Ume Want To Check This Out

Ume (pronounced ooo-may), one of my favorite discoveries since moving to Austin, is coming to DC. They've played the District before but not in some time. I strongly recommend you check this band out:

Ume
w/ The Fervor and The Bronze Chorus
The Red and The Black
Tuesday, Oct. 20th

The power trio band is led by the fetching Lauren Larson and her heavy, thunderous guitar. She commands the sonic assualt but the band isn't all wrecking ball riffs and cool-chick vocals. They can also churn out pop hooks and catchy melodies. The reaction to their excellent Sunflower EP has overwhelmingly positive and helped land them spots on tour with bands such as The Meat Puppets and Dead Confederate. As they head to NYC for CMJ, it'll only be a matter of time before they're playing bigger and bigger venues. This is your "I saw them when..." moment. Don't miss it.

Ume at Tripp Custom T-Shirts

Despite the Texas heat the Prints for Non-Profit show at Tripp Custom T-Shirts was a great time. I went with my wife and young daughter and unfortunately I had to leave halfway through Ume's set (it was past Mia's bedtime). Fortunately, I found this this video of Ume performing "The Conductor" (a personal favorite of mine):

In between the sets they had old school breaking dancing from B-Boy City. It was unreal. My daughter was completely mesmerized. As I watched these guys I kept thinking, "that seems physically impossible." I couldn't believe some of their moves. To see what I mean check out this B-Boy City highlight video:

Yet another highlight of the show was meeting Richard from Ultra8201 which is easily one of the best music blogs in the country.

My Favorite Band (this week) - Ume

I picked Ume for a few reasons. First, I'm finally going to see them live. It's long overdue. Tomorrow they're headlining the Prints for Non-Profit show at Tripp Custom T-Shirts here in Austin. Second, I wanted to disprove Jimbromski's theory that bands with heavy, bearded dudes and a hot woman are bound to fail. Okay, maybe it's not so much a theory as it was his prediction for Georgie James (a correct prediction I might add).

Of course, the real reason I chose Ume as My Favorite Band (this week) is the music. Last year I bought their Sunshower EP and I've been on the bandwagon ever since. The songs range from subtle and melodic to full on sonic assaults. What I like best is that it's straight rock with lots of heavy, thunderous guitar. See for yourself:

SXSW Day Party: A Blog and a Band

One of the SXSW parties I'm most excited about: A Blog and A Band day party. It's a two day party sponsored by our friends at Side One: Track One and the Austin band La Snacks. They're featuring 21 bands from all over the world. A bunch of Austin bands I really like (La Snacks, The Lovely Sparrows, Ume) are playing with two of DC's best: These United States and Middle Distance Runner.



Over the next week, I'll profile some of the bands I'll see at SXSW. There's no better band to start off with than La Snacks (pictured above). They have a raw, fuzzy, slacker sound that recalls the best indie rock of the '90s. Couple that sound with highly amusing lyrics and a great live show and you have a winning formula. Here's my favorite song by La Snacks, "Kristen Was A Meteorologist":