for their extensive releases of concept albums, Mastodon traded in their complex story-telling for a far more basic approach for their 5^th studio album, The Hunter.

The record, described as a “back to basics” effort by Consequence of Sound, succeeds in creating a sound where the complexity lies within the composition and style of the tracks and not in a barely decipherable concept.

Cover for Mastodon's The Hunter
(photo courtesy: Mastodon)

Unlike their previous release, Crack the Skye, The Hunter doesn't feel like a drawn out record; it gets right to the point and delivers the metal goods that Mastodon has to offer right off with the first track.

“Black Tongue” serves as the perfect opener with a guitar riff that commands the track and combines seamlessly with lead vocalist’s Troy Sanders’ gruff shouts. The drums are ultimately what really drive “Black Tongue” to be an irresistible headbanger track.

Another stand out track is “Stargasm,” which employs the combined use of high pitched and heavy handed guitar playing for a cool mix of contradicting tempos that sludge metal is known for.

However, the album hit a low point for me with “Creature Lives,” which includes a minute long intro of screeching noise and laughter. The vocals are also way too clean cut and don't pack a punch quite like the songs on the rest of the album.

Apart from that, the album is packed with other heavy hitting tracks, including “Spectrelight,” which is my favorite off of the album. (Listen to it below!) The track jumps right into heavy hitting drums and a powerful guitar riff without any hesitation and demands you to listen.

 "Whether on purpose or by accident, Mastodon have created an album with no sense of direction that makes total sense and completely works within their catalog,” said Iann Robinson of CraveOnline. ”How do you do that? I have no idea and at this point I don’t really care."

Mastodon has certainly proven itself to be more than a one trick pony by stepping away from concept-driven albums and focusing more on individual style and songwriting on The Hunter. The album definitely delivers the tracks to suit your craving for a classic sludge metal sound with a touch of modernity.

You can pick up a copy of the album here or on Mastodon's official website!

  

Odd Future lives up to the hype

I've always had trouble finding music news and articles about genres I listen to without having to scroll through countless pages of articles that just didn't spark my interest. I can't blame the internet for not having the perfect balance of rock, hip-hop and metal related information all in one place, so I'm taking a shot at throwing together a blog that does! And what better way to kick off a first post than with talented pack of rappers?

(L-R) Syd the Kid, Hodgy Beats, Left Brain, Tyler the Creator,
 Earl Sweatshirt, Taco, Jasper, Domo Genesis
(photo courtesy: mun2)

They might break your nose when they jump feet first off the roof of a venue into a crowd, but they certainly won’t apologize for it. And why would they? Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All has made a name for themselves based on their outrageous stage shows and blatantly offensive lyricism, and fans know that the potential of bodily harm is all just a part of the experience.

Ringleader Tyler the Creator and the slew of rappers, producers, and various friends that make up the group seem to be a bunch of rebellious pranksters who live for skating and pissing people off.

And that's the main aspect of their appeal; they act their age and do what they want; wreaking havoc along the way is just a bonus, especially if it stirs up some controversy. 

Odd Future first got its start in 2007 and started building an underground fan base through shameless self promotion and various social media outlets like Tumblr and Twitter. Every mix tape they released was self produced and made available for free download on their website, making them way more accessible to the masses.

Hodgy Beats (left) and Tyler, the Creator
of Odd Future perform on Jimmy Fallon
(photo courtesy: Esquire)

By the time Odd Future made their television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this year (you can watch their performance here), the internet erupted with curiosity and controversy over the Los Angeles based rap collaborative group.

Despite taking different approaches in their respective endeavors, the lyrical content of Odd Future remains fairly consistent; frustration, violence, profanity and drug use, all of which have made them an easy target for critics.

Critics may just be wasting their breath. So their content isn't exactly something that you'd throw onto an after school special, but why put them under such heavy scrutiny if they're not going for that wholesome appeal in the first place? Rappers have always utilized abrasive lyrics that weren't short on profanity. Odd Future is no different.

If anything, being put on blast has only fueled Odd Future's success. They’ve already played countless of sold out shows world-wide, collaborated with the likes of Pusha-T and Nas, and have a legion of fans that are ready to shout “Free Earl!” or “Golf Wang!,” at a moment’s notice.

Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats share some stage time
(photo courtesy: HipHop808)

That’s an impressive feat for any group to accomplish in a matter of months. Not to mention, the majority of the members are barely out of their teens.

The young and abrasive nature of Odd Future may not appeal to everyone, but their approach is anything but mundane. Their outrageous and careless antics are kind of refreshing in the somewhat stifling world of today's music and their commitment to their craft has rightfully gained them the attention they deserve.

Odd Future kicked off its first U.S. tour in late September. You can find the dates here. They'll be stopping by Austin's own FunFunFun Fest on November 6 at Auditorium Shores, so be sure to visit FunFunFun's website to get your tickets and check out the schedule!

If you love being right up in the action and don't mind elbowing at sweaty guys for two hours, I definitely recommend seeing Odd Future. I had pretty high expectations when I went to see them at SXSW this past year and I was completely blown away by the intensity of their performance and the allegiance of their fans.

Check out Tyler, the Creator's video for "Yonkers" from his studio album below!

Also be sure to check out music from MellowHype, Earl Sweatshirt, and Domo Genesis.

You can also find and download the majority of Odd Future's mixtapes here for free!