Returning MR Fest artist, Quiet Company, has come a long way since their first appearance at the festival. The Austin, Texas based group composed of Taylor Muse, Thomas Blank, Matt Parmenter, Jeff Weathers, and Cody Ackors, have accumulated through the past several years after Muse recorded the bands’ first record solo.  During 2010, the band had their break out year with their first single “How Do You Do It?” receiving so much airplay that it catapulted them into the hearts of their local listeners and into a global market after their collaboration with Grooveshark.

Since then, the band has been paving their way to stardom. Their most outstanding accomplishment was during the 2012 Austin Music Awards, sweeping the competition with Band of the Year, Song of the Year “You, Me & the Boatman,” Best Indie Band, Best Rock Band, and several individual recognitions. “We had hoped to win a couple awards, but certainly didn’t expect to get ten awards,” Muse said. The bands’ ability to interact with fans, especially during South by Southwest, has certainly gained them credibility. At SXSW, Quiet Company strutted the streets of Austin, Texas wearing cardboard signs offering “Free hugs from Quiet Company.” “We’ve been doing that for about three or four years now, and vowed to always do it,” said Muse. The band has also hosted Twitter contests in which they would allow winners to ride with them in their van to different shows.

Quiet Company has put out several recordings since their formation, but more recently released the album We Are All Where We Belong, including singles “You, Me, & The Boatman” and “Fear and Fallacy, Sitting in a Tree.” The 2011 release is meant to incorporate all of the emotions felt during a break up, but not in a sort of romantic way. “This record is directed towards relieving religion and embracing humanism and atheism and celebrating that,” said Muse, “It’s like a break up record with God.”

Future Quiet Company recordings are in planning, but Muse said they won’t be released for a good while; however, the band is releasing new recordings for fans through a current cover project that has lasted a lot longer than they had expected. “We each pick four songs we want to cover, and then we let the fans vote on which song they would like to hear and whatever wins we go in the studio and record,” said Muse. The project isn’t expected to drop as a record, but the tracks include covers from Arcade Fire, Pedro the Lion, the Cure, and Florence & the Machine and are posted as free listening for fans.

 Rather hear them live? You’re in luck, Quiet Company will be performing live at Texas Music Theater (TMT) this Saturday at 11:30pm. See ya there!

-Andrea Carr and Stephanie Cavazos

`https://www.facebook.com/quietcompany

http://quietcompanymusic.com/

STEREO IS A LIE formed in late 2008 by simply plugging in a guitar, keyboard, and Glynn Wedgewood belted out some vocals. Front man and guitarist Glynn Wedgewood moved from his native England to pursue music and assemble a band. He was joined by drummer Jayson Altman and Justin Scott on keyboards. Glynn then met bassist Marcus Piña who signed on later, “Sharing a passion for pints, football (soccer), and loud rock and roll, we stayed in touch until I got a call a few months later to play bass, Piña states.” The band now consists of a forceful four piece.

Since its inception, STEREO IS A LIE has released a self-titled LP and received immense credit for resurrecting Rock and Roll! Located in Austin, Texas “the music capitol of the world,” they have been getting loads of feedback, and it is much deserved. With a British Rock and Roll music style, STEREO IS A LIE earns worthy comparisons to famous artists such as Oasis and Radiohead.

Currently, the band is doing a lot of writing in their practice room, “Once we have some songs we feel work together, we’ll look at getting in the studio again,” says vocalist Glynn Wedgewood. Fans are anxiously awaiting STEREO IS A LIE’s newest release, but for now the band is concentrating on their songwriting process, which is constantly changing. “We’re all bringing ideas to the table and then developing them from the ground as a unit. Ultimately there is no process, we’ll try anything,” states Wedgewood.

Before they continue conceptualizing more tracks, STEREO IS A LIE will be performing at KTSW 89.9 5^th annual MR. Fest. Not only is STEREO performing, they are also one of the headliners! “I’m really excited about playing the festival, especially in such a great room. All the gang at KTSW are incredibly passionate about music, so it’s nice to be around people who really get behind the artists,” Wedgewood says. Bassist Marcus Piña states, “It feels awesome to be playing MR. Fest, so pleased to be back.” The band will be performing live at the Texas Music Theatre at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28.

-Reyna Caraveo

http://www.stereoisalie.com

http://www.myspace.com/stereoisalie

http://twitter.com/STEREOISALIE

http://soundcloud.com/stereo-is-a-lie

http://www.last.fm/music/STEREO+IS+A+LIE

http://www.youtube.com/user/STEREOISALIE

http://stereoisalie.bandcamp.com/

http://www.sonicbids.com/stereoisalie

http://stereoisalie.tumblr.com/

http://monolathe.com/blog

          Clad in button-up shirts and fedora’s, with either a pint or bottle of alcohol to accessorize the ensemble, the six members of Mr. Lewis and the Funeral 5 will bring their unique blend of storytelling to their debut performance at MR. Fest 2012. My phone interview, albeit short and sweet, with Gregory Lewis, vocalist/guitarist of the Austin-based macabaret band, had been about a week coming. Phone tag and text messaging conversations aside, I look forward to meeting him and his five merry pallbearers: James Sheeran, drummer, Rob Metcalfe, guitarist/percussionist, Danny Dervish, bassist, Philthy Howard, keyboardist/percussionist and James Bonura, saxophonist. 

In case you were wondering what ‘macabaret’ means, a Google search leads me to believe it is a fusion between the words ‘cabaret’ and ‘macabre.’ It completely makes sense (at least to me) once you give the band’s second album- released in July 2011- “Delirium Tremendous” a listen.  

Jordan Gass-Poore’: How did the band become involved with MR Fest 2012?

Gregory Lewis: As far as how we got involved with that, my bass player (Dervish) asked if we wanted to play. I guess he knows somebody down at the station.

JGP: What was your first reaction when you found out the band will be playing during MR Fest?

GL: Sounds fine. We normally play at the Triple Crown, so it will be nice to play in San Marcos in more than a tiny, little place.

JGP: How long has the band been playing at Triple Crown?

GL: I’m really not good at history. I’m trying to think when my bass player joined because that’s when we basically started playing there a lot. Probably three, four, five years maybe. Probably somewhere around there.

JGP: Had the band played anywhere else in San Marcos prior to playing at Triple Crown?

GL: We played Lucy’s (Bar 141) before, but they’re not really a venue anymore, I don’t think.

JGP: Where did the band’s name come from? 

GL: It was originally Mr. Lewis and the Funeral Jazz Quintet and that was kind of a mouthful. But it was basically inspired by New Orleans jazz funerals, stuff like that, because I wanted it to be happy and sad at the same time. Dark music, but festive, if that makes any sense. The Mr. Lewis part, that’s what people used to call me where I grew up (in Michigan). 

-Jordan Gass-Poore