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SXSW 2012
March 18, 2012
Transmission Entertainment on the A$AP Rocky "brawl" and "mayhem" Saturday
After hearing reports of “mayhem” and a “brawl” involving buzzy Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky’s crew Saturday at the Vice Party at Tops Warehouse, reporter Chad Swiatecki checked in with Transmission Entertainment’s James Moody for a few more details about what went down. Moody, who was not on site at the time but received a full rundown from his colleagues, said that at around 3:30 a.m. a fight broke out involving about 20 people after a a beer thrown on stage hit the lead member of the A$AP crew. The venue was at about half-capacity, with less than 600 people in the house. Staff and hired police on site took care of the situation. The lights were turned on and they started clearing the venue immediately. No other police were called and no ambulance or medical attention needed. According to Moody, it technically could be called a brawl, but it was handled before anyone was seriously hurt and was diffused quickly.
“We had a fight at Mohawk that night too,” said Moody. “These things happen after people drink for seven days and we handled them appropriately.”
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SXSW review - Matthew Dear, Penguin Prison and more at ND
You have to like it when a venue and a SXSW lineup come together and fit just about perfectly. Since its ambitious launch in early 2010 The ND at 501 Studios has seemed like the perfect haven for dance-y rock acts and DJs, being that it’s a big, tall concrete square box with a great sound system that lets beats roll around and reverberate makes it pretty much impossible to not dance.
That environment made Saturday night’s closing showcase with The Windish Agency and its beat-heavy roster an ideal pairing. Below, a recap of a moving, inspired lineup from start to finish. (Note: apologies to American Royalty, who started the night prior to my arrival).
Ki:Theory - A two-man live combo but this Wheeling, West. Va. is entirely the product of singer/keyboardist/guitarist Joel Burleson, joined on stage by a drummer. The group’s most relatable peer would be beat-y dream pop group M83, only if that act relied far more heavily on sound processing, drum machines and other effects and were far more menacing in their delivery. A curveball came at set’s end, when Burleson stepped away from his equipment with just a microphone and delivered a song that was something approaching hardcore punk filtered through atmospheric synth pop. That reads like garble, but I saw it and it was damned impressive. Kudos to a band figuring out how to present organically (in relative terms) while relying so heavily on processed ones and zeros.
Penguin Prison - All week the name DJ Penguin Prison has been floating around as an act to see at all the big-name parties. But then that moniker shows up as a full band in the middle of a Saturday night showcase, making one wonder if this whole town’s gone bonkers (answer: likey yes, but that’s neither here nor there at this point). Turns out Penguin Prison is the creative guise of New York singer Chris Glover, a deceptively charismatic and talented songwriter who had a brief deal with a Geffen Records subsidiary in the early 2000’s and has banged around since then, working with folks like Girl Talk and many others before getting his current deal with Neon Gold Records. Others have apparently noticed his presence and are placing their bets, as a Terrence Malick film crew was following him around earlier in the night, taking test footage for the filmmaker’s upcoming project that’s said to be filming in Austin this fall and will feature Ryan Gosling and Rooney Mara (who was also getting filmed at the Mohawk by a separate crew on Saturday).
With a band, Glover/Penguin Prison traffics in a sound that’s roughly the midpoint between The Rapture and The Killers; highly danceable new wave-drenched pop rock. Don’t know if the material passes the eyes closed test - that is, if the songs hold up absent their writer’s live persona - but Penguin Prison had the most active, packed crowd of the night from start to finish and that’s never a bad thing. At set’s end Glover stashed his gear and jumped into a car to get to a DJ Penguin Prison gig at the Vevo party across town, where Nas and Sleigh Bells were headlining. Turns out there’s a reason why so many people are talking about him.
Drop The Lime - Imagine a fire and brimstone church revival band hopping in a time machine located in a 21st century audio equipment shop and trying to learn about every bit of DJ sound processing equipment they saw. That’s roughly what you get with Drop The Lime, a New York trio led by singer/guitarist/sound manipulator Luca Venezia and the songs sample gospel organs, choirs and greasy guitars while Venezia and a live drummer and keyboard player/vocalist rip through songs about money, the faith and evildoers (not necessarily a pejorative term) of every sort. The group’s sound came most clearly into focus on a set-closing cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper,” which was sort of an odd duck and the lyrically thinnest song on “Nebraska” but took on a greater feeling of menace and meaning when buffeted by droning beats and Venezia’s mildly processed vocals. The most rock-oriented act of the night by quite a margin, but an inventive one that kept things interesting.
Matthew Dear - Because he bleeds into so many genres, Matthew Dear gets classified as a dance artist purely by cause of his use of sound processing equipment and computers. But there’s not a lot of what you could call dancing going on at a Matthew Dear show - it’s more like swaying (“sway music”?) in a very intense fashion. In a room perfect for his two-drummers, bass, trumpet, guitar and gadgets setup, Dear made the room throb and churn around lines of ascending and descending lines of notes, haunting vocals, and often violently clashing drums while his vocals bordered between acting as lyrical vehicle and sonic ingredient. The result was 40 minutes dance music esthetics used in service of classical music composition, and showed why the raves Dear’s been getting for years have picked up even more with his thick schedule of SXSW appearances.
Flosstradamus - Not a lot needs to be said about this DJ crew, who have been rocking parties and creating choice remixes for A-List musicians for going on a decade. They set up simply on the floor in front of the venue’s to be in the center of the crowd and proceeded to make the last 40 official minutes of this year’s SXSW a body-rocking experience for all who could fight off the exhaustion for as long as possible. For those that did, it was worth every second.
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Scene report - Fader Fort and the cult of FOMO
Right around the time superstar rapper Rick Ross was taking the stage to perform for a wholly underwhelmed crowd of several thousand both thoughtfully and dismissively dressed fans at the Fader Fort, a sort of messenger angel appeared out of the back of the crowd. Looking pensive and all of maybe 25, he wore shorts, boat shoes and a shirt that tried to act as an antidote to all that surrounded it, reading simply; “Austin Isn’t Weird.” He passed through the throng twice in roughly an hour while Your Correspondent took in the scene at the east side compound that’s become a full blown SXSW institution (apply multiple meanings to that word) since setting up shop in the mid-2000’s.
The first time was a lark. The second time seemed like a message to move on. No ill will intended to the musicians on hand Saturday evening (rappers Ritz, Gangsta Boo, Stalley and the aforementioned Ross) or what were certainly many hundreds if not thousands of passionate music fans crammed under the compound’s canopy to soak in every banging beat. But the air of the place by its end was thick with what’s become a chronic symptom of SXSW; FOMO, or the fear of missing out.
Word had spread throughout the day that British art-hop collective Gorillaz were going to headline the stage. Or possibly the Wu-Tang Clan. Or The Roots. Or Kanye West. So became a situation where closing the night with Ross - who’se a bold-type headliner in pretty much any other environment - seemed like a letdown. After all, it’s been six whole years since he was on the cover of the uber-hip Fader magazine. For that crowd most artists have a cultural relevancy whose half life is close to that of lab-generated, there-and-gone unstable periodic elements. One hopes current cover boy Cass McCombs has an updated resume on his laptop.
Lots of people were into it - good on them, this is a music festival after all - but the vast majority were there to see merely what they could happen into (word of Bill Murray sightings hadn’t gotten thick enough on Twitter, apparently) and later brag about online. When it became apparent that, in fact, a resurrected Michael Jackson would not descend from the heavens and perform “Off The Wall” front to back with the entire Jackson 5 as his backup combo, eyes locked onto cellphone screens and scanned for the next thing they couldn’t bear the thought of not being around for. It wasn’t long before something met the criteria, whereupon friends were alerted, eliciting what’s becoming the unofficial chorus of SXSW crowds; “Really? Where? Let’s go!”
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SXSW review: Nas performs 'Illmatic'
(Ricardo B. Brazziell AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
A few minutes before Nas’ set time, the perfect stranger of an audience member seated next to me handed me his iPhone so that I could read a text message: “Hurry to ACL Live…rumor has it special guests Ye, Jay Z and Weezy will be there. “ While none of those special, special guests showed, Nas’ own swagger was more than enough to entertain the capacity crowd at ACL Live. “I present to you, Illmatic,” Nas said with a bow, before launching into on of the strongest debut album’s from a solo MC in the history of hip hop.
Nas used his bigger-than-life charisma to connect with the audience, landing a dead-eye stare and big poppa smiles - thru sunglasses no less - to every soul on their feet in the cozy ACL Live theater. Nas, accompanied by legendary DJ’s Pete Rock on stage right and DJ Premier on stage left, proved his G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) status as he related the lyrically-detailed sagas of his native New York City to a crowd which was not as ethnically diverse as you might expect, especially considering Nas’ international appeal as an MC universally considered one of the greatest “real hip hop” MCs of all time.
Surrounded by a detailed stage backdrop that recalled the Queensbridge Houses of Nas’ youth, complete with a descending subway entrance and graffiti tagged bus stop, Nas delivered Illmatic as promised, with a few side streets ventures for good measure, including a DJ battle between Pete Rock and DJ Premier. Let that sink in: Pete Rock, DJ Permier and “Nasty Nas” - along with Nas’s frequent collaborator AZ - killing it in little ol’ Austin, Tex. The battle came fairly early, after the ghetto strife anthem “Life’s A Bitch” and The Firm’s “Phone Tap” crushed the audience. Pete Rock brought the battle home to its conclusion with a hot minute of “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” dedicated to Heavy D and Guru (Premier’s old band-mate from Gang Starr).
After rocking every track on Illmatic, Nas debuted his dope new single “The Don,” as well as the classics “One Mic,” “Hate Me Now” and “Made Ya Look,” proving that after 20 years in the game, he is still as relevant as ever.
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SXSW review: Sleigh Bells
It’s a good thing much of Saturday evening’s ACL Live audience arrived early to ensure entrance to see hip hop legend Nas, because opening act Sleigh Bells started their set about 30 minutes earlier than the set time listed on the SXSW schedule.
Using the grimy bombast of hip hop beats pushed to their voluminous digital breaking point, ‘80s metal guitar sounds and sugary pop music song structure, Sleigh Bells played a healthy mix of their 2010 debut Treats and their recently-released Reign of Terror.
Sleigh Bells - Derek E. Miller (producer/guitar), Alexis Krauss (vocalist) and touring guitarist Jason Boyer - landed the most solid, body-rocking punches to the audience’s gut with their older tracks from Treats, including “Kids” and the beat-heavy anthem “Riot Rhythm.”
“Put your hands up and feel it with me,” Krauss commanded with the enthusiasm of a cheerleader who has been introduced to death metal and arena rock. Krauss, formerly of teenybopper group Rubyblue, was very comfortable in her ability to hype the audience to their feet. She led her trio through a crowd-pleasing set that ultimately felt about 20 minutes too long for an opening act. Twice during the set when guitarists Miller and Boyer left the stage completely, Krauss provided a taste of what her solo career might look like. She stalked the stage from end to end, highlighting the electro/dance elements of Sleigh Bells’ music without the guitarist’s wall-of-sound swallowing up her vocals. The young crowd appreciated her solo turns as they generating the loudest applause of the night, complete with Krauss breaking the proscenium and crowd surfing over the hands of the audience.
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SXSW review: Something Fierce, Mean Jeans and Bad Sports
Something Fierce, Mean Jeans and Bad Sports at the Dirtnap Showcase
From: Houston, Portland, Austin
How was it? Fantastic. On a week when music superstars sucked up a lot of the attention, a lot of stories were, and usually are, about who showed up at the Fader Fort, what special guests were going to join Nas at ACL Live, etc. People don’t show up at a lot of the smaller showcases. Except Saturday night’s showcase from Portland-based Dirtnap Records at Valhalla. People showed up, bands played, music happened, crowd went nuts.
First up was Houston-based Something Fierce, a three piece consisting of Steven Garcia, Niki Sevven and drummer Andrew Keith. The band, which started in 2005 and just put out their third album last year on Dirtnap, starts with first wave punk bands like the Clash and the Buzzcocks and adds their own layer of pop energy that can be more in line with arty rock groups like the Talking Heads than their grittier contemporaries. Sevven and Garcia kept it interesting, trading verses, throwing out a good dose of oh! oh! oh! and even lighting it up with some guitar solos.
Mean Jeans came on next. The most obvious comparison to make here is the Ramones - fast, aggressive, pop punk, and funny too, with the band name checking themselves in their songs. The lead singer, staring out with big, unblinking eyes, comes off as a little bit insane on stage, singing songs like “Born on a Saturday Night,” with pounding drums and a lot of whoa oh ohs, and at one point breaking into Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Hey Tonight.”
At that point the club filled up fast. Crowd surfing and a bit of pit formed, enough that festival volunteers had to call in backup to keep people off the stage and prevent them from knocking over the lighting setup. After the set ended, one guy combed the ground for his phone.
Bad Sports came on at midnight. The Austin and Denton-based band, led by Orville Neeley, who is in a number of other great Austin bands, including OBN IIIs and A Giant Dog, played a set on the street in front of Beerland earlier in the day the drew at least hundred people to hear their mix of punk and hard rock. They were no less compelling Saturday night, with Neeley owning songs like the pop gem “Teenage Girls.”
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SXSW scene report: The Red Bull Party with all the fence jumping
By Saturday night of SXSW, everyone is a little fried. A lot of music, a lot of parties, a lot of networking, a lot of drinking and a lot of walking add up to folks who are rallying themselves for one final push to the finish line.
Add St. Patrick’s Day to that and you have a lot of folks who are rallying themselves for one final push to the finish line wearing green hats. Or folks wearing green hats who maybe don’t usually bindge drink the other 364 days a year. (Dude who bought four vodka shots and poured them into a plastic cup not-all-that-full-of-ice, I am looking at you.)
So no wonder the Red Bull/Thre3Style party, held in the parking lot at the corner of 8th Street and Trinity Street, was jammed all night.
Aided and abetted by $2 Red Bulls and $5 Red Bull and vodkas, thousands of folks ended their revelries watching DJs, MCs and soul singers do their thing,
Of course, thousands of people RSVPed and the vast majority of them headed through the grate. But many jumped the fence, sometimes 10 or 20 in quick succession between 9 p.m. and around 10 p.m.
Around 10 p.m., security stopped letting people in through the gates at 8th and Trinity; I overheard a fellow in a red W3 shirt tell a really annoyed blonde girl that they were not letting people in even though many were leaving because of so many fence hoppers. (Blonde girl, I hope you had a nice night elsewhere.)
Security started to let people in again around 10:30 and started patrolling the area that was easiest to jump over.
Inside the fence, the mood was surprisingly mellow for a giant crowd of people, many of whom had very likely been drinking all day.
Plenty of partiers were upfront listening to Jazzy Jeff, then Questlove from the Roots, DJ hip-hop and soul, but elsewhere in the parking lot it looked no different from the end of a long St. Patrick’s Day anywhere.
More serious dancing started when electronic dance DJs Crystal Method took the stage. Their big beat techno (thing big, simple hooks, large drums and anything that sounds like Fatboy Slim) is perfect dance music for the drunk and not-quite-disorderly.
Erykah Badu and her Cannabinoids took the stage at around 11:30. She was a calming presence, she and her band taking loping runs at old songs such as “On and On” and “Apple Tree.”
Word has it that Nas, the DJ Z-Trip’s special guest, was none too pleased when his set got cut off by the curfew. But that’s just how SXSW crumbles.
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SXSW scene report: Saturday night
(Pictured: Moog. Erich Schlegel FOR AMERICAN-STATESMANAs SXSW wound down, East Austin seemed to be just heating up, with bikes and pedicabs zipping all over and pedestrians trotting or loping or shambling all along East Sixth Street at least as far as Chicon, while cars just crawled dejectedly along. At the Hotel Vegas Patio, New Orleans’ Stooges Brass Band entertained a very large, very young crowd in which only a couple SXSW badges could be spotted.
For a fan of hardcore second-line parade music, the Stooges’ set was a little disappointing. It included some of the expected swaggering interplay between brass instruments, but this was the stripped-down stage version of the group, with just one trumpet and trombone playing for long stretches. The addition of a keyboard player left the group leaning more towards jazz- or soul-funk than street music, even though the tuba player kept up his end of the bargain admirably and there were a couple nice trumpet solos.
Back over on the other side of I-35 around midnight, a long line stretched outside the Stage on Sixth, so the choice came down to watching the back of Nneka’s head through the window, or heading to Treasure Island for the Moog, a young rock band from Budapest with a bit of a Buzzcocks complex, which is an eminently healthy kind of fixation. The venue was not well-suited to hyper rock ‘n’ roll, with the band wedged between the front window and the main bar and most of the audience watching through liquor bottles and beer transactions and seeing more of the bartender than the musicians. Not to mention, the place has some kind of weird sunken-ship/Mayan pirate McMansion decor, so fake pillars and beams were making the sound bounce around in weird ways.
Challenges notwithstanding, the members of the Moog threw themselves into the performance, the bass player jumping as though he were on a trampoline and the drummer pounding his kit apparently by sheer instinct, since his eyes were covered by his hair most of the time. The keyboards, unfortunately, were not clear in the mix, but the guitars slashed away, and frontman Tonyo “The Baron” Szabo’s strong voice always claimed front and center. There was an amusing contrast between his rock-star intensity as he sang and his almost pedantic addresses to the crowd between songs. After playing one hard-charging number, he told fans “This one’s going to be a fast one,” sounding rather like a teacher warning the class the test is going to be hard. And the song was even faster than the previous one, with a more raw, punk feel. (Szabo’s asymmetrical haircut was decidedly New Wave rather than punk, however.)
Szabo introduced another song with the admonition: “This is going to be our single, so please pay attention. Or don’t pay attention, just smile and dance.” Probably good advice for getting through life in general, or at least surviving SXSW.
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SXSW review: Los Po-Boy-Citos
The Palm Door is an especially pleasant but slightly out-of-the-way venue, and New Orleans salsa band Los Po-Boy-Citos had the misfortune of playing there in a time slot directly opposite Austin salsa powerhouse Grupo Fantasma. There were only a few dozen people in the audience — but Los Po-Boy-Citos had all of them dancing. Eventually, even a SXSW staffer hit the dance floor.
With a frontline that includes trombone, trumpet and tenor sax, plus guitar, bass, drums and congas, the Po-Boy-Citos injected a little boogaloo and New Orleans funk into their brand of salsa. The group’s name is a play on the po’boy sandwich and Spanish word “pobrecitos,” which you might translate as “poor babies,” and that puckish sense of humor showed up in many of the numbers. One had a wacky surf influence, and the horn section and conga player mimed balancing on waves. They were all business, however, on a strong cover of an Eddie Palmieri composition.
Even though the crowd was thin, there was a loud cry for an encore, and since the ensemble was the last band on the schedule, they were able to oblige with the title track from their most recent album, “Brand New Dance,” which cleverly incorporates both an instrumental riff from Archie Bell & the Drells’ “Tighten Up” and a snatch of the chorus of New Orleans great Eddie Bo’s “Check Your Bucket.” Los Po-Boy-Citos might not be able to compete head-to-head with Grupo Fantasma at this point, but they’d be a fine choice to share a bill.
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SXSW review: Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle was an edgy, riveting performer when I saw him at a Yard Dog day party two years ago, so I was glad there wasn’t too long a line to catch the last part of his set at Stubb’s Saturday. However, once I got in, I started to wonder if maybe a number of people had been and gone. Earle and his current band manifested no detectable chemistry, and songs just dragged along at a drowsy pace.
The new “Down on the Lower East Side,” from the forthcoming Nothing’s Going to Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, seemed to want to go somewhere, and Earle’s baritone was warm and pretty, but the drummer sounded downright detached from the proceedings, and Earle wasn’t playing guitar with any of his usual rhythmic drive. The fiddle player provided wan vocal harmonies, but no spark.
Earle joked about having to actually remember what key he’s supposed to be in, now that he’s got a band, but the energy level, not the musicianship, was the problem on this occasion. The older “Mama’s Eyes” was soporific, and then Earle and the band sleepwalked through a lazy cover of the Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait,” a song that he killed on his album Midnight at the Movies. Stubb’s can be a really difficult venue, with the mass of people typically standing around gabbing at the back, but it was hard to tell this time whether an inattentive crowd had drained the enthusiasm from the band, or if Earle and the band had just already lost everybody’s attention.
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SXSW review: Norah Jones
While shuffling through the long line trying to leave Zona Rosa by its narrow exit Saturday, I overheard one guy say Norah Jones was really the kind of artist you want to listen to while sitting down. The fellow next to him added: “With a table. With a little candle on it. She’s always been more of a cabaret artist, to me.”
Nobody was really complaining about having to stand for some 50 minutes while Jones played the songs from Little Broken Hearts, the Danger Mouse-produced album due out May 1. But the spare, atmospheric arrangements, along with dreamy melodies and ruminative lyrics, reinforced the inclination to want to bask lazily in Jones’ lovely singing. The soft, airy timbre of her voice was particularly intriguing on “She’s 22,” addressed to an old love who’s found someone new (and really young). As Jones gently repeated the refrain “Does she make you happy?,” it seemed more and more as though she knew he was, and secretly wished he weren’t.
On a more up-tempo number, her vocals had a brighter, gleaming edge. One song even tumbled over into churning rock in the middle, and quite convincingly. For the most part, however, the songs had a chill, late-night vibe, and leaned heavily on electric organ and guitar reverb. Jones picked up both an electric and an acoustic guitar over the course of the set, and switched sides of the stage to alternate between the organ and an old upright piano. At least in this mix, the piano had a somewhat plinkety tone, which actually worked better with the tunes than the sonorous warmth of a concert grand would have.
Jones’ new band doesn’t seem to have completely gelled. But although the playing was a little stiff and constrained, the textures were pleasing. It sounds as though she’s maybe been listening to a lot of Calexico, Angelo Badalamenti and Sergio Leone of late, and perhaps even a little James Blake, filtering them all through her own somewhat earthier, more forthright sensibility. (And, of course, the songs were co-written by Brian Burton, alias Danger Mouse, a sometime trip-hop DJ, although the hop part does not come through in his collaboration with Jones.)
While the tuneful, ironic “Happy Pills” is the first single, a particular audience favorite was the spooky “Miriam,” which seemed, on first listen, to be obsessing over a rival. It didn’t have the radio-ready hook of “Happy Pills,” but Jones’ delivery was enthralling.
Jones stated early on that she was just playing the new album, but the full house remained rapt throughout — nobody yelled requests for old, familiar songs.
“Is it weird hearing music you’ve never heard?” Jones asked. “It’s a little scary sharing new things with new people — but we’re friends, right?”
Although she’s still somewhat reserved on stage, all these years after her Blue Note debut made her a star, she really did treat fans like they were friends — some of them a little pesky, maybe. When someone called out “Norah!” as she was switching instruments, she looked up and replied “Yeah?” as casually as though a house mate had just hollered at her from the laundry room. Then a guy yelled something and she laughed and said “You want a date? I really have, like, 20 bands to go see later. Don’t you?”
A woman on the other side of the crowd yelled out the helpful excuse “You have to wash your hair,” but Jones misunderstood at first and grimaced and said “I need to wash my hair?!” Then she realized the woman was feeding her a line, and she laughed and said “I thought you were dissing my hair!” As a matter of fact, she’s sporting a chic bob with bangs these days, and in a nautical-striped, short-sleeved dress, she looked kind of like Elizabeth Taylor’s little French cousin.
“New band, new dress,” Jones joked. She may not be the kind of performer to command a stage with a jolt of raw charisma, but it’s hard not to be charmed by an artist who has sold more than 40 million albums, and still thinks a new dress is cause for comment.
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SXSW review: GZA featuring Grupo Fantasma and Brownout
A funky new hybrid act may have been born Saturday night when Wu-Tang legend GZA teamed up with Austin’s own Grupo Fantasma and Brownout to tear through some of the Staten Island rapper’s greatest hits. By the end of the show, which closed out SXSW for the year at the Warehouse District club Haven, GZA told the crowd: “The chemistry is lovely so expect future shows from us.” Let’s hope so. The lucky souls in the crowd (wristbands and badges only) were treated to a rare feat: a backing band that played hip hop beats that nearly equaled (and in some cases surpassed) the original beats devised by Wu-Tang DJ and producer RZA.
The set started off with “Duel of the Iron Mic” from GZA’s classic 1995 album Liquid Swords and it was clear that Grupo’s horn section would help bring the beats alive. Adrian Quesada, the mastermind behind Grupo and Brownout, stood by GZA’s side, playing guitar and guiding the incredibly tight performance. Through Grupo is known for its modern take on Latin rhythms and Brownout brings the funk, Quesada grew up in Laredo listening to hip hop.
The highlight (and there were many) may have been the rendition of the Ol’ Dirty Bastard anthem “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” with the GZA channeling the spirit of the deceased fellow Wu member and the band nailing the piano-driven rhythms. It was hard to believe, as GZA said during the show, that the musicians had barely practiced the songs beforehand.
If there was a downside to the show, it was the physical setup inside Haven. The club put roped-off VIP areas on both sides of the floor, forcing the commoners into a tight ball in the middle. Over-eager security guards patrolled the VIP lounges, ready to confront anyone who dared to get too close to the velvet ropes. But that was a minor inconvenience in a night that saw two powerful acts come together and breathe new life into old classics.
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SXSW review: Latin Alternative Showcase at Beale Street Tavern
This is not your mother’s Latin music. That’s what the term Latin alternative basically means— it’s taking those nostalgic traditional Latin rhythms heard by an older generation and turning it on its head to create a new sound for new ears.
Sala de Espera, an online Latin alternative music program, hosted some of the genre’s biggest current acts like Javiera Mena and Alex Anwadter. Here are some of the showcase highlights:
Sol Pereyra— Hailing from Argentina, but now residing in Mexico, Pereyra brought a unique sound that goes from folksy pop to guitar rock to hip-hop to electronica. She even whips out a trumpet in the middle of her show. More and more the laptop is becoming a fixture on stage at Latin alternative shows, as was the case with Pereyra’s set. She dedicated her song “Clase Media,” to all the middle class, which prompted cheers and laughs from the audience.
“I write about what I see and what impacts me,” Pereyra said in a post-show interview. “I feel a sense of social responsibility, not a whole political speech but at least some analysis of what’s happening around us.”
Alex Anwadter—His electronic pop pays homage to 1980’s popular music. He even wore a baby blue 80’s-style jacket. His animated nature kept the crowds energy up as he abandoned the stage and danced with the audience. Anwadter’s buzz has grown so much that he’s one of Chile’s pop sensations.
Muchachito Bombo Infierno—A fan favorite for their danceable rhythms and charming, comical vocalist. The contemporary rumba band from Spain is a mix between Gypsy Kings and Manu Chao.
Javiera Mena—Headliner Javiera Mena has set on a journey to stardom. Though sound issues dampened the start of the show, Mena pushed through and ended with a strong set of electronic pop tunes. She treated the audience with special guest Juan Manuel Torreblanca of the band Torreblanca (they also played SXSW). They hugged at the end of the song and Torreblanca left the stage, but not the show. An obvious fan himself, Torreblanca (often described as a visionary band leader) stuck around dancing and singing to Mena’s music.
Photos by Nancy Flores
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March 17, 2012
SXSW scene report: America's Got Talent inadvertently crashes SXSW
“Who’s idea was it to do this during South By Southwest?” Howard Stern asked backstage at “America’s Got Talent,” the NBC show which taped auditions at the Long Center Saturday and Sunday. The Sirius/ XM radio personality, moonlighting as a judge on the show’s 7th season, said what he heard from his hotel room Friday night was “The Bad Music Festival. We were bombarded from every direction.” A noted napoholic, Stern wasn’t too happy about the noise. “My producer (music fan Gary “Baba Booey” Dell’Abate) is the only one excited.”
“AGT” assistant producer Jason Raff said the show didn’t know there was a conflict with SXSW “until after the contracts were signed.” They had to scramble for hotel rooms, but “we got lucky when a wedding canceled at the last minute.” Paying full airfare for 100 crewmembers was an unanticipated cost, he said.
Stern’s co-judge (along with Sharon Osbourne) Howie Mandel said he doesn’t sleep much anyway so the raging music fest of more than 2,000 bands didn’t phase him. “I saw a concert last night,” he said. “I don’t know who it was, but it was right outside my hotel room. I held up a lighter.” Show emcee Nick Cannon hit the town last night, DJing at an undisclosed club, said the show’s publicist.
Stern and Mandel agreed that the talent at the Austin taping has been the best so far, with the duo especially impressed by a group of contortionists. “This is how show business started, with vaudeville,” said Mandel. Stern added, “the music-only TV talent shows witl soon go the way of the disco ball.”
Although some of Stern’s best friends, including designer John Varvaytos (“I’m wearing his clothes now”) and Train singer Pat Monahan were in town for SXSW, Stern said he didn’t expect any time for socializing. “I’m gonna be beat at the end of the day.” And wishing he’d booked a room at the Barton Creek Resort instead of downtown Austin.
During the interview, Stern was in judge mode, while Mandel kept cracking jokes. “I take this job very seriously,” said the shock jock. “These people are coming here and putting it all on the line. I owe it to them.” The debut episode of “AGT” with Stern airs May 14 at 7 p.m. central time.
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SXSW review: Norah Jones
(Jack Plunkett ASSOCIATED PRESS)On Saturday, Norah Jones pulled off one of the rarest of SXSW tricks: She lured longtime fans to her showcase with an overt, up-front declaration that she would be playing—and playing only—material from her new forthcoming, unheard, album, Little Broken Hearts.
No “Come Away With Me” or “Chasing Pirates” for the fans who stood in long lines outside waiting to hear her. Take it or leave it.
It was a declaration of musical independence, and more power to her. Jones has clearly come a long way since her first SXSW showcase as a virtual unknown whose field of dreams at the time was a banquet room at a local Indian food restaurant.
Jones isn’t the first to assume such a daring strategy; Emmylou Harris did the same thing a year or two ago.
But what was singular about Jones’ set was the evident growth and maturity she continues to display as an artist.
Initially pegged as a piano-playing, jazz-styled chanteuse, Jones has continued to push her boundaries, both on her own and with her pickup country group, the Little Willies (who also performed at SXSW).
For this outing, Jones rotated between acoustic and electric piano and electric guitar. There were, depending on the songs (and I was handicapped by not knowing the titles nor the composers, although Jones is certainly the primary engine), elements of jazz, industrial guitar, folk, cocktail-lounge pop and even a little hip-hop—in a song called, I think, “Time’s Gonna Get You”—that made fresh landmarks on the unfamiliar terrain of the new work.
“It’s a little scary sharing your thing in front of new people,” she said at one point. “But we’re all friends, right?”
Right. But there was one beautiful little bit of unscripted, who’s-on-first business that came near the end of her set.
At the conclusion of a lovely and ethereal number, someone hollered out, “Watch your hair”—perhaps fearing a stray lock would get caught in a guitar strap or something. Jones was clearly perturbed. Her dark hair, by the way, was lovely—a cool summer bob.
She said, “Did you say wash my hair?”
No, no, said the fan hastily, probably wishing he could be whisked off to some moon of Saturn. “Watch you hair.”
“Okay,” said Jones warily. “Because I thought you were dissing my hair.”
Only at SXSW: An album’s-worth of new material from one of the most heralded artists of the day AND salon tips. You gotta love it.
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SXSW scene: Maria's Taco Express and Yard Dog Art
Alejandro Escovedo’s Annual Taco Party on the patio of Maria’s Taco Express Saturday afternoon offered a terrific lineup in about the most relaxed setting you could likely find in Austin during SXSW, with an audience that appeared to include a lot of people from the neighborhood, as well as musicians milling around before or after their sets. I missed both the dBs and the Krayolas, but at least I got to see Krayola brothers Hector and David Saldana resplendent in rhinestone-bedecked suits, chatting with friends and fans. One admirer asked Hector to pose for a photo of the back of his suit, but people kept walking in between them. The obliging San Antonio rocker kept posing, even striking a John Travolta-on-the-Saturday Night Fever album stance, until the photographer finally got his shot.
I had pulled up to the back of the restaurant just as a band was finishing its set with a fantastic cover of the Jam’s “Town Called Malice.” I asked at least four people “Who was that?,” but apparently, everybody else had just walked up, too, so I finally went over and bugged Escovedo, who replied “John Velghe and the Prodigal Sons — he has CDs for sale over there.” He seemed to be enjoying the role of mentor and curator as well as host. After a rocking set by Beautiful View, he prompted the audience to give some extra applause, and then asked the guys “You got mercy?,” pointed out the CD tables, and told the crowd “Call your friends and tell them to come down and hear Triple Cobra,” the next group on the bill.
Up on the deck over the patio, a couple traded off burping a tiny baby in a baseball cap, while a dad kept an eye on his grade-school-age son and daughter, and three girls about nine or ten years old were having a lively conversation. A guy kicked back with a magazine. Downstairs, groups of people socialized during the short intervals between bands, and a couple of women sitting at a table with a few empty chairs took delivery of about 10 bottles of beer in two buckets of ice, in anticipation of the imminent arrival of friends. In contrast to the harried audiences downtown, nobody in the place seemed remotely in a hurry or even vaguely concerned about what they might be missing somewhere else. With performances by Escovedo, Lenny Kaye, Jesse Malin, Garland Jeffreys and others still to come, they were pretty sure of having a good time without having to stand in line for anything but more tacos.
Over on South Congress, the venerable Yard Dog party wasn’t as uncomfortably packed as in previous years. The proliferation of day parties, and no doubt the difficulty of parking anywhere nearby, has apparently cut into attendance, although there were still good-sized, appreciative crowds for Jon Langford and Ian McLagan and the Bump Band. And it’s still a great party to spot cool t-shirts — one guy even sported a Snooks Eaglin shirt, memorializing one of New Orleans’ most undersung guitar heroes.
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SXSW scene report: The Roots, Bob Mould and more at the Mohawk
“How y’all feeling this afternoon?” Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought of Philadelphia hip hop band the Roots asked the crowd at Mohawk Saturday. “I’m not going to lie to you, I’m still hung over from last night.”
He probably wasn’t the only one. By Friday night, the music festival, which started a day earlier this year, was in full effect, with alcohol-fueled crowds making it difficult to move anywhere in downtown’s Sixth Street district.
Some of this year’s biggest acts, including Gary Clark Jr., the Roots, Blitzen Trapper and Cloud Nothings performed to a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at music sharing website MOG’s party Saturday at the Mohawk.
One of the most anticipated sets of the day came from Former Husker Du frontman Bob Mould, who played “Copper Blue,” the debut album from his band Sugar, in its entirety.
The crowd offered up a huge wave of applause as the band fired through songs from the 1992 album, including a wild version of “If I Can’t Change Your Mind,” as Mould, covered in sweat, danced around the stage.
The Roots closed out the party with an hour and fifteen minute set filled with originals as well as a number of covers, including Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Jungle Boogie.”
At one point, tuba player Damon Bryson, aka Tuba Gooding Jr., climbed the stairs to the Mohawk’s new deck to play in the crowd. DJ Jazzy Jeff, also in town for the festival, joined Roots drummer ?uestlove (who was wearing an “Austin City Limits” shirt) during a percussion solo.
The festival wraps up Saturday with a final night of official showcases, including sets from rap star Nas and Sleigh Bells at ACL Live.
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SXSW interview: Francisca Valenzuela
Chilean indie pop sensation Francisca Valenzuela is both a South by Southwest and ACL veteran. Valenzuela returned this year with a whole new band, but with the same upbeat piano pop rock that’s made her a rising star beyond South America.
She’s part of a strong wave of Latin American female indie artists, pushing boundaries and taking the lead in the genre. She performed earlier in the week in a showcase full of Latin America’s indie darlings including Natalia Lafourcade and Andrea Balency.
She chatted with us briefly about this year’s SXSW experience.
Did you have a chance to check out any shows while you’ve been here?
Yes, other fellow Chilean shows and Fiona Apple. But at SXSW you always get here with all these plans and then things change. It’s so overwhelming.
When can we expect new music?
Well, I’m working on a new album now, and expect to release it mid-year.
You’ve been to Austin several times now, what do you like about it?
I like that the city is both mellow and weird.
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SXSW scene report: The Best Bill Murray Story You Will Hear This Week
Bill Murray likes Austin — this is not news. He was spotted all over SXSW this year. This is my favorite Bill Murray story I have heard so far.
Take it away, Tia Carrera guitarist Jason Morales!:
“Tia played at Headhunter’s last night at 1 a.m. (technically Saturday morning). It was probably about 2:30 or 3 when we were loading out. Suddenly Bill Murray walks up and sticks his head in the van and says, ‘What are you doing?’
“I told him we just played and he helped us load out. It was pretty funny. There’s Bill Murray, helping us move gear into the van. He was pretty cool.
“When we were done, he asked if he and his entourage could get in the van with us. But at that point, the van was completely full. So we had to call him a cab.”
And…..scene!
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SXSW featured interview: Bomba Estereo
Bomba Estereo, the electro cumbia supergroup, has performed in Austin five times since their single “Fuego” propelled them to fame. The group opened up for Juanes at ACL Live last night and this afternoon sat down for an hour-long chat with Noisevox Managing Editor John Norris for an official SXSW Featured Interview.
The quartet’s music skyrocketed at a time when, according to lead singer Liliana Saumet, Latin music really craved a different sound. Their songs blend hip-hop with cumbia and electronic rhythms that are necessary at every party where listeners can’t help but dance, even if they don’t understand the language.
Some of their energetic songs have some political and social commentary, but the group agrees that’s not what they want to be about.
“We sing about politics in the same way we sing about love or sex,” Saumet said. “We don’t want to create a musical war, getting our political viewpoints out are not our priority.”
Saumet added that living in Colombia naturally makes you a political person, but because the political environment in Colombia is so delicate and complicated, she said they prefer to focus on providing a happier escape for listeners— music to dance away their day-to-day worries.
Though they are proud to incorporate Colombia’s folk cumbia music in their style, they said they don’t feel the burden of having to be ambassadors for their country.
“I really don’t feel like I’m carrying the Colombian flag with me always,” said Bomba Estereo band member Juian Salazar. “But when you are far away you always think about your homeland. It feels good that people can get to know the place you were born through your musical approach.”
Bomba Estereo plays from 4-4:40 p.m. today at Auditorium Shores.
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SXSW panel: The United States of Americana
The United States of Americana
ACC
2:00 pm, Saturday
Moderator: Jesse Lauter—Producer
Peter Blackstock—No Depression, North Carolina Triangle
Jesse Elliott—Singer-songwriter/These United States
Jay Sweet—Newport Folk Festival
Kim Buie—A&R/Artist Management
How has Americana—that distillation of folk, country, rock and myriad roots traditions—continue to evolve. Or is there even any such thing as “Americana” at all?
As a genre (although it practitioners generally eschew genre pigeonholing), Americana is constantly pulled thither and yon by a tug-of-war of competing forces. There is the adherence to the influence of older regions and musical forms versus the constant bombardment of modern stimuli. There is the pressure to stake out distinctive musical turf without being lumped into a ghetto of somewhat-like minded artists by critics and fans. And there is the ongoing confusion about what “Americana” once meant to Listeners of A Certain Age and the new directions being charted by younger artists like the Bon Iver and Mumford & Songs.
“Every great talent springs from someone that went before them,” said Thirty Tigers’ Kim Buie. “You grew up listening to the Stones, but you don’t know what their influences are until you discover Slim Harpo. There’s an evolution to everything. That, to me, is what defines Americana.”
“ There have been different phases to Americana about every ten years or so,” noted journalist and author Peter Blackstock, who chronicled the music through the influential magazine No Depression. “There was the Gram Parsons stuff, combining country with the Stones. Ten years later, Jason and Scorchers were bringing punk music into the mix. Then, Uncle Tupelo and Jayhawks, were referencing the late Eighties underground rock bands. Now, there’s all the indie rock stuff being brought into the equation via Mumford and the Avett Bros.”
Part of that evolution is taking part on the part of the listener as well, said Jay Sweet of the Newport Folk Festival. “We’re all musical omnivores now. We can hit shuffle on our iPod and hear Little Richard, Pete Seeger and Black Flag and not think that’s weird.”
Said the These United States’s Chris Elliott, “What unites old and new music is the sense of discovery. It’s why people push boundaries and why they go back (to traditional styles). Music is discovery, and whether that means hearing a truth you already knew or hearing a new truth for the first time, that’s pretty exciting.”
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SXSW panel: New Atlantis--New Orleans Music Rebuilds
New Atlantis—New Orleans Music Rebuilds
ACC
12:30 p.m. Saturday
Community and music are inextricably bound in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina not only destroyed neighborhoods, it sundered a historical tradition of organically-created music that arose from the streets and kindred spirits. Now, New Orleans musicans are rebuilding that community, one street and one band at a time.
Moderator—John Swenson/Journalist and Author
Davis Rogan/Songwriter and Actor
Don B/Musician & Actor
Chris Magee/Artist and Producer
Alison Fensterstock/Journalist
Supa Dezzy/Producer
Two threads bound together the panelists on “New Atlantis—New Orleans Rebuilds.” The first is the HBO series, Treme, which recounts the struggle of a community to rebuild and reconnect in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Several of the panelists also serve as advisors, crew or music coordinators on the program. The second link is Dave Bartholomew, the legendary songwriter and producer of New Orleans artists like Fats Domino, Shirley & Lee and Lloyd Price.
Bartholomew’s son, Don B, as well as his grandsons, Chris Magee and Supa Dezzy were all on the panel. Moderator John Swenson wrote the book New Atlantis: Musicians Battle For the Survival of New Orleans.
“When I moved there in 2005, the city was inunduated. I became obsessed with finding everybody’s story. It wasn’t clear that any of the music was going to happen again; Everybody was gone. Every time a club would reopen and people would play music, it was like magic.”
Hip-hop and its New Orleans derivative, bounce, as several artists pointed out, is filling same unifying function as earlier organic musical forms like Second Line, brass bands and the Mardi Gras Indians.
“New Orleans is not just the birthplace of jazz,” said Davis Rogan, who is the inspiration for “Davis McAlary,” the character Steve Zahn plays on Treme. “It’s also got vibrant hip-hop, brass band and rock scenes…There’s a perception among some that the Neville Brothers and Rebirth Brass Band are ‘real’ New Orleans music, but a rapper like Juvenile isn’t.”
That perception is changing, as hip-hop artists and producers are embracing older influcences and tapping into the same neighborhood interconnections as musicians before them.
“I always called (the older artists) the ‘Jazzfest Canon’,” said journalist Alison Fensterstock. “But since the storm, there’s been a lot more amalgamating.”
“Bounce seems to be the version of New Orleans hip-hop that’s most connected to vernacular street music—the Second Line, the Mardi Gras Indians, the brass bands…what you’d hear at a party or walking down the street. It demands mutual participation.”
“The Second Line comes to us” said hip-hop producer Don B. “It rolls right through our neighborhood, we just stand outside the door and watch thousands of people march by.”
“It’s the bearers of the culture, the brass bands, the Indians, and hip-hop musicians that made it possible for music in New Orleans to come back,” said Davis. “We made so sure that 110% of the music came back, but we still only have 70% of the audience—everybody is still so busy trying to rebuild their lives.”
“New Orleans musicians said they were taken good care of in Austin, Houston, Atlanta, but even though well cared for, they couldn’t do what they did in NOLA because the music is specific to the community there,” said Swenson. “That’s what these musicians are trying to reestablish there, and it’s creating some new alliances among people who hadn’t worked together before the flood.”
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SXSW review: Latyrx
One of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my 33 years was in 2004 in a 2,000 capacity converted church in suburban Detroit that had maybe 400 people in attendance. The occasion was a package/family tour by west coast hip-hop collective Quannum Projects, which was best known as the breeding ground for DJ Shadow but had a staggering roster of lyricists, DJs and other vocalists at the time.
The entire assortment was on hand (incluiding Shadow, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born, Lifesavas, Joyo Valarde, DJ Chief Xcel, Lateef The Truthspeaker and more) and it was two and a half hours of the label’s talent trading off on songs, verses and scratch displays, each one seemingly better than the last. Didn’t matter that the room was nowhere close to half full; those artists left everything they had on the stage, and one of the best pairings came when Lyrics Born and Lateef got together for a few songs from their one-off collaboration Latyrx, which released one album in 1997 and not a thing since.
Thankfully, that appears to be changing as the pair’s jaw-dropping performance on Saturday at the Beauty Bar showed they’ve still got every ounce of skill that made them underground faves 15 years ago, and are finally making more music together. It’s hard to describe pure live artistic chemistry in words, but here goes nothing. The pair not only knew each other and those dusty songs cold, but were so in tune that they could “service” each side of the stage independently of each other while delivering overlapping, muscular but nuanced verses that often delve into abstract imagery and impressionism without a single stumble.
It was a joyous, fist-pumping occasion even before delivering their group-launching single “Latyrx,” where the two MCs deliver completely different, highly syncopated verses on top of each other but interlock throughout at key rhythmic points. For lots of crowd members who were unfamiliar with the group - Blackalicious and a side project from Zion I were the big draws of the night - the set was a revelation and a discovery. One that’s far too long in coming, but better late than never.
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SXSW review: Blackalicious
Something was up with Blackalicious lyricist Gift of Gab on Friday night. The Los Angeles rapper took to the stage with what looked like a slight limp, seemed oddly disconnected from a crowd that was there mostly to see him end the night and sounded far too gruff and “bark”-y as he plowed into his warp-speed raps, to the point that it became hard to tell if he was actually delivering rhymes or barking out placeholder syllables and grunts to keep the rhythm DJ Chief Xcel was delivering.
And this next bit is going to seem weird. Gab is - there’s no subtle way to say this - a large man, probably in the neighborhood of three bills. And yet there he was in a steaming, packed Beauty Bar wearing two shirts under a winter weight parka and he did not sweat a single drop for his 30 minutes on stage. Note one. That can’t be normal. Compare that to stagemate and fellow Quannam Records colleague Lateef The Truthspeaker - who’s muscular like an NFL tight end and was sweating buckets - and seemed to be on hand to act as a lyrical “spotter”, picking up verses of songs while Gab got his wind sitting on a stool up on stage.
All that said, Gab still had some “wow” moments dropped throughout the brief performance; when you could hear him clearly his high-speed delivery is still a singular skillset in the rap world, and test tube-themed set closer “Chemical Calisthenics” sounded as good as it always has. But the absence of “Alphabet Aerobics” (entire verses composed of the same first letter words for letters A through G) which is pretty much this group’s “Stairway To Heaven” was conspicuous.
More important, though, one left the night wondering about the overall health of Gab, who’s about to release his next solo record next week and is “70 percent done” with a new Blackalicious album. If those records call for touring - and in this creative economy, that’s pretty much a must - we should all cross our fingers the guy makes it through OK.
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SXSW review: Blitz the Ambassador
While A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar are the rappers who will pick up the most buzz coming out of this year’s SXSW music festival, my pick for breakout hip-hop artist of 2012 is Blitz the Ambassador. I would go see this guy any time, any where. He’s that real. For some reason his name was dropped from the SXSW schedule a few weeks before the fest denying him any well-deserved pre-fest hype. No matter, the rapper from Brooklyn via Ghana, backed by an incredible six-piece including a bombastic horn section that executed drum corp style horn snaps and side to side sways, absolutely brought the noise.
Playing at Beso Cantina to a capacity crowd comprised largely of African ex-pats Blitz, who takes his role of ambassador seriously, paid tribute to the African greats who came before him, calling out stars like Fela Kuti and Miriam Makeba as his band did credible takes on their works.He also led the audience in a simple African dance move. His rhyming was on point. He drops complex wordplay with the passion and focus of a man on a mission. In post-Internet America, the cultural mashup that has always been our nation’s experiment has the potential to grow more vibrant than ever. Blitz the Ambassador spits fire, as if he deeply believes that by spreading the wisdom of his transcontinental journey he can somehow change the world. And listening to him, in front of that amazing band, fueled by pure heart, you can’t help but get behind him.
Sure I’m an idealist and a 90s hip-hop nostalgist but I never lose hope that it’s possible to move into a new dawn of post-bling, post-misogynistic, global hip-hop. Blitz the Ambassador is one of the artists leading the way.
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SXSW review: Chali 2na and the House of Vibe
One of many pieces of conventional wisdom that followed Frank Sinatra around for his career was that even though many of his contemporaries may have had better singing voices, Ol’ Blue Eyes was on the top of the heap because he had star power and charisma in spades.
There’s a little bit of that going on with Los Angeles rapper Chali 2na, formerly of good-time conscious rappers Jurassic 5 and now solo in front of the House of Vibe funk band. There are many rappers in the indie-hop sphere who have more pure talent at composing lyrics and raising provocative points, but the well over 6-foot MC has a presence that both draws eyes to him and makes the fun he’s having on stage contagious. And take the previous sentence in the spirit with which it was intended; the guy has loads of talent but it’s all buffeted by his on stage showmanship.
On Friday at the Beauty Bar, 2na was in his element performing songs from his solo album “Fish Outta Water,” swapping in a few odes to funk and R&B greats and taking over entire Jurassic 5 songs like “Quality Control” that used to feature four different MCs. It wouldn’t have been out of place to hear a song like “Cut Chemist Suite “ from his early days as the MC in Latin funk band Ozomatli - his House of Vibe combo could’ve pulled it off, no problem - but that’s a minor quibble.
The final verdict: an undeniably fun, funky 40 minutes from a man who’s firmly a hip-hop veteran and uses his experience and natural magnetism in the best ways possible.
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SXSW scene report: Skrillex, brostep and you.
Erich Schlegel FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
At around 9:30 Friday night, the line to get into the Mohawk stretched from the front door to about 20 feet from the barrier cutting Red River off from 9th Street.
By 10:30, there were probably about 500 people out front. The line at the back door, for people with badges, was about 100 deep.
(Note: this was a big theme at SXSW this year. With so many acts that were already famous, there were huge lines not for buzz bands, but for appearances by acts that were already superstars, from Bruce Springsteen to 50 Cent and Eminem to Lil Wayne to the crowd on Sixth that watched Jack White from outside the Stage on Sixth window. There have always been rumors of big bands at SXSW (see also 20 years of “I heard REM is gonna play!” rumors) but, starting with Kanye playing the Fader Fort in 2009, more and more superstars have played official or unofficial SXSW events, often well-scheduled, well-leaked and EXTREMELY well sponsored.)
The vast majority of these people were — besides being fans of electronic dance music in general — there to see an hour long set by Skillex, the American dubstep producer who has so mainstreamed this once-radical (or at least foreign) dance music that many have given it the nickname “brostep,” as in, electronic dance music favored by, say, current and former frat guys or folks who are more likely to flip on SportsCenter when they get home than follow microtrends in dance music.
Brostep was in full effect Friday night. When Skrillex and his entourage got to Mohawk at around 10:30 or so, the venue was a packed as I have ever seen it, filled to the brim with folks with badges, wristbands and neither. Hipsters were next to dance music nerds were next to a lot of guys who looked like they worked on Wall Street, or whatever their city’s version is.
From the deck, Mohawk co-owner James Moody looked alert, but not quite concerned. “This is definitely more people than last night,” he said right after Skrillex arrived. (The Mohawk hosted a much older, less rowdy crowd for the Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans showcase.) “I just want to get through the next two hours. Kids were trying to climb up the trees and climb into Mohawk. We were pulling them down; they looked like flying monkeys in the ‘Wizard of Oz.’”
Erich Schlegel FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Interestingly, the inside bar area was virtually empty. A few people watched a chiller DJ on the inside stage, but that crowd was less than one percent of the crowd outside. Most people came in to charge their phones, go to the restroom, or chill for mere minutes before heading back out.
Also odd: there wasn’t that much dancing the street, which is a testament to how contained the outdoor wall at Mohawk kept the sound. The experience outside the club was not the same, and half way through Skrillex’s set, the in-queue crowd was at a fraction of its earlier size.
And Moody and his crew did get through it. When Skrillex’s and 12th Planet’s set was over, the club stayed full, but far less bonkers. “That was the pinnacle of the bill,” Moody said Saturday morning. “It was not as insane later, but a whole lot of people were definitely there til 2. When Skrillex and his entourage got to the club, we were on full alert over there.”
Later that night, at 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Skillex took the stage at the old Tops building at 1100 E. Fifth Street, a venue run by Transmission that was hosting Mess With Texas during the day. (Transmission plans to co-built a new 1500 person venue there later this year.)
“It was kind of dead around 11,” Transmission co-owner Graham Williams said. “Then all these kids realized that they weren’t going to get into Mohawk, but that Skrillex was playing here at 1.
“So this huge mob came over and suddenly it was one-in, one-out, kids passing out from the heat, until 2 a.m.,” he said.
This was not Skrillex with another DJ, this was the full-on Skrillex live experience — the sound, the lights, the bass.
“It was just incredibly hot inside,” Williams said. “The bass so loud my nose was vibrating. That guy puts on a really good show.”
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SXSW panel: Cosmic Cowboys
Cosmic Cowboys & Redneck Rockers: The 40-Year Reunion
ACC
11:00 a.m. Saturday
Forty years ago today, the Dripping Springs Reunion festival near Austin brought out hippies and rednecks alike, inaugurated a new Texas fusion of country and rock and laid the groundwork for Austin’s growth as a music scene. Three musicians share their memories of that event and the genesis of the Austin progressive-country movement.
Moderator: John Spong/Texas Monthly
Michael Martin Murphey/Singer-songwriter
Ray Wylie Hubbard/Singer-songwriter
Ray Benson/Asleep At the Wheel
Moderator John Spong, of Texas Monthly, recounted that when he was talking to musicians for a cover story regarding the 1970s era when country and rock fused in Austin, he kept kicking around the terms “progressive country,” “redneck rock” and “outlaw country,” and none of them seemed to encompass what the musicians were doing. What we finally realized, he said, “was that this marked a generational shift in country music. People who had grown up in rock and roll began to gravitate to country music.” The boundaries between both the music and the audience were beginning to break down when Willie Nelson moved to Austin from Nashville around 1972. “Willie was the Pied Piper,” said Ray Benson, of Asleep At the Wheel.
“Willie broke down the barrier between the hippies and the good old boys,” said Michael Martin Murphey. “He played every honky-tonk in the state and had short hair and a suit, but a year later he had long hair and a beard and looked like the audience he wanted to attract. He was the guy who had written the hits and the good old boys they’d go see him, and whoever he brought along with him was okay with them.”
Murphey, the Wheel and Ray Wylie Hubbard all attracted older country fans because those fans venerated Nelson. But that wasn’t the only reason Austin took off, musically speaking. “Why did all the people move to Austin in 1972?” Benson asked rhetorically. “It was because rent was a $100 and pot was five dollars an ounce.”
Benson pointed out that the legacy of the musical landscape that the panelists had pioneered lay in the ongoing musical vitality in Austin and in Texas.
“Kids like (bandleaders) Randy Rogers and Aaron Watson are building on what we did and what Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen did,” he said. “Now we’re in the third or forth generation that grew out of this redneck rock scene or whatever the hell you want to call it. They’re building on the foundation of what we did.”
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SXSW Review: Tom Morello
Tom Morello The Swan Dive 1 a.m. Friday night/Saturday morning
The dichotomy of Tom Morello’s personal and professional lives was on display in the first song, “One-Man Revolution,” of his late-night acoustic/electric set Friday: “On the streets of Havana/I was hugged and kissed/At the Playboy Mansion I was on the list.”
As Tom Morello, trailblazing guitarist of Rage Against the Machine and sought-after session man, he enjoys many of the perks of rock stardom, including standing elbow-to-elbow with Bruce Springsteen on the shiny stage of the plush ACL Live. As Morello’s alter-ego, the Nightwatchman, the monkey-wrenching rabble-rouser and fiery political advocate, he played the grungy, aptly-named Swan Dive, and his set was broadcast via a makeshift screen to a makeshift cast of protestors, celebrants and activists who spilled out into blocked-off lanes of Red River outside the club.
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
“Hello, badge holders,” Morello said to those of us inside. “And hello to you all out there on the People’s Stage,” he addressed those on the street. A cheer wafted in through the door.
The evening was billed as “Occupy South By Southwest,” which was catnip for Morello. His leftist politics are, let us say, unalloyed, and his fierce, pithy, passionate songs address race, class warfare, homelessness and income inequality on a global scale. Songs like “Save the Hammer For the Man,” “Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine,” “It Begins Tonight,” and “Union Town” are not only calls to arms, they are finely crafted pieces of music that mixed elements of folk, rock, hip-hop, metal and pop with seamless affect. Without that musical craftsmanship, such material can too easily come off as screeds and rants.
And Morello is a superb showman, smart, funny and very much self-aware of his entertainer’s role, even as he embodies the professional provacateur. He was eminently capable of dropping a delicately crafted acoustic guitar solo into the midst of the gear-grinding “Save the Hammer For the Man” or making “Union Town” the kind of irresistible singalong you’d have expected Phil Spector to create.
All respects to MC5 frontman Wayne Kramer, who joined Morello onstage for a scorching version of “Kick Out the Jams” (the “Barbara Allen,” if you will, of metal/punk/agro protest music), but the most musically charged moment of the evening might have been the ominous, heavyweight version of Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” a song he had sung with Springsteen the night previously.
Dedicating the song to Springsteen, Morello said with a smile, “Some of my anarchist friends describe him as the only Boss worth listening to.”
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
At the end of the night, as befitted the prevailing sentiment, it was time to take the fight to the streets. Morello, serving as a self-appointed Pied Piper, led the clubgoers outside to join the sidewalk audience, where he climbed on a makeshift stage and led a rousing version of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” to round out the night. Somewhere, Woody and Big Bill Haywood and Emma Goldman and Joe Hill were smiling. Me, too.
See more photos from Friday, SXSW Music
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SXSW side parties happening Saturday
One more day. A few of today’s unofficial/side parties are listed below. Check out the Austin 360 side party database for more (there is also a mobile version).
KUT at the Four Seasons with Glen Hansard, Sons of Fathers, Justin Townes Earle, Nada Surf starting at 8 a.m. More info here.
Burgermania at 29th St. Ballroom with Las Ardillas, Natural Child, Flesh Lights and a 70 other bands, starts at 11:30 a.m. More info here.
South by San Jose with Built to Spill, Ben Kweller, Kool & Together/the Relatives, Amy Cook and more starts at noon. More info here.
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Scene report: Friday night
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
I feared I had used up all my showcase mojo by actually making it into the dBs show just after 9 p.m. Friday. Two other bands I wanted to see had been in approximately the same timeslot — Magnetic Fields and the Mynah Birds — and after that, everything else I had planned to explore turned into a bust. A Brooklyn-based tropical-dance act appeared to have spent more time consulting a stylist than forging an original sound, a Spanish rock band attempted to wax anthemic despite the fact that the lead singer’s voice teetered off key long before reaching the big chorus and an earnest and dull Canadian duo made me think “Never mind, at least this club has good bathrooms.”
Drifting from venue to venue in a vain attempt to hear something worthwhile became disheartening, and Red River suddenly struck me as ever so slightly post-apocalyptic, with dirty water in the gutter; bottles, cups and crumpled cans everywhere; a double-height bike frame laying tragically abandoned next to a signpost, unlocked and unwanted; and the lame green laser light show from one club shooting through the dry-ice smoke from another, while bass-heavy dance tracks pounded from some place or other. A guy in a pharaoh costume and huge sunglasses hawked CDs and two women with fake mustaches — one with the furry thing over her lip, the other with a faux Frida Kahlo monobrow — went strolling by. A woman in a skimpy bikini wiggled past with her boyfriend — and two other guys ogled her momentarily, before glancing away in boredom, since most of her mysteries were already revealed, leaving nothing to pique their interest.
Fortunately, amidst the roiling mob on Sixth Street, and on somewhat quieter side streets, there were actually some fascinating things to see and hear. Over on Brazos, a trio consisting of two violins and an accordion played melancholy Eastern European tunes for tips. In the middle part of Sixth Street, while loud music pounded out of open dance-club doors, a young guy drew a big audience with a funny little skeleton puppet show titled “Mr. Bonejangles” — although two tough dudes passing by rolled their eyes and one said to the other “A crowd for this? Really?!?!” as though he were personally affronted.
Further down Sixth, Colombian band Grupo Ancestros enthralled a large crowd with music anchored by urgent drumming and centered around a primitive-looking marimba, played with remarkable swiftness and expression. The ensemble’s soprano sax player went out into the audience at one point and invited a woman to dance, and she set her bare stomach rippling and her denim-clad hips gyrating with a speed and finesse that drew loud, appreciative applause. When I passed by again some two hours later, the band was still playing for a big crowd.
Closer to Congress Avenue, a guy named Mike Gray fascinated passers-by with his terrific musicality on a unique set-up: a jerry-rigged kick drum made out of an ancient-looking tom-tom, plus a clapped-out acoustic guitar with a broken-off headstock. The poor old guitar was attached to a stool, face up, and sported one lone, remaining string and a welter of metallic attachments, among them a fork, part of a cocktail strainer and what looked like a wedge broken off from a cymbal. Gray played this thing like a drum kit, with what looked like chopsticks, while blowing some fine harmonica and singing lustily.
As he promised, Gray ultimately managed to break his string, so he got up and danced and compelled his new-found fans to help out by singing a simple riff along the lines of “We want the funk …we want the funk right now.” One of the onlookers, who carried an instrument case, was clearly a musician, and kind of led the charge with a hearty baritone, while other people came up with spontaneous harmony parts, and it all sounded implausibly tuneful and full-bodied. Apparently, Gray is not just a talented one-man band, but also a director of spontaneous street musicals, although it probably helps to attempt this sort of thing in the middle of SXSW, where half the people walking by are going to or coming from a gig.
Finally, just before I headed home, I took a chance on checking out Speakeasy, even though I’d already gone and missed Chicha Libre, supposed to play at 10 p.m. Fate was in my favor at last, and the schedule had changed, so the Brooklyn-bred, Peruvian-inspired group was still playing its psychedelic surf-rock cumbias at almost midnight, as dancers undulated in front of the stage and in a small balcony overlooking it. The accordionist at times seemed to have an Ethiopian jazz influence, while the reverberating guitar made me suddenly think about the hallucinatory and hilarious Alex Cox movie Straight to Hell, which starred members of the Pogues and Clash frontman Joe Strummer — and then Chicha Libre ended with a superbly atmospheric cover of the Clash’s “Guns of Brixton.” It was the perfect payoff for a night of wandering around downtown in search of transcendence.
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SXSW review: The dBs
The dBs
From: Durham, NC
Where they played: BD Riley’s, Fri. 9 p.m.
Halfway through the dBs’ official showcase, singer-guitarist Chris Stamey suggested they ought to “play one for the people in the cheap seats” — the fans standing about a dozen deep outside the open front window, literally watching the band members’ backs, having given up all hope of making it to the front of long lines keeping even badge holders out of a venue that turned out to be not nearly large enough for the power-pop-starved masses who have been waiting about a quarter-century for the original dBs lineup to release a new album and tour behind it.
The forthcoming Falling Off the Sky finds the reunited dBs sounding as compelling as ever, with the same easy rapport and deft songcraft that characterized the band’s earlier output. The set included a number of super new tunes, among them singer-guitarist-keyboardist (and longtime REM sideman/Continental Drifter) Peter Holsapple’s sardonic “World to Cry,” which featured one of his particularly pretty, especially acerbic guitar solos, and a Stamey composition with tricky tempo and mood changes and the plaintive refrain “Was it only a dream?”
While the new album boasts the original rhythm section of Will Rigby and bassist Gene Holder, for South By purposes, the terrific lineup included Rigby — definitely one of the most solid and pleasing rock ‘n’ roll drummers around — and bassist Mitch Easter, who helped produce the new record, and wore a constant wide grin on Friday night. Likewise, people in the audience turned and smiled at each other periodically as if were some kind of class reunion where you can’t remember everyone’s names anymore, but you know you share some essential, formative influence.
Old favorites such as “Big Brown Eyes” and “Love Is for Lovers” blended seamlessly with new material and a far-out cover of the Beatles’ psychedelic “Tomorrow Never Knows,” with Holsapple on keyboards and a younger friend on guitar (this fifth musician mostly played keyboards). Holsapple introduced “World to Cry” by saying “Chris is letting me start this even though we’re not in tune — I guess that never really stopped us,” and he dedicated another song to Minneapolis musician (and former Replacement) Slim Dunlap, who’s recovering from a recent stroke.
The dBs never obliged periodic cries for their old college-rock favorite “Amplifier,” even after a whole clutch of fans called out for it in unison, as though they’d been rehearsing the request all day. However, I doubt anybody left dissatisfied. Even listening to the dBs from the sidewalk was one of this SXSW’s premier experiences, and definitely no mere exercise in nostalgia.
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SXSW Review: Howler
Howler
From: Minneapolis
Where they played: British Music Embassy
How were they? Three and a half free Lone Stars out of five. Howler, a Minneapolis-based band that plays polished garage pop loaded with nods to Phil Spector and Chuck Berry, were named one of 2011’s best new bands by “NME” after they had only been around for barely a year. The band landed on the cover of the British music magazine, which sponsored the Friday night showcase. They’re also barely old enough to drink legally, with a snotty attitude to match.
It’s hard to escape the fact that this band can really sound like the Strokes at times, especially with frontman Jordan Gatesmith, whose vocals have a bit of a nasally, Julian-Casablancas quality about them. Unless you don’t like the Strokes, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The songs are quick and clever, and they piled hook on top of hook during their set Friday night, with big drums leading the way into walls of guitar fuzz and ooh-aaaah vocals that recalled the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” or bluesy rock riffs channeling “Johnny B. Goode.”
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SXSW Scene: Bomba Estereo and Juanes at ACL Live
I imagined lines down the block, but for better or for worse concertgoers tonight were mostly able to walk right into the venue for an amazing musical experience.
There seemed to be some confusion on whether this was a badge-only show, which may have accounted for the short to no waits. But for those who did attend, this just meant there was a little more wiggle room to dance.
Colombia couldn’t have sent better musical ambassadors than the high-energy electro cumbia super group Bomba Estereo and rock icon Juanes.
Bomba Estereo brought their usual dance party vibe. They showed the crowd some love by tossing flowers to the audience. Perhaps the biggest crowd pleaser was when they performed their hit song “Fuego.” By the end of the show the crowds were pumped and asking for more.
The crowd on the ground floor rushed to the front, positioning themselves as close as they could to the stage before Juanes arrived. And when he did the shrieking from elated fans filled the theater, and it seemed like every phone and camera went up in the air in unison.
Juanes performed an incredible show filled with a mix of both classic songs like “La Camisa Negra,” “A Dios le Pido,” and “La Noche” as well as new songs like his latest single “La Señal.”
Colombian flags waved and fans put up peace sign hand gestures. Some fans screamed in the moment, others sang along. There was a superstar in our midst.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” one concertgoer said in the crowd.
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SXSW review: 2:54
2:54
From: England
Where they played: The British Music Embassy
How were they? One of the best sets of the night. The band, led by sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow, offer up a steady wave of moody rock with elements of shoegaze and post-punk, came in to the fest with a considerable amount of buzz, helped in part by praise from “NME” and plenty of music blogs. Their closest relative in music right now might be British band Yuck, who were one of the more successful bands at last year’s SXSW.
Colette, who handles the vocals, is a bit of a rock star. Her voice is kind of angry and detached, but she also makes eye contact with the crowd, curls her lip like Elvis and even dances a bit. On Friday night, the four-piece band were a steady stream of steamy energy, hammering beats into the ground and coming up now and then with hooky melodic bits, even a guitar solo here and there, that kept things interesting. Slower songs crept around, snapping at the crowd once in a while, while faster ones approached dance music territory. A safe bet for Fun Fun Fun Fest if they make their way back to the states in the fall.
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SXSW scene report: Waiting in line for Jack White
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
The most in-demand event on Friday night of SXSW 2012 might have been waiting in line. People flocked to wait in line for electronic dance music monster Skrillex at Mohawk. Same for buzz-heavy pop magician Grimes at Clive Bar on Rainey Street.
Another popular line was for former White Stripe, current vinyl pusher and Nashville-based weirdo Jack White, who played an 11:45 p.m. showcase at the Stage on Sixth.
By 7:45 p.m., the line for White’s Third Man Records showcase, which also featured sets from his ex-wife Karen Elson and actor John C. Reilly, stretched down the block. People who entered the line at that point waited for three hours and did not get into the venue, which was supposedly at capacity but did not look terribly crowded.
The bouncer for the club and a SXSW employee repeated the same thing to the many badge holders who approached thinking that one of the festival’s express passes, which allow priority entrance to select showcases, would get them in: “Don’t waste your time, dude.”
By 10 p.m., it was one-in-one out, with about 25-30 people in Jack White’s guest list line that were given priority over badge holders, though many of those people did not get in the club either.
Because the stage was visible from the street, a huge crowd gathered as White’s set approached, though it wasn’t possible to hear the music. Not surprisingly, people were disappointed.
“We came so close,” said Jack Cornell, a SXSW attendee from Dallas who waited in line with a Sally Thompson, who volunteered for the festival. “If we hadn’t left 15 minutes late we would be inside.”
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March 16, 2012
SXSW review: Ray Wylie Hubbard
Saxon Pub, 10 p.m. Friday
Few artists have managed as successful a second act as Ray Wylie Hubbard. Long ago, he was a progressive country contemporary of the likes of Willie Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker. But about 20 years ago, he taught himself to fingerpick and invented a second career for himself as a country/blues purveyor of the bottleneck slide and a lyrical taste for the parts of town your mama warned you about. To paraphrase one of his own songs, he got out of the rut and into the groove.
And he’s still not on speaking terms with complacency. The songs he premiered on Friday from his forthcoming album, Grifter’s Hymnal, continue to add new brushstrokes to a dark landscape filled with hustlers, mythology, old bluesmen, back alleys, stolen pleasures, omens and portents. “It’s the job of the nighttime people to take the daytime people’s money,” he sang, and that pretty much sums it up.
He also maintains a switchblade switch of humor. Inviting the audience (which included Animal frontman Eric Burdon) to sing along on the chorus to “Snake Farm” (“Snake farm/Just sounds nasty/Snake farm/Pretty much is…”), he shrugged his shoulders and admitted, “It’s not exactly ‘Kumbaya’.”
Hubbard is a mentor to and collaborator with any number of younger artists, and his co-write with Hayes Carll, “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” is one of both men’s best. He also premiered another song co-written with Liz Foster of the Trishas (and speaking of younger artists, Hubbard’s son Lucas plays lead in dad’s band).
Hubbard closed his set with “Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a dark and bloody little James M. Cain film noir boiled down to four minutes and ladled with slashing guitars and jungle drums. It was Ray Wylie Hubbard at his best, and that’s very good indeed.
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SXSW review: Alice Russell and Quantic
As an act, Alice Russell and Quantic are tough to classify. Their showcase was classified as funk, and backed by San Francisco psych-funk outfit The Park there were elements of the set that were certainly funky.
But there’s a dark silky quality to Russell’s voice that strikes me as inherently loungey. At their early set at the Parish, a gig that Columbia-based Quantic almost missed due to a bad connection in Caracas, the sound was largely loungey jazz. Richly textured and beautifully arranged atmospheric music. The kind of thing you’d love to listen to at breakfast in a continental cafe.
For the most part the crowd just stood and took it in. Russell was gracious and down to earth. A charming host, she was well-received. On the final track the band kicked in the grooves fast and funky. Clearly this group has another incarnation as a dance act. I suspect that’s the group that will show up at their later set tonight.
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SXSW Scene: Q&A with Astro
Not only is South by Southwest the first time in Austin for Chilean pop rockers Astro, it’s their first time in the U.S. Just two weeks ago the band was signed with Nacional Records, which has a reputation of supporting cutting-edge and progressive artists.
Lead singer Andres Nusser chatted with us before their showcase at Maggie Mae’s this evening.
How has your SXSW experience been like so far?
AN: It’s been busy but happy. We had heard about festival but you can’t experience it until you experience it. We haven’t had a chance to see many bands because we’ve been playing, and you don’t know how many bands are playing right now that I want to see.
What’s the indie pop/rock scene like in Chile right now?
AN: It’s a special age in Chilean pop/rock right now. Bands are really achieving a alot in Latin America and putting out really fresh music in a unique and personal way.
Who are some Chilean bands we need to watch?
AN: Gepe, Javiera Mena, Francisca Valenzuela, and Alex Anwandter to name a few.
What are some of Astro’s future plans?
AN: We’re focused on touring the most we can. We hope to have a Latin America tour and a European tour as well as some more shows in the U.S.
You guys focus on keeping your lyrics in Spanish. What are your thoughts on Latin American bands who solely sing in English?
AN: When you care about the lyrics, you need to do it in language that you speak the best. It can sound like bad poetry and that can be a very huge mistake. If you speak multiple languages fluently, then I think it’s OK. But I don’t like bands that don’t give importance to lyrics. Lyrics are half the song, and if you make them basic then they can sound souless. You need to feel it.
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Scene report: Friday madness
Somebody should have invited U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, a proponent of alternative modes of travel, to come enjoy the festive spectacle of bicycle and pedestrian jams around Austin during SXSW. The alternative gridlock was particularly intense Friday afternoon at Sixth and Lamar, where the popularity of Waterloo Records and its day stage, conveniently kitty-corner from Whole Foods and its healthy eats, strong coffee and clean restrooms, had the crosswalks clogging as people heading north and south ran into those bound east and west. (If New Orleans can have diagonal crosswalks, why can’t we?)
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff packed the fenced-off parking lot at Waterloo for his 2 p.m. set. The back half of the crowd was more like a beer bash, where many 20- and 30-somethings were just clumping together with friends and gabbing, not facing the stage or even glancing that way. However, once you wormed your way forward some, even though it was still hard to actually see the singer, fans were listening and sang along lustily to Cliff’s cover of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” — including the part about a “bright, bright, sunshiney day,” so probably a lot of them were out-of-towners, since Central Texans are still ambivalent about sunshine, even though it will be undeniably convenient if the next drought relief doesn’t come until Sunday night. Voices grew even louder for Cliff’s own classic “The Harder They Come,” and after he ended with “One More Song,” another singalong, a long line formed for people wanting to get CDs autographed.
Over at Whole Foods, the patio was full but the mood was mellow as a co-ed Los Angeles band called Salt Petal entertained diners with tropical-tinged folk-pop spiced by accordion and trumpet. An elderly lady in a floral muumuu sat on the stone wall and nodded along, and when she left, her place was quickly taken by a young mother with a toddler in tow and a baby in a stroller.
“It’s a concert, and you get to listen to the music,” the mother explained to her older daughter, while the baby was already clapping tiny hands and waving her feet in time, although her face was comically solemn. After the mom pointed out that the band’s singer was dancing, the bigger girl grabbed her little sister’s hands to pull back and forth as though they were jitterbugging, and the baby grinned.
Inside, the prepared-foods area was much less busy than on a typical Friday, the locals apparently kept away by the invading hordes. It didn’t take long to get coffee and a salad inside, but a clerk said shoppers had been coming in waves. “Its up and down, and when it’s up…….” she said, her eyes glazing over slightly. The produce department was serene, but there was a short line for the out-of-the-way unisex restroom room known only to regulars (I could tell you where it is, but I’d have to kill you). The wait was just long enough for one of those gratifying everything-used-to-be-better-before-all-those-other-people-got-here discussions (remember when you could walk between the Cactus and the Hole in the Wall to catch two SXSW showcases in the same time slot, no queuing up at the door?).
Up at the Dog & Duck, the relative calm before the St. Patrick’s Day madness prevailed, but Joe “King” Carrasco and the Crowns were celebrating their renewed reign as fiesta-rock royalty with an exuberant 4 p.m. set that included a commanding cover of “96 Tears.” By the time Carrasco closed with “Party Weekend,” the dance floor was the scene of some of the most jubilant and uninhibited dancing likely to occur during SXSW, even though most of the crowd was well into, shall we say, the prime of life. There was, however one young woman in a signature-covered t-shirt from the band’s 2011 reunion tour who was probably not yet born when the band starred on a new channel called MTV in the early 1980s.
Carrasco’s turban-bedecked assistant finally wrapped him in a purple cape and led him off, but of course the irrepressible singer sprang back to the microphone. Then he fell to the floor of the stage and the call went out “Is there a doctor in the house?” A couple women who had been doing the twist looked fleetingly concerned, until a figure in a white hospital coat and pink fright wig came to attend to his highness, who was soon bashing his guitar and singing again.
After the show, fans kept Carrasco busy signing CDs and t-shirts at the merchandise table. As I walked down the street, I passed a 20-something woman talking loudly on her cell phone, telling somebody “I just saw this guy, Joe ‘King’ Carrasco, he looked really old on the stage, like Tut,’” but she was smiling, and Carrasco will probably still be filling the dance floor when she, too, has started to look old to college students.
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Converse sets up recording studio at SXSW
For five Texas bands, it’s the chance of a lifetime.
Viva Viva
They’re getting time this week to lay down tracks with the help of a team of record industry pros, all thanks to Converse.
The shoemaker took its Rubber Tracks studio, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., on the road for South by Southwest, setting up shop in East Austin.
Converse started Rubber Tracks a year ago, offering studio time to more than 160 bands so far, according to Geoff Cottrill, the company’s chief marketing officer.
“It’s for artists who aren’t on the big stages and in the big showcases,” Cottrill said. “These are new and emerging artists who don’t have the means to get a good studio. They need the help.”
The groups recording here in Austin were picked after uploading sample tracks online at converse.com/rubbertracks. Without Converse’s help, Cottrill said they would have had to pay in excess of $1,000 per day for studio time.
“The talent level has been insane,” said Aaron Bastinelli, a sound engineer for Rubber Tracks. “They’re so excited and stoked to see the studio. They walk in and their eyes get really wide.”
In addition to its studio, Converse has sponsored several other SXSW events, bringing past Rubber Tracks groups to town to play a number of Austin venues, including Boston’s Viva Viva.
“We’ve been really busy running around, trying to see our friends from all over the country in between shows,” said Viva Viva’s Dave Vicini.
SXSW 2012 isn’t over just yet, but Cottrill said Converse is already making plans to return next year. The 100-year-old company’s high-tops have, in recent years, become a favorite of musicians big and small — and SXSW, he said, is “one of the true celebrations of music.”
“The music industry has taken Converse in an interesting direction and made us into who we are today,” Cottrill said. “People in music have been very good to us.”
Rubber Tracks at SXSW
The five Texas bands recording this week are:
Treetop Sailors, Austin
Kay Leotard, Austin
Soul Track Mind, Austin
Crooks, Austin
Sundress, Denton
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SXSW scene report: Mess With Texas
Another day of SXSW, another day party. Mess With Texas has been one of the biggest annual side parties, a free, day-long festival put on by Austin-based Transmission Entertainment. This year the event moved to the new 1100 Warehouse venue, the former site of Tops Office Supplies, and stretched out to three days.
Unlike the Fader Fort across the street, which had a decent-sized line at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, people were still able to walk right into the large warehouse despite a large crowd on hand for sets by Titus Andronicus and Built to Spill.Â
Transmission co-owner James Moody estimated attendance at over 1,000.
“It feels like our best effort yet,” Moody said of the event. “Extending it to three days is nice, it allows us to to have more bands, but at the same time it feels more intimate than Waterloo Park.”
Throughout the day, bands performed on two stages, one in a yard next to the warehouse. Jammy rock band Built to Spill closed out the day on the inside stage, with temperatures rising as the crowd grew. People didn’t seem to mind the heat, however.
“Thanks for standing in this super-hot room to watch us play,” lead singer Doug Martsch said as the band tore through a set of their spacey, guitar-heavy rock.
Though 1100 Warehouse is hosting a few official SXSW showcases this week, Moody said that he expected a set from wildly popular dubstep producer Skrillex on Friday night at Mohawk, another Transmission venue, to be one of the biggest of the festival.
“There are more people trying to get into that show than Bob Mould, Gary Clark Jr. or anything else,” he said.
Mess With Texas continues on Saturday with sets from A$AP Rocky, Deerhoof, Ceremony and others.
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SXSW Review: Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller
Austin, TX
Day Stage, Austin Convention Center
3 pm Friday
I lost my phone Friday afternoon. Which is neither here not there, but these days (and especially this week), a missing phone is like running out of oxygen.
It turned up shortly thereafter, but my nerves were well and truly jangled.
I was in need of melody, passion, good humor and a general reboot of my rattled disposition. All of which Ben Kweller, bless his heart, provided with a 40- minute set at the SXSW Day Stage.
Now making his home in South Austin (“A great place,” as Molly Ivins once noted, “to buy auto parts), Kweller has just released Go Fly A Kite, one of the most effortlessly accomplished albums of this young year.
His set drew in large part from that effort, but he also ranged across the whole of his recorded output, reaching way back for the slacker anthem, the upbeat ode to dissipation, “Commerce, TX”.
Kweller was clever with his song selection, pairing the buoyant “Falling,” the very model of a modern pop love song with “Out the Door,”—equally listenable, but 180 degress removed in sentiment.
“Gossip” cast a jaundiced eye on our information-saturated age and junk-celebrity culture: “Everybody hears/What they wanna hear/Make ‘em feel so big
/Secrets in their ear…The messenger ain’t what you should be/Why do you feel the need?” And “Full Circle” is worth a shout out just for the fact of Kweller’s rhyming “Brooklyn Heights” with “Marfa Lights.”
“Jealous Girl” was a burly, rocking, sugarcoated smack-down of the title character, but the closer, ““Penny On A Train Track” was arguably the set’s highlight. A song about yearning and titanium-tough hope, the soaring tune stuck a universal chord: “Even a lucky man has a bad day/And pretty girl has a scar/After that train comes and takes me away/Pick up that guitar and play/Play that rock ‘n’ roll for me…”
Hey, after all, in the end, it was only a phone…
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SXSW Panel: The Importance of Latin Presence in Music Festivals
Time/Date: Friday 2 p.m. (hashtag: #sxsw #latinfests )
Panelists: Gerry Rosado, Discos Intolerancia; Eduardo Chavarin, NACO USA; Paulo Andres Moraes Brazil festival co-founder; Carlos Verastegui, ACHE productions
The gist: As the Latino population grows in the United States, the presence of Latin American bands is important to represent these diverse communities.
“There are more Latinos in the states than in some countries in Latin America, so (festivals in the U.S.) have to bring the music now,” said Carlos Verastegui of ACHE productions. He added that this coincides with Latinos having a bigger role in the future elections.
Panelists discussed the different challenges posed in festivals throughout Latin America. In Brazil, for example, radio stations are in general not supportive of airing the country’s music, according to Paulo Andres Moraes.
“Our bands play internationally and when we go back home we feel like strangers because they don’t know our music,” said Moraes who also works with Brazilian bands. Brazil, he said, also has a unique barrier in that while they are neighbors with other Latin American countries, they do not speak the same language.
For Los Angeles-based consultant Eduardo Chavarin, the world of music festivals began as a fan. After attending a Coachella festival years ago and noticing the lack of Latin bands, he talked to festival organizers who not only took his suggestions but allowed him to help organize the performance of the first Latin act of the festival’s history— Nortec Collective, a band from Tijuana who was getting buzz for blending regional Mexican music with electronica.
“Overall, we are reaching a point where it’s getting easier (for Latin bands) to work in global network, and because it’s important in North America,” said Gerry Rosado who works on Mexico City’s famous rock festival Vive Latino.
In these tough economic times, a trend that’s been seen is that big acts like Paul McCartney who played in countries who could afford him are now finding it difficult to book and searching opportunities in countries where they never used to play like Brazil, according to Moraes.
Takeaways: Each music festival has it’s own DNA and personality and finding how Latin bands fit organically in each festival is key.
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Scene report - Doomtree (and everyone else) at Empire Automotive
At its best, SXSW is all about pairings of nights like Wednesday and Thursday, where a completely random discovery can turn someone into a something-approaching-rabid fan of a band. As noted here, a host of sound problems at 1100 Warehouse blew a hole in my planned schedule for Wednesday night and sent me on a wander east, where I happened upon the sounds of Minneapolis rapper P.O.S., and stuck around to be pretty much blown away by the Doomtree rap collective he’s a part of.
Glad to have made a discovery, I wasn’t counting on seeing the group again - SXSW laughs at planning ahead - but a text from a friend Thursday night alerted me that they were closing out the night at Empire Automotive, just three blocks from the Doritos Jacked party I was itching to escape from. Off I went.
The scene inside the Roxy’s Austin Rox showcase - organized by L.A. club The Roxy - was half warehouse rave, half standard show, with lasers, elaborate video installations, ceiling drapings and a bean bag lounge off to one side creating a very cool atmosphere while bands such as Austin indie dance group Nico Vega and synth rockers Imagine Dragons - both of whom I missed - started the night. Psych rockers The Black Angels loudly mixed their well-known catalog with a handful of songs bound for a new album - the highly visual setting was perfect for them - followed by blogger fave rap group Das Racist, about whom the best thing I can say is they provided a chance to visit the restroom and the bar and not worry about missing anything of much consequence.
And then came Doomtree. Five MCs of different ethnicity and gender, backed by a pair of DJs cutting up menacing, banging beats that let the mic-wielders bounce around the stage like ninjas. Because of the success of Minneapolis rapper Atmosphere, other hip-hop acts coming out of that northern state have been aligned with his occasionally pessimistic and always intense sound and Doomtree are very much of a piece with that heritage but in a very distinct and exciting way that’s celebratory even when critical. The energy of the whole, whether trading verses or backing each other up on choruses, was contagious and thrilling from start to an end that came one song early because of a closing time shutdown order from the police. It felt like they could’ve gone all night, and that would’ve been totally fine.
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SXSW Q&A: Graham Weber
Graham Weber’s “Women” (2011) aches (“I’m Already Lonely”) and breaks (“Dinah Blue”) with singular elegance. The deep-browed local troubadour, whose “Oh Roberta” Slaid Cleaves covered on “Unsung” (2006), recently doubled his workload by teaming up with the band So Long, Problems.
Weber talked with us before So Long, Problems’ gig Friday morning at the Sin City Social Club’s party at Maria’s Taco X-Press. “It’s been fun,” he says. “It’s rock and roll and I’m the youngest guy at 31. We like to say that we’re an old man garage band.”
Graham Weber: I’ve done five and I have seven more before Saturday night. It’s ridiculous (laughs).
As a local, do you look forward to this week or dread it?
Well, for many years it really annoyed me. But this year I’m having more fun because I’m playing with my rock and roll band and not just playing sad acoustic songs in the middle of a day party. But I’ll be ready for Saturday night when it’s over (laughs). (There are) too many people for me.
So, then, the key to enjoying the festival is playing upbeat songs?
I think it’s a lot more successful. It’s more fun. You just go and plug in and play 20 minutes. You play your best songs. We leave people happy instead of what I usually do. When I play my solo stuff it’s pretty sad (laughs). I’m doing quite a few band and solo gigs this week. The change-up is fun. It’s not so monotonous. I can’t listen to those sad songs too many times in a row (laughs). That would drive a man nuts.
Do you find working with this band helps you write any happier stuff solo?
(He laughs.) I did write one song that’s more upbeat, but it’s just the same (stuff) with a drum beat behind it.
Is So Long, Problems recording?
We’ve demoed a new record (and) we’re going to start a Kickstarter campaign. We don’t have any video footage yet and I didn’t want to start before we get some this week. But, yeah, we’re gonna make a record and see what happens.
How do you feel about Kickstarter in general?
If you get (your goal in funding), I think it’s an awesome thing. Our whole thing with the band is that we want to make people feel like they’re a part of something. For Kickstarter, we’re gonna try to take pictures of everybody that donates and put them in the artwork for the record. If you donate so much, like $1,000, you’re an executive producer. There are ways to feel like you’re a part of a music project even if you’re not musical. I think that’s pretty cool.
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Scene report - Doritos Jacked stage
Ricardo B. Brazziell AMERICAN-STATESMAN
The week isn’t over yet, but the clubhouse leader for best branding initiative at this year’s SXSW has got to be Doritos. You can’t walk 10 feet downtown without seeing someone munching from a bag of their new oversized Jacked chips, given out by an armada of brand ambassadors that might outnumber visiting musicians at this point.
The “main event” of this whole effort was perched at the corner of Fifth Street and Red River on Thursday night; a 50-something foot-tall stage/vending machine filled with 9-foot bags of chips that attendees of the company’s party could win via finding oversized quarters hidden around town. Or something.
It’s like the brainstorming session for this whole campaign came immediately following a certain recreational activity that lots of college students (or guest performer Snoop Dogg) engage in before plowing through an entire bag of Doritos on any given Friday night. One wonders why Zig Zag wasn’t the party’s co-sponsor rather than Maxim magazine.
No matter. The crowd assembled early, danced in a setting where oversized props of every sort were available for photos, and a giant power cord was plugged into a giant wall outlet to power up the stage/vending machine and reveal Austin dance rockers Ghostland Observatory, who were as intense and moving as ever. Chances are Snoop did what he’s been doing for 20 years at this point and the crowd loved every second of it, but an hour or so of that spectacle was enough and the night’s search to discover new, exciting music had to begin. En totale, the scene was a snapshot of what SXSW is fast becoming; crowds and corporations coming together in ridiculous ways, with music as the social glue.
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SXSW scene report - mtvU Woodie Awards
Does Matt Pinfield ever age? It sure didn’t look like it from the stages Thursday at MTV’s Woodie Awards compound at Cesar Chavez and Red River as he spent the day introducing a very “now”-heavy lineup of up and comers and already big names, including Austin’s own Gary Clark Jr., A$AP Rocky and Santigold. Below, thoughts on some of the performers from a pair of visits during the day and early evening.
Machine Gun Kelly - If you had a team of scientists genetically engineer the ideal white rapper to tour with the punk-leaning Warped Tour, the result would pretty much be Machine Gun Kelly. With a torso full of tattoos and blindingly fast delivery, he’s a live force who had a crowd of several hundred moving in the mid-day sun and that was before he stripped down his boxer briefs and climbed atop the stage’s speaker towers to do a curious karaoke/crowd sing-along of Blink 182’s “What’s My Age Again?” No idea what provoked it, but the crowd was with him all the way on it, so the guy clearly knew what he was doing.
Alberto Martinez AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Fun. - This one was a bit of a makeup for me since the pop band’s Wednesday night set at 1100 Warehouse was a disaster in almost every way imaginable. Outfitted with working sound gear and instruments, they were in fine, tuneful form and led a by then capacity crowd through a tight set of songs that pretty much beg to be sung along with. This type of situation is pretty much what singer Nate Ruess has been angling for ever since his days with the similarly talented indie-pop group The Format, and he was clearly owning his chance to lead a band of his making toward the top of the pop landscape - and doing so on an indie label like Fueled By Ramen. They encored with current worldwide hit “We Are Young.” The crowd ate up every morsel.
Walk The Moon - Highly danceable synth rock from a quartet of very enthuisiastic Cincinnati-ans that left me feeling mostly flat. Not their fault since this is just the type of stuff Your Correspondent never really goes for. Give them a shot of you’re into Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. or anything of that ilk. Moving on.
Alberto Martinez AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Santigold - Another do-over for a prior sub-par performance that I had speculated/hoped was due mostly to an awful sound mix at La Zona Rosa on Tuesday night. After seeing Santi White do a short three-song set at the Woodies (her performance was part of their award taping/webcast/whatever) I’m not sure exactly what’s going on with her. The good news is this showing was a marked improvement from two nights prior but there was still something off or missing, with the overall experience feeling thin musically. A hypothesis; because White’s music is so beat-driven, she might be better served by performing with a DJ and small rhythm combo rather than the close to full band she’s got now, because that group is doing her no favors. Anyone have Diplo’s phone number, because he could come in and save the day in five minutes flat.
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SXSW Review --Andrea Balency
Andrea Balency
From: Mexico
Where they played: Buca Lounge, 11 pm
Who needs an entire band when you got Andrea Balency? When she recently relaunched a solo career she really meant going solo. She’s a one-woman music wonder. Between her accordion playing, keyboard playing, on-the-spot beat creating with her laptop and even throwing in the chimes from a glass bottle, she raised the bar on musical multitasking.
Her indie-electronica has an atmospheric soundscape that could easily make it into the soundtrack of a film. She kept the audience hypnotized and enveloped in her sometimes haunting sound that had the crowd quietly swaying to her music.
It became evident to all at the Buca Lounge that we had stumbled onto something special and unique. Balency created what seemed to be on-the-spot rhythms including recording her own background vocals, but as it all melded together perfectly it was more likely that she was giving us some masterfully calculated rhythms.
While the music sounds effortless, on stage Balency is clearly hard at work constantly moving from one instrument to another while singing and tying the show together with her strong stage presence. How does she remember all the little musical details that make her music so intricate? Who knows, but I’m glad she does.
Playing a cover of Spain’s El Guincho got the audience cheering, and so did a song featuring her French-language lyrics and accordion skills. As the crowd gave her some love, she bashfully but happily accepted it.
“I’m really starting to like South by Southwest,” she said on stage.
When she announced that she only had one more song left to play. The audience groaned, “Noooo!” but spirits were quickly lifted when she ended up playing two more songs instead. Photo by Nancy Flores
Buzz worthy: Definitely one of Mexico’s most promising artists
ACL Candidate: That would be a treat to all Austinites
Day party worthy? Yes
Bound for: More albums and touring in her new solo career
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SXSW side parties happening Friday
Happy Friday. A few of today’s unofficial/side parties are listed below. Check out the Austin 360 side party database for more (there is also a mobile version).
KUT at the Four Seasons starts at 7 a.m. with Ruthie Foster, Motopony, James Mercer of the Shins, Trampled by Turtles and Nneka. More info here.
South by San Jose on South Congress starts at noon with Alejandro Escovedo, the Alabama Shakes and more. More info here.
And so… at the 29th St. Ballroom with Thee Oh Sees, the Strange Boys, Mikal Cronin, Grave Babies, Aaron Blount and more starts at noon. More info here.
Talib Kweli, Jimmy Cliff, Of Montreal, Gary Clark Jr. at Waterloo Records starting at noon. More info here.
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SXSW review: Duran
From: Bogota, Colombia
Where: Speakeasy, Thursday 11 p.m.
Duran calls his mash-up of electrocumbia, dancehall, hip hop, R&B and off-kilter jazz “chirripop,” and whether or not he manages to launch a new genre, he’s certainly a galvanizing performer. Halfway through the first song, I was already congratulating myself for having bailed on the Copa showcase and wandered in.
Duran was backed at Speakeasy by a drummer, a percussionist and a trombonist, with some samples thrown into the mix. The ferocious yet dynamically subtle rhythm section kept the big dance floor packed with gyrating, waving fans, and people sitting at tables in the club’s higher sections got up frequently to move to the insistent grooves.
Duran himself has a brash, penetrating voice and a terrific, percussive yet rippling flow — you know a rapper’s really good when you’re enthralled despite being able to make out only the occasional word (we did not work up to dancehall speed in my high school Spanish classes). He exuded charisma as he stalked around the stage, shirtless, the better to show off his tattoos and snake hips, but remained an affable presence, joking with a woman in front who had apparently proclaimed her love for him and inviting a couple people up on stage to dance. He introduced a ballad by announcing “Estamos romanticos,” and played some pretty fills on a hollow-body guitar during the tune, which he sang with aplomb, despite not being exactly a natural-born crooner. He followed that with another giddily rampaging cumbia, which left room for superb solos by each member of his backing band, and then sped up to an even more delirious pace as everyone joined back in. By the end of Duran’s set, it seemed like even the most sedate fans were on their feet and letting loose.
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SXSW review: Sauti Sol
From: Nairobi, Kenya
Where: Copa, Thursday 9:30
The sound mix at Copa was atrocious, with the bottom end cranked so loud that it was difficult to make out the liquid lines of the acoustic and electric guitar during Sauti Sol’s set. Even worse, the quartet’s beautiful vocal blend was largely drowned in the morass of bass bouncing off hard surfaces — walls made of brick and the long mirror along most of one side of the room.
The four members of Sauti Sol started out in high school as an a cappella group, and the effortless cohesion of their harmonies was apparent whenever you could make them out. Singing a driving, danceable R&B number, they sounded a little like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (minus Teddy Pendergrass), smooth as glass yet with distinctive vocal textures. On another tune, their voices wove around each other in a lively filagree, but it was supremely frustrating having to strain to make out the elegant shapes. The frontmen’s supple, energetic dancing was always fun to watch, but it was torture knowing there were so many interesting things going on in the music somewhere underneath the incessant pummeling.
The original plan was to stick around for the whole night of African artists, but the pounding of the bass was even more headache-inducing for DJ Chief Boima’s spinning between sets — even with ear plugs in, and cowering in a far corner of the back patio. Things hadn’t gotten any better when the next musicians took the stage, and I was starting to lose the will to live, so I abandoned the notion of seeing the much-anticipated Seun Kuti & Egypt 80.
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SXSW scene: Big Star documentary
Movies editor Charles Ealy has an excellent recap of the screening of the work-in progress “Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.” The Thursday night showing was followed by a a performance of the band’s record “Third,” led by surviving member Jody Stephens and an all-star cast of musicians, with backing by the Tosca String Quartet.
Read about it our movie blog.
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SXSW Thursday night scene report
After midnight Thursday, it looked like every college-age kid in Texas had abandoned the beaches in order to hit Sixth Street (a/k/a “The Street Where Spandex Will Never Die”), with relatively few SXSW badges in sight. While many of the 20-somethings had the purposeful air of people in search of drink specials, and others stopped in the middle of intersections to flirt with any likely-looking member of the opposite sex, others lined up to get into clubs apparently already filled with the holders of badges. Buffalo Billiards had a very long queue, presumably either for Lovedrug, who should have been on at that point, or Say Anything, coming up at 1 a.m.
Meanwhile, Austin band Wino Vino had captured the attention of a good-sized crowd by grabbing a spot along the sidewalk, toward the Congress Avenue end, where it played its unamplified, gypsified, Eastern Europeanish, circus-esque tunes, fueled by accordion, clarinet, violin, guitar, drum and trombone. People kept using a waist-high planter as a convenient seat to watch or shoot photos, while an older gentleman in black pants and a white, short-sleeved dress shirt, apparently a security guard, kept trying to shoo them away. A friend of the band darted around selling CDs, while curious onlookers bobbed their heads as the musicians chorused merrily “They say the ice is melting, they say the ship is sinking.” One young woman in fishnet tights and a dirndl miniskirt scuttled by as though the group might bite, while the next two women who passed through boogied their way down the sidewalk, one holding her cell phone aloft. Later, a guy danced past.
To the delight of the crowd, the guitar player suddenly scrambled up onto the planter mid-song just to leap back off, rock-star style. When the musicians ran around and weaved through the assemblage as they played, everybody cheered, and then they cheered again when the players resumed their impromptu stage. After all the frantic perusing of schedules and standing in lines and waiting out delays, the spontaneity of it all was truly refreshing.
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SXSW band review: Sharon Van Etten
Name: Sharon Van Etten
City: Brooklyn, NY
They played: Wednesday night at Stubb’s, then Thursday night at Mohawk
How were they?: Stellar. Wednesday was a high profile gig for Van Etten, whose new album “Tramp” is one of the year’s best. The Stubb’s show was for a giant NPR showcase and while Van Etten and he excellent band cranked through wonderful material, she seemed very slightly stiff and nervous.
Thursday’s show was something else entirely, Headlining the Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans showcase at Mohawk, Van Etten lived in the balance between the emotionally vulnerability of her lyrics (“You’re the reason why I’ll move to the city or why I’ll need to leave”) and the impressionistic gauze of her guitar rock. Frankly, it was wonderful music to hear when you were physically and mentally exhausted — one’s own, almost hallucinatory vulnerability amplifies songs such as “Give Out,” “I’m Wrong” and “Serpents.”
So it really did feel surreal when, for the encore, Dinosaur Jr. guitarist J Mascis played guitar while Van Etten belted a cover of the Soft Boys “I Wanna Destroy You.” One woke up the next morning wondering, “Did I dream that?,” in the best possible way. Thrilling.
Buzz worthy?:OH YES..
Bound for?: One of the top 10 albums of 2012.
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Seun Kuti at SXSW: The hottest tightest show in town
I literally was telling everyone who would listen that Thursday’s African music showcase at Copa was quite possibly the greatest international dance party in Austin ever. There was a good mix of SXSWers and locals including a sizable population of African ex-pats. Despite a little weirdness on the vocal mix, Kenyan electro outfit Just A Band killed with the lo-fi house, winning, no doubt a mess of new fans. Spoek Mathambo was insane, blasting a chaotic and disorienting yet weirdly engrossing blend of post-apocalyptic dance punk. In between sets DJ Chief Boima dropped a wild African house party mix that kept the dance floor hopping all night long.
But then the club hit capacity. It was shortly before 1 a.m. Baloji, a Belgian/Congolese rapper backed by an amazing bluesy Afrobeat combo had just whipped the crowd into a near frenzy (and in the process, blatantly ignored the SXSW staff attempts to cut his set off — he held the 10 minutes sign up to the crowd and ripped it in half, which elicited a raucous cheer.)
People were feeling good.
But as Baloji left the stage people began jockeying for good positioning for Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, the legendary ensemble that backed his father Fela’s band. It immediately became apparent that while Copa is actually a fairly large capacity venue, only about a third of the total space (including the back patio) has any sort of reasonable sight line to the stage. Being that this was Kuti’s only gig at SXSW, the majority of the capacity-crowd packed into the stage/dance floor area. The result was an intense crush of humanity, hot, stuffy and uncomfortable, made bearable only by the lingering good vibes generated by the evening’s performers and the anticipation of Kuti’s set. Then came the process of figuring out how to fit Kuti’s 15-piece band including two back-up singers who also perform very exhuberant African dance moves onto Copa’s relatively small stage. It took an hour.
Finally, at 1:45 a.m. Kuti took the stage and introduced the band, explaining that he would only be able to play for 20 mins. “Put the (expletive) P.A. on the floor!” an irate fan called out, maybe as a complaint about Kuti’s mic level. A hush fell across the crowd, startled at the disrespect shown to an ensemble consisting of some of the elder statesmen of Afrobeat. Kuti, ignored it.
His band commenced to put out the incredible wall of sound everyone expected, but there was a problem. They were pumping out some of the most danceable music on the planet into a crowd that had absolutely no room to move. Two near altercations went down in my near vicinity. I couldn’t see the stage at all, but after the first song Kuti called out to one of his players (a dancer?) “Get your (expletive) back on stage.” The band clearly, was also feeling the crunch. True professionals, the sound didn’t disappoint and the band was every bit as good as you would expect. For 20 minutes. Then the club lights came up. And Kuti said good night. Cheers of protest coaxed an encore out of the band. They played another 10 minutes. It was excellent. Then it was over.
Walking back to the car, I tried to mull over what happened. Clearly, Copa was the wrong venue for that show. A large venue like Stubb’s or La Zona Rosa would be more suited to the kind of interest Fela Kuti’s original backing band and his youngest son playing a single performance at SXSW would obviously generate. But part of what made the evening special was the fact that it was an African showcase, a full bill of wildly original African acts that many in the crowd had never heard of before tonight’s performance. One of the guys from Sauti Sol played drums on Just A Band’s set. Spoek Mathambo also pulled Sauti Sol on stage for an out of this world collaborative jam. If Kuti had been moved to a larger venue those other bands would probably have been billed separately denying them a larger audience and all of us the house party experience which, certainly, was enhanced by the anticipation of Kuti’s set. And truth be told, I was loving the African dance party right up until the point of the hour-long crush. So something went wrong, but it was in the process of attempting to create something incredibly right.
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SXSW Review-- Natalia Lafourcade
Natalia Lafourcade
From: Mexico Where they played: Buca Lounge, 1 am
The anticipation and buzz for Mexico’s indie darling began since doors opened at the Buca Lounge. Lafourcade is part of a recent wave of Mexican indie pop/rock female artists who are making their mark beyond the genre. And while she captured the hearts of her loyal following, she did little to attract the casual South by Southwest listener.
Lafourcade performed minus her band, leaving the show with a super mellow and almost acoustic feel which would have been great during a day performance, but perhaps not the best choice for a show ending at 2 a.m. At the end, a solid group of her hardcore fans remained.
But Lafourcade’s mad vocal and instrumental skills can’t be denied. There’s a reason she’s an indie darling. She performed fan favorite songs like “HuHuHu” that had the crowd singing along with arms raised and camera phones in the air.
Buzz worthy: She brought the buzz with her
Day party worthy? yes
Bound for: Opening more doors for female indie artists
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SXSW review: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at ACL Live
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band exceeded expectations during their showcase at ACL Live on Thursday night with an inspired set that lasted for nearly three hours. In addition to songs from Springsteen’s new album, “Wrecking Ball” and several older songs, including “Badlands” and “Promised Land,” the band was joined by a number of special guests, including Tom Morello, Jimmy Cliff, Eric Burdon, Joe Ely, Alejandro Escovedo and the Arcade Fire.
The set came after Springsteen delivered a keynote speech to the conference on Thursday afternoon in which he cited many of his musical influences, including Burdon and his band the Animals. Before Burdon joined the band Thursday night for a cover of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” Springsteen claimed that he didn’t realize the Animals frontman was in town for the festival when he gave the speech.
The night began with a cover of Woody Guthrie’s “Ain’t Got No Home,” in which the new, sixteen-member version of the E Street Band crowded around Springsteen to sing. Fired-up versions of new songs “We Take Care of Our Own” and “Wrecking Ball” followed, with Springsteen running around the stage and jumping on top of amplifiers.
After a singalong rendition of “Badlands” (which Springsteen said during his speech that he stole from the Animals), Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello took the stage for folk-rock stomp “Death to My Hometown.” Morello joined the band on a few other songs, including “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” in which he sang and played a solo.
Springsteen acknowledged the absence of late sax player Clarence Clemons and organist Danny Federici during “My City of Ruins,” asking the audience, “are we missing anybody?”
“If you’re here, and we’re here, then they’re here,” he responded as the five-piece horn section, which included Clemons’ nephew Jake, chimed in. While Jake Clemons did not function as a replacement for his late uncle, his solos throughout the night evoked the Big Man, especially on “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
Around the two-hour mark, Jimmy Cliff joined the band for “The Harder They Come,” “Time Will Tell” and an emotional version of “Many Rivers to Cross.” Before Cliff took the stage, Springsteen said that he had known the reggae legend since the 70s, and that he was a “great inspiration.”
After Cliff left, Springsteen paid tribute to Clemons a second time during “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” with the band pausing at the point when Clemons would normally deliver his signature solo.
The night ended with Joe Ely, members of the Arcade Fire, Alejandro Escovedo, Morello and openers the Low Anthem joining the band on stage for another Guthrie song, “This Land Is Your Land.” Ely, Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler, Escovedo and Morello each sang a verse. It was a fitting tribute to a songwriter whose presence continues to be felt 100 years after his birth.
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March 15, 2012
Scene report: Waterloo Records
Lucero left the Waterloo Records parking lot in flames late Thursday afternoon. The combustible Memphis-based outfit, whose muscular new “Women and Work” endlessly pulses (the title track) and punches (“Like Lightning”), closed out the record store’s stage with welterweight fury. Their golden keys: Front man Ben Nichols’ wounded vocals and the airtight band’s fluid propulsion. Both fearlessly re-energized tunes tried (“Kiss the Bottle”) and true (“Nights Like These”) throughout their 45-minute set.
Brian T. Atkinson
Best memory: Legendary Texas tunesmith Townes Van Zandt winked down midway through (“Hey Darlin’, Do You Gamble?”).
(Lucero showcase at 12:30 a.m. Saturday night at Cedar Street Courtyard, 208 W. 4th St.)
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SXSW scene: Dr. John listening party
The listening party for Dr. John’s forthcoming album Locked Down started at least an hour late, but the hyper frenzy of SXSW seemed about a hundred miles away from the serene oaks of the Hotel St. Cecilia compound, anyway. And when the New Orleans legend finally proclaimed “Let’s do this” to launch his interview with radio veteran Norm Winer of Chicago’s WXRT, time started to flow in an entirely different, non-linear pattern. While people sat transfixed on the broad steps of the back porch or stood around the patio harkening, Dr. John reclined on a wicker couch and told stories about the whole spectrum of his long career for a couple of hours, with occasional pauses to hear striking cuts from the new record. Produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, it takes Dr. John’s unique distillation of soul, rock and swamp funk in new directions while emphasizing its elemental nature and African roots.
Winer had Dr. John remembering all the way back to his days as a session guitar player, before a gunshot wound led him to switch to keyboards. He recalled a brief stint as a producer in “Jackson, Missisloppy,” and working with everybody from Huey “Piano” Smith and Earl King to Joe Tex, Lee Dorsey and Frankie Ford on their early records.
“We just did a gang and a half of stuff,” Dr. John said, but those classic sides didn’t set anybody up for a life of ease. “The money was funny and the change was strange — that’s how it went in them days.”
In a talk sprinkled liberally with his trademark neologisms, Dr. John discussed playing with piano professor James Booker, a “very noiseful” period working for shady club owners in New Orleans, going into exile in Los Angeles in the wake of some “confusement” arising from a narcotics habit, having “some serious ups and some serious downs” with acclaimed Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler, encounters with Atlantic bigwig “Nescafe” (Nesuhi) Ertegun, run-ins with infamous manager Albert Grossman and the peculiar period when “Right Place, Wrong Time” was a massive hit and Dr. John was both in demand and on the run from the law.
“When you got a hit record and are a fugitive from justice, it isn’t a confa-terrible [cw] feeling. It takes something away from it,” Dr. John said.
All in all, “Life just goes all over the place with me,” he concluded.
Most recently, Dr. John’s granddaughter turned him on to the Black Keys, and the band’s Auerbach “popped up in New Orleans and we wrote some songs together.” That turned into an album, featuring a lot of younger musicians he didn’t know before, playing “not your regulation stuff.” There’s a strong East African influence on Locked Down, where Dr. John’s roots lay more in West African music and related voodoo traditions, and somehow Auerbach got him loving the farfisa, an instrument he said he hated years ago when he had to play it subbing for Augie Meyers with Doug Sahm, and then (songwriting giant) Doc Pomus went and left him a farfisa in his will “out of spite.”
Dr. John is in great admiration of Auerbach’s musical open-mindedness, and as for his musicianship: “He plays like Ike Turner — but Ike Turner with chops.”
In writing the “lyricals” for the new album, Dr. John said, “I feel it’s important to be writing songs about the things people don’t want to talk about.”
Old-school fans will be glad to hear that after its CD release in April, Locked Down will come out on vinyl on Record Store Day.
“I’m always partial to vinyl,” Dr. John said. “Bass patterns never sounded as good on CD, and without the vinyl, something was lost in the music, and I think that’s vital.”
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SXSW scene: A tale of two hip-hop shindigs
A pair of hip-hop parties rocked Seventh Street Thursday afternoon in the adjacent venues of Empire Automotive and Club 606 (formerly Side Street). While there was a free flow of hip-hop fans from one venue to the other during most of the afternoon the parties had very different vibes. At Empire Automotive the shindig was an East vs. West Coast hip-hop battle, the culmination of a pair of online competitions hosted by NYC’s Hot 97 and L.A.’s power 106. With radio money and promotion behind it the party boasted a pair of heavy-hitters as headliners.
Prodigy, 9th Wonder and Rhapsody from the pivotal NYC gangsta rap crew Mobb Deep took the stage at 4:40 p.m., only 20 minutes late which seemed like a minor miracle given the ongoing technical difficulties that seem to be plaguing this year’s festival. The venue was not at capacity but a formidable crowd pressed into the stripped out former auto shop. The group performed with the kind of thunderous, wall rattling bass that shakes you to the core, but also muddles the sound. No one seemed to care. The stage was flanked by an intense technicolor light display but perhaps would have been better served by a jumbotron. Serious hip-hop heads packed in, straining to see and rapping along as the group furiously threw down a series of their biggest hits. The only people who didn’t seem swept up in the moment was a group of females clustered at the front of the stage presumably jockeying for position for the red hot up-and-comer J. Cole who was headlining the event. As Cole’s set grew closer Empire Automotive reached capacity and the free flow of crowd from the venue next door was shut down.
Meanwhile on the other side of the fence it was an entirely different hip-hop scene. At the low key indie hip-hop event ‘Oy Vey’ hosted by Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz the sounds from the stage were more reflective and goofy than ruthless and rough. Ducky, a petite white girl from San Franciso took the small patio stage clad in a red polka dot bikini.
“There’s a 50 percent chance I’m gonna have a nip slip,” she promised before beginning a thoroughly charming trip-hop set featuring her simple melodics over catchy beats. Her sound was augmented by a pair of back-up dancers clad in back who performed interpretive moves, not even pretending to be hip-hop. Backpackers mingled and traded pounds, a graphic artist hocking psychedelic renderings of household pets doodled with a sharpie. While the lineup featured artists included buzzy up and comer Mr. MF’in Exquire and well established indie rapper Murs the vibe was inviting. When Empire reached capacity and the gate between the venues shut before J. Cole’s set, one female patron denie entry simply shrugged.
“It’s ok, I like it better over here anyway,” she remarked. And you couldn’t really blame her.
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SXSW scene report: Bruce Springsteen at ACL Live
Yes, people were excited about seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform Thursday at ACL Live. A line formed when the doors opened at 6 p.m., with the theater slowly filling as Rhode Island folk band the Low Anthem took the stage. Alejandro Escovedo was also scheduled to perform before Springsteen.
Because of the lottery system SXSW used to to distribute tickets, many people were surprised to just be in the room.
“I called my mom as soon as I got the email letting me know I got a ticket,” said John Gaglio, a local musician. “I distinctly remember my friend growing up, every time “Born in the U.S.A.” would come on MTV, we would run inside and jam out on the couch.”
Helaine Blum, who worked for late E Street sax player Clarence Clemons, said that Springsteen has been her favorite ever since she saw him play a gym in New Jersey in 1974.
“I’ve seen Hendrix, I’ve seen every great live band, but Bruce is still my favorite,” she said.
Others, like Tarick Moody, a radio DJ from Milwaukee, was excited about seeing the band perform in the 2,750-person capacity venue.
“I’ve never seen Springsteen,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to but I’m not an arena fan,” he said. “An environment like this makes a huge difference.”
Additional reporting by John T. Davis.
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SXSW interview: Gary Clark Jr.
Gary Clark Jr. plays guitar with consummate authority and the kind of raw machismo that gets guys in the audience dunking their heads up and down like they’re at a metal show. Hours before his showcase at Zona Rosa Wednesday night, Clark looked the part of a rock star, lean and aloof in black jeans, a black jacket, a white v-neck t-shirt and a sleek pair of Ray-Bans — not to mention the hip black fedora. Talking in a plush tour bus parked outside the venue, however, he was laid-back and implausibly soft-spoken, sounding almost as diffident as a successful computer programmer suddenly obliged to discuss the band he’s been playing with on the weekends, rather than one of Warner Brothers’ top artists with a packed summer tour schedule that includes pretty much every major festival in the country.
A favorite of Austin blues fans long before the release of his debut Warner EP last summer, Clark estimated he’s played SXSW nine or 10 times — and his connections meant he got to go see a lot of shows even before he was of legal age.
“I knew a few people who would let me in to see some shows — I won’t put out any names,” he said with a laugh. “I definitely was privileged… I went and saw the Strokes, at the Music Hall right around the corner, and I got to see Adele, and a lot of bands that were very under the radar. I snuck in and wandered off by myself and heard very cool bands, that not a whole lot of people got to see, just people playing backstage, and bands that not a whole lot of people had heard of. I just kind of went and wandered. I think that’s the best way to do South By.”
Of course, now Clark is not one of those under-the-radar acts, but someone people line up especially to see.
“Oh, that’s kind of a trip!” he said. “It’s good, though. I’m grateful. … I definitely take moments where I can just kind of reflect, and be grateful and realize I’m in a good spot to be able to do what I love to do and have people come out and have a good time when I do it. It doesn’t get much better than that, I guess.”
Clark’s SXSW schedule this year is packed so tight with gigs and interviews that he’ll be lucky if he gets to sneak off by himself at all.
“Years prior, I could kind of do what I wanted, get into a little bit of trouble or whatever, but I gotta be on point, I got stuff to do, so It’s good,” he said.
Clark’s full-length Warner debut was originally set for release early this year, but the phenomenal success of the EP pushed it back to September.
“Fortunately, people wanted us to come out on the road and play shows, so we’ve been doing that, so I’m not mad at that at all!” he said. “Plus, the label has been really cool and said ‘Take your time and make the best record that you can.’ So, it’s good. There’s not a whole lot of pressure on that end. I can just let things flow, naturally, organically.”
After SXSW, Clark is hoping to catch up on his sleep for a couple days before he heads back to Los Angeles to finish up the album.
“On my time off of the road, I pretty much go right into writing mode. Unfortunately, I thought I was one of those artists who could write on the road, and be inspired, and things would just flow — but I’m so in it day to day that I realize the way I work best is to kind of take some time and keep it fresh and relax and then recollect on what’s been going on and draw from that and be inspired from those things. While they’re happening, there’s no songwriting going on,” he said with a rueful laugh.
Clark said the EP “Was just kind of a little taste of a couple of influences from where I’m trying to go musically. It’s good to have a solid foundation, but I like to branch out and do different things.”
Clark grew up listening to his parents’ records — Motown and other soul and funk.
“I got older and got familiar with Albert King, Freddie King, B.B, King, the blues guys, and Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmy Vaughan, and along with that, going back and figuring out what the roots of the music was, kind of to Lead Belly and Elizabeth Cotton, Skip James. And contemporary stuff, too. So, I’m a real big fan of Outkast and a lot of stuff that comes out of Atlanta, Cody Chesnutt, and things like that. So I was really inspired all at once to do all kinds of different things, and the EP is kind of a small little look into kind of where I’m going. I’m not exactly sure myself,” he said with a soft laugh. “Lately, my go-to albums have been Otis Redding, Live at the Whiskey, Shuggie Otis, Inspiration Information, a lot of Nina Simone, and Dr. Dre, Chronic 2001.”
While Clark is assimilating all those influences and a host of new experiences, he’s been playing increasingly high-profile concerts — most notably, a date at the White House that was recently televised on PBS.
“It was cool, I got a call, and they said I’d been invited to play this gig at the White House, and the president and first lady will be there,” Clark said, sounding slightly disbelieving, as though he were telling about a funny dream he had. ” “And you’ll get to play alongside B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Derek Trucks, Booker T. Jones, and a bunch of other people,’ and I was like, ‘I’m in!’ It was a great honor to be there, and it was extra special for me to get to be on stage with some of my heroes.”
Not to mention, he got to say hey to Barack and Michelle Obama.
“They were super cool, super sweet, and I just said ‘Thanks for having me, thanks for coming.’ It was just really nice, from what I got, a quick little moment in time. It was sweet.”
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SXSW Behind the Scenes Interview with Juanes
He can take command of any stage but I suspect it’s his thoughtfulness, humility and soft-spoken nature that make fans of Juanes, the Colombian rock legend, like the guy off stage too.
Juanes performed this morning at a Woody Guthrie tribute before Bruce Springsteen’s South by Southwest keynote address. He sang “This Land is Your Land,” and it’s the first time he’s sang an English song in public.
“And what a song to choose,” said Juanes who blends Colombian folk with rock for a sound that has made him an international superstar.
Videographer Tina Phan and I met Juanes at his hotel near the UT campus where we recorded an interview that we’ll post soon. Though Juanes had media interviews stacked up, Juanes took his time with each interviewer, giving thoughtful answers to our questions.
But what was most refreshing what that the rock star — who has multi-platinum sales of over 12 million albums and a score of accolades — was also genuinely interested in us as individuals not just reporters.
Juanes asked me about my hometown and my parents. When Juanes learned that my hometown of Eagle Pass was along the Texas/Mexico border and that my parents are from northern Mexico, he wanted to learn more about life on the border and how the drug war situation in Mexico had affected the state of Coahuila (where my folks are from).
And like many of his songs do, he offered me words of encouragement and hope.
Juanes’ official SXSW showcase is Friday at ACL Live.
Photo by Tina Phan
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SXSW Panel: Woody Guthrie at 100
Deborah Cannon AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Woody Guthrie at 100 1:30 p.m. Thursday
- Arlo Guthrie/Woody’s son, Singer-songwriter
- Nora Guthrie/Woody’s daughter, President, Woody Guthrie Foundation & Archives
- Dave Marsh/Journalist
- Joel Rafael/Singer-songwriter
- Douglas Brinkley/Historian, Rice University
- Jimmy LaFave/Singer-songwriter
- Moderator—Bob Santelli/Exec. Dir., The Grammy Museum
On the centennial of his birth, in an era of recession and political extremes, what does the socially-conscious music of folk singer Woody Guthrie have to say to us today?
The SXSW panel on Guthrie’s legacy was part of a year-long, nationwide series of e vents and seminars celebrating his life and music, produced by the Grammy Museum and the Woody Guthrie Archives. His impact is still being felt by musicians, artists and the public at large. In his keynote speech before the panel, Bruce Springsteen said, “He’s a big ghost in the machine. His voice spoke to me very deeply.”
The centennial falls during one of the most important and screwy elections the country has seen in quite awhile,” said Nora Guthrie. “I think of it as a kick-off for the next 100 years of using Woody’s ideas, vision and music.
His impact is so much greater now than during his lifetime,” said Dave Marsh. “How can we know? I know people who are trying (to write music with the same social and political impact). And some of those songs are going to speak to us. The most important thing is how many are trying to get the message out by writing songs with change, conviction and love.
There’s a lot of different Woodys, said his son, Arlo. “He had the ability to distill all of us, so that our own voice comes back to us. What makes ‘This Land Is Your Land’ what it is, is the spirit of the people who have been singing it for the last fifty years. His songs are a vessel that holds the spirits of the people who have sung or listened to them.
I don’t think my dad ever saw himself as an innovator. He saw himself as a link in a long chain of humanity who were trying to do two things—trying to make the world a little better, and having as much fun as possible doing it. When you sing his songs, you’re not singing songs in the key of Me, you’re singing in the key of Everybody.”
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Scene report: Little Willies at Waterloo Records
The Little Willies turned the Waterloo Records parking lot into a glorious roadhouse early Thursday afternoon. “Thanks for coming to see us, the Little Willies…” lead singer and pianist Norah Jones said early on. “…in Big Willie country,” finished singer-guitarist Richard Julian with a laugh. Boy, Big Willie (Nelson) should be proud. As charcoal clouds nearly leaked above them, the New York-based quintet delivered an absolute burst of Hill Country sunshine for 35 minutes straight. Naturally, the band drew heavily from their new album “For the Good Times.” Everything worked: They kicked off with the buoyant lead track (“I Worship You”) and steamrolled through classic country brawny (Loretta Lynn’s “Fist City”) and bruised (“Hank Sr.’s “Lovesick Blues”). Middle-aged men in Hawaiian shirts cheered for “Tennessee Stud.” College girls in floral print sundresses sung along with “Jolene.” Most agreed on the highpoint: The Willies scorching Nelson’s classic “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time.” More, please.
(The Little Willies showcase at 10 p.m. tonight at Antone’s, 213 W. 5th St.)
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SXSW Keynote: Bruce Springsteen talks about his musical heroes and offers advice to young musicians
Photo by Brian Birzer
“No one really agrees on anything in pop anymore,” Bruce Springsteen said at the beginning of his SXSW music keynote on Thursday. “There is no key note.”
During his highly anticipated talk, Springsteen wove the theme of contradictions in identity and culture into a blow-by-blow of his musical education, beginning with Elvis Presley’s 1956 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
“You could call upon the powers of imagination and create a transformative self,” Springsteen said of Presley’s impact.
Springsteen, who performs with the E Street Band Thursday night at ACL Live, hit on several musicans that shaped his sound, a playlist of 20th century music including the Beatles (“they created the idea of an independent unit where everything could come out of your garage”), Phil Spector (“Phil’s records felt like near chaos”) and so-uncool-he’s-cool Roy Orbison (“the true master of the romantic apocalypse you knew was coming after you whispered I love you”).
One of the most powerful moments of the talk came with Springsteen’s mention of the Animals.
“The Animals were a revelation, the first records with full blown class consciousness that I heard,” Springsteen said before playing a powerful acoustic rendition of the band’s hit song “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.”
He also spoke about Motown, Curtis Mayfield, country music, James Brown and Bob Dylan, who he called “the father of my musical country.”
“He sings verse after verse and it doesn’t get boring,” Springsteen said of Dylan. “That’s impossible.”
Talk of Dylan led to country music and Woody Guthrie, who he dubbed “a big, big ghost in the machine” before leading the audience in a singalong of “This Land Is Your Land.”
Throughout the talk, Springsteen offered advice for young musicians, making it clear that genre isn’t important. “There is no right way, no pure way of doing it, there’s just doing it,” he said.
He also offered some career advice: “Learn how to bring it live and bring it night after night and your audience will remember you.”
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Kanye West sighting at SXSW (finally)
Spin is reporting that Kayne popped up on stage at the Belmont last night, joining 2 Chainz and Big Sean.
So we got that going for us. Which is nice.
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SXSW scene report: Eliza Gilkyson, Jimmy LaFave and Juanes
Woody Guthrie was alive and kicking on Thursday at the Convention Center as Eliza Gilkyson and Jimmy LaFave performed before an audience waiting to hear Bruce Springsteen’s keynote speech. Guthrie’s daughter introduced the duo, who were there to celebrate the centennial of her father’s birth.
The set was simple — two people, acoustic guitars, informal. Gilkyson and LaFave added commentary and context between songs, which included “This Train is Bound For Glory,” a somber “Pastures of Plenty” and “Ain’t Got No Home.” Before “Oklahoma Hills,” LaFave explained that he was adding a verse about Native American tribes that had been left out by others over the years.
Columbian folk singer Juanes took the stage next, noting the importance of Guthrie before playing a few of his own songs. Gilkyson and LaFave rejoined him to close out the set with an upbeat version of “This Land is Your Land.”
It was an appropriate opening act for Springsteen, whose everyman approach strongly echoes Guthrie’s work.
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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band to play ACL Live tonight
It’s been confirmed: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will play ACL Live tonight. Only badge and wristband holders who won tickets in a lottery held this week will attend.
Springsteen’s keynote at noon will stream live at the SXSW Music Live Stream page and will be available at NPR Music including KUT.
NPR Music critic Ann Powers will host a blog during the keynote, and take questions from audiences around the world.
Springsteen also showed up at the Austin Music Awards last night at Austin Music Hall.
Springsteen’s new album, “Wrecking Ball,” debuted at no. 1 this week, selling 196,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which Adele’s unstoppable “21.” (The latter has sold eight million copies.)
Did you enter the lottery? Did you get in? Did you not? Post in the comments.
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SXSW review - a hip-hop sampler at Scoot Inn
After a lemonade-out-of-lemons performance by Fun. blew a cannonball through my planned schedule on Wednesday night, I took a wander toward the heavy beats and impassioned rhymes floating up from the stage at Scoot Inn. Best move of the night by me.
P.O.S. - Odd Future gets lots of rub for being the hardcore punk equivalent of a rap act. If we’re going to continue to let them perform under that (dubious) guise then it’s time to also give Minneapolis rapper P.O.S. some of the same attention because the dude is punk as anything I’ve ever seen. Take that to mean he’s intense and has a bone to pick with a lot of people and social conventions. But the guy is also wicked smart and packs verbal asides and sly barbs into raps powered by metallic and rock-fueled beats. And whether he’s speed rapping - piling three or more rhyme pairings in the same line - or taking three lines to close off a rhyme couplet, the music is always that of the sort that makes large crowds of people bounce very very hard.
Doomtree - After a brief rest to hose himself off after his solo set, P.O.S. returned to the stage with what looked like an assortment of grad students and street punks in front of a pair of DJs/producers. It was a visually random enough assortment of persons so as to call to mind a hip-hop Broken Social Scene but what they unleashed was totally unified, powerful and straight-up bangin’. Based out of Minneapolis, Doomtree’s five MCs feature so much variety in their flows and internal rhythms that (to a newcomer, at least) it creates anticipation for what could possibly be in store for the next verse when a new voice took over. Props due to the whole crew, but a special note about Dessa/Maggie Wander, a legitimately great femme-C who can more than keep up with her counterparts and lends soulful vocal and hooks throughout. She’s one more weapon in an already lethal artillery.
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SXSW band review: Thee Oh Sees at at the Sony Club patio at Red 7 patio
Name: Thee Oh Sees
City: San Francisco, Calif.
They played: Wednesday night at the Sony Club at Red 7 patio
How were they?: For reasons that pass understanding, SXSW 2012 is the year that everyone is willing to wait in a line a really long time to see Thee Oh Sees, a band that has been kicking around in some form or other since the late 1990s.
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Founded by John Dwyer (ex-Coachwhips, Pink and Brown, a whole mess more) as some sort of solo thing, the band has expanded to a five-piece featuring keyboardist/singer Brigid Dawson (who looks a lot like Cruddy drummer Alison Goodman), guitarist Petey Dammit, drummer Mike Shoun and multi-instrumentalist/second drummer Lars Finberg.
The line was absolutely bonkers to see their day party Wednesday afternoon at Red Eyed Fly and it was bonkers again Wednesday night to see them at the temporarily (?) rebranded Red 7 sponsored by Last Call with Carson Daly. (Or maybe it was that people wanted to see Eve 6 in the inside room — maybe).
Anyway, Thee Oh Sees, confused about their set time, showed up at 9:35 p.m. for a 9 p.m. set. They finally took the stage about 10:30, after a set from Tennis. Introduced by Daly, they threw down and thrilled the assembled with a sort of jammy, garage rock that pounds a guitar-drums-keyboard riff into the ground for minutes at a time as the crowd shook along.
For the last song, Daly sat in on second drums. Now, when Carson Daly can replace you on drums with no particular loss of anything musical, maybe that second drummer isn’t necessary. But the crowd loved it.
Here is some video of Daly rocking out from RollingStone.com
Buzz worthy?: Apparently.
Bound for?: No idea at this rate.
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SXSW review - Fun.
Fun. From: New York City Where they played: 1100 Warehouse, Wednesday night
By the time Fun. singer Nate Ruess made it onto the stage Wednesday night - an hour after his band’s posted start time - he made no attempt to hide his anger and frustration over what was explained as a series of technical difficulties with the band’s equipment and sound system. Mixing profanity with apology, Ruess led bandmates Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff through a brief four-song acoustic set - by that point the delay had caused a trainwreck with the rest of the showcase’s schedule - that was nowhere near as grandiose as his pop band’s traditional live sets. The interesting thing is the result may have been somehow more impactful since Ruess was channeling visible bad vibes as he belted out the lyrics to “Carry On” with as much passion as he could muster. With a sound and songs that are about 85 percent based on emotion and looking within one’s self, the effect of Ruess’ frustration was that of hooking the songs - even in a stripped-down fashion - up to a high performance car engine and planting the gas pedal on the floor. It was the same for “The Gambler” and “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be),” and by the start of “We Are Young” - the band’s recent no. 1 Billboard hit - it appeared that both band and a warehouse full of previously booing fans had moved on from the earlier hiccups. That is, until the song’s final “Ooh-ooh-whoa” bridge section, when the sound cut out completely in the middle of Ruess and the crowd trading vocal parts. Quick on his feet, Dost ditched his guitar to get behind the drum set and keep a rhythm while the crowd sang the last verse in an attempt to salvage the night from whatever powers of mayhem that had decided to run amok. It was far from ideal but all involved made the best of it, and sometimes that matters more.
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SXSW band review: The Men at Elysium
Name: The Men
City: Brooklyn, NY
They played: Wednesday night at Elysium
How were they?: At expectations, which were high. On their first album, ‘Leave Home” (Sacred Bones), The Men sounded like a modern noise rock band that knew how to locate and exploit a decent riff. On their new one, “Open Your Heart,” their sound has expanded dramatically, pulling in fast classic rock guitar solos, sleeve-heart chordings a la Hold Steady and a tendency towards the anthemic that didn’t seem present on the first record.
But it’s very easy to hear live. At Elysium, songs exploded into the crowd, fist-pumping and emotive. The audience at it up — by 1 a.m., if you are still at a club at SXSW, you are there to see the 1 a.m. band (this was in sharp contrast to the set from Zola Jesus, which was packed with people just there to talk over her terrific performance — this continues to be the single most annoying aspect of SXSW. If you want to yack loudly, GO OUTSIDE.)
The Men, however, had a smaller crowd, but a very devout one.
Buzz worthy?: Sure.
Bound for?: A good tour with other Sacred Bones acts, one hopes.
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SXSW band review: Matthew Dear at Club DeVille
Name: Matthew Dear
City: Brooklyn, NY
They played: Wednesday night at Club DeVille
How were they?: A revelation. Dear has been playing with triangulation between pure dance electronica (he’s an in-demand remixer and house producer), and neo-post-punk (a la LCD Soundsystem) and a whole lot of Brian Eno for about a decade.
In a live setting, also like LCD, Dear uses a full band, to staggering effect, recalling everything from vintage Factory Records to classic Paul Oakenfold to Massive Attack. Club DeVille is not the best of venues, but Dear, clad in a black suit, held it in the palm of his hand, creating a thrillingly sweaty vibe with songs such as “You Put A Smell on Me” and the brand new “Headcage.”
Buzz worthy?: Oh yes.
ACL Fest candidate?: Absolutely. Would be great in the, well, LCD Soundsystem slot and an aftershow at ACL Live.
Bound for?: where the stars and the dancefloor meet
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SXSW side parties happening Thursday
Free music and free beer, SXSW, something, something. A few of today’s unofficial/side parties are listed below. Check out the Austin 360 side party database for more (there is also a mobile version).
KUT at the Four Seasons with Kat Edmonson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, the Punch Brothers, starts at 7 a.m. More info here.
CQ Records Javacalypse 2012 at Austin Java on 1206 Parkway (off North Lamar) with Smithers, the French Inhales, Love Collector and more starts at 11 a.m. More info here.
Impose Day Party at the Scoot Inn with Andrew W.K., Deerhoof, Titus Andronicus and more. More info here.
Hotel Vegan at Hotel Vegas with Love Inks, the Young, Ringo Deathstarr, and more starts at noon. More info here.
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SXSW Review--La Vida Boheme
La Vida Boheme
From: Caracas, Venezuela
Where they played: Soho Lounge, Wednesday 1 a.m.
These Venezuelan rockers poured so much energy into this show that it even blew a speaker. Luckily, they continued to rock.
“We’re not going to let that (expletive) up the show,” lead singer Henry D´Arthenay reassured a room fill of many fans (who have named themselves La Resistance).
They wasted no time getting the crowd pumped, and opened the show with their party anthem song that’s bound to be a Latin rock classic -“Radio Capital.” Festival goers jumped, danced and chanted “Gabba Gabba Hey,” the catchphrase originally made famous by the punk rock band the Ramones which has now been revived by La Vida Boheme.
Their not-to-be missed live shows makes it easy to see why they snagged Grammy nominations earlier this year. Throughout the show they consistently built up moments with intensity, high energy and their musicality.
When their show wrapped up and their microphones were cut at exactly 2 a.m., an adrenaline-filled audience chanted, “a capella.” But La Vida Boheme plays again midnight on Friday at Maggie Mae’s.
Buzz worthy: The buzz has been building, so let’s keep it going.
Bound for: Touring U.S. a lot more
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SXSW Review-- Tita Lima
Tita Lima
From: Brazil
Where they played: Wednesday 10pm, Maggie Mae’s
When Tita Lima performed at last year’s Pachanga Fest with Adrian Quesada’s The Echocentrics, she left audiences in awe of her smooth vocals with an avant-garde edge. So, it’s no wonder the chance to see her perform solo brought out many local Austinites too, many of whom cheered when she mentioned she was going to perform some Ocote Soul Sounds songs. She’s a frequent collaborator to the psychedelic Afro-beat group.
Despite the sound issues that delayed the show and continued through a few songs, Lima’s voice shined through and thankfully the sound issues seemed to be resolved.
“I’m so happy to be playing on the first night so I can watch shows the rest of the time,” she told the crowd. “Now I’m going to show you some Brazilian flavor.”
And that she did, even whipping out a melodica at one point. Lima’s got a touch of psychedelic in her style, no doubt influenced by her famous musical family — her father is Liminha (bass player for Os Mutantes, a Brazilian psychedelic rock band.)
The songstress’ sultry vocals did not disappoint. Lima has a way of luring the audience into her jazzy and chill world with her magnetic stage presence.
Buzz worthy: Let’s start the buzz to bring her back to Pachanga Fest to perform solo.
Day party worthy? Absolutely
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SXSW Review: Gary Clark Jr.
From: Austin, TX
Where: Zona Rosa, 12:45 a.m. Wednesday/Thursday
Since the release of his first Warner Bros. EP last summer, blues-rock guitar hero Gary Clark, Jr., has been seemingly everywhere, from the Austin City Limits Festival to the White House to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and it seems as if not an hour goes by without KUT playing either “Bright Lights” or “Don’t Owe You a Thang.” Thus, it was surprising to see the crowd disperse after Dr. John’s preceding set — but right before Clark went on, the place was suddenly full again, this time with a crowd that seemed to be about 75% male.
Clark opened with an aggressive statement of purpose, his guitar growling and snarling and occasioning at least one display of the heavy-metal hand sign in the middle of the crowd, as skulls started to nod purposefully, just on the cusp of actual headbanging. The fierce, churning onset of “Don’t Owe You a Thang” prompted a tall, young guy sporting a backwards baseball cap to careen through the ranks of fans in an apparent attempt to start his own personal mosh pit closer to the stage, and Clark’s ferocious scribbling during a long solo had some eyes glazing over in metallic bliss.
Changing things up, Clark crooned in a falsetto on the ballad “Please Come Home,” which had a few couples clutching and slow-dancing, but some of the guys grew restive until the pyrotechnics recommenced in the solo. Afterward, Clark said “That’s enough of that — y’all feel like getting a little crazy? Me, too!” There was one more ballad later on, a lyrical, expressive version of B.B. King’s “3 O’Clock Blues,” but mostly it was hard-charging, high-octane shredding and a swaggering vocal approach to which Clark’s strong baritone is well suited.
Although the band was solid and propulsive, eyes seemed locked almost exclusively on the dazzling guitar clinic the frontman was conducting. Typically, rather than running all up and down the neck, Clark tends to take a juicy riff and wring every drop out of it, and his knack for getting it all and knowing exactly when to move on kept fans mesmerized.
At the end of the night, when Clark began a sneaky, extended intro to “Bright Lights,” one guy excitedly told his girlfriend “This is it!” Building tension, Clark prolonged a chiming, circular riff before finally stabbing out the chords everyone was waiting for. From there, he kept adding layers of menace, and it seemed as though he could have kept ratcheting up the excitement for at least half an hour, if only he hadn’t run smack into closing time.
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SXSW Review: Dr. John
From: New Orleans, La.
Where: Zona Rosa 11:30 p.m. Wednesday
One of the Crescent City’s most venerable icons, Dr. John opened his set with a classic, “Right Place, Wrong Time,” guaranteed to get a good response. The quite diverse crowd, with a surprising number of 20-somethings, reacted almost as enthusiastically to a number of new songs from “Locked Down,” an album that’s not due out until April.
Even if a song is unfamiliar, it’s pretty hard to resist the good doctor’s idiosyncratic vocals, at once conversational and mysterious, or his command of the keyboard, in this case, a Hammond organ. And, as usual, he had a supremely funky yet swinging band, now with former Dumpstaphunk drummer Raymond Weber on drums, replacing the late, great Herman “Roscoe” Ernest. Sometime Bonnie Raitt sideman John Cleary played brilliant keyboards as well, and although the muddy sound mix often let the baritone sax overpower the keys, Cleary’s assistance was particularly useful when Dr. John took a turn on guitar, delighting the crowd with a gnarly, penetrating solo full of dissonance and vinegar, and when he got up to do a mesmerizing little dance, with steps familiar to anyone who’s been to a second line parade, but slowed down to a statelier pace.
It was hard to make out all the lyrics to “Big Shot,” which Dr. John introduced as “a new-y but a true-y,” but the loping, sneering song clearly had a strong element of satire, and the crowd dug it, boding well for the forthcoming release. He closed with one of his most influential numbers, the supremely spooky “I Walk On Gilded Splinters,” and a New Orleans standard, Professor Longhair’s rippling “Big Chief,” and the audience couldn’t have been any more appreciative of the latest buzz band playing the hit du jour.
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SXSW Review: Lila Downs
From: Oaxaca, Mexico
Where: Speakeasy 10 p.m. Wednesday
Lila Downs has two showcases on the schedule, but Speakeasy was still packed tight for the first chance to see the stunning singer, whose bold, bright alto is a force of nature. Fans welcomed her with raucous cries of “Lila, Lila!” and gave a rapturous reception to new songs from her latest album, “Pecados y Milagros.” Downs hoisted a bottle of mezcal at the start of her set and took a swig to toast the crowd and propose to entertain with “mezcal drinking songs,” and even the lovely, plaintive “Cucurrucucu Paloma,” in which she imitated the cries of a dove, had an earthy passion that seemed suitable for a night of Dionysian pursuits.
Whether singing a haunting cumbia or the irrepressible new “La Reina del Inframundo,” or “Queen of the Underworld,” Downs was vibrant and animated, gesturing with graceful drama and even tapping out a percussion solo with her feet. Although phones were often hoisted high as fans made videos, there was little of the obsessive message-checking that went on at some other shows — Downs’ voice commanded attention, swooping low, soaring into the upper reaches and holding a note for an improbably amount of time, and she was fascinating to watch, a swirl of tropical colors as she danced, chandelier-like earrings catching the light and her face as expressive as that of a silent film star while she sang. Between songs, she flashed a high-kilowatt smile.
Downs graciously introduced not only her terrific band — but also the soundman, who, in truth, did a terrific job of balancing complex arrangements that included splendid, surprisingly muscular harp as well as a swaggering horn section that, on this occasion, included two guest members from Austin’s Grupo Fantasma.
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Scene report: Razika at End of an Ear; Gush at Bureau Export/Angers Loire-Valley
Some years it seems like SXSW is half over before something really exciting turns up, but Wednesday afternoon already offered a couple hard-to-beat highlights, in the shape of one of those songs you can’t get out of your head, and don’t want to, and one of those performances that makes you want to go see the same band again that very same night.
Scandinavian indie-pop group Razika isn’t nearly as polished as the sly, Mona Lerche-directed video for its impossibly catchy song “Vondt i hjertet,” but the quartet of very young women was utterly charming at End of an Ear. With long hair pulled messily back in deference to the warm weather, and defiance of anything like a stylist, they played earnestly, sang sweetly and smiled shyly, making a delectable confection out of an effervescent melody and Norwegian lyrics that are actually about the pain of heartache. One of the clerks was tapping the beat out happily on the counter — always a good sign when the record-store clerks start playing along.
French band Gush had some problems with set-up at the Bureau Export/Angers Loire-Valley party in Brush Square and started about half an hour late, which might have prompted people to bail, but you could tell just from the way Vincent Polycarpe pounded the drums and his cousin Mathieu Parnaud attacked the guitar and clavinet during soundcheck that the band was going to be really, really good. It also includes Vincent’s brother Xavier and Parnaud’s cousin Yan Gorodetzky, all three of whom switched around on guitars and bass, while all four musicians sang (in English).
Their vocal harmonies were as well-rehearsed as a doo-wop group’s, and the band was super tight, whether rocking out like a cross between the Stones and the Who, unleashing funk grooves or veering into soukous-flavored pop. Within a half hour or so, Gush’s DNA evinced elements of everything from Queen to the Kinks to the Small Faces, with some angular New Wave and bass-popping P-Funk thrown in for good measure. The group exuded so much natural exuberance that it had no trouble getting people out of their chairs and up in front of the stage from the very first song, despite the typical disinclination to exert that much effort so early in the day. The closest U.S. equivalent would probably be Dr. Dog, whose fans would no doubt appreciate Gush’s mercurial nature, deft vocal harmonies and high energy.
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Bruce Springsteen joins Alejandro Escovedo at the Austin Music Awards
“I wonder if there’s one more guitar player in the house?” Joe Ely asked an expectant crowd at the Austin Music Hall as the clock closed in on midnight. “We need another guitar player.”
MORE PHOTOS Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Sure enough, there was.
Jersey kid. Has a way with words and a certain degree of modest celebrity.
So, yep, for once the rumors were true. Bruce Springsteen did indeed put a finishing flourish to the 30th annual Austin Music Awards by joining headliner Alejandro Escovedo, along with Ely and New York singer Garland Jeffreys for the climax of Escovedo’s closing set.
Springsteen joined Ely and Escovedo for a dark and stormy rendition of Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s “Midnight Train,” and sang backup to Ely’s vocal on the traditional “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad. He chimed in on the chorus of Escovedo’s “Always A Friend” (Dueting with Springsteen on that song in Houston for the first time, said Escovedo, was “three minutes that changed by life”), and took a tangled, granular guitar solo as Jeffrey’s charged through the Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden.”
Springsteen’s cameo was a not altogether unexpected treat (he and Escovedo share a manager), but had he not shown up, the evening would still have been brimming with great music.
Return with us now to those thrilling hours of, well, about 7 p.m. this evening…
The 30th annual Austin Music Awards breathtakingly broke with precedent tonight. The show, which for decades has famously started at 7:09 pm, in fact commenced at 7:06 at the Austin Music Hall with a soaring mini-set by multiple AMA-winners Quiet Company. That kickoff was but the first in a night of surprises.
The band, which took home Band of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year among other honors, was augmented by a cello, horns and a backup chorus, which represented almost an embarrassment of sonic riches.
Their set borrowed equal parts arena rock, indie edginess and eclectic shape-shifting. Their sweep of the major awards categories comes, in retrospect, as no surprise. (The night’s other big winners, the Wheeler Bros., took home five awards).
By contrast, Joe “King” Carrasco served up a vertitable Number Two dinner of muy picante punk-Mex. Joined at one juncture by Shawn Sham, Shorty Ortiz, and a bevy of mariachi musicians for (warning: pun ahead) “Nacho Daddy,” Carrasco and Co. turned the dark Austin Music Hall into one big Spring Break bordertown beach party.
Sixteen Deluxe took we Austinites of A Certain Age back to the bright dawning age of an Austinesque interscetion of punk/indie/pop—aka the days when the Warehouse District contained real warehouses. If they’ve lost a step in the ensuing years, the hiatus wasn’t on display on the Music Hall stage. Vocalist Carrie Clark and guitarist Chris “Frenchie” Smith and sounded as fresh as newly-baked bread. Their big set-closing piece (whose title I didn’t catch) was magisterial, emotional and entirely timeless. The encore that emcee Andy Langer coaxed from them was just gravy.
Ruthie Foster and Carolyn Wonderland supplied a one-two punch of blues, soul and gospel, both separately and together. Foster did a transformative turn on Johnny Cash’s iconic “Ring of Fire,” transforming it into a pensive, Memphis-soul ballad, and Wonderland reprised an old Janis Joplin song, “What Good Can Drinkin’ Do,” as a stomping country blues.
San Antonio native Christopher Cross, who had a brief but Dimaggio-like streak of Grammy- and Oscar-winning hits in 1980, returned to the Austin stage for his induction into the awards show’s Hall of Fame and a reprise of his biggest hits, including “Sailing” and the still-insanely-catchy “Ride Like the Wind” (And you officially qualify as Old School Austin if you can remember his radio jingle for a certain electronics firm: “A Dyer deal/Is a stereo steal…”)
Patty Griffin gave a surprise acoustic performance as she accepted her own Hall of Fame Award. (Other Hall of Fame inductees included Joe “King” Carrasco, Grupo Fantasma, Cindy Cashdollar and Sixteen Deluxe).
By the time Escovedo and his large ensemble took the stage, anticipation was at a pitch. “Lots of folks are very excited for Jay Z to come sit in with Alejandro,” cracked emcee Andy Langer.
Mixing material from a forthcoming new album with cameos by guests including Amy Cook, Rosie Flores, Dan Dyer, Ely and Jeffreys, Escovedo wove a varied and assured path through nine songs before Ely brought up that “one more guitar player.”
It wasn’t the old days, when Springsteen played the Armadillo World Headquarters for three bucks and Western Swing fiddler Alvin Crow opened the show. But it wasn’t bad.
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SXSW review: Jimmy Cliff at The Main
Like many other SXSW sets, Jimmy Cliff’s 10 p.m. set at The Main (formerly Emo’s outside) started late, almost 30 minutes late to be precise. The room was packed, the crowd was notably male-dominated and the vibe was predictably mellow. At one point during the set up Cliff peeked out at the crowd eliciting a loud cheer from the audience. That cheer grew to a roar when the 63-year-old reggae legend took the stage at 15 minutes later and kicked off his set with “You Can Get It If You Really Want” the lead track off the soundtrack to “The Harder They Come,” the 1972 film that launched Cliff into international fame.
Cliff played with a full acoustic set, minus the one-drop bass grooves and tightly woven vocal harmonies that are characteristic of reggae music. His singing was accompanied by just his own guitar, a second acoustic —- often played fingerstyle across the guitarist’s lap—and a drum kit. The simple set up highlighted Cliff’s soulful vocal prowess. It also gave a warm campfire vibe which made it clear why Cliff has become a staple on the outdoor festival circuit as of late. It’s perfect sunset music and only somewhat out of place on a stage made famous by unruly noise bands and hip-hop acts.
His set was comprised almost entirely of classics. The crowd sang enthusiastically along to tracks like “Wonderful World, Beautiful People,” and “The Harder They Come.“ The acoustic trio provided a beautiful rendition of “Sitting Here In Limbo,” with its intricate arpeggiated guitar patterns. Always an ardent social activist, Cliff reworked his 1969 hit “Vietnam” into “Afghanistan” inviting the audience to join him in calling for the troops to come home, which many did. But one of the clear highlights was his soul stirring performance of “Many Rivers To Cross.” The raw, soulful delivery proved both that time hasn’t diminished his pipes, instead age has added countless layers of depth to his wisdom, and also that song is one of the greatest expressions of refugee melancholy ever written.
Cliff closed his set with the track “One More,” a forgivably gratuitous rallying cry taken up by half of the crowd who remained while others rapidly streamed off to the next showcase. The faithful continued to sing the song’s chorus until SXSW staff made it clear that there would be no encore, a move that was met with a hearty round of boos
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March 14, 2012
Scene report: Hey Marseilles
One of the best things about SXSW is stumbling upon surprises. I love those moments when you wander into a club where a band you might never consciously choose to see is doing something truly captivating. Catching a set by Hey Marseilles, a 7-piece from Seattle that creates lush aural soundscapes augmenting traditional rock with cello, violin, trumpet, clarinet and accordion, was one of those moments. The arrangements are beautiful, the instrumental chops are the earnest passion behind the music is clear. I’d love to see this band land an opening slot for Arcade Fire and start to blow up.
Based on the crowd response from a group that seemed to be comprised at least 50 percent of passer throughs who decided to stay they certainly have that potential.
“Thanks for hanging out with us. Thanks for listening to some quiet, introspective orchestral tunes,” lead singer Matt Bishop said before launching into the band’s final sweeping number.
No dude, thank you.
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Scene report: Spotlight Interview Tita Lima
Brazilian songstress Tita Lima wowed Austin audiences at SXSW 2007 and then again last year as part of Adrian Quesada’s project The Echocentrics. She hung out with the Austin American-Statesman before her official showcase.
Tell us about your upcoming album:
TL: Well it’ll come out later this year and a few songs are produced by Adrian Quesada. Half of it was recorded in Austin and some in Brazil and some in LA.
What are you looking forward to about this year’s SXSW?
TL: The interaction with people, the variety. There’s nothing like this in my country. You’re so lucky to have this and it’s like the whole world comes together at SXSW. The talent here is unbelievable even after the festival.
Will you be performing with any of Adrian Quesada’s bands this week?
TL: I just played with Ocote Soul Sounds, and hopefully there’ll be more opportunities. I’m Adrian’s biggest fan.
Tita Lima’s showcase is at Maggie Mae’s 10 pm Wednesday.
Photo by Nancy Flores
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SXSW review: Fiona Apple at Stubb's
Alberto Martinez AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Fiona Apple
From: New York
Where she played: Stubb’s
Cue the dramatic music: Fiona Apple returned to the spotlight, seven years after her last album, at Stubb’s on Wednesday. People were either excited or curious, as a line formed down the block and up Ninth Street by 7:45 p.m. to see the singer songwriter, who made her name in the mid-90s with the hit song “Criminal.” She took the stage about fifteen minutes late, and gave a performance filled with some high and not-so-high moments.
Highs: Apple deals in intensely dramatic pop songs about pain, love and behaving badly, with elements of jazz, the Beatles, and folk music, and she can write. Opener “Fast As You Can” got the job done, with Apple breaking out into a crazy dance as she spit out her vocals, running to the piano to knock out a few bars. On “Sleep to Dream” she was similarly fired up, striking an angry pose and whipping her arms as her voice escalated. Her band was great too, especially when they turned to rock on “A Mistake.”
Not-as-high: Apple’s voice was shaky at times. Not all the way through, but it did seem like she was struggling at points. There was also some weirdness. “I can’t remember if I sang the second verse…you’re imaginary, you’re not real!” She also seemed kind of checked out towards the end of the set.
Some of this might have come from the den of chatty crowds that is Stubb’s — her songs, especially “Extraordinary Machine,” can be delicate, and some of them kind of floated away. Apple has a second showcase at Central Presbyterian Church this week, however, which could be a much friendly venue for her music.
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SXSW band review: Unholy Two at Beerland
Name: Unholy Two
City: Columbus, Ohio
They played: Wednesday at Beerland, Can’t Stop the Bleeding day party
How were they?: Just stellar. An ungodly (or, fine, unholy) racket is definitely the way to start the music part of SXSW. This quartet, including Bassholes drummer Bim Thomas of Obnox on drums, more than delivered. Unholy Two is an outlet for screamer/ guitarist Chris Lutzko, guitarist Adam Smith and whomever he can draw into his web of skree. This time around, three guitarists (and Thomas, calm, grooving, with a cigarette in mouth the entire time), lined up against the crowd and turning the air into silly putty, a bit in the manner of early Pussy Galore, but angrier, more Midwestern, more irritated with everything. Riffs could be found if you paid attention (each guitar could actually be located in the mix, oddly), but you had to sink your teeth into a wall of wind-tunnel feedback and noise to do it. We were more than happy to comply. Wicked.
Buzz worthy?: If you like hideous noise, always.
ACL Fest candidate?: BWHAHAHAHAHAHHAhahahah….oh, mercy, no. Nothing this noisy or unhinged would be on an ACL Fest stage in a million years.
Bound for?: the gutter
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SXSW Interview: Steven Van Zandt talks about Clarence Clemons, upcoming tour
When Bruce Springsteen and E Street band take the stage Thursday for their SXSW showcase at a still-undisclosed location, it will be without saxophonist Clarence Clemons, aka the “Big Man,” who died last June.
In his absence, Clemons’ nephew Jake and a second sax player, have joined the band, but they’re no replacements.
“It’s emotionally nice for the band, and I think for the audience, to have that connection to Clarence,” E Street guitarist Steven Van Zandt, aka Little Steven, said Wednesday. “It’s a nice extra thing, at the same time without putting pressure on him to be the new Big Man. That’s not necessary, that’s not what we’re expecting, that’s not what anybody wants. There’s only one big man.”
In addition to a second saxophone, the band has added three horns for their upcoming tour in support of Springsteen’s new album, “Wrecking Ball.” Van Zandt says that the additions will give the tour an emphasis on the band’s “soul music roots.” When they kicked off their tour last week at New York’s Apollo Theater, the set included covers of the Wilson Pickett hit “634-5789” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” made famous by the Temptations.
The focus of the tour, however, will be the new material, a mix of different styles centered around the theme of economic hard times. Van Zandt says that Springsteen’s writing continues to impress and inspire him.
“He keeps on blowing my mind by writing at such a high level of quality, way past the point where he has to do that,” Van Zandt says. “He writes like it’s his first album, he’s still writing like it matters, and it does matter to us, and that’s why we’ve never become a nostalgia band. We go out every tour with his new script, the new album that he has written, and that gives us a whole new energy again. You go out year after year and you want to kill, like it’s our first album.”
While Clarence Clemons and drummer Max Weinberg contributed to a few songs, “Wrecking Ball” is not an E Street Band album. A few of the new songs, including the folky stomper “Death to My Hometown,” feel more similar to Springsteen’s 2006 album “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Expect the E Street band to offer a different take.
“It’s fun to adapt those songs to the E Street thing,” Van Zandt says. “It’s different, it’s another way of communicating songs that are already great. We’re capturing the essence of the album, you don’t want to lose that, but at the same time, we’re giving it a more of rock treatment so the songs fit in the show.”
The live performance will also be a tribute to Clemons and late organist Danny Federici, who died in 2008.
“(Clemons’) work needs to be carried on, the tour of course will be a tribute to him, as every tour is a tribute to Danny and his work, so their work gets carried on by these new players.”
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SXSW panel: Hometown to National: How to Grow Your Band
Hometown to National: How to Grow Your Band 5:00 pm Wednesday
- Jackie Indrisano—Talent Buyer/Café 939 at Berklee School of Music
- Michael Bishop—Talent Buyer/Brighton Music Hall
- Michael Carpenter—Artist Manager/Talent Buyer, Creamer Mgmt.—Moderator
- Susan Scotti—Publicist/Last Call Agency
The moderator and the three panelists of the panel “Hometown To National: How To Grow Your Band” didn’t waste much time with preamble. Without much digression the Boston-based quartet of panelists opened up the room straight away for nuts-and-bolts questions from the musicians and industry workers in attendance.
“We could all tell war stories, but we think it’s better off if you all are the ones driving the bus,” said Indrisano.
Herewith a few highlights from the Q&A:
How can a band build their draw?
Scotti—When you book the show, ask about the venue manager about his press list and say, what do you guys do on your end? Find out what they do and supplement that. Find someone who can write a good bio and press release. Don’t use My Space, spend a few bucks on a website. Engage your fan base, not just at your show, but elsewhere.
Bishop—You can’t just have a Facebook page. You have to invest in your product and believe in yourself. If you have a website, chances are I’ll believe in you, too.
Indrisano—Get out of your comfort zones. You’ve got to go out to other shows and network, go to venues you’d like to play at and do your research. Get to know the deejays at the late night college radio shows. Get on their radar.
When should an artist look at larger markets?
Creamer—You leave your home town as soon as you’re able to get a gig in another city. I tell my people, meet other bands from other cities and trade shows as you grow.
What’s the best way to get a booking agent?
Scotti—If you’re creating a buzz, they’ll come to you. If you keep selling out a popular venue and getting some press, they’ll come to you.
Indrisano—Don’t neglect the boutique agencies. Everyone can’t be CAA. The secondary agencies have bands they can concentrate on, their rosters are smaller, and they can keep everybody happy.
Bishop—Don’t be obnoxious in an e-mail. Tell me where you’ve played in the market and what you drew. Be honest and straightforward, because I will call those venues and double-check, and if there’s more than a 20-person difference, I will write you off.
How do you transcend from underground shows to mainstream venues?
Creamer—Rent out a (club) room for a night and split expenses with your fans so the promoter can see what you can do. Do it on an off night; it puts you in a position to show the promoter what you can do.
Indrisano—Use your website to collect some testimonials…Convince people with real businesses that you can respect what’s going on.
How do you break out of a region?
Creamer—If you feel like you’ve hit a plateau, sit down as a band and set down some goals for the next six months, year, eighteen months.
Indrisano— Figure out who you want to engage. The Civil Wars were playing my 200-seat club two years ago. It’s got to be about the song and the intention. You never know when it’s going to hit.
Bishop—Try to hit up bigger bands to open their shows in their region.
How can a band stand out?
Scotti—Be nice. Don’t be the hipster staring at your shoes. I was working with a band who were so friendly and engaging with their fans, before, during and after the show, and they would win people over. They made friends and fans with everyone from the soundman to the bartenders. It was amazing to me how quickly their draw grew. Don’t be aloof.
Indrisano—If you’re going to a new city, if there’s time, hit up concierges at hotels and pedicab drivers—they’re the big word of mouth. Tourists want to know where to go and what to do at night. Do your homework before you leave on tour.
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Scene report: South Congress
Although traffic moved slowly on South Congress Wednesday afternoon, the sidewalks were still navigable, and the short lines at Jo’s Coffee moved swiftly during the first hours of the Gram Parsons Foundation launch event in the Hotel San Jose parking lot. There was a good-sized audience, including a few sets of parents setting up camp with excitable posses of small children and double strollers the size of Mini Coopers, but it was possible to amble around to look at the wares in vendors’ booths or find a better spot to nod along to mellow, is-it-live-or-is-it-a-lost-Poco-album songs from Blitzen Trapper, including “Taking It Easy Too Long” and “Love the Way You Walk Away.” A young woman in short shorts swayed side to side, looking like she might at any moment tumble off her towering clogs, which kept her feet at such a steep pitch that her calf muscles bulged out like an Olympic weightlifter’s. While waiting at the counter to order hot tea, two Canadians in town for SXSW comedy rhapsodized about Austin’s tacos and lamented the dearth of same in their native land.
A few hours later, Austin’s Amy Cook was belting out songs with a lot more angst, and most of the families had departed, but the mood in the crowd was still laid-back — in contrast to side streets, where tense drivers cruised for parking spaces. One yard on Gibson Street had a helpful handmade poster warning people to look at the new city signs designating the area as resident-parking only.
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Big Easy Express moves to University of Texas
The encore screening of “Big Easy Express” followed by the performance of Mumford and Sons and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros has moved from Austin High School to the LBJ lawn at UT, 2312 Red River St. On the event page (it’s sponsored by MySpace), the gates are still listed as opening at 6:30 p.m. and the show starting at 8 p.m. Saturday. RSVP for free tickets there, too.
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Cool free side party tomorrow: East vs. West hip-hop battle featuring Mobb Deep, J. Cole
The event, which goes down tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. at Empire Automotive is hosted by heavyweight hip-hop radio stations Hot 97 in New York City and Power 106 in Los Angeles. The two stations each hosted local artist battles to bring ambassadors representing each coast to SXSW. Out of 3700 artists who applied the two winners are NYC’s B. Martin and LA’s MC Imprint. The two will stage a final battle at the event. More excitingly, the event will feature free performances from J. Cole and Mobb Deep’s Prodigy, Rapsody and 9th Wonder. Holla! Peter Rosenburg (HOT 97), Felli Fel and Yesi Ortiz (Power 106 New @ 2) will host.
Check out our side parties database for a mess of other good free options.
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Scene report: Mellow Fort and traffic woes in East Austin
Video by Jenni Jones FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Given the ridiculous parking/traffic situation in East Austin, the Fader Fort, this year sponsored by Converse was surprisingly mellow this afternoon around 3 p.m. Lines outside the Fort were non-existent as press and civilians alike breezed right in to the wildly popular side party. Inside, where disappointingly, there was no Converse pop-up shop, the longest line was at a T-shirt counter up front where savvy Fader fans redeemed coupons for free screen-printed T-shirts. Lines for free beer actually seemed manageable and practically no one was queued for Roberta’s Pizza which was going for about $9 a slice (personal pie?). Instead, a stylish and relatively diverse mixture of SXSWers lounged on swings and some sort of astroturf chill-scape sculpture and played ping-pong.
There was a good-sized crowd clustered in front of the stage where a three-piece pumped electro-dance rock through the system, but the venue was nowhere near capacity. Presumably the scene will heat up tonight as buzzier acts like Danny Brown and Santigold take the stage, but the laid back vibe does lead a girl to wonder if some combination of the party’s heavy buzz, the early closure of the RSVP list and the insane proliferation of free SXSW side parties has served to diffuse the madness traditionally associated with getting into the Fort.
The overall scene in Austin, however was crazier than it’s ever been. All of the side streets between Cesar Chavez and East Sixth as far east as Comal were jam packed with cars, cyclists (ahem helmet-less, death wishin’ cyclists) and pedestrians. Parking was scarce to non-existent as a mix of SXSWers, Spring Breakers and run of the mill Austinites crowded into venues ranging from the Scoot Inn on East Fourth which hosted the Thrasher Mag Death Match to the Spotify House on Cesar Chavez, just East of the I-35 and a mess of garages, back porches and patches of sidewalk in between. While some enterprising East Austinites sold parking spaces in their driveways and Gatorade on the streets, others will surely become annoyed as the week continues and streets become ever more difficult to pass.
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SXSW scene: Heartless Bastards don't need electricity
When the generator supplying power to the Heartless Bastards’ music equipment failed a few times at the start of their Wednesday afternoon set at Antone’s, the rock ‘n’ roll band decided to go acoustic.
The crowd at the sparsely populated downtown club for the Pandora Discovery Den party packed in close to the stage and grew quiet.
What followed was a display of singer Erika Wennerstrom’s vocals, which it turns out stand up beautifully without the backing of wailing guitars.
After opening with “Parted Ways,” off their latest album, “Arrow,” someone in the crowd yelled the only thing missing was a campfire. Bassist Jesse Ebaugh drew laughs by asking: “Does anybody have any campfire wood?”
Ebaugh thanked the crowd for its patience and said band members were having a blast. Then they launched into a few more songs.
After it was over, one person in the crowd said the band’s effort was “above and beyond.” Another was overheard telling a friend that by shifting gears and not quitting the set, the band showed respect for its audience.
The respect was mutual.
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Scene report: Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay at Lucy's Fried Chicken
Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay effortlessly muted South Congress chaos early Wednesday afternoon. Absolutely pure (“The Box”) and perfect (“Be My Ball and Chain”) country music will do that. As sirens screamed and cycles growled each way across South Congress and Oltorf, the local duo drown out distractions with stunning whimsy (“I Wanna Be an Old Lady”) and wit (“Backsliding Blues”). Few acoustic duos are as perfectly paired. Fewer still set fret boards afire while delivering equally combustible one-liners.
“Noel McKay and I have been writing together a lot,” Leigh said absolutely straight-faced midway through their 40-minute set at Lucy’s Fried Chicken. “We can’t stand each other, but we sacrifice for the music.” The 60-strong crowd ate up every word. (Group composite attire sketch: Worn jeans topped with Willie tour t-shirt and proud flannel button-downs.) Leigh and McKay’s inarguable high watermark (“Are You Still Taking Them Pills”) rivaled Leigh’s masterful Sunny Sweeny co-write (“Amy”) for finest moment.
Leigh and McKay showcase at 11 p.m. Friday (The White Horse, 500 Comal St.). Go.
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SXSW scene report: Waterloo Records
“Y’all having a good SXSW?” Waterloo records owner John Kunz asked the crowd before a 2 p.m. set from Mississippi-based garage rock band Bass Drum of Death on Wednesday.
When it comes to free, daytime performances during SXSW, Waterloo Records, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, offers one of the most consistent and eclectic lineups each day during the festival. This year the record store hosts sets from Blitzen Trapper, Lucero, Gary Clark Jr., Jimmy Cliff, Ruthie Foster and many others (check out the schedule here).
The sets, which start at noon, are also streaming live on Waterloo’s website.
Because it’s all-ages and on the other side of town from much of the SXSW madness, the crowd was a mix of people ranging from energy-drink-wired teenagers to older folks. Apparently Bass Drum of Death, who played their hook-heavy party soundtrack, has a wide appeal, as there was a whole lot of head shakin’ going on.
In between sets, Kunz encouraged people to donate to the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, which had volunteers collecting donations on site. The organization is in particular need of donations, as it hasn’t been able to enroll new members for the past few months.
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Getting Around SX: Rail
Tips for using the Capital Metro Rail system during the SXSW Music Festival.
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Getting Around SX: Bus Tips
A walk through how to use the stop ID numbers at Capital Metro bus stations, for people unfamiliar with the bus system in Austin.
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Police caution SXSW attendees on wristbands
Austin police are once again reminding South By Southwest attendees seeking all-access wristbands to buy them only at official outlets such as the Austin Convention Center or at sxsw.com. Several wristbands were stolen from a service counter at the convention center, according to a news release. Anyone who purchased wristbands with serial numbers 1-3323 to 1-3400 is asked to call 911. SXSW officials and police are working to deactivate the chips in the stolen bands.
Police are also encouraging attendees to not buy wristbands from scalpers, whether in person or on the Internet.
On Wednesday afternoon, wristbands were going from $175 to $400 and up on Austin’s Craigslist site.
Security measures such as microchips in the wristbands have discouraged counterfeiting over the years as technology has improved, but fake wristbands remain an occasional problem. In 2003 several hundred fake wristbands were found on the last day of the festival. Four people were charged and pleaded guilty.
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Set times for Red Bull Thre3Style, featuring Erykah Badu
The Red Bull Thre3Style features some familiar names in a new location. DJ Jazzy Jeff and last year’s headliner Z-Trip return with the event that has moved to 8th Street and Trinity Street.
Texas native Erykah Badu and The Cannabinoids take the stage before Z-Trip, on a bill that includes The Crystal Method. As with any good SXSW event, it would not be complete without some good rumor mongering. And there has been word on the street that a certain hip-hop star (no, not Jay-Z) in town to perform, may make an appearance, as well. The Mos Def set at last year’s Red Bull party was one of the fest’s highlights. Organizers suggest folks arrive early.
The all-ages event, which challenges DJs to spin three different musical genres (hence the punny name), is free and open to the public. Gates open at 7 p.m. Saturday, with the first act taking the stage at 8 p.m. Those wanting a sense of privilege, can enter to win VIP tickets by texting “3StyleATX” to 72855.
Below are the planned set times:
8:00 p.m. Big Once
8:15 p.m. Hedspin
8:30 p.m. Dan Automator
9:00 p.m. Datsik
9:30 p.m. Jazzy Jeff
10:15 p.m. Crystal Method
11:15 p.m. Erykah Badu
12:30 a.m. Z-Trip
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Lil Wayne show at Austin Music Hall IS an offical showcase
Turns out the Lil Wayne showcase at Austin Music Hall is not, repeat NOT, invite-only.
“Some websites have reported that Lil Wayne’s SXSW Showcase at Austin Music Hall is invitation only,” said SXSW booker/hip-hop guru Matt Sonzala. “This is not the case. Badges, wristbands and a limited amount of tickets will be on sale, just like any other official SXSW Showcase.”
Look for appearances from Busta Rhymes, Mystikal, Lil Chucky and Cory Gunz.
Weezy has just inked a large endorsement deal with Mountain Dew, who is sponsoring the showcase. His new “DEWeezy” (no, really) mixtape can be found here.
A limited number of tickets go on sale Thursday at a location to be named later.
Update: Ticket information will be released at 11 a.m. Thursday, according to sxsw.com.
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SXSW scene report: Tim Kerr posts his thoughts on the Bad Brains movie
As you might imagine, former Big Boys guitarist Tim Kerr has some thoughts on “Bad Brains: Band in CD’ reviewed here.
“Bad Brains: Band in DC” screens 4:45 p.m. today at the Vimeo Theatre, 9:15 p.m. Friday at Alamo Ritz 1 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Village.
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SXSW scene report: Everyone's a roadie
One of the guests at BMI’s annual Howdy Texas Party seemed to be taking homegrown hospitality a little too far. Just before the Hobarts (an ensemble that included Susan Cowsill, Freedy Johnson and Jon Dee Graham) was due to take the inside stage at Stubb’s, down the stairs came Casey Monahan, the director of the state’s Texas Music Office. Monahan was laboring under the weight of an enormous blonde guitar amp which, as it happened, belonged to Graham. Asked what such an esteemed personage as himself was doing playing roadie, Monahan smiled and gestured to Graham. “I’d do anything for that guy,” he said.
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Austin Music Award winners announced
The show is tonight (7:09 p.m. at Austin Music Hall, $15-$20 for non-badgeholders), but the winners were announced earlier today in the Austin Chronicle. It’s Quiet Company’s year; they’re tops in song of the year (“Me, You and the Boatman”), album (“We Are All Where We Belong”), band of the year and musicians of the year for the group’s leader, Taylor Muse, among several other awards.
See the whole list here.
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SXSW scene report: Sacred Bones Records in music and film
Man, the Hideout rules. From the black, wood walls that massage sound like a farmhand rubbing a side of Kobe beef to the old school chairs falling apart in tiered rows, no other venue in town looks and sounds more like you could be in New York in 1975. It is perfect for avant-garde (or merely garde) theater, it’s perfect for the sort of rock music that attractes people who like to sit down and it was perfect for the Sacred Bones film and music showcase Tuesday night.
Sacred Bones is a Brooklyn-based record label specializing in forward-thinking (more or less) rock music, much of it noisy, some of it with an electronic tinge. When I wandered in, everyone was watching at set from Led Er Est, a three piece outfit who combined primitive electronics with guitar buzz, while an abstract film of shifting gray and white computer graphics played behind them. Expect Led Er Est’s Sacred Bones debut LP, “The Diver,” in May.
And kudos to Sacred Bones for running a tight ship. “In-house video director” (as in, those are their words, not irony quotes) Jacqueline Castel kept things moving, noting that between the Led Er Est set and the following programming bloc was an “Eight minute break…now a seven minute break.” Well done.
Music videos from Sacred Bones acts followed (seven minutes later), many of them directed by Castel. It was a sharp reminder than the music video form, so crucial to pop culture in the 80s and 90s, is still very much alive. But budgets are far lower (which, it should be noted is true for even major label acts), giving the videos an enjoyable early ’80s quality. It helps when the song is stong (word to Zola Jesus and Pop. 1280).
The evening, which eventually featured a strong set from Psych Ills, the films of the legendary Psychic TV (DVD, please!) and the public premier of Sacred Bones first DVD production “Twelve Dark Noons.” The whole evening was a strong, knowing transition from SXSW film to SXSW music. Onward.
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SXSW side parties happening Wednesday
One day down, four more to go. A few of today’s unofficial/side parties are listed below. Check out the Austin 360 side party database for more (there is also a mobile version).
Rubberneck’s SXSW 2012 Day Party at the Longbranch Inn with Las Ardillas, Mouthbreathers, Dikes of Holland, Bobby Jealousy and more starts at noon. More info here.
Burgerstock 2012 happens at Trailer Space with the Zoltars, Mean Jeans, Natural Child, Thee Oh Sees and more. Lineup and info here.
Bass Drum of Death, Fun., Howler and more play Waterloo Records starting at noon. More info.
Puffy Areolas, Unholy Two, Bare Wires and more play the Can’t Stop the Bleeding party at Beerland. Free, starts at noon. More info here.
Blood Orange, Chairlift, Husky, Twerps and more play Mohawk starting at noon. Free. Lineup.
KVRXplosion 2012 at Spiderhouse/29th St. Ballroom with Dent May, White Fence, Bass Drum of Death and many others starts at 12:30 p.m. Lineup.
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SXSW review - Theophilus London
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Theophilus London
From: New York City
Where they played: La Zona Rosa, Tuesday night
I’ll earn no favor with Austin360 colleague/homey Deborah Sengupta-Stith by saying this but at a special promotional party/performance this summer at Austin’s Lustre Pearl, electro/R&B loverman Theophilus London just plain wasn’t very good. His band sounded thin, the man seemed barely present and the whole evening came off flat. It was a very bad look for an artist who’s been praised loudly as an exciting new talent in pop music.
All of that said so we can crumple those memories up like a sheet of notebook paper and toss them in the trash, because on Tuesday night at La Zona Rosa London was just about on fire and a joy from start to finish. From the jump there was a psychic connection to funk greats Parliament, with a giant carved out canoe(?) in place of the Mothership hanging in the background and a shirtless bass player wearing an animal print vest and a metallic gold Mexican wrestling mask. The influence went beyond costuming, thankfully, and London’s croons and raps had a sturdy bounce and sway to them on “Last Name London” (imagine George Clinton writing the original “Knight Rider” theme song and you’ve got a feel for its rhythmic drive) and new song “Lisa” that saw London pull a woman from the crowd to sing to her in his best ode to R&B heartbreaker Johnny Gill.
It’s tempting and easy to play “spot the influences” with London’s music because he’s so joyfully unapologetic in re-appropriating pieces of Prince, Andre 3000, Morris Day… you get the idea. But it’s smartest to put the magnifying glass away and just bounce along when someone is brash enough to combine a vocal sample of Shirley Bassey’s “Big Spender,” airhorns, and beats that would’ve fit perfectly on a Trick Daddy album around the turn of the century. Or, if their closing number is titled after an unprintable female body part (main lyric; “Let me see your…”) that, fittingly, moved a woman in the audience to toss her bra up on stage for London to hold aloft like a trophy.
Buzz worthy: No reason to stop now, since he’s already there.
Day party worthy?: Yes
Afterparty worthy?: Hell yes. Sell your children if you have to.
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SXSW review - Santigold
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
In a glowing review of Santigold’s set at the most recent Austin City Limits Festival, I speculated that the electro-pop singer’s new material would likely sound great in an enclosed concert hall or club with a powerful sound system that could really show off the low end sounds that seemed prominent in those new songs.
At the time of that writing, La Zona Rosa was the venue I had in my mind’s eye because of rollicking, celebratory sets earlier in the year by similarly inclined bands Sleigh Bells and CSS, where the large, open room turned into a pulsing cavern. So when Santigold appeared on the bill for the Warner Bros. opening-night showcase at LZR it seemed like a lock for a great show and the kickoff to a week where she’s ripe for a coronation (she’s even got the tiara in tow) as a true pop princess.
Tuesday, however, was not that night in any way, shape or form.
Where to start? Maybe with a new sound and lighting engineer. Acts preceding and following Santigold got plenty of kick and nuance from the venue’s audio equipment, but from the start of set opener “Go” it was apparent something was off, with nothing coming through on the highs or low ends of the aural range and the Philly native clearly fretting over the results. After pushing through hit “L.E.S. Artistes” that sounded no better (a back of house A/V tech could be heard asking “Can they get him a new bass cable?”) and a restarted “Lights Out” the singer good-naturedly joked that she’d sing the song acapella if need be.
If only. Things picked up with the familiar “Say” (following new song “God From The Machine” that was done no favors acoustically in its debut for the audience) and a powerful run through“Creator” that featured close to a dozen crowd members on stage dancing with the singer, her band and backup dancers. But there was never a feeling of momentum or triumph coming from the stage and by the end of the set Santigold looked defeated and laconic even as she tried to smile and put a happy spirit out in front of new songs where the vocal lines were so buried it was tough to make out a single line of lyrics as dub reggae rhythms or high-speed drum tracks pulsed overhead.
This is a week that’s been carved out to be ascendant for Santi White. Hopefully Tuesday night just a momentary stumble on the first step.
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SXSW Report - odds and ends from Warner Bros. at LZR
With a night focused on reviewing Santigold and Theophilus London at Warner Bros. Records’ first night of its three-day occupation of La Zona Rosa, that meant killing time through a handful of acts that aren’t quite worth the full view treatment. But that, dear readers, is why there’s bullet points. And sentence fragments.
Neon Hitch - Head to the bathroom as stage prep for opening act looks to be finished. Music starts. Exit bathroom as expediently as possible. Hear/see last 30 seconds of some kind of tribal/dance/electro-pop something, after which the assortment on stage bids farewell. Amiable stage security fellow says two songs was all there were. Well then.
Outasight - Try this one on in your brain’s mental changing room; imagine the guy who’s the prototypical last cut at the casting call for the fifth member of E!’s red carpet awards coverage team going on to become a recording artist specializing in anthemic party-pop rap. Take a second to digest all that. Yonkers-born Richard Andrew said 2012 marks his fourth year in a row showcasing at SXSW, and he’s clearly not bored with making the trip, as he belted out songs like “Tonight Is The Night” and “Now Or Never,” that sound like LMFAO or Far East Movement jams run through that WASP-y prep school filter we all know ProTools only sells to the 1-percenters.
Chuckie - Here’s where I started to drift. Chuckie is the performance name of Clyde Narain, who from all indications is a talented and capable DJ who can build to a crowd-pleasing bass drop as well as anybody. But staying engaged in a DJ set if you’re not the type who has a street-level pharmacist named “Shotgun” on your cellphone’s speed dial can be a challenge. Chuckie’s Wikipedia page says he specializes in Dutch House music, and he did yell/cheer for “house music!” a couple of times, though honestly you could’ve told me it was Detroit techno and I’d have just smiled and nodded. Coming from a Michigan native (where half of all electronic dance music was created) that’s a shameful admission. Let’s move on.
Flux Pavilion - Lots of mouths in the music biz are calling this UK youngster the “next Skrillex,” which I’m guessing means he’s the next DJ who will record a collaboration album with metal band Korn, get nominated for a Grammy and weird out Tony Bennett on the award ceremony telecast. One thing at a time, though. On Tuesday night Flux Pavilion filled LZR back up after the crowd thinned following Santigold, and brought touches of soul, reggae, pop and other softer elements into normally aggressive and grating textures of dubstep music. Songs in his set featured lots of smaller crescendos and bass drops, making them more of a steady stream instead of one giant moment that hits like an anvil. New single “Daydreamer” is a plain and simple great song. Remember this name.
Doctor P - A collaborator of Flux Pavilion, only unrelentingly aggressive and it was late so I headed toward the “exit” signs. Outside afterward, two young men who’d apparently forgotten earplugs walked out of the venue trying to argue with each other over who was having a harder time hearing the other. It was like Abbott and Costello doing “Waiting for Godot.” Do we really need four more days of this?
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March 13, 2012
SXSW scene report: The year of Gary Clark, Jr. starts now
Austin blues titan Gary Clark, Jr., all of 27 years old, has been on the verge of blowing up for about years. 2012 is looking pretty good — don’t be surprised if you see him on more than a few magazine covers between now and next SXSW.
Last year’s “Bright Lights” (Warner Bros.) was that oddest of ducks, the major label EP (they still make those at that level?). But it is a great record, a tremendous snapshot of an artists just coming into his own.
He’s already been in a movie (“Honeydripper”) and played the White House.
A full-length album is due in the fall, which the Austin native said he’s heading off to Los Angeles to record, when I was able to catch him for a few minutes at his Sixth Street office Tuesday afternoon.
“I like going around without a big crew,” Clark said of SXSW, “I like just heading out by myself.” Clark is at the stage of his career that Austinites would recognize him, but other people might not. This will likely change within the year.
For the most part, SXSW is a busman’s holiday for Clark, who played played nine shows at SXSW last year and is slated to playing eight this year. After recording the album, he’s planning on playing a ton of festivals in the summer and fall, which are the perfect audiences for Clark’s 21st century blues.
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Review: Alabama Shakes 'ACL' taping
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
While not officially a SXSW showcase, the Alabama Shakes made a strong argument at Tuesday’s “Austin City Limits” taping at ACL Live that they are this year’s band to beat, at least when it comes to groups coming into the festival with a truckload of hype.
As he usually does, “ACL” producer Terry Lickona introduced the band, saying, “if you don’t know who they are now, you’re going to.” He’s right — if their other performances this week are anything like this one was, this band is going to get a lot of coverage.
Led by super-charismatic singer/guitarist Brittany Howard, the band, who played together for a long time before they started to get attention last fall, played songs that will appear on their upcoming album, “Boys & Girls,” which isn’t out until April. A few of those songs have already been released on an online EP, including “Hold On,” with its soft-to-loud approach that allows Howard to unleash her voice in frenzy of rock and soul goodness.
Throughout the set, Howard showed herself to be versatile as well (at times maybe even a little bit like that guy from New Jersey who’s giving a keynote in a couple days), rattling off rapid-fire vocals and pointing her finger in the air on “I Found You,” then bringing it back down to sweet quiet on “Boys & Girls,” playing a not-too-bad guitar and even working the crowd sans guitar.
Bands influenced by classic soul isn’t a new thing, but there isn’t anyone else doing it quite like the Alabama Shakes right now. They’re playing a a few other shows this week, including a couple day parties (click here for a schedule), so there will be other opportunities to check them out.
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SXSW scene report: Jansport party at the Mohawk
Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Free backpacks! Beer! SXSW music crept closer to the beginning of the week on Tuesday, as people crowded in at Mohawk for the Jansport bonfire party, which was advertised as having an actual bonfire, though that wasn’t happening in 80-degree, super-muggy weather. The weather was a bit easier to take, however, with Mohawk’s new two-tiered deck, which added a lot more shade.
White Denim, the Strange Boys, Bear Hands and Fly Golden Eagle were scheduled to play the party. The Austin-based Strange Boys, who released their third full-length, “Live Music,” in 2010, went on around 4 p.m. after a delay during which lead singer Ryan Sambol killed time on the piano.
The keys provided the foundation for much of the band’s set, with Sambol singing and playing at the same time, which might not sound like much but isn’t something that a whole lot of other rock’n’roll bands in Austin are doing. It’s something that Sambol, whose songs lean pretty heavily on R&B and country rock, pulls off fairly well.
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Unofficial SXSW parties happening Tuesday
SXSW music officially starts today, and with it a lot of unaffiliated parties are happening around town. A few are listed below. Check out the Austin 360 side party database for more (there is also a mobile version).
Sons of Hercules, Holy Wave, the Wolf, Bobby Jealousy and more play Spiderhouse/29th St. Ballroom starting at 7 p.m. Free. More info and lineup here.
Dikes of Holland, A Giant Dog, Grape St. and more play Trailer Space Records starting at 6:15 p.m.. Free. Lineup and more info here.
Black Gum, John Wesley Coleman and secret guests play Beerland for the Monofonus party. $7. Starts at 7:30 p.m. More info and the lineup here.
ZORCH, Dikes of Holland, Dana Falconberry, Brass Bed, Este Vato and a couple dozen other bands play Cheer Up Charlies. Starts at noon. Free. Info and lineup here.
Delta Spirit plays Waterloo at 5 p.m. Free. More info here.
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March 12, 2012
Review: Jay-Z at ACL Live
It felt like the music portion of SXSW got off to an early start Monday night with superstar rapper Jay-Z at ACL Live. The performance, which was announced last week and streamed on YouTube and on a screen on Red River Street, was part of a promotion for American Express Sync during the Interactive portion of the fest.
More photos | Credit: Jay Plunkett ASSOCIATED PRESS
The venue, which has a capacity of just under 3,000, was an intimate setting for a performer whose last appearance in Austin was at the Erwin Center in 2009. When Jay-Z took the x-shaped stage just after 7:30 p.m., the theater was packed with people, most from out-of-town, judging by the reaction toward the end when he asked who was from New York or the West Coast.
Unlike his Erwin Center show, which was a sort of greatest-hits medley for much of the night, Monday’s set was filled with mostly older songs played all the way through, including opener “What More Can I Say,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” and “U Don’t Know,” the beginning of which got a huge response from the crowd before it was restarted.
The set came to life with black-and-white video during “99 Problems.” It was a rare moment of flash on a night that was mostly focused on Jay-Z and not much else. The pace of the set didn’t really let up, with “Girls, Girls, Girls” and his new ode to his daughter, “Glory,” among the few slower songs.
The set contained a few numbers from his most recent solo album, “The Blueprint 3,” including “Run This Town,” with piped-in Rihanna vocals, and “Empire State of Mind,” but most of the songs came from “Blueprint,” “The Black Album” and “Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life.” At several points he mentioned SXSW and Austin, saying “I feel a lot of love in this town tonight” before breaking into “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love),” one of the highlights of the night.
It wasn’t the craziest Jay-Z show ever, but it was enough to serve as a reminder of his standing as one of the biggest rappers during a week that promises performances from Nas, 50 Cent, GZA, rumors about sets from other big names, as well as a whole bunch of younger rappers.
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Unofficial SXSW parties happening Monday
Official SXSW music events don’t really get started until tomorrow (unless you count the Jay-Z show at ACL Live tonight), but there are plenty of shows happening this afternoon and tonight. Here are a few:
Hotel Vegas: Covert Curiosity/Austin Music Weekly’s Strange Brew party at Hotel Vegas has sets from great Austin-based bands including Holy Wave, the Zoltars, Leatherbag and others. Things get going at 2 p.m. and run all night. Free. RSVP here.
Beerland: PBR Sounds of Chicago at Beerland has White Mystery, Netherfriends, the Ivorys, more. That’s also free and starts at 2 p.m. More info here.
Mohawk/Club DeVille: Wavves, Japandroids, the Sour Notes, Grape St., the Young and more play, event starts at 6 p.m. Free, no RSVP required. More info here.
29th St. Ballroom/Spiderhouse: Thee Oh Sees, Dikes of Holland, OBN IIIs, Flesh Lights and more, starts at 7 p.m. Full lineup here.
Search our database for more parties.
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March 11, 2012
Here comes da funk: George Clinton at SXSW today
Just got this release:
“Heads up: the Funkmaster himself, George Clinton, will make a surprise stop at SxSW TODAY, March 11th at 5:30pm, to talk about his Indiegogo fundraising campaign to save his studio.”
He’ll be at the CNN Grill (aka Max’s Wine Dive at 207 San Jacinto) to talk about his battles to regain the copyrights over his original material. And there’s this intriguing line: WILL THERE BE A POPUP CONCERT?
We’re guessing yes.
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March 9, 2012
Fader Fort releases lineup, Carson Daly heading to Austin
— Fader Fort released its daily lineup, including the tantalizing “special guests” on the last slot Saturday night. Santigold and Gary Clark Jr., who would be the prom queen and king of SXSW 2012 if such honors were bestowed, are there, too, of course.
— “Last Call with Carson Daly” will host its first showcase, starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday on the Red 7 Patio. The line up includes Tennis, Roll the Tanks, Thee Oh Sees, Lee Fields and the Expressions, Bomba Estero and Cults. Daly also will spotlight SXSW artists the following week on his show. More details here, including on re-broadcasts.
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John Mayer cancels tour and SXSW show
Our friends at KGSR tipped us off. Mayer is experiencing a return of some throat problems.
Mayer released a statement to fans, saying, “”Nothing feels worse than having to break the stage down before the performance, and I mean nothing…”.
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SXSW Band of the Day: The Heavy
From: Noid (a fictional hamlet near Bath) England.
In 50 words or less: The Heavy drops big band rock and soul that’s alternately brash and brooding. Though Kelvin Swaby’s vocals contain an obvious hat tip to Curis Mayfield, the band’s sound is so relevant in the new millennium that everyone from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to HBO’s ‘True Blood’ has tapped them for soundtrack music.
Could share a bill with: Black Joe Lewis, Any Daptone Records artist, Tom Waits
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March 8, 2012
GZA to perform with Grupo Fantasma
Austin-based Latin funk band Grupo Fantasma will serve as the backing band for Wu-Tang Clan co-founder GZA on Saturday, March 17 at the Haven Club (409 Colorado) as part of the Babygrande Records SXSW showcase.
GZA’s upcoming album, “Dark Matter,” is “informed by his longtime fascination with astronomy and quantum physics,” according to a press release.
This isn’t the first time Grupo has backed a high-profile musician — the band has performed with Prince on several occasions.
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50 Cent to perform 'Get Rich or Die Tryin'' at Austin Music Hall March 16
50 Cent will perform his album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” as part of Eminem’s Shady Records SXSW showcase on Friday, March 16 at Austin Music Hall. Eminem announced the show last night on Twitter.
Seth Wenig ASSOCIATED PRESSSlaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Big K.R.I.T., Schoolboy Q, Action Bronson, Don Trip, S.T.S. and the Foodchain will also perform. There is no word on how people that don’t have a badge or wristband can get into the show, but the poster for the showcase promises “more info” if you sign up for Em’s newsletter.
There is no word yet on whether Eminem will perform. 50 Cent is the third rap star, along with Jay-Z and Nas, to announce a performance next week.
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SXSW music wristbands on sale at Waterloo Records
A limited number of SXSW music wristbands are available now at Waterloo Records on 600 North Lamar Blvd. Cost is $175.
Click here for more info on SXSW wristbands.
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Rachael Ray party lineup adds Theophilus London
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March 7, 2012
Free show at Austin High with Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe
Our pal Michael Corcoran was right and KGSR has the details: The folks who rode the Big Easy Express tour last summer, which stopped in both Marfa and Austin, will perform a free show March 17 at Austin High School (the Austin High band backed Mumford, etc. when there were here last summer). Myspace (!) is the sponsor and you have to RSVP for tickets. The show will also be open to SXSW badgeholders.
The Austin High show is at 6:30 p.m. They’re also set to perform after the documentary about the tour screens at 4 p.m. March 17 at the Paramount. We’ll update if we find out that the Austin High performance replaces the Paramount (like the Foo Fighters last year; they performed at Stubb’s after their doc screened at the Paramount).
Update: The acoustic performance after the screening is still happening at the Paramount.
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Emo's East and Beauty Ballroom offer a host of stellar unofficial SXSW events
For whatever reason shiny new Austin venues Emo’s East and the Beauty Ballroom are not official SXSW venues this year. Nonetheless, the two adjacent clubs are holding a host of stellar free events throughout SXSW week. Things kick off Tuesday night with a metal showcase featuring High On Fire, Star & Dagger, Rwake, Eagle Claw and conclude Saturday with a massive blowout at both clubs hosted by CYP2, Mad Decent and Fools Gold. The Saturday event has a mind-blowing/boggling lineup that includes A-Trak, Diplo, A$AP Mob, the Drums, Andrew W.K., Digitalism, Wavves, your mama and everyone else.
Other highlights include the Polyvinyl Record Co Party Thursday night with of Montreal, Deerhoof, Japandroids and more, a pair of bashes hosted by iHeartComix and co., one with Das Racist and GZA, and the Check Yo Ponytail 2 party with Dum Dum Girls, Theophilus London, Bass Drum Of Death and many more.
Because we care, we’ve gathered all of the events onto one easy to navigate page, so go forth and RSVP boldly.
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UPDATE: The Fader Fort is 'larger than life'
(The 2011 Fader Fort wristband pickup line. Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)UPDATE: Here’s a statement from Andy Cohn, president and publisher of The FADER, Inc. about the lightning fast Fader Fort RSVP that opened and closed this afternoon:
“Both The FADER and SXSW actually released the RSVP link to our lists simultaneously. Going into our 11th year, it’s obvious that The FORT has become larger than life, resulting in an overwhelming response that lead to us hitting our cap in only 2.5 hours, with safety and security for our fans being the number one priority”
While the Fader Fort is an official SXSW party this year even badgeholders who missed that RSVP will not be able to get in to this year’s event. SXSW badgeholders will receive priority access to enter after they wait in line the first day to receive their wristband.
UPDATE: 2:04 p.m. This RSVP link now contains this message, “Thanks for your interest but this event is now closed.”
The RSVP for the Fader Fort, one of the perennial favorite SXSW side parties is now open.
In addition to previously announced artists Santigold, Zola Jesus, and hip-hop collective Black Hippy featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, the Fader has been announcing artists on Twitter all week. Announced artists include Big Krit, 2Chainz and Michael Kiwanuka.
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Lionel Richie will play ACL Live during SXSW
He’s headlining the Billboard showcase on March 14. Will he play all night long? (Sorry, we had to go there at least once.) No, there are other folks on the bill: the-Dream, Polica, Wallpaper and Vintage Trouble.
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Music by the Slice returns to Homeslice with Belle Brigade, Great Lake Swimmers, more
For the seventh year in a row, the fantastic South Congress pie slingers of Home Slice Pizza are hosting a free public show during SXSW. The event takes place Friday, March 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Belle Brigade (8:20 PM)
- Radiation City (7:45 PM)
- Great Lake Swimmers (7:10 PM)
- Mother Falcon (6:35 PM)
- Dan Mangan (6:00 PM)
- Family of the Year (5:25 PM)
- Dark Dark Dark (4:50 PM)
- Yellow Ostrich (4:15 PM)
- Hospitality (3:40 PM)
- Typhoon (3:05 PM)
- Strand of Oaks (2:30 PM)
- Husky (AU) (1:55 PM)
- Lost Lander (1:20 PM)
- The Darcys (12:45 PM)
- Yukon Blonde (12:10 PM)
- Imperial Teen (11:35 AM)
In addition to a full day of great free music, the event is a benefit for Urban Roots, a local nonprofit that teaches young people about sustainable agriculture. All proceeds from concessions at the event will be donated. More info.
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SXSW Band of the Day: Mean Jeans
From: Portland, Oregon
Website: www.myspace.com/themeanjeans
In 50 words or fewer: This band probably likes the Ramones, and writes good, late 70s-style songs about parties, with the occasional guitar solo.
Could share a bill with: Bad Sports, Bass Drum of Death
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March 6, 2012
Jack White to play SXSW showcase
The former White Stripe will perform as part of a showcase hosted by his label, Third Man Records, on Friday, March 16 at the Stage on Sixth (508 E. Sixth St.). Karen Elson, John Reilly & Friends (featuring Becky Stark & Tom Brosseau), The Black Belles, Pujol and Lanie Lane, White Rabbits and Electric Guest will also perform.
Third Man’s rolling record store will also return this year. Follow its Twitter account to find where it will be.
White recently announced that his debut solo album, “Blunderbuss,” will be released April 24.
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The Roots, Bob Mould to play free MOG party at SXSW
MOG, a streaming music service that’s not Spotify or Rhapsody, is hosting a free party headlined by legendary hip-hop act (and Jimmy Fallon house band) The Roots at the Mohawk on Saturday, March 17 from noon to 6 p.m. Bob Mould, 90s alt-rock titan and former lead of Husker Du will also play.
Full lineup:
*The Roots *Bob Mould *Howlin’ Rain *The War on Drugs *Gary Clark Jr. *Cloud Nothings *Blitzen Trapper *G-Side *Silent Comedy
It’s worth mentioning that the Roots’ masterful 2011 release ‘Undun’ is one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time. Seriously.
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Jack Black alert! Tenacious D coming to SXSW
Comedy rock duo Tenacious D ( Jack Black and Kyle Gass) is hitting the road for a handful of dates this spring supporting a new album ‘Rize of the Fenix’ due out in May. They kick off with an appearance at SXSW on March 15 at Haven (the venue formerly known as Phoenix).
Pictured: Jack Black with PINKUS the bass player from the Butthole Surfers (thanks for the id, readers) at the 2010 Zombie Ball at the Seaholm Power Plant. David Weaver FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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SXSW Band of the Day: Vintage Trouble
From: Los Angeles, Calif.
Online:vintagetrouble.com
In 50 words or fewer: Singer Ty Taylor and guitarist Nalle Colt build around around their love for vintage R&B and those musical moments when soul and rock fuse into something impossibly sweaty and in-the-moment. The result is high octane R&B thunder. If they can pull it off live, they’re the sort of band that could be the talk of SXSW.
Could share a bill with: The Now Time Delegation, Alabama Shakes, Sharon Jones
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March 5, 2012
SXSW truth and rumors: Skrillex, Daniel Johnston, Jay-Z, Eminem, Perez
(Jay-Z appears at the Vevo Powerstation party during SXSW 2011. Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
Why hello SXSW, what’s up? You start at the end of this week? Oh yeah, there’s that.
Let’s play catch up on recent schedule adds, shuffles and rumors.
Austin icon Daniel Johnston— or perhaps, his people— are hosting a launch party for the new Adrian Quesada-produced album ‘Space Ducks’ on Tuesday, March 13 at the Belmont. Kimya Dawson, Built to Spill and Daniel Johnston and friends are all scheduled to perform. This adds to an ever-expanding Tuesday night lineup of cross-over Music/Interactive events including a host of hip-hop up-and-comers headlined by Kendrick Lamar on the XXL Freshman showcase at 1100 Warehouse, free and presumably and open to the public, shows at the Parish and The Main (formerly Emo’s) and — predictably— a nerdcore showcase featuring MC Frontalot.
Skrillex who was already on the schedule for Friday, March 16 at the Mohawk has added a second appearance that night at 1100 Warehouse (formerly the Tops Warehouse on East Fifth). He headlines a bill which includes the Cool Kids, Spank Rock and Asher Roth. Skrillex will also perform at The Main on Thursday. Also on Friday, the showcase at La Zona Rosa is shaping up to be a stellar bill for hip-hop heads. Smif N Wessun, Pharoahe Monch and Buckshot are currently listed leaving plenty of room for additions.
Speaking of interesting hip-hop shows, we already knew Wu-Tang’s GZA was coming to town, but his Saturday night headline gig now lists featured appearances from Grupo Fantasma and Brownout, presumably as a backing band.Throw in an appearance from M.O.P. and that sounds like the makings of a solid showcase. From the rampant rumor department the buzz du jour is that rap titans Jay-Z and Eminem are coming to town Saturday. Don’t know if that holds any weight, but there are no showcases on the official schedule at this point for ACL Live on Saturday night. Just sayin’. Also, it stands to reason that if Jay and Em are dropping in, they might very well bring regular collaborator, killer fem-cee Nicki Minaj along. She has an ablum scheduled to drop on April 3. Unrelatedly, the previously announced Insane Clown Posse show Saturday night at 1100 Warehouse is no longer listed on the schedule but considering that SXSW is touting a featured interview with the band on Saturday afternoon, the Juggalo watch for East Austin that night is still in full effect.
This year’s festival is interesting for, among other things, the amount of showcases/events that are simultaneously official but also open to the public. Tijuana’s excellent Norteno mashup masters Nortec Collective bring their new project Hiperboreal to the Mexican American Cultural Center on Saturday night to headline the Pan Americana Fest an event that falls under the SXSW umbrella but is also free and open to the public. Similarly, Perez Hilton’s ‘One Night in Austin’, formerly one of the fest’s hottest RSVPs, and now an official showcase, is experimenting with guaranteed admission for the general public with the purchase of a $25 ticket (technically a donation to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation which supports music in schools). At this point, the queen of the glitterazzi presents British teen icon Ed Sheeran as the selling point for his Saturday night showcase at the Austin Music Hall, a.k.a. the house of unintentional, unfortunate reverb. My money says he’s going to have to do a lot better than that (how are those vocal chords feeling Adele?) to convince the musical freegans of SXSW to reach that deep into their pockets. We’ll see how that shakes out.
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Lineup for Rachael Ray party announced
The lineup for the Rachael Ray party has been announced and can be found here.
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March 2, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Ed Sheeran
From: Framlingham, England.
Online: edsheeran.com
In 50 words or fewer: An unlikely heartthrob (he’s a ginger!), 21-year-old Sheeran comes to SXSW fresh off wins for for solo artist and British breakthrough act at last month’s Brit Awards. Though panned by some critics as an empty teen idol, he actually manages to pack a fair amount of depth into well-crafted pop.
Could share a bill with: Jason Mratz, Regina Spektor, John Mayer
Marketing savvy: Writing on twitter of the single paw print that he uses as a logo on his promotional materials. Sheeran said “People ask me what the significance in the paw print is. I don’t have an answer so I tell them it’s tiger blood.”
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March 1, 2012
Spin announces lineup for Stubb's party during SXSW
Spin’s annual SXSW party will take place at Stubb’s on Friday, March 16 from noon to 6 p.m. This will be the third big party (at least) for headliner Santigold, who is also scheduled to perform at the Fader Fort and the mtvU Woodie Awards.
Last year’s party included sets from TV on the Radio, the Kills and Skrillex, who at that point had a lot of buzz, but wasn’t quite as big as he is right now.
There will be some sort of ticket giveaway that hasn’t been announced yet. Click here for more info.
Lineup:
OUTDOORS
Santigold
Best Coast
The Big Pink
Chairlift
Escort
Spoek Mathambo
INDOORS
Big K.R.I.T.
G-Side
Main Attrakionz
Mr. Muthaf**kin’ eXquire
Dionvox (Pop Chips contest victors!)
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Tom Morello, Blitzen Trapper, Keane included in KGSR 2012 SXSW lineup
KGSR announced the lineup for its 2012 SXSW broadcasts toda. In addition, after years at the Four Seasons, KGSR is moving SXSW its broadcast to the W Austin, where it will be streamed into hotel rooms and in the W’s large common area.
The broadcast is hosted by KGSR DJs Andy Langer and Bryan Beck and the suggested donation at the door remains $5, with the proceeds going to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation.
This year’s lineup is the station’s strongest yet:
March 14
6:30 a.m.- My Jerusalem
7 a.m.- Amy Cook
7:30 a.m. - The Lumineers
8 am - M. Ward
8:30 a.m. - Ben Kweller
9 a.m.- Michae Kiwanuka
9:30 a.m. - Bob Schneider w/ The Tosca String Quartet
March 15
6 a.m. - Nakia
6:30 a.m. - Elle King
7:30 a.m. - Jimmy Cliff
8 a.m. - Rhett Miller
8:30 a.m. - Blitzen Trapper
9 a.m. - Ingrid Michaelson
9:30 a.m. - Delta Spirit
March 16
6:30 a.m. - ZZ Ward
7 a.m. - Graffiti6
7:30 a.m. - Fun.
8 a.m. - Walk The Moon
8:30 a.m. - Nada Surf
9 a.m. - Tom Morello
9:30 a.m. - Charlie Mars
10 a.m.- James Mercer of The Shins
March 17
8 a.m. - Kat Edmonson
8:30 a.m. - Yellow Ostrich
9 a.m. - Ben Howard
9:30 a.m. - Ed Sheeran
10 a.m. - Givers
10:30 a.m.- Special Guests TBA
11 a.m.- Keane
11:30 a.m. - Special Guests TBA
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SXSW Band of the Day: Mind Spiders
From: Fort Worth/Denton
Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Mind-Spiders/168482384014
In 50 words or fewer: Garage rock band Mind Spiders began as a side project of Mark Ryan from the Marked Men. Ryan recorded last year’s self-titled debut alone; a full band took to the studio for their latest, “Meltdown.”
Could share a bill with: Bass Drum of Death, Wavves
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February 29, 2012
KUT announces lineup for morning showcases during SXSW
James Mercer, Cotton Mather, M. Ward, Ruthie Foster and others will play KUT’s morning showcases at the Four Seasons Hotel during SXSW. The shows are open to the public on a first-come-first-served basis. Tickets are $10 and include a breakfast taco and coffee. Part of the proceeds benefit the Shivers Cancer Center at Seton Hospital.
Lineup:
Wednesday 3/14:
7 AM: Lost in the Trees
8 AM: Grace Woodroofe
9 AM: M. Ward
10 AM: Cotton Mather
Thursday 3/15:
7 AM: Kat Edmonson
8 AM: Ray Wylie Hubbard
9 AM: Jimmy Cliff
10 AM: Punch Brothers
Friday 3/16:
7 AM: Ruthie Foster
8 AM: Motopony
8:55 AM: James Mercer (of the Shins)
9:05 AM: Trampled By Turtles
10 AM: Nneka
Saturday 3/17:
8 AM: Sons of Fathers
9 AM: Glen Hansard
10 AM: Justin Townes Earle
11 AM: Nada Surf
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Google to host free concerts by The Shins, Ting Tings, more
In addition to a mess of events going down during SXSW Interactive fest, the ever-more-ubiquitous search behemoth is hosting two days of free concerts on top of a party lot at Ninth and Trinity Streets. The concerts are presented by Google Music and YouTube (the latter of which will livestream the performances) and will include appearances by the Ting Tings, The Shins, Titus Andronicus, Cults, Two Gallants and Heartless Bastards. The day parties will be free and open to the public with badgeholders receiving priority upon capacity.
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With Big Star and Mumford and Sons, SXSW mixes documentaries, live performance
An all-star cast — including Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M., Chris Stamey of the dBs — will perform Big Star’s legendary, enigmatic album “Third” (aka “Sister Lovers”) March 15 at the Paramount after a screening of the Big Star documentary “Nothing Can Hurt Me.”
The performance and screening come two years after the death of Big Star founder Alex Chilton. (“Third” producer Jim Dickinson, who was as responsible for that album as anyone, died in 2009.)
Other band members will likely include Mitch Easter of Let’s Active and Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies and a posse of guest vocalists. Austin’s own Tosca String Quartet will also participate.
Expect some talking head time in the movie from at least some of the above musicians, who owe Big Star a large, jangling debt.
The event is open to SXSW Film, Music, Gold and Platinum Badge holders, as well as SXSW Film Passes and Music Wristbands. A limited number of advance single tickets are available for $25 via the Paramount website (austintheatre.org/film).
Beware: advance ticket sales will end at midnight the day before the screening and advance ticket purchases do not guarantee reserved seating or entry to the theater.
Similarly, following the world premier of the tour documentary “Big Easy Express” at the Paramount March 17, Big Easy participants Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show will join director Emmett Malloy and producers Tim Lynch, Mike Luba and Bryan Ling. for a q&a and an acoustic set. (One assumes only the musicians present will be playing music, but you never know.)
Like the Big Star movie, this gig is open to all SXSW Film, Music, Gold and Platinum Badge holders, as well as SXSW Film Passes and Music Wristbands. A limited number of advance single tickets are available for for $12 ($10 + $2 service fee) via the Paramount website.
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Everyone can watch/hear Springsteen keynote at SXSW
You won’t need a badge to hear or watch the Boss’ keynote on March 15 at the Convention Center. NPR announced today that it will offer a “worldwide webcast and broadcast” of Bruce Springsteen’s talk, the first time a South by Southwest keynote has been streamed for all to see, according to a release from NPR.
The stream will be available at www.npr.org/music, SXSW.com and through the NPR Music iPhone and iPad apps. The keynote is scheduled to begin at noon March 15.
Update: KUT will broadcast the Springsteen keynote, too, during the first hour of Jay Trachtenberg’s afternoon show, according to the station.
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February 28, 2012
Fader Fort teams with FuseTV, Converse, goes official
The Fader Fort, the well-established don of SXSW side parties, has teamed up with Converse and FuseTV to produce this year’s Fort. The Fort will be open from 1 to 9 p.m. daily from March 14-17 and confirmed artists include Santigold, Zola Jesus, and hip-hop collective Black Hippy featuring Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul. For the first time, this year the Fort will be an official SXSW party open to all SXSW badgeholders. However, there will be a public RSVP for the event as there has been in past years.
Because hipsters get thirsty and even trendy folk need to eat Bushmills Irish Whiskey will flow and Roberta’s from Bushwick Brooklyn, will be serving up wood-fired pizza. Fuse.tv will livestream the event.
We’ll provide more details and RSVP info when it becomes available.
(Pictured: Kendrick Lamar at the Beauty Ballroom. Tammy Perez FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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Childish Gambino, Santigold, A$AP Rocky to perform at free MTVu Woodie Awards Festival
MTVu, the 24-hour college network (presumably bumping nonstop in dorm rooms everywhere) is once again celebrating Spring Break in Austin. For the second year in a row MTVu is filming the annual Woodie Awards Special in town, accompanied this year by the Woodie Awards Festival. The festival will take place Thursday, March 15 in the parking lot on the Northeast Corner of Red River and Cesar Chavez, basically across the street from the Austin Convention Center. The event is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m .and will include performances by Childish Gambino (aka rapping Donald Glover), Santigold, ultra-buzzy NYC rap phenom A$AP Rocky, WALK THE MOON, Wallpaper., Chiddy Bang, Gary Clark Jr., Kimbra and Ed Sheeran.
While SXSW badges will be given priority admission, the event is being billed as free and open to the public with no RSVP. The 2012 mtvU Woodie Awards will take over the festival at 8 p.m. Leading nominees for Woodie Awards include Skrillex, the Black Keys and Frank Ocean. No word on whether those artists will be in attendance.
(Pictured: Childish Gambino at SXSW 2011. Kelly West AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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SXSW Band of the Day: Delta Spirit
From: Long Beach
Website: deltaspirit.net
In 50 words or fewer: Soul-searching pop made for a slow night at the bar. Their debut album “Ode to Sunshine” combines a heavy dose of piano with slightly sloppy rock, while their latest single, “California,” is a bit more polished.
Could fit on a bill with: Dawes, the Gaslight Anthem
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Mess With Texas announces lineup
Built to Spill, Titus Andronicus, A$AP Rocky and Deerhoof are among the acts scheduled to perform at this year’s Mess With Texas festival March 15-17, organizers announced today. Now in its sixth year, Mess with Texas will be at the 1100 Warehouse (aka the old Tops Office Supply building) at 1100 E. Fifth St. The festival will be three days for the first time.
There will be an online RSVP for the free event at mwtxparty.com.
Lineup:
Thursday March 15th
Cults
YELLE DJS
The Men
Tycho
Two Gallants
The Young
Chairlift
Razika
Juan Cirerol
Friday March 16th
Built to Spill
Titus Andronicus
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Purity Ring
Cloud Nothings
New Build (members of Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem)
Lower Dens
Dinosaur Feathers
White Arrows
Saturday March 17th
A$AP ROCKY
Tanlines
Deerhoof
Ceremony
Doomtree
Crystal Antlers
Electric Guest
FIDLAR
Nick Waterhouse
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February 27, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Oneohtrix Point Never
From: Brooklyn, NY
Online:pointnever.com/
In 50 words or fewer: Electronic composer Daniel Lopatin does business as Oneohtrix Point Never, under which name he has created richly textured drone-rivers, eddies of melody rippling away. Last year’s “Replica,’ created from fragments of television advertisements, becomes a striking commentary on media, memory and the way music works.
Could share a bill with: Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, hearing a ballgame coming from a distant car radio on a June night
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February 23, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Dope Body
From: Baltimore, MD
Online: http://dopebody.tumblr.com/
In 50 words or fewer:Hideous noise rock, once all over the place the late 80s and early 90s, seems to be making a glorious comeback — these Maryland misfits have been abusing pedals and amps since 2009. Their new album is due on Drag City in the spring.
Could share a bill with: The Men, Jesus Lizard, Monotonix, Unsane
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Brit Award winner Ed Sheeran to play at SXSW
Warner Music Group, whose previously announced SXSW showcases at La Zona Rosa include appearances by heavy hitters Santigold and Theophilus London on Tuesday and T.I. and Wale on Thursday, will also feature Brit Award winner Ed Sheeran.
Sheeran, the self-described “spotty, chubby ginger teenager” turned teen heart throb, will play on the group’s Wednesday night showcase, which also features appearances from soon-to-be-huge local blues wonder Gary Clark Jr. and 2011 SXSW faves Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. You can check out tracks from all of the Warner Music Group artists below.
The Warner Group is also hosting two day parties during the festival. Lineups after the jump.
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Free South by San Jose party features red hot Alabama Shakes; Perez at the Music Hall
An annual tradition, South by San Jose will once more take over the party lot shared by ultra-hip boutique hotel the San Jose and Jo’s Coffee on South Congress Ave. The party will go down Thursday, March 15 - Sunday, March 18 from noon to 8 p.m. daily. The free event features food from Jo’s Coffee, beer and music. The daily schedule is not yet available, but the Alabama Shakes, the fantastic garage soul band that’s currently selling out shows across the country is a big highlight. Built To Spill, Alejandro Escovedo, Billy Joe Shaver, Barbara Lynn are also on the bill.
In other news Perez Hilton’s ‘One Night in Austin’ will also return to SXSW, this time as an official showcase open to SXSW badgeholders. The blog queen’s shindig will go down Saturday night at the Austin Music Hall (a.k.a. the venue where sound quality goes to die) which seems like a pretty significant downgrade from last year’s party that rocked the shiny and plush new ACL Live space. Lineup for the Perez showcase should be out in the next week or so.
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SXSW Band of the Day: Bez
From: Lagos, Nigeria
Online: bezidakula.com
In 50 words or fewer: A dapper dude with no shortage of charisma, Bez is neo-soul singer with a new jazz aesthetic. His smooth croon flows easily over everything from graceful orchestral arrangements to weirdly evocative disco.
Could share a bill with: Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott, Angie Stone.
Feeling stupid?: Bez is hosting an ‘I Love That Stupid Song’ Competition, inviting fans to create their own silly interludes in the chorus of his ‘Stupid Song’. He’s giving away an iPad 2, good motivation to get your goofy on.
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February 22, 2012
Santigold to kick off SXSW Tuesday, The Low Anthem to play ACL Live
(Bret Gerbe FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN)As part of this year’s expanded Tuesday night Interactive Fest crossover events, Santigold, who destroyed a set at ACL Fest last fall, will play La Zona Rosa alongside Theophilus London and Curren$y.
Providence-based indie-folk act The Low Anthem is now on the schedule for Thursday night at ACL Live, one of the fest’s bigger venues, and a much-lauded room at that, which up to this point has only been booked for Friday night when amazingly coiffed Colombian superstar Juanes leads an excellent showcase that also features Bomba Estereo, The Magnetic Fields and The War On Drugs. Last year, Perez Hilton booked the venue for his ‘Night In Austin’ festivities on Saturday night.
Also absent are any listings for Stubb’s BBQ, although we know the NPR show with the Alabama Shakes, Andrew Bird and Sharon Van Etten will be there on Weds. night. The sizable, but acoustically abysmal Austin Music Hall is also off the grid aside from the annual Austin Music Awards ceremony/performance on Wednesday night. Bottom line: expect many more big announcements any minute now.
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The Cult headlines Auditorium Shores shows at SXSW
British hard rock (goth? alternative?) lifers The Cult will make its 2012 live debut headlining the SXSW Auditorium Shores Stage on March 17.
(Nothing says St. Patrick’s Day like screaming along to “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Fire Woman.”)
The Auditorium Shores Stage shows are free and open to the public, and The Cult will takes the stage at 8 p.m.
The band’s new album “Choice of Weapon” (Cooking Vinyl), the band’s first new studio album in five years, is due out May 22.
Remember when the Cult played the Revolver SXSW party in 2001? We do.
No word yet on who else is playing the show. The Shins headline the March 15 concert in the park, while Counting Crows headline March 16 show.
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February 21, 2012
Juggalo alert! SXSW Saturday just got significantly Insane-r
(2001 AMERICAN-STATESMAN)Insane Clown Posse has been added to the SXSW schedule for Saturday night at 1100 Warehouse (the Tops Warehouse over by 501 Studios). East Austinites begin hiding your women and children accordingly.
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SXSW Band of the Day: Danny Brown
From: Detroit, Mich.
Online: : itsbruiserbrigade.tumblr.com
In 50 words or fewer: This oddball produced one of the 2011’s strongest albums, the free-download “XXX,” a rap record as funny, filthy and brain-scrambling as any produced last year. Look for a spring tour with Childish Gambino.
Could share a bill with: Childish Gambino, Das Racist, Vice magazine.
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February 20, 2012
T.I., Wale, B.o.B. added to SXSW 2012 lineup
Is T.I. still the King of the South? Hip-hop fans will get a chance to judge whether the ATL-based rapper and reality TV star still rules when he takes the stage as part of a showcase at La Zona Rosa on Thursday, March 15. D.C.-based rapper on the rise Wale, Meek Mill, Snow Tha Product and Stalley are also on the bill that night.
Another noteworthy new school ATL-ian rapper Bobby Ray a.k.a. B.o.B. has also been added to the SXSW lineup although his set time is still TBA.
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Waterloo Records releases schedule for free parking lot shows during SXSW
As usual, Austin’s famous indie record store will be a great place to catch fantastic free public shows throughout SXSW music festival. As has been the case for the last several years, Waterloo will transform its parking lot into an outdoor stage while hosting smaller acts on the inside for music fans who want to do something really novel like, you know, buy music while they take in copious amounts of blissful free noise.
Waterloo dropped the excellent lineup in store for music fans last week, but today released a day by day breakdown. Brit-rockers Tribes, Foxy Shazam and Bass Drum of Death kick things off on Wednesday. Thursday features performances from Blitzen Trapper and Norah Jones, wearing her cowgirl boots with The Little Willies, as well as ACL Fest faves Lucero. Friday packs an insane lineup including underground hip-hop hero Talib Kweli, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, Of Montreal and soon-to-be-huge round-the-way-boy Gary Clark Jr. Saturday rounds things out with Youth Lagoon, Nada Surf, Love Inks and more. Full schedule after the jump.
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British Embassy schedule out
Austin has always embraced the Brits (and Irish, Welsh and Scots) during SXSW, way before “Downton Abbey” fever. The popular British Music Embassy has released its party and showcase schedule, with events once again at Latitude 30, 512 San Jacinto Blvd. The showcase schedule is after the jump; badges and wristbands get priority. We’re told you can RSVP for some events starting Wednesday, Feb. 22, through this link: www.britishguestlist.info.
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February 19, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: The White Eyes
From: Taipei City, Taiwan
Online: thewhiteeyes.com
In 50 words or fewer: Taiwanese post-punk that stylistically whiplashes between grungey thrash and highly melodic indie noise. Female lead Gao Xiao-gao is equally captivating spinning sultry swells through synthesizer swirls as she is unleashing wicked shrieks over furious guitars.
Could share a bill with: Peelander-Z, Sonic Youth, Ume
Impolite, perhaps? The band takes its name from a Tawainese expression for people who say aloud embarrassing and apparently unspeakable things.
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February 16, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Nneka
From: Warri, Nigeria
Online: facebook.com/NnekaWorld
In 50 words or fewer: Part of a new generation of African singers who rage against post-colonial injustice in their homelands, Nneka delivers a righteous soul smackdown. With indignation tempered by graceful humility and raw outrage softened by vulnerability, her songs ache with humanity, seethe with pure heart.
Could share a bill with: Erykah Badu, Dead Prez, Damian Marley, The Roots
Transcontinental: The daughter of a Nigerian father and a German mother, Nneka grew up in the troubled, oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Forced to flee as age 19, she relocated to Hamburg, Germany. She currently splits her time between Hamburg and Lagos, Nigeria, where she is very active in the Occupy Nigeria movement.
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February 15, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Hip Hop Pantsula
From: South Africa
Website: www.myspace.com/hiphoppantsula
In 50 words or fewer: South African rap star Jabulani Tsambo, aka Hip Hop Pantsula or HHP, has collaborated with Nas, Snoop Dog and K’Naan.
Could Fit On A Bill With: All of the above.
Move over Manu Chao: HHP raps in several languages, including South African language Setswana.
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February 14, 2012
Fiona Apple to play SXSW
The singer-songwriter, who made her name with her 1996 album “Tidal,” will play the Pitchfork showcase on March 15 at the Central Presbyterian Church, the website announced today. Apple’s most recent album, “Extraordinary Machine,” was released in 2005.
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Waterloo Records SXSW lineup includes free shows by Little Willies, Bass Drum of Death, Talib Kweli
Waterloo Records has confirmed Bass Drum of Death, Love Inks, Norah Jones’ Little Willies, Talib Kweli and Gary Clark Jr. among the artists slated to perform at the store during the festival. The day-by-day schedule hasn’t been announced yet, but all Waterloo Records shows are free and open to the public. We’re guessing a good portion of these shows will take place in the iconic record store’s parking lot.
Full list of performing artists:
- Tribes
- Foxy Shazam
- Bass Drum of Death
- Howler
- Love Inks
- Little Willies
- Icky Blossoms
- Oberhofer
- Honeyhoney
- Lucero
- Say Anything
- Talib Kweli
- Jimmy Cliff
- Of Montreal
- Howlin’ Rain
- Gary Clark Jr
- The Cult
- Strange Boys
For more fun and free SXSW side parties check out our SXSW party database.
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SXSW Band of the Day: The Men
From: Brooklyn, NY
Website: wearethemen.blogspot.com
In 50 words or fewer: These gents with a terrible band name play unholy-sounding, yet carefully-considered noise rock; it’s like wading through a rushing stream of black tar. Their new album, “Open Your Heart,” is due in March.
Could fit on a bill with: The Jesus Lizard, Cherubs, losing a limb in a bus accident.
Not to be confused with:Menhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEN_%28band%29, (no definite article), which features members of Le Tigre and are different in almost every way possible.
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February 13, 2012
SXSW wristbands on sale until noon today
If you were planning on buying a wristband for SXSW, you have about an hour. The festival just announced that wristbands for the festival are almost sold out and will be available until noon through wristband.sxsw.com. To purchase, you need an Austin-area billing address. If you want to purchase one for someone else, you must provide that person’s name. Wristbands are $175.
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SXSW Band of the Day: Blitz the Ambassador
From: Brooklyn, NY
Online: blitz.mvmt.com/
In 50 words or fewer: Whether soaring over triumphant swells of brass or working the pocket of a deep-funk groove the Ghanaian-born, self-proclaimed “lyrical anthropologist” packs insane amounts of real-talk in every 4-bar cadence. His story rhymes unfold as transcontinental journeys that resound with universal humanity.
Could share a bill with: The Roots, Rakim, Common, Talib Kweli
Beyond beats and rhymes: For his most recent release, ‘Native Sun,’ Blitz traveled back to his Ghanaian homeland to create a 20-minute short film by the same name. The lead track “Something to Believe” off his 2010 joint ‘StereoLive’ is also accompanied by a stunning eight-minute short.
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February 10, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Blitzen Trapper
From: Portland
Website: www.blitzentrapper.net
In 50 Words or fewer: Portland rock band Blitzen Trapper first got noticed by a lot of people with their 2007 album “Wild Mountain Nation,” which combined their countrified rock with a noisier side. Since then they’ve filtered out some of their rowdier tendencies.
Could fit on a bill with: Wilco, Real Estate
Howl: On the title track to Blitzen Trapper’s 2008 album “Furr,” frontman Eric Early sings about turning into a wolf.
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February 9, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Balaclavas
From: Houston
Website:balaclavas.bandcamp.com/
In 50 words or fewer: This trio is a clear frontrunner in the post-punk/goth sweepstakes. Check out the reverbed vocals, menacing guitars and a free-floating sense of doom, tangible like polluted air.
Could fit on a bill with:Bauhaus, A Frames, Puerto Rico Flowers, an art opening
Not to be confused with: Balaclava (singular), a decent punk band from Richmond, Va.
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February 8, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Frank Smith
From: Austin
Website: franksmithmusic.com
In 50 words or fewer: Since moving from Boston a few years back, Frank Smith frontman Aaron Sinclair and the rest of the band have released a handful of fine alt-country albums. Their latest, “Before You Were Born,” is less twang, more rock.
Could fit on a bill with: Phosphorescent, My Morning Jacket
There is no Frank Smith: Well, there probably is somewhere, but not in this band.
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February 7, 2012
The Jesus and Mary Chain to play SXSW (also Thomas Dolby)
The Jesus and Mary Chain will play in Austin during the March 13-18 South By Southwest Music festival, the band announced today.
The Mary Chain — a core of brothers Jim and William Reid and various sidemen — was one of the most influential British rock bands of the 1980s.
Their fusion of wind-tunnel feedback, bubblegum melodies and druggie, couldn’t-care-less affect proved rather important to a few round of not-so-macho guitar-rockers, especially anyone who were called “shoegazers” (see also My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Ride, etc.) On this side of the pond, The JAMC sound and vision could be heard and see in a large chunks of “indie pop” bands.
Sonic Youth absolutely hated to be compared to them (fair enough, as they were doing completely different things).
Essential records for people of a certain age included “Psychocandy” (1985) “Darklands” (1987), the odds-and-ends set “Barbed Wire Kisses (1988), and for some people, “Automatic” (1989) and “Honey’s Dead.” The singles collection “21” is a pretty entertaining overview.
The Mary Chain hasn’t played in North America since 2007, during which they played a handful of shows and appeared at Coachella.
There, they proved no time had gone by since the height of their fame some 15 or so years earlier by standing still pretty much the way they stood still on, say, the “Automatic” tour.
One should expect them to stand still again.
No word on why they are here or news of a new recording.
(Thomas Dolby is also playing SXSW, but that guy goes on the road now and then.)
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SXSW Band of the Day: Lady Leshurr
From: Birmingham, UK
Online: ladyleshurr.com/
In 50 words or less: A petite British spitfire with a versatile flow that pivots wickedly from slow and deliberate bravado to a devastating machine gun spray. Throw in a few melodic hooks every now and then to sweeten the package. Is this grime 2.0? We certainly hope so.
Could share a bill with: Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Invincible
Digit-al excess?: According to these folks, Lady Leshurr used to have 11 fingers.
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February 6, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Adam WarRock
From: Memphis, TN
Online: http://www.adamwarrock.com/
In 50 words or less: Eugene Ahn was a lawyer and comics nerd with a flare for rapping who did a comics podcast called “War Rocket Ajex” with noted comics critic Chris Sims. The flare turned into a fire — dude could actually rap quite well — and suddenly Mr. Ahn is Adam WarRock, a rapper about all things geeky, from comics to “Serenity” to “Parks and Rec.”
Could share a bill with: MC Chris, Das Racist, Stan Lee
To infinity and beyond: Ahn’s stage name is a riff on Adam Warlock, one of Marvel Comics’ classic 1970s cosmic characters and very psychedelic weirdo indeed. Ahn also contributes to the staggeringly excellent FakeAPStylebook
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February 3, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: The Zoltars
From: Austin
Website: thezoltars.com
In 50 words or less: The Zoltars, whose debut full-length, “Should I Try Once More?” comes out in April on Austin’s Sundae Records, combine sometimes snarky, sometimes bleak songs with weird, haunting and hypnotic garage rock. Read a 2011 interview with the band here.
Could Fit On A Bill With: Velvet Underground, Wreckless Eric
Sick day: The Zoltars trace their roots back to Chicago, where lead singer/songwriter Jared Zoltar began writing songs when he was sick with mono.
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February 2, 2012
NPR to kick off SXSW with Alabama Shakes, Sharon van Etten, Andrew Bird
SXSW.com announced the lineup for the NPR Music showcase Wednesday, March 14 at Stubbs BBQ today, and it’s a good one. While the music festival technically begins on Tuesday this year, with more music events than ever programmed to correspond with the end of the Interactive festival, Wednesday is the traditional start of the March Music Madness. NPR, who last year kicked off the fest with soul sensation Raphael Saadiq alongside up-and-comers James Blake and the Smith Westerns has a fairly consistent record for programming memorable music nights. This year’s showcase featuring hotter-by-the-moment garage soul band the Alabama Shakes, who tore up the Continental Club a few weeks back and yesterday’s Band of the Day Sharon Van Etten and Andrew Bird should be no exception. We can feel the buzz build a month away.
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February 1, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Harouki Zombi
From: Athens, GA and Omaha, NE
Online: haroukizombi.com
In 50 words or less: Conceived as both dance party and performance art piece, this pop-up shop collaboration between Nina Barnes (wife of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes) and musician Orenda Fink includes rave-y club grooves and zombie geishas. Fink DJs while Barnes’ technicolor geishas splash across the screen and gorily sexy live girls roam the crowd.
Could Fit On A Bill With: Oxy Cottontail, Kid Sister, DJ Spooky, DJ Shadow. Also pretty much anyone DJing at the Fader Fort.
Calling all zombies?: In an interview on the band’s website Barnes describes the live zombie geishas who interact with the crowd as “our girls, who basically are whoever wants to perform and be weird with us.” We haven’t seen a casting call for sexy undead yet, but if one emerges we will happily pass it along.
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Family friendly music show returns to MACC in March
Patricia Vonne performing in 2010 at the Help Austin Help Haiti concert at Austin Music Hall. Photo by Kelly West AMERICAN-STATESMAN
The Mexican American Experience 2012, a two-day music showcase featuring rhythms from Tejano to Latin rock, comes back for the second time this spring at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center on March 14 and 15.
Music starts at 6 p.m. for these free family-friendly concerts, which are being produced by Crossroads Events in collaboration with the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Culture Center, the City of Austin and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. To alleviate parking woes, a shuttle service will be available to and from parking lots at Sanchez Elementary School, Martin Middle School and Fiesta Gardens. Food and refreshments will be sold on-site.
For those who want a break between dancing, bleacher seating will be set up and lawn chairs are welcome, too. The Pan Americana Festival follows on March 16 and 17, with details about their line-up to be released later.
Here’s the Mexican American Experience 2012 line-up:
March 14
Little Joe y La Familia
Los A-T Boyz
The Frank Gomez Band, along with the Austin Tejano Music Coalition’s Tejano Idol winner Ashley Borrero
Haydn Vitera
March 15
Sunny and The Sunliners
Shelly Lares
Patricia Vonne
Susan Torres y Conjunto Clemencia
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Candlebox, John Mayer, Peter Case and other SXSW news
SXSW hasn’t posted its music schedule yet, but concert website Pollstar.com has started to list a few showcases, including a couple with bands that haven’t been announced yet.
John Mayer is scheduled to play Stubb’s on Saturday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) with Justin Townes Earle.
Peter Case and Paul Collins of the Nerves and the Breakaways have a date at Maria’s Taco X-Press.
Of Montreal, Deerhoof, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Owen and Casiokids are set play Emo’s East.
The Ghost Room, which closed its doors last summer, will be in use during SXSW for a showcase featuring Of Montreal side project Yip Deceiver, according to the Of Montreal website.
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January 31, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Cloud Nothings
Cloud Nothings - “No Future / No Past” Official Video from Urban Outfitters on Vimeo.
From: Cleveland
Website: www.facebook.com/cloudnothings
In 50 words or less: Yes, another solo, bedroom-type project, but this one has since morphed into a band with other people, who put out a not-bad-at-all full-length, “Attack On Memory,” earlier this month. The music also translates into live show that stretches out in surprising directions.
Could Fit On A Bill With: Yuck, Real Estate, Sunny Day Real Estate
Produced by Steve Albini: Frontman Dylan Baldi told Pitchfork that Albini, who has an open-door policy, spent most of his time playing Facebook Scrabble while the band recorded.
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SXSW Band of the Day: Sharon Van Etten
From: Brooklyn, NY
Online: sharonvanetten.com
In 50 words or fewer: Van Etten’s second album, “Epic” (Ba Da Bing, 2010) was her breakout, a largely acoustic affair full of raw-wound tunes. But her new one, “Tramp” (Jagjaguwar) is a revelation, a full-band, electric exploration of heartbreak’s jagged parameters. Expect serious buzz.
Could share a bill with:Throwing Muses, PJ Harvey, Neil Young
What is in the water there? Wait, don’t answer that: Van Etten hails from Nutley, NJ, the same hometown as Ted Leo.
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January 29, 2012
SXSW Band of the Day: Seun Kuti and Egypt 80
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80: “Rise” from KF Records on Vimeo.
From: Lagos, Nigeria
Website: knittingfactoryrecords.com
In 50 words or less: Seun Kuti is the youngest son of afrobeat pioneer Fela, who inherited the helm of his father’s legendary ensemble Egypt 80 at age fifteen. The group’s latest Brian Eno-produced album deftly skewers government and big business with sharp lyrical assaults, bombastic blasts of brass and insanely energetic rhythm tracks.
Could Fit On A Bill With: Antibalas, K’naan, Damian Marley, Brownout
Like his father before him: Seun Kuti carries on the family tradition of combining furious grooves with strident political protest. He lambasts his home country’s ruling elite in both songs and interviews and is an active member of the Occupy Nigeria movement. He is also working to bring the Broadway musical ‘Fela!’ which chronicles his father’s struggles with the government to his hometown of Lagos.
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January 18, 2012
Bruce Springsteen to play Austin during SXSW?
When SXSW announced Bruce Springsteen as this year’s keynote speaker, many fans hoped that this would mean he would play an Austin-area show as well. It looks like that’s at least a possibility, based on this bit of info at the end of an interview with Springsteen manager Jon Landau on Rollingstone.com:
“The E Street Band will spend most of 2012 on the road, including spring and fall U.S. runs and a summer European tour. Dates haven’t been announced, but concert-business sources tell Rolling Stone the band has arenas booked starting in March, including an Austin show around Springsteen’s March 15th keynote address at the South by Southwest festival. One big question is how the group will address last summer’s death of saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Springsteen’s onstage foil for four decades.”
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January 13, 2012
Austin Music People to hold open house on SXSW permits
With new rules in place regarding sound permits during SXSW, Austin Music People is hosting an open house on Jan. 19 at the old Austin City Limits studio on the University of Texas campus to address questions/concerns related to hosting an event during the March festival.
City of Austin staff from several departments will be on hand to answer permitting questions from 5-8 p.m. Punch and pie will be provided.
“There are so many events in Austin, the event has just grown to the point where the city needs to know what the whole area is going to look like so they can allot their resources accordingly,” said music commission chair Brad Spies of the rule changes. “Because the rules changed, we wanted to make sure everyone has all of the information they need to plan their events.”
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January 11, 2012
New rules in place for SXSW sound permits
Venues planning concerts during South by Southwest this year must apply for city sound permits earlier than ever before.
The City of Austin announced Wednesday that new rules require applications for 24-hour sound permits to be turned in at least 21 days in advance.
Requests for multi-day sound permits are due a full month ahead of time.
In addition, insurance is now required at any event where alcohol will be served.
There has been a steady increase in businesses seeking permits in recent years, the city says, prompting the changes.
“This provides us the opportunity to enhance collaboration between various city departments and event planners,” said Greg Guernsey, Austin’s director of planning and development review. “The new requirements allow sufficient time to perform interdepartmental evaluations and site inspections prior to an event.”
Items reviewed during the approval process, according to the city, include attendance estimates, parking and traffic implications, planned security and medical staffing, and anticipated impact on areas adjacent to the venue.
“We are taking a more proactive approach to ensure safe and successful events during SXSW — working more closely with venues and promoters before and during the events,” said Don Pitts, the city’s music program manager.
Permit applications may be submitted online at austintexas.gov/soundpermit.
SXSW 2012 runs March 9-18.
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December 1, 2011
Bruce Springsteen will be keynote speaker for SXSW Music
Bruce Springsteen will serve as as keynote speaker for the 2012 South By Southwest Music and Media Conference, SXSW announced Thursday.
The keynote takes place on March 15, 2012, at the Austin Convention Center and will be open to Music and Platinum badge holders.
Most SXSW keynote speakers tend to be once-vital artists in the autumn of their careers (Smokey Robinson, Bob Geldof) or seasoned, distinguished vets (Neil Young, Lou Reed — come to think of it, given the Loutallica controversy, he would have been a funny one for ‘12) who play to audiences that are not quite as large as they once were.
Springsteen is neither. He is a veteran artist who can still sell out stadiums, and his music, influential for well over 30 years, has recently roared back to life as a genuine inspiration to indie rockers such as the Hold Steady, the Gaslight Anthem and Titus Andronicus.
2011 was a tough year for Springsteen. E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, long considered the heart and soul of the storied group, died on June 18 following a stroke.
“Clarence doesn’t leave the E Street Band when he dies,” Springsteen wrote in a heartfelt eulogy. “He leaves when we die.”
Perhaps in that spirit, Springsteen announced November 21 that he and the E Street Band would tour the US and Europe in 2012 for the first time since Clemons’ death. A new studio album is also in the works. (Feel free to start the rumors about a Springsteen gig at SXSW now.)
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