| Subject: Re: Last-minute story |
| From: "Barrett Brown" <barriticus@gmail.com> |
| Date: 5/3/08, 16:28 |
| To: "Melissa Delaney - Editor" <editor@austinmonthly.com> |
Yes, that would be great.Melissa DelaneyEditor in chiefAustin Monthly and Austin Monthly Home11612 Bee Caves RoadSte. 125, Bldg. IIAustin, TX 78738512-263-9133 Ext 226
On May 2, 2008, at 9:54 PM, Barrett Brown wrote:I did, and they are. I can't remember which venues, but I can find out that and the dates tomorrow if you'd like.
On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 10:47 PM, Melissa Delaney - Editor <editor@austinmonthly.com> wrote:
Hey Barrett,One last thing: Did you ask the band if they're playing any shows in the area in June?Thanks,MelissaMelissa DelaneyEditor in chiefAustin Monthly and Austin Monthly Home11612 Bee Caves RoadSte. 125, Bldg. IIAustin, TX 78738512-263-9133 Ext 226
On Apr 18, 2008, at 10:55 AM, Barrett Brown wrote:Gotcha, will do. E-mailed them last night, will hopefully hear back from him soon.
Thanks,
BarrettOn Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 7:00 PM, Melissa Delaney - Editor <editor@austinmonthly.com> wrote:
You're awesome! Thanks. The format is very similar to the 8 to watch in 08 stories, just shorter - 350-400 words. But here are a few old Cusp stories in case they help. Two things: when you contact the band, can you ask them to send me a photo? And second, ask them if they're playing any shows in Austin in June. That's the one requirement for the story. If they're not playing in June, tell them we'd like to feature them in a future issue, when they'll be playing in town. Then we can come up with another band to profile. Let me know if you have any questions.Thanks,MelissaThe Cusp: DON'T KNOW THEM? CHANCES ARE YOU WILL SOON.
Austin Family Jewels
By Melissa Delaney
If you haven't had a chance to see Austin Family Jewels, hold tight. You can catch more than an eyeful of the acoustic Americana band in the Naked 2008 calendar, featuring Austin musicians bearing allwell, all except for the more delicate parts, camouflaged by strategically placed instruments and the like (pity the poor harmonica players).
The two-year-old quintet, which released a self-titled album in July 2006 and plans to cut a second in February, generated enough of a buzz during its unofficial performance at last year's Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) Conference that it's been invited back as a showcase performer this year.
Austin Family Jewels' bluegrass, retro sound (think the Be Good Tanyas) has a consistent toe-tapping, simpler-time quality to it. With the guys outnumbered three to two, a good chunk of their songs focus on heartaches and last kisses and crazy love. But the boys manage to make their mark. "I write songs about bugs and blowing up stuff," says banjo player Bill Sneed.
When they formed, Sneed was the only parent in the band. Now it's surrounded by kids, with two more on the wayguitarist/harmonica player Stephen Kearley's first is due Nov. 1 and singer/guitarist Elizabeth Suggs' is due exactly one month later (the lullaby she sings to her belly will give you the chills, guaranteed). "We call ourselves the Family Jewels, and now we have our little treasures," says Sneed.
The band's long-term goals include airtime on the radio and festival performances, but with babies and day jobs, the key is pacing. "I want to play music when I'm old," Sneed says. "I wouldn't want to do too much too fast and burn out."
CATCH THEM NEXT AT SWRFA, Oct. 5-7; The Oaks, Oct. 12.
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The Cusp: DON'T KNOW THEM? CHANCES ARE YOU WILL SOON.
Tin Can Phone
By Paul Carrubba
Matt Rusin has no doubts about his move from Chicago to Austin. After finding an abandoned stageyes stagein the back of a local Spec's Liquor store, Rusin, half of the duo Tin Can Phone, knew he found his home. "Where else in the world would you go into a liquor store and find a stage?" he muses. In the Live Music Capital of the World, of course.
Rusin and bandmate Josh Nicholsonwho fall into the "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could" categoryhave been playing music together for nearly 10 years, but it wasn't until they made the jump to Austin in September that they finally found their niche. Not a band to be constrained by genres, Tin Can Phone finds inspiration in everything from the gypsy jazz guitar riffs of Django Reinhardt to Operation Ivy's ska-inflected punk. The guys cut their teeth on punk rock but found it limiting. "The crowd loved it, but they couldn't dance to it," explains Rusin. Eventually, they began playing songs with more of a reggae feel. The duo (soon to be trio) fuses true-life Tom Waitsstyle stories of love, life and the dark alleys on the long urban street of life with reggae rhythms to form a style that can best be described as reggae-noir.
It's a heady mixture these Midwest boys have stumbled upon with their new self-titled album. "New Orleans" skates on the edge of hip-hop, while the breezy "Vagabond's Tale" flows along with a delicate piano line and a jazzy melody. "Alive or Dead" sounds as if it should be pouring forth from some jukebox joint in the back woods somewhere. Another standout, "Fool's Gold," has a Nick Drake feel to it.
To help disseminate their music, they decided to offer free downloads on their Web site, {www.tincanphone.net}. "I was just like, 'Man, it sure is getting expensive burning CDs and giving them away to everyone," says Rusin. It's been a successful formula so far as Tin Can Phone has seen an increasingly large fan base in the short time it's been in Austin. In Chicago, the guys had to hustle just to get gigs. Here, says Rusin, "We're just getting them on accident."
Catch them next at:
Texas Bar and Grill
Dec. 18 and 21
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Melissa DelaneyEditor in chiefAustin Monthly and Austin Monthly Home11612 Bee Caves RoadSte. 125, Bldg. IIAustin, TX 78738512-263-9133 Ext 226
On Apr 17, 2008, at 5:31 PM, Barrett Brown wrote:Melissa-
Sure, I can do that. I'll get started on it tomorrow and will have it in by the end of the week.
Thanks,
BarrettOn Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 4:46 PM, Melissa Delaney - Editor <editor@austinmonthly.com> wrote:
Hey Barrett,I know this is a longshot, but I was wondering if you're available to write a story on a band in the next week. It's Jason Eady and the Wayward Apostles.It's for our monthly story called The Cusp, about a band that's on the cusp of ... something. It might be a band that's just starting to get regular gigs or one that's gotten some radio play or one that's starting to tour nationally or had a hit song. The tag line for the story is "Don't know them yet? Chances are you will soon." So you'd just need to get some background on the band and find out where they are in their career -- any big accomplishments recently? It's 350 words and the pay is $75.I know it's short notice, so I totally understand if you're too swamped to do it. But if you can, let me know ASAP.
Thanks,MelissaMelissa DelaneyEditor in chiefAustin Monthly and Austin Monthly Home11612 Bee Caves RoadSte. 125, Bldg. IIAustin, TX 78738512-263-9133 Ext 226