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The Line Up
UME
May be the most promising female voice to smack the indie rock world in years" - indyweek.com
Ume (pronounced ooo-may) is an Austin trio with an explosive yet sweet aesthetic that's catching folks off guard - in a very good way. Their sound has been described as balancing "pop hooks and sweet female vocals with crazy heavy riffing" (Chromewaves), "poppy and surprisingly heavy... powerful and charming" (Brooklyn Vegan), "beautiful, brutal, flawlessly executed, and completely unpretentious" (Austin Sound).
The band self-released their Sunshower EP in 2009 - receiving 4 stars from the Austin Chronicle to the Irish Times - followed by three national tours, including dates with Polvo, The Meat Puppets, and Cymbals Eat Guitars, as well as performances at NXNE, CMJ, and Athfest. With constant DIY touring (they've self-booked over 300 shows) and a legitimately intense live show, the band has garnered the praise of new fans including Joan Jett, Bryan Poole of Of Montreal, and Dave Allen of Gang of Four, who named their Sunshower EP one of the top ten records of 2009.
Behind Ume's explosive music is an unassuming trio. Guitarist/vocalist Lauren says (in her southern drawl) that show after show she meets people who don't think she could possibly have played in punk rock bands for over a decade. She has even had audience members ask if the guitar parts were pre-recorded, because "nobody could play guitar like that, wail, and flail around so much on stage."
One of her first fans was bassist Eric Larson, who approached the then 15 year-old guitarist after seeing her grind-core band perform on a skatepark vert ramp. While attending Houston-area DIY punk shows, the high-school couple met drummer Jeff Barrera. Shortly after forming Ume, Lauren moved to Pennsylvania for graduate school in philosophy. In 2007, she traded in the PhD pursuit to follow her guitar heroine dreams. She now also helps young girls do the same through her work with Girls Rock Camp Austin. Ume is currently preparing to record their highly-anticipated full-length... details coming very soon.
THE LAUGHING
A regular on Langer's Next Big Thing throughout the years...
Just released their first full lenghth Album. Nice review from the chronicle here. Played FunFunFunFest and made several blog and newspaper picks (The Onion, AustinSound.net, Spin.com etc). Scheduled to play the NX35 Fest w/ Flaming Lips and Midlake in March.
JET HORNS
Austin, Texas, the home of everything cool in music, art, and film has birthed its newest art and music hybrid – Jon Von Letscher, the creative force behind the electronic/pop fusion band Jet Horns. Jet Horns is an extension of Jon’s intergalactic obsessed subconscious explored through the music of “ONWARD SPACE HOLOGRAM”, a seven song EP debuting December ’09. “My vision for Jet Horns it to put the listener in a positive space.” Von Letscher says. “Each song is its own world with its own set of rules.” Rules inspiring those who ingest Jet Horns’ upbeat, shoulder bouncing sounds laced with thought provoking lyrics to press play and repeat over and over just to stay immersed in the galaxy of positivity Jon has created. Songs like “Happy & Horny” is light and playful while “Whiteroom” touches on lifting the monotony of the every day and addresses the fragility of the human spirit. “I Was Once a Glass of Tang” however, goes totally trippy where Jon spins the tale of a cat wilding out on acid and believes himself to be an orange. “ONWARD SPACE HOLOGRAM” is a dream infused musical fantasy lifted from the brilliant complexity of Jon’s mind.
Von Letscher’s journey began at Performing Arts High School in Texas where focusing on music and art allowed him to explore the depths of his over active imagination. As a teen, song writing came naturally and he enlisted his peers to perform his compositions while he backed them on guitar. Since high school Jon has been refining his craft, working with various bands in the Austin area, maturing into the confident artist he’s become with a distinct sound and clever way of executing his subject material. “ONWARD SPACE HOLOGRAM” is a culmination of his explorative years. It’s a yummy ear-gasmic treat!”
“I would say Onward Space Hologram is a direct representation of my dream projector, focused on an outer space scene including birds, lovers, islands, and powdered nutrition.” – Jon Von Letscher
For more information contact:
Collin Stanback - cas@wildflyent.com
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