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SXSW 2009: White Denim Show Us Austin's Underbelly

Posted 3/18/09 4:11 pm EST by in Bands We Like, SXSW

In a way, Austin's White Denim sound a lot like an amalgamation of the city itself. Part punk, part funk, with a little psych and some C&W thrown in for good measure, their songs recall the legacy of Austin icons like Roky Erickson and Daniel Johnston, plus, heck, a little Stevie Ray Vaughan, too.

And as such, we figured they'd be the perfect band to show us around Austin ... the real Austin, that is. We were interested in finding decidedly off-the-beaten-path spots where SXSW attendees dare not tread. And, boy, did they take us off the beaten path. From beers and shuffleboard at the smoky Poodle Dog Lounge to shakes and burgers at the legendary Top Notch, Josh, James and Steve proved to be the best tour guides in the business.

For a band that's spent much of the past year touring the U.K. (they'll release their new album there this spring ... they don't actually have a label here in the States), they sure know Austin's Underbelly well. See for yourself:


MTV News will be all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

SXSW 2009: We Arrive In Austin And Lose A Bit Of Dignity

Posted 3/18/09 9:40 am EST by in Bands We Like, SXSW

Howdy (or some other Texas-style colloquialism)! MTV News is down at South By Southwest, where it's always sunny and 75, and there's always a band playing somewhere.

Actually, it's more like "there's always 700 bands playing somewhere. At the same time." SXSW is pretty hectic, which is why we decided to make our way to Austin on Tuesday -- a day before all the official festival madness started. It was a decision that proved to be both wise ... and rather humbling.

See, since we arrived so early, we had plenty of time to take in some of the sights eat deliciously greasy burgers and hang out in smoky, locals-only watering holes. Along with us on this adventure through Austin's underbelly were hometown heroes White Denim a spazzy, blues-y psych/funk/punk trio who are actually much better than my description would imply. They were experienced guides, pointing out spots like the Poodle Dog Lounge and Top Notch, but they also managed to wound our pride ... deeply.

How? With deceptive speed, that's how. Read More...

MTV News Staffers Pick Their Under-The-Radar Rock Releases For 2009

Posted 1/12/09 1:53 pm EST by in Bands We Like

Starting today, and continuing throughout the week, we're bringing you a look at rock music in 2009. Today, we kicked off Rock Week by taking a look at some of the most-anticipated rock albums of 2009, which wasn't exactly an easy task, given that our rock tastes here in the Newsroom go from mainstream to very obscure.

So, rather than include every release scheduled for 2009, we figured we'd bring you a look at some of the under-the-radar releases that our staff is most looking forward to in the upcoming year.

Rya Backer, production assistant
Albums: Battles, TBD; Rival Schools, TBD

I've heard whispers of my beloved Battles going into the studio early this year to presumably release something in '09. I'd probably give up my second-born to witness this experimental, (dare I say) math-rock supergroup in the studio, because they're brilliant geniuses, and everything they record is inventive, complex and very fun to listen to. Another group that includes members of legendary bands — post-hardcore rock outfit Rival Schools (fronted by Walter Schreifels, member of such legendary hardcore and rock acts as Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand and Walking Concert) — has reunited ( ... by fate? Three people will get that joke). The rockers are putting out a record later this year. Hopefully, it will include the new tracks they debuted during their slew of shows late last year.

Read More...

MTV News Staff Favorites Of 2008: Sabrina Rojas Weiss' Top 10 Albums That Make Me Happy

Posted 12/24/08 2:01 pm EST by in Bands We Like, Best Of, MTV News Staff Favorites '08

We here at MTV News are a pretty diverse bunch, so the views expressed by some in our more official-type year-end lists (like James Montgomery's Top 25 Albums and Best Songs, and the Mixtape Monday Awards) are not necessarily shared by the rest of the newsroom. So, this week we gave everyone else a chance to chime in with their own lists and explain (or defend) their choices. You'll find all of the staff faves of 2008 here.

By Sabrina Rojas Weiss, Senior Copy Editor

10. The Ting Tings, We Started Nothing: I love singer Katie's shouty power and the way their beat makes me jump around like a little kid. "That's not my name!"

9. Chromeo, Fancy/ Fancier Footwork: With this playing on my headphones, I am instantly in an '80s movie montage. (The original came out last year, but I bought this year's "deluxe" set.)

8. Coldplay, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends: I avoided buying this for months because the hype bored me. But that soaring wall of sound in the title track finally got under my skin.

(What was Sabrina's #1 album from 2008? Find out after the jump!)
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MTV News Staff Favorites Of 2008: Christina Garibaldi's Top 10 Best Artists

Posted 12/23/08 5:33 pm EST by in Bands We Like, Best Of, MTV News Staff Favorites '08, Rihanna

Christina Garibaldi

We here at MTV News are a pretty diverse bunch, so the views expressed by some in our more official-type year-end lists (like James Montgomery's Top 25 Albums and Best Songs, and the Mixtape Monday Awards) are not necessarily shared by the rest of the newsroom. So, this week we gave everyone else a chance to chime in with their own lists and explain (or defend) their choices. You'll find all of the staff faves of 2008 here.

By Christina Garibaldi, Daily News Coordinator

Pop music seemed to rule the airwaves this year, from the Jonas Brothers to Miley Cyrus to Taylor Swift, so here's a look at the biggest pop stars of 2008.

10. Pink: Turning her heartbreak into a smash single with "So What," Pink made a huge comeback in 2008.

9. Leona Lewis: I believe there was a period of two months this year when you could not go anywhere without hearing "Bleeding Love."

8. Demi Lovato: She's adorable and talented, and she and best friend Selena Gomez had a YouTube fight with Miley Cyrus. What more can you ask for?

(Find out what who Christina picked as the top pop start for 2008, after the jump!)
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Times New Viking Will Most Likely Not Be Voting For A Republican

Posted 3/4/08 5:18 pm EST by in Bands We Like

They say an ice storm is expected for Ohio today, which means possibly a lower voter turnout than usual for the critical presidential primary there. But it’s unlikely that even bad weather will keep three Buckeye Staters from the polls: Adam Elliott, Beth Murphy and Jared Phillips, collectively known as Columbus’ finest purveyors of fuzzed out lo-fi noise pop, Times New Viking.

Esteemed MTV News producer Christopher Smith and I caught up with TNV Saturday night in Brooklyn, where they were playing a random book release party, the final stop in an east coast tour, followed by a break that was scheduled specifically around the primary. "You can’t vote absentee in the primary, so it was important to us to be there," said Beth Murphy, TNV keyboardist, adding that "we know Ohio is an important state, plus I think a lot of people still blame Ohio for the last election," referring to 2004.

While the band did not say how they were voting, it’s a safe bet it will be in the Democratic primary. Said guitarist Jared Phillips, "Just listen to our music, the whole noise, lo-fi thing, that’s a political statement in itself isn’t it? It’s pretty obvious we’re not Republicans."

Soon enough, Times New Viking will be packing their bags and heading to another key primary state – Texas, where Adam says they are slated to play six gigs in four days at next week's SXSW festival, "Not that I’m saying that’s a lot. Our friend’s band is playing like 13 shows."

And still drawing praise for their recently released third album (and first for Matador) Rip It Up – the fast working TNV, who say they usually record a song after only playing it 'two or three' times, are often working on new music. In fact, an impromptu overnight session during their weekend in New York may have produced several new songs.

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