KVRX--The Radio Station that Just Keeps on Giving

No, KVRX isn't planting trees or donating money to indigent Cambodian children so I guess I'll be more clear. KVRX is the radio station that keeps on giving to me.

I wake up early one morning this past week with a paper on my mind. A gift card to Starbucks (a place I never patronize without freeness involved) has me staring at the brakelights in front of me as I wait behind a line of caffeine addicts, zombies without their sustenance. Finally get my doubleshot something or other and what's that on the radio---Skinny Puppy? Industrial goth music at 8:30am? Immediately I'm swept off to the middle of the dancefloor at Elysium. It's a Wednesday night and I'm shoegazing, moving to the beat, and more than likely I'm half drunk.

More to the point, the variety of music on this station is AMAZING! If you don't believe me, check out the playlists posted on www.kvrx.org. I can't count how many times I've heard a tune that made me blast the shitty sound system in my Toyota Camry. The best thing about it is that you can actually find out what that catchy tune was that had you singing along or bobbing your head. It's strange how one perfectly timed song on the radio can change your whole mood---make your day just a tiny bit better.

And for all indie lovers, KVRX keeps it real. Along with the obscure, the DJ's still mix it up with new hot singles from Saul Williams, Ratatat (new LP ubiquitous in a good way), and Minus the Bear among others.

And because they give me love and other accompanying and not weird at all warm fuzzy feelings, I'll reciprocate (because I'm a fair lover) and promote their fundraiser tonight at Emo's. It's the KVRX Back to School Blow Out, a show that will help keep the radio station afloat and sailing. An all ages show, costs $7, and it appears as if a good number of bands, including headliners Ringo Deathstate, Sunset, and T-Bird and the Breaks are going to be playing. Another cool piece of information---go to kvrx.org, go to Events, click on the Back to School Show and it will take you to another cool site, www. do512.com, which will actually have links to these bands myspace pages. Best way to preview a show and get the most out of your monies!!

All right, well I'm out of love and that doubleshot something or other I just drank (still got some money left on the damned giftcard) has my brain spinning in circles. Until next time---

"I've been rapping for about seveteen years okay?

I don't write my stuff anymore I just kick it from my head
You know what I'm sayin?
I can do that

No disrespect but that's how I am"

Anyone who recognizes those five lines know that right after the music breaks into anthem. Seventeen Years is a song that makes you want to stomp your feet and sing along which is somewhat difficult seeing as how there are no other lyrics to this song but people find a way.

I'm actually getting myself pumped up for a show I missed out on about a year ago--Ratatat--which is coming to Austin Monday September 15th to Stubb's. The beat will be busting through the soles of your shoes into your chest and people will be dancing with their elbows in your ribs and the whole thing (as I have imagined it to be) is going to be an amazing excuse to get physical and bounce around.
But blah, seems like every good show is clogged with the hipster cliques these days as homegirl and I realized when we saw what used to be our favorite DJ duo from Chicago last month, Flosstradamus. And it was pretty obvious how fandom had changed those guys. The stage they played music from created an altogether different vibe from their last show at Beauty Bar. Maybe I just prefer Beauty Bar because of the disco ball... shit, I don't know... In any case, with enough Pabst Blue Ribbon, any show is a good show. I learned that lesson all through SXSW.

That's all I should say for now or I might unleash on the hipsters.

so FunFunFun Fest is actually fun--trust me on this one

As I was pulling my hair while taking calls at my IT job, homegirl facebooked me that the line up for funfunfunfest was up on the net. I hung up on the nasally but nice enough girl from Ithaca, and went to www.funfunfunfest.com to check it out.

"Oh hells yes," I wrote homegirl back as I read the name of one of my favorite bands, an oldie and a goodie Rival Schools. These guys are so cool, they aren't even technologically integrated with the rest of the world. Do a search on them, nothing pops up but a myspace fansite and an MTV article. Found their album in some moving junk the other day and it was a delightful blast from the past. Weird thing is that the first line of the MTV article reads,
"Born out of a hearty hardcore pedigree, the members of Rival Schools stepped to the plate with a phenomenal history and the qualities that would point towards an amazing future."

But after their first album I purchased as a freshman in 2001, they haven't produced anything since. Imagine playing a show some seven odd years after your album dropped, after the tours and all that... you have got to have some new stuff or what the hell have they been doing? Circle jerking?

Ok, that's just crude. But my excitement still stands. It's weird that even though their music is described as the composite of old school hardcore bands... Rival Schools is loud, it's some fucking rock, yeah, but Walter Schreifels actually sings and his voice is so genuine. He just yelling in tune. It's pretty.

The lowdown on funfunfunfest: It's happening in November and there will be four stages with so much music, so many bands, sounds, instruments, your ears will be leading you to a million different places all at the same time and your brain will rattle in your sweaty head, and it could be hot (Texas in November? It's possible) and you might stink, and it will be excellent.

Since Rival School isn't the only group I'm jumping too see I may have to dedicate some more entries to some other acts: Everything on Stage Four (mindless self-indulgence god do I just love to dance), maybe toss some Leftover Crack in there, and maybe a weird subliminal bit about the Tim and Eric Awesome show... though I believe they will never surpass their golden first season of utter absurdity.