Ratatat at Stubb's Outdoor Stage

Ratatat

I decided to experiment with a disposable camera...

...in low light and long distances...

...and now I find that the quality and awkward angles of these pictures do a good job of explaining what Ratatat playing Stubb's on a weekday night actually was.

I mean, some guy got cuffed and thrown into the back of a police car after the show for jaywalking "as an example", according to the officer responsible.

Dr. Dog at the Parish with Delta Spirit and Seth Kaufman

Guess who's bass drum...

Dr. Dog kicking out chill beats for the bro's

(oh yeah, they were there... 101x presents anything = prudes & shirtless dudes)

Delta Spirit in between songs

Delta Spirit again

Seth Kaufman

Holy Fucking Shit!

Well, ACL is certainly fucking up the Austin music scene this month. And I totally mean that in a good way. Tokyo Police Club will be headlining a show on friday at Emo's, followed by the amazing Dr. Dog at the Parish on saturday. If you haven't heard Dr. Dog's new album, Fate, then I suggest you take a listen. 

Then Ratatat plays at Stubb's on monday, the day before the Eagles of Death Metal and The Hives play there. Honestly, it doesn't make any sense that two shows SO GOOD be only a day apart. They are both going to be THE SHIT.

And of course, you have your ACL aftershows at Stubb's with Manu Chao, Gnarls Barkley, and The Black Keys.

Also, if any of you are upset that you missed My Morning Jacket, then you'll have an opportunity to see a band that opened for them at Stubb's last year, WAX FANG, on the 26th. They look like teddy bears and have a theremin (but sound NOTHING like Octopus Project).

Finally, Okkervil River promises an amazing show at Emo's on the 27th if only because contemporary troubadours Man Man will be there.

Oh yeah, Butthole Surfers are going to be crazy, not to mention that The Kills will accompany them at Stubb's on the 27th.

If you have any better reasons to get off your ass and stop playing Spore let me know.

9/12/08 - Tokyo Police Club @ Emo's (w/ The Whigs & The Boxing Lesson)
9/13/08 - Dr. Dog @ the Parish (w/ Delta Spirit & Seth Kaufman)
9/15/08 - Ratatat @ Stubb's (w/ E*rock & Panther)
9/16/08 - Eagles of Death Metal @ Stubb's (w/ The Hives & The Willowz)
9/22/08 - Manu Chao @ Stubb's *
9/26/08 - Heartless Bastards @ Emo's (w/ Dead Confederate & Wax Fang)
9/26/08 - Gnarls Barkley @ Stubb's (w/ CSS) *
9/26/08 - G. Love and Special Sauce @ La Zona Rosa (w/ Eli "Paperboy" Reed)
9/27/08 - Okkerville River @ Emo's (w/ Man Man & Crooked Fingers)
9/27/08 - Butthole Surfers @ Stubb's (w/ The Kills)
9/28/08 - The Black Keys @ Stubb's *

*ACL aftershow

Ratatat's LP3

Ratatat was a mostly unknown band a year and a half ago. When I showed my friends Alex and Bowman their song "Seventeen Years" they just mocked the drum beat and asked me why I listened to keyboard music that sounded like it was written for Tekken. Well, now things are a little different. Everyone that was at their show last year at Emo's knows that Ratatat does use real guitars and they also really know how to melt peoples' smiling faces with them.

This is the Ratatat I knew when I went to Waterloo to buy the long awaited arrival of LP3. When I put my needle to the groove, however, I was greeted by something altogether different. They manage to stray from their dance-beat a little bit and explore their more sensitive side, if you can say it, without neutering their sound. Almost like Ratatat traded in their tall tees for tight jeans and American Apparel hoodies. 

Generally speaking, LP3 relies a lot more on tone and color than their previous albums. This transition doesn't just come out of the blue, though. In fact, there are lots of moments from their older work that seem like they would fit in this album well. The piano melody from "Loud Pipes" relies on the beauty of its tone as much as just about every sound on LP3 does. Even songs like "Gettysburg" or "Tropicana" seem right at home with the new arrival.

A lot of things have changed about Ratatat since I first obsessed over their self-titled album way back when and it only follows that so should their choice of venue. They will be playing September 15th at the Stubb's outdoor stage, a noticeable upgrade from their last show in Austin at Emo's. One thing my friends who saw the show in Denver on September 2nd have assured me is that Ratatat's reputation for a quality show remains intact as it ever was, if not even more so. Portland based artists E*Rock and Panther will open, tickets are $15 and doors will be at 7pm.