CHRISTEENE—“a sexually infused sewer of live rap and vile shamelessness”—is a character created by Austin-based performance artist Paul Soileau. Hailed as the “filthy future” of drag, CHRISTEENE’s unique charm—if it can be called that—is her unequivocal departure from the airbrushed glamor of RuPaul and Lady Chablis. She is decidedly an ANTI-queen who prefers jock straps [...]
Tag Archives: austin music
New Pop Act ‘Gospel Music’ Isn’t Exactly Religious (Video)
In late 2010, Owen Holmes (bassist of indie darlings Black Kids) branched out on a solo project called Gospel Music. Holmes’ new act—of course—has nothing to do with its eponymous genre. Instead, the new LP How to Get to Heaven from Jacksonville, FL covers the more or less typical mix of alcohol, ennui and noncommittal [...]
INDIE: Bobby Jealousy (Episode 2, Pt. 1)
Bobby Jealousy is a self-described “throwback,” “dirt pop,” “melodic,” “soul-inspired,” and (charmingly) “death-obsessed” band from Austin, TX. The members are somewhat seasoned players—one is particularly accomplished as a solo artist—and each is undeniably gifted. The ethos seems to be: work hard, master the melodies in studio, then get drunk and play the imperfect f*ck out [...]
The Stray Cat Lee Rocker: Rockabilly, Revival Fest and “Fishnet Stockings”
Last week, Vesper Magazine had the incredible honor of sitting down with rockabilly legend Lee Rocker. Rocker is probably best known for his work with The Stray Cats—an act that garnered 23 gold and platinum records worldwide and established itself as an essential figure in the post-punk era. But Rocker’s list of collaborators after the [...]
UPDATED: Bear in Heaven–Two Live Tracks at The Parish
Pop yet unequivocally experimental, Bear in Heaven is a Brooklyn outfit founded by frontman Jon Philpot. The band is synth-driven three piece that Pitchfork laments as impossibly hard to classify: “something familiar, wholly of the moment, and yet impossible to pin down – you knew some combination of ‘indie,’ ‘rock,’ ‘synth,’ ‘dance,’ and ‘electro’ should [...]
The Magnificent Snails: Their Final Song was a Funky One
Last week, a young Austin band died, then like Saint Lazarus, rose from the dead. And though we wish the band had selected guitarist Charlie Magnone’s submission–The Vintage Years–as their new moniker, we genuinely enjoyed their set and wish the former Magnificent Snails, now The Gorgeous Hands, the very best. We especially liked their wide [...]
OTHER LOVERS: New Folk Rock Duo from Austin, TX (Video)
Megan Fowler and Brandon Boyd (not of Incubus) appear to be relatively new to the scene, at least in this incarnation—the band formed less than a year ago. Vesper very much enjoyed their straightforward orchestration and the surprising depth of Megan’s voice (which we thought reminiscent of Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir). You can listen to more [...]
INDIE: A New Web Series for the Austin Music Scene
Six weeks ago, we decided to approach the Austin music scene very differently from what we initially had envisioned. We had one basic impulse: get closer to our community’s musicians. If Vesper Magazine is a baby publication—and it is: we’re only a few months old—then it’s in a stage of development in which it has [...]
Dangeresque
Look, there’s no avoiding it. Dangeresque is >75% thick-rimmed glasses and ironic T-shirts. They opened their set with Brad Neely’s “Be Aggressive” of Babycake’s fame (which we, regrettably, did not commit to video). So, yeah. They’re hipsters. But they put on a great, unpretentious and thrilling show. We can’t wait to see them again. A [...]
Just Ask the Axis: Trailer; Waldo and The Naturals
Last weekend, Vesper co-sponsored Just Ask the Axis at Cheer Up Charlie’s, where we got facerocked by a a genuinely impressive assortment of bands, most of whom were new or newish to the scene. Check out our trailer above. That’s a small slice of what we saw. To give ya’ll the bigger picture, we’re rolling [...]
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