Next Big Nashville 09 Saturday Recap

My final night of Next Big Nashville didn't get off to the start I had hoped for. After a pregame nap that lasted about an hour and half longer than planned, I headed out about 9:30 and figured I'd catch the tail end of Mikky Ekko's set at 12th and Porter. But when I got there, his set had evidently ended early, and the next band was already setting up their gear. So I made my way to the Exit/In with my sights on seeing the last half of Other Girls set. What I got to see was them tearing down. With my count now 0-2, I walked over to The End just in time to catch the last minute and a half of Denny & The Jets set. After an hour and three different venues, I'd managed to see absolutely no one. Last year set a precedent of NBN shows running pretty much on time, but never in my life would I have expected three different venues to be running ahead of schedule.

My luck changed eventually though. Matt Friction and the Cheap Shots thankfully waited until their scheduled time to go on, so I did catch the former Pink Spiders frontman's new band. They've got all the pop melodies and catchy hooks of his old outfit, but they lean more towards Ryan Adams territory than the Spiders punky brashness. Part two of the evening's "night of the former major label frontpersons" featured ex-Be Your Own Pet singer Jemina Pearl. Her solo material was pretty similar to the BYOP stuff... attitude heavy punk rock jams, played with the same amount of energy but with a little more finesse.

Other than dodging cars on Elliston, I also managed to hop the shuttle to catch some of The Protomen's set at Mercy Lounge. They were thrilling an absolutely packed house with their Blade Runner meets Bat Out Of Hell opera rock. It seemed like the spectacle took precedence over the music, but the crowd was absolutely eating it up. Jim Steinman would be proud.

Infinity Cat shows often feel more like an excuse to party than an actual concert, and the label's showcase at The End Saturday nite was no exception. Unfortunately Daniel Pujol fell into the same "end of the set" curse the plagued me earlier in the night, but I managed to catch substantial bits of the rest of the bill's ramshackle garage rock. Natural Child played ragged punk rock, while Heavy Cream were a bit like a bunch of kids who broke into a music store and were trying to squeeze in as much fun as possible before the cops showed up. Capping of the night was one of the worst kept secrets of the weekend, a "surprise" appearance by JEFF The Brotherhood. Love 'em or hate 'em, their minimalist stoner rock had the sweaty crowd jumping. Towards the end of their set there was a massive surge of stage divers, though some of them found unwilling helpers in the crowd and quickly made their way to the floor (check out The Opening Acts for pics). As the last notes of their set ran out, opener Sound Tribe Sector CY made a return appearance as the stage filled up with other band members and fans, all chanting along with his Casio powered keyboard jams. Lights were swinging, people were singing, and I'm sure mine weren't the only ears that were ringing. The wild ending made a fitting coda for a fantastic weekend.

JEFF The Brotherhood - "Screaming Banshee" (mp3) from The Boys R Back In Town
Jemina Pearl - "Looking For Trouble" (mp3) from Break It Up

photo of JEFF the Brotherhood courtesy of Next Big Nashville

Next Big Nashville 09 Friday Recap

Friday night confronted me with one of those scheduling dilemmas that Next Big Nashville seems to torture you with every year. Do I head down to The Rutledge to catch an increasingly rare appearance by Venus Hum, or head to Exit/In to see my absolute favorite local artist, Cortney Tidwell. Normally scarcity would win out over favoritism, but since I was meeting friends for The Black Angels headlining set, it meant spending the night on Elliston. That also meant I would miss Lylas at The Anchor later that night, but the lineup at Exit/In was so strong it was hard to complain.

Bear In Heaven kicked off the evening with a set of new wave inspired psychedelia, or maybe it was psychedelia inspired new wave. You could tell the moment you walked in the room they were a Brooklyn band, but you also knew right away that they were pretty damn good. They did suffer from what turned out to be a recurring problem for Exit/In bands over the weekend... vocals being absolutely buried in the mix. The sound at Nashville's grandaddy of rock clubs is usually spot on, so I don't know what caused the sporadic issues over the weekend. Next up was Cortney Tidwell, who luckily didn't suffer from the same problem. I've written about her a lot on here over the years, and her set Friday night did nothing to diminish her spot as my fave local. Pulling heavily from the recently released Boys, her set built in intensity until the thundering climax of "17 Horses," which literally gave me goosebumps. How the girl doesn't have a US record label is surely one of life's great mysteries.

Between sets we made a quick run across the street to catch the tail end of Twin Tigers set. The Scene described them last week as "...like The Fiery Furnaces playing from the bottom of a gloomy, reverbed-out U2 cave." The two songs we did hear were enough to make us wish we had gotten to see more of it. Luckily we'll get the chance, as the band will be returning to Nashville to play the Basement next month. We'll definitely be delving more into them before then. Back across the street, we caught Disappears, who were dripping with both reverb and sweat.

I got to see the Black Angels play at the Exit/In last year, so I had a pretty good idea what to expect. And even though they were missing the light show and video projector they had on their last trek through town, they still put on a hell of a show. Opening with "You On the Run," their 75 minute set made us feel like it was 1969 all over again. Their droning version of psychedelic rock is like Altamont's answer to the Summer of Love... dark and foreboding, with a hint of menace.

The fact that the Exit/In was running forty-five minutes behind schedule all night meant we didn't make it across the street to catch Eureka Gold before they were finished, but there was still another night of rock and roll to be had...

The Black Angels - "The First Vietnam War" (mp3) from Passover
Bear In Heaven - "Wholehearted Mess" (mp3) from Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Cortney Tidwell - "17 Horses" (mp3) from Boys

photo of Bear In Heaven by Tyge O'Donnell

Next Big Nashville 09 Thursday Recap

Three nights, five venues, eighteen bands, and too many beers to count. That was my Next Big Nashville 2009 in a nutshell. Not quite as crazy as NBN08, but still one hell of a good time. So now that the ringing in my ears has died down, let the recapping begin.

Thursday night we kicked things off by meeting Tyge from The Opening Acts at the Basement to catch The Carter Administration. Unfortunately they suffered the sparse crowd curse that often accompanies an early slot, but they still turned in a great set of classic power pop. Bassist Andy Wilhite was MIA due to work obligations, so new guitarist (and former Superdrag and Guided By Voices bassist) Sam Powers moved temporarily into the rhythm section. It's a testament to their tightness that the casual observer never would have guessed they were operating from a deficit position. We also managed to catch a few songs of Wheels On Fire's classic garage rock before pulling up stakes and moving the party to Elliston Place.

Once we hit the Rock Block, the plan was to alternate between The End and Exit/In for the evening, but what was supposed to be a quick pit stop at the Gold Rush turned into an extended gab session with friends. We had such a good time that it's hard to complain, but it did limit our exposure to the evening's lineup. I did manage to get across the street to catch Jessica Lea Mayfield, who was utterly fantastic. With a backing band that included Richie Ghostfinger, she sounded like Mazzy Star covering Fleetwood Mac. We finished off the evening with David Vandervelde's retro-fueled shimmery pop before calling it a night.

The Carter Administration - "Oxycontinental" (mp3) from Air Guitar Force One
David Vandervelde - "Someone Like You" (mp3) from Waiting For The Sunrise

photo of The Carter Administration by Chris Wage

Next Big Nashville Friday Preview

It's Friday, and that means you can really throwdown at Next Big Nashville tonight. No having to worry about the alarm clock ringing in the morning, or going to work hungover. And if you're living in poverty and couting the days til payday next week, you don't even have to worry about having a badge or wristband to get a taste of NBN09. This years festival features the absolutely free Honky Tonk Takeover from 7-10 pm tonight on Lower Broad. Tootsie's will host Black Diamond Heavies, The Clutters and We Were The States, The Wheel features Blacklist Royals and Joshua Black Wilkins, Paradise Park will have Dixie Whiskey and Branded Sons gracing their stage, and The Wheels and Justin Kalk Orchestra will be playing at Full Moon Saloon.

Black Diamond Heavies - "Everythang is Everythang" (mp3) from A Touch of Someone Else's Class

But if you're not willing to mix with the tourists downtown, here's the best of the rest of tonite's showcases...

Cortney Tidwell - Hands down my favorite artist in Nashville. Her voice can go from a whisper to a scream and sound heavenly either way, and with a backing band featuring the cream of the crop of the local rock scene, they can create ethereal soundscapes or driving walls of sound to match. 9 pm at Exit/In

Cortney Tidwell - "17 Horses" (mp3) from Boys

Venus Hum - Since it's members have scattered to the four winds (well, Cincinnati and NYC anyway), appearances from Music City's premiere electro-poppers have become increasingly rare. Dance music rarely has songs this good, and frontwomen rarely have voices as divine as Annette Strean. 9:30 pm at The Rutledge

The Black Angels - One of the big names headling the fest this year, and sure to be one of the best shows. It'll also the best way to trip out this weekend and still be able to pass a drug test Monday morning. You may be merely drunk, but you'll feel like your on a peyote fueld midnight roadtrip through the desert. 11 pm at Exit/In

The Black Angels - "Doves" (mp3) from Directions To See A Ghost

Lylas - With Halloween just around the corner, there is no better time to introduce yourself to the macabre chamber folk of Kyle Hamlett and company. Never before have you heard such creepy sentiments sung with such sweet melodies. 11:20 pm at The Anchor

Since you're undoubtedly going to be having a really good time tonite, it's probably a good time to remind you about the free shuttles that will be running between venues all weekend. I took advantage of them heavily last year, and never had to wait more than ten minutes to get picked up at any of the venues. Early in the evening, they basically operate like your own personal taxi service, taking you promptly to wherever you want to go. But regardless of what time of the night you take them, they'll save you from a costly DUI.

Remember, we'll be tweeting the festival throughout the weekend, so follow us on Twitter @page300 for live updates.

Next Big Nashville Thursday Preview

Next Big Nashville 2009 kicked off yesterday, but things really get rolling tonight, with showcases happening at a dozen different venues around town, plus another film premiere at the Belcourt. As always you can play your activities at the NBN Schedule page, but if you need a few suggestions as to where to get started, here you go...

The Carter Administration - Possibly Nashville's longest running indie band, and for good reason. Tight as hell, and with just the right amount of smartass attitude, nobody in town plays straight ahead pop/rock better. 8 pm at The Basement

The Carter Administration - "The Wakeup Call" (mp3) from Here Comes The Copout

The Deep Vibration - They won't win any points for originality, but rock fueled alt-country rarely gets played any better than this. The ghost of Graham Parsons would be proud. 9:30 pm at The Basement

Dexateens - One of the most fun sets I saw last year, these guys sound something like if Lynyrd Skynrd jumped in a time machine and became an indie rock band instead of classic rock staples.
9:30 at Exit/In

Dexateens - "Neil Armstrong" (mp3) from Hardwire Healing

Oblio - These guys take all the best parts of 70s AM radio and combine them into a glorious indie-pop stew. 10:30 pm at The Rutledge

The Non-Commisioned Officers - Originally formed to record the soundtrack for Make-out With Violence and perform a few shows to promote the film, the band has had a much longer shelf life than expected, and has kept rolling due to popular demand. 10:50 pm at Mercy Lounge

I'll be out and about this evening, so you can follow my take on the action live by following @page300 on Twitter.

Next Big Nashville Wednesday Preview

I hope you've rested your liver all week, because Next Big Nashville 2009 kicks off today. There are a full slate of daytime panels before the traditional film premiere at the Belcourt. This year it's We Fun, a documentary about Atlanta's music scene that was oddly enough made in Nashville. But if movies aren't your thing, there are also a couple of showcases happening on opening night this year. The End, The Rutledge, Mercy Lounge and Cannery Ballroom all have a full slate of bands. Most popular among them will probably be the Ten Out of Tenn showcase at the Cannery Ballroom, a collective of some of Nashville's best pop singer/songwriter/solo artists. But if you like your rock and roll with a healthy dose of country & folk influences, head to The End to catch roots heavy sets from Luke and the Late Nights, Caitlin Rose, Alberta Cross and Phosphorescent.

Plan your own activities by visiting the NBN09 schedule page.

Phosphorescent - "A Picture Of Our Torn Up Praise" (mp3) from Pride
Caitlin Rose - "Shotgun Wedding" (mp3) from Dead Flowers

Next Week = Next Big Nashville

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your planning.

Over the last four years, Next Big Nashville has turned into something of an early Christmas present for music fans from Nashville and beyond. The 2009 edition kicks off a week from today, and promises more of the same awesomeness that the last two years have had... 150 plus showcasing artists, film premieres, daytime panels, and nightly afterparties that by next Sunday will leave equal parts elated and exhausted. You can start plotting out your plan of attack by checking out the schedule, and if you haven't already bought your wristband or badge, you can fix that by going here.

I'll be posting previews and recaps here of course, but I'll also be tweeting live updates of the action on twitter, so if you're not already following @page300, now would be a good time to do so. See you out and about next week!

Next Big Nashville 08 Friday Recap

Friday night's Next Big Nashville festivities got started with free booze and killer views at the pre-show reception at ICON. After two hours spent comparing notes with bloggers and band members, and getting an early start on the evening's drinking, it was definitely a good night to take advantage of the free shuttle service. I'm happy to report that they only missed on their "every 15 minutes" promise once. It's definitely the best way to get around at NBN, especially since Metro's finest were seen out in full force throughout the weekend.

Night two featured quite a bit of club hopping, but again focused primarily on dodging cars walking across Elliston. Reid & Wright were the first act of the evening, kicking off the Infinity Cat showcase with their experimental noise. I always learned if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything. So... later in the evening Cake Bake Betty took the stage at Exit/In for an engaging set of skewed piano pop.

Across the street at The End, the Birmingham based Skybucket Records were showcasing their label's rootsy Southern pop. Duquette Johnston turned in a solid set of alt-country, while Through The Sparks leaned more towards John Lennon's post-Beatles output. But of the three bands on the bill that I saw, the one who stole the show was the Dexateens, whose "Alabama Rock 'N Roll" sounded something like if Lynyrd Skynrd had jumped in a time machine and became an indie rock band instead of classic rock staples. Their three guitar attack was catchy as hell and ridiculously fun.

In between the Elliston club hopping, I caught the shuttle down to 12th & Porter where I was supposed to meet a friend. He never showed, but I did catch Ferraby Lionheart's solo acoustic set. While his indie folk tunes were great, it was definitely the kind of thing I'd probably have enjoyed more during this week's Americana Music Association festival. It was just a bit too mellow to be stuck in the middle of a rock showcase.

As the clock turned towards midnight, it was time to head down to the Cannery for Superdrag's headlining set. Starting early, the guys were on fire as they tore through a set packed with old favorites and a couple of new jams. After an all too brief forty-five minutes, they left the crowd desperately chanting for an encore, but all they got for their efforts was the cocktail jazz on the PA turned up louder and louder.

When I got to the afterparty at City Hall, The Dynamites were already well into their set. The band was tight as hell, laying down fat funky grooves and slower soul jams. Frontman Charles Walker was working the crowd like the veteran soulman he is, equal parts smooth crooner and R&B shouter. But despite the sizable crowd getting down in front of the stage, the room had kind of a weird vibe. There was a whole lot of weary mingling going on in the back as well, probably attributable to the fact that most of the crowd had been club hopping for at least six hours at that point. It was pushing 2 a.m. when I finally called it a night, and the band was still wailing into the night.

Dexateens - "What Money Means" (mp3)
Through The Sparks - "Falling Out Of Favor With The Neighbors" (mp3)

Photo of The Dynamites by Chris Wage. His NBN galleries can been seen here, here, here and here.

Next Big Nashville 08 Thursday Recap

When the schedule for Next Big Nashville came out, my first thought was how front loaded it was. It seemed that most of the bands I really liked were all playing on Thursday. This made for some tough decisions, but my goal for the weekend was to try to focus as much as possible on seeing bands that I wasn't as familiar with, or at least hadn't seen live yet. Unfortunately this meant passing up an obscenely awesome lineup at The Rutledge, but as great as the night turned out it was hard to be disappointed.

My original plan was to begin the evening by checking out some of the experimental lineup at the Anchor. Hollow Ox kicked off the evening with their trippy space rock, playing in front of a projection screen that combined with the setting in an old church made a fantastic visual companion to their sonic atmospherics. Unfortunately I only made it through one song because it was so fucking hot. Apparently the Anchor doesn't have air conditioning, and the fans they had blowing just weren't cutting it. I feel bad for the bands who were scheduled there that night, not only because the oppressive heat surely chased off any potential crowd, but also because I can't imagine having to perform in temperatures like that.

Wanting to beat a hasty retreat to somewhere with adequate AC, I headed for the Cannery, where L.A.'s Run Run Run was halfway through their set of ultra-polished alt-rock. They had a fifth member onstage running an impressive light show, although it was a bit odd seeing that kind of production in front of smallish early evening crowd.

The the bulk of my Thursday was spent shuffling back and forth between The End and Exit/In. At the former, Kindergarten Circus played their high school punk with the kind of enthusiasm that only teenagers can pull off, and Velcro Stars followed up with superb set of their infectious indie-pop ear candy. Hotpipes didn't exactly mesh with my goal of seeing bands I wasn't familiar with, since I'd seen them just five days prior. But I also didn't feel like I was cheating myself by seeing them again, because they were entirely awesome. Glossary closed out my evening on the Rock Block with an insanely great set of southern flavored rock.

I figured that I'd spend most of the evening at the Grand Palace showcase at The End, only popping over to the Exit/In to catch a couple of songs during set changes, but the bands playing the big room were all too good to play hit and run, and I ended up staying through the end of all of their sets. Paper Rival played a set of tight indie rock with lyrics that seemed to focus on big themes. The Deep Vibration might have won the award for the dumbest band name of the festival, but their music more than made up for it, coming off like Gram Parsons fronting Crazy Horse. Their set was incredibly well received, and apparently they wanted to thank the crowd by playing past their allotted set time. When turning off the lights and the PA didn't get the message across that it was time to stop, the soundman walked up front and cut the onstage power. The biggest surprise of the evening came courtesy of Skyblazer, another in a seemingly endless line of side projects from the Infinity Cat family. Comprised of members of JEFF the Brotherhood and Cake Bake Betty, their set of psychedelic jams was jaw droppingly awesome, like Black Sabbath with a chick singer. The only thing missing was a liquid light show.

It being a work night, I decided that I'd call it an early evening and started heading for home just before midnight, but at the last minute decided to pop into the 5 Spot to catch the tail end of Totally Snake. They must have started early, because I walked in just as their set was ending. But before the crowd could begin to dissipate, Party Cannon crashed the stage for an unannounced performance. Obviously more concerned with the party part of their name than actually playing music, they started spraying the crowd with silly string and tossing poppers on the stage in between short bursts of what I guess they call songs. The crowd was eating it up until someone lit up and entire handfull of sparklers which filled the club with smoke and sent most of the crowd scrambling outside gasping for air. And it was on that note that I called it a night.

Glossary - "Little Caney" (mp3)
Velcro Stars - "Cascade" (mp3)
Hollow Ox - "Badminton In December" (mp3)

Photo of Glossary by Lance Conzett. His Next Big Nashville gallery can be seen here.

Next Big Nashville 2008 Previews

Last night marked the opening festivities of Next Big Nashville, the local rock scene's third annual celebration of great music and even greater alcohol consumption. Last year's festival was one of the highlights of my year, and this year promises to equally great. With some 250 artists playing over five nights at sixteen different venues, trying to decide who to see can be a bit overwhelming. So to help you out, here are my recommendations. I can personally attest that each one of this acts put on a great live show, and I'm happy to give them the Page 300 Seal of Approval (apologies in advance for being very brief and recycling old comments, but I've got a lot of ground to cover).

Without a doubt, the best bill of the festival takes place on Thursday at The Rutledge. If you can only make one showcase this week, this is the one to catch.

Altered Statesman - Psychedelic soul with lyrics like beat poetry.
Thursday at The Rutledge, 8:45 pm

Altered Statesman - "Lightning Rod" (mp3)

Eastern Block - I'd never heard of these guys before I saw them open for Ladyhawk earlier this year, and I was absolutely blown away. Kinda like an American version of Bloc Party.
Thursday at The Rutledge, 9:30 pm

And The Relatives - Garage rock that will appeal to the Pixies fan in everyone.
Thursday at The Rutledge, 10:15 pm

All We Seabees - If you've been reading this blog for the past week, you already know how much I love these guys. With the release of MKUltra, they've expanded on their folk rock roots to simply become of Nashville's best bands.
Thursday at The Rutledge, 11 pm

All We Seabees - "Howard" (mp3)

Hannah Barbarians and Eureka Gold round out this bill. But as absolutely fabulous as that lineup is, there are plenty of other plenty of other great options worthy of checking out, especially on Thursday. The best of the rest...

Amanda Shires - Chances are you'll be smitten with this alt-country chanteuse the minute she steps on stage. And after you've heard her singing and fiddling, you'll probably be ready to propose. More than just a pretty face, she represents everything thats great about country music.
Thursday at 3rd & Lindsley, 9:30 pm

The Pink Spiders - Their first NBN appearance was infamous for their showdown with the production crew, and last year a puke break was a highlight of their set. At this point they are more notorious for their antics and lineup changes than their music, but whatever happens it's sure to be entertaining.
Thursday at Cannery Ballroom, 10:30 pm

Lylas - With Halloween just around the corner, their brand of macabre/romantic folk pop is just what you need to put you in the proper frame of mind.
Thursday Douglas Corner, 11 pm

Hollow Ox - Ambient instrumental soundscapes perfect for getting your head lost in.
Thursday at The Anchor, 8 pm

Hollow Ox - "The Fields Are Cold" (mp3)

Timbre - Bridging the gap between classical and indie, this band of siblings is chamber pop in the truest sense of the word. Imagine Sigur Ros if they only used orchestral instruments.
Thursday at The Anchor, 9:30 pm

Hotpipes - I'm not sure there is a better band in town right now. Future Bolt easily wins my vote for the best local release of the year.
Thursday at The End, 10:15 pm

The Nobility - If you think pop music started sucking around once we flipped the calendar into the 1970s, these retro tunesmiths will appeal to your longing for the golden days.
Friday at The 5 Spot, 11 pm

The Nobility - "Halleluiah Chorus" (mp3)

Jennifer Nicely - Imagine a young Billie Holiday fronting Chris Isaak's Silvertones.
Friday at The Basement, 8 pm

Cortney Tidwell - Based on the new material she's been performing at recent shows, her next album will take her ethereal pop in a much rockier direction, but it's still absolutely gorgeous.
Friday at Cannery Ballroom, 8:45 pm

Cortney Tidwell - "Missing Link" (mp3)

Superdrag - What needs to be said about these guys at this point? Probably Tennessee's finest rock band.
Friday at Cannery Ballroom, 12:15 am

The Howlies - Chances are this will be the most ridiculously fun set of the week. They wrap up everything that's great about rock and roll in quick three minute bursts.
Saturday at Exit/In, 10:30 pm

Caitlin Rose - If you like country songstresses old school with a healthy dose of wit, this will be right up your alley.
Saturday at The Basement, 9:30 pm

Plex Plex - On record, they are a lot closer to their early 80's electronic influences, but live they come off like Karen O fronting The Killers.
Saturday at The Rutledge, 11:45 pm

Check out the complete schedule here, and head out secure in the knowledge that wherever you end up going over the next four days, you're guaranteed to discover some amazing local and regional talent.

Next Big Nashville Wrap Up

Three nights, eight shows, eighteen bands, countless beers and fourteen hours of sleep. That was my Next Big Nashville experience in a nutshell. After a Sunday afternoon that I had planned on spending finishing unpacking and listening to the Seahawks game, but ended up mostly napping, I've almost recovered from it. It was an exhausting 72 hours, but totally worth it. With over 130 bands playing at ten different venues over five nights, I missed more great bands than I was able to see. This festival did a great job of highlighting the vast wealth of talent that exists in Nashville's non-country music scene.

Here are some quick reviews of most of the acts I got to see over the past couple of days, in roughly the order I saw them...

Cortney Tidwell - I've raved about her a lot on here over the past year, so it should come as no surprise that her show Thursday at the Basement was amazing. I'm glad to see that the commenters at Nashville Cream who saw her felt the same way. She played several new songs, and they were every bit as incredible as the stuff on her debut album.

Justin Townes Earle - He may have Steve Earle in his blood, but Hank Williams in his heart. His set of "old time hillbilly music" wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Matthew Ryan Vs. The Silver State - I expected a good show, and he certainly delivered. I'd kill to have his voice, and his songwriting is so fucking good, it's criminal that the guy isn't a household name. Not only did he cover one of my favorite songs ever (more on that tomorrow), but I think this might be my new favorite song...

Matthew Ryan - "It Could've Been Worse" (mp3 - now with a working link)

Jennifer Nicely - The Basement's low ceilings and laid back vibe was the perfect setting for Nicely's brand of jazzy pop noir. It sounded like a young Billie Holliday fronting Chris Isaak's Silvertones. Her debut album, Luminous, is being released tomorrow.

The Pink Spiders - Considering how hard it's been to miss The Pink Spiders lately, especially in Nashville, it's surprising that this was the first time I've seen them. These guys have been everywhere over the past year... on the soundtrack to Madden 07, on TRL, and they seem to be at the Gold Rush every single time I step foot in the joint. I even saw their video for "Little Razorblade" while shopping at Steve & Barry's in Pennsylvania earlier this year. Their beer spewing stage antics really aren't my cup of tea, but if you can resist the charms of "Modern Swinger," you're made of stronger stuff than I am.

Aaron Robinson - Aaron Robinson has an amazing voice, his songs are great, and his band is fantastic. And yet the thing I remember most about his set at the Mercy Lounge was how much I hated his song about Karen Carpenter.

And The Relatives - I'd never heard of these guys before last week, but their set Saturday night at The End was outstanding. If The Pixies had spent their entire career in a garage, they'd sound something like this.

All We Seabees - I think I have a new favorite local band. Their set started with just hand claps and harmonies, and over the course of half an hour they built their folky pop songs into raging swirl of distorted guitars... and harmonies. It was one of those shows where you kick yourself afterwords for not finding out about them sooner.

Jensen Sportag - I hate to go negative, but this show was memorable in how monumentally boring it was. I've never seen any band that didn't get at least a courtesy clap between songs... the only thing you heard was people carrying on their conversations throughout the set. Apparently they are about to move to London, and hopefully their electro-pop will go over a little better across the pond.

Plastic Clap - Entirely awesome. It was like some unholy mix of The Beastie Boys and NSYNC. If you ever get the chance to see these guys, you HAVE to go. Their show is brilliantly offensive and absolutely insane.

For more post festival thoughts, visit Out The Other and, uh... thats it for now. If anyone has seen any other post-festival posts, please post a comment and let me know. I'm sure the Scene will have a wrap up on Wednesday.

UPDATE: More post NBN thoughts at Nashville Cream.

Previewing Next Big Nashville

Tonight kicks off the festivities for Next Big Nashville, so for the next five days there is no excuse for saying you have nothing to do. But if you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices, here are a few personal picks of bands I'm familiar with. Of course, one of the joys of festivals like this is discovering bands you aren't familiar with, so let this list be a starting point for you, and then go out and disover some great new music.

Lylas - Wednesday, September 5, 9 pm at The Belcourt

They'll probably be onstage by the time I get this posted, but I'll mention them anyway because they're one of my favorite local bands (and not just because they've released two Christmas themed records, although that helps). They're the perfect blend of sour and sweet, mixing lyrics that are often borderline creepy into classic pop song formats augmented by ukelele, banjo and slide guitar.

Lylas - "Tiny Echoes" (mp3) from Lessons For Lovers


Oblio - Thursday, September 6, 8:45 pm at 3rd & Lindsley

Oblio was one of the last shows I saw at Radio Cafe before it closed down, and I guess that's kind of appropriate. Their sound reminds me of the kind of radio I cut my musical teeth on. It's pop music with a bit of a late 70s vibe. Which is about the lamest descpription I've ever given of a band, but its appropriate. They're just good.

Oblio - "She-Devil" (mp3) from Create The Night, Pt. 1


Cortney Tidwell - Thursday, September 6, 9:30 pm at The Basement

Cortney was absolutely captivating the first time I saw her, when it was just her trading off between playing guitar and drums and omnichord. As memorable as that show was, she's even more amazing with a full band to create lush soundscapes behind her breathtaking voice. Her album is still the frontrunner to top my best of 2007 list, and if you're one of my friends reading this and you don't have it yet, shame on you.

Cortney Tidwell - "Eyes Are At The Billions" (mp3) from Don't Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up


Matthew Ryan vs The Silver State, Thursday, September 6, 11:45 pm at The Basement

I kinda feel guilty that after plugging NBN as a great opportunity to check out new bands, I'm going to spend Thursday night seeing two artists I've already seen before, but I can't pass up an opportunity to see two of my favorite locals in one fell swoop. Matthew Ryan has the kind of raspy voice that is meant to sing big, thoughtful rock music. I've never heard one of his songs that I didn't like. And on his last album, he covered one of my all time favorite songs, Jack Frost's "Providence." This will be the first show by his newest project, Matthew Ryan Vs The Silver State.

Matthew Ryan "And Never Look Back" (mp3) from From A Late Night Highrise


Sleeptalker - Friday, September 7, 9:30 pm at The Rutledge

Rock bands with piano as the main instrument seem to be all the rage lately, and in Nashville no one does it better than Sleeptalker. I guess if you absolutely had to you could compare them to that band that starts with a C, except Sleeptalker's lyrics wont make you cringe.

Sleeptalker - "Many Bells Down" (mp3) from Simplify, Simplify


The Features - Saturday, September 8, 10:15 pm at The Cannery Ballroom

Here's an embarassing admission... The Features are probably the best rock band, and I've never seen them. That may or may not change this weekend. Saturday night at the Cannery features three of the most popular local acts right now... The Features, De Novo Dahl, and How I Became The Bomb. The Ballroom is almost sure to be packed to the gills, so if you want to see this show, I'd strongly suggest you get there early.

The Features - "D-Con (Radio One)" (mp3) from the Soaking In The Center Of The Universe Vol. 2 sampler

I'm barely scratching the surface with these recomendations. There are 130 different artists playing the festival this weekend, and if you really want help in deciding your schedule over the next few days, I again suggest that you visit Out The Other. Janet has posted mp3s from over 70 of the artist playing Next Big Nashville, so if you're looking to expand your local music horizons, that definitely needs to be your pre-departure interweb stop.