SXSW is a film, interactive and music conference that brings bands, fans and industry types from all over the world to Austin, Texas for several days of no sleep, free booze and sunburn. It is overstimulating, overcrowded and packed with elitists. It’s music industry spring break. It’s terrifying. It’s the most fun week of the year. It’s going to take another week to recover.
So, what does that mean to you? It means that we can give you a good idea of what bands to see when they come through the in the next few weeks…and what bands we hope will come through the area soon.
Believe the hype:
Odd Future: Diddy called them the future of hip-hop and the crowd believed in his prophecy. After getting moved at the last minute from the tent to the Mainstage at the Mess With Texas party, 5,000 people stampeded over fences, rocks and port-a-pottys to see the ruckus unfold. The multi-man group had the teamwork of the Wu-Tang Clan and the raw power of the Stooges. Tyler the Creator yelled himself hoarse as the members jumped off of speaker towers and tossed water at the crowd. It was like nothing else I saw the rest of the festival.
Glasser: With her robot-esque dancing and intense electronic beats, Glasser looked like the second coming of Bjork. However, she had more of the bell-clear voice of Regine Chassagne than Bjork’s breathiness and the sound shocked everyone into a stunned silence.
Never Again:
Cults: Recommended for fans of: cooing vocals, swaying, anything poppy that has been released from Sweden. Not recommended for: anyone with an aversion to overly cutesy tunes from people with matching haircuts. This was vomit-inducingly cutesy. I missed The Strokes for this?
Mother Mother: I like vocal harmonies as much as (and probably more than) the next person, but when those vocals sound like an ultra-shrill Jennifer Tilley set to music, I want out.
The Bad Veins: Oh…these guys opened for Ted Leo. Cool. Until they started playing their hokey overdramatic guitar rock. I lasted two songs and that was two songs too long.
Stepped It Up:
Deerhunter: We’ve covered Deerhunter nearly every time that they’ve come through D.C. While we always enjoy the show, there’s usually something — new songs, new members, general malaise — that keeps the show from going over the top from something good to something spectacular. Deerhunter in Austin was something spectacular…something D.C. has not seen them do except in spurts since their Election Night show. Bradford Cox just appears to be having more fun onstage these days.
Thee Oh Sees: Until they play a show at St. Stephen’s Church (ahem, Positive Force, ahem) Thee Oh Sees will always be better in Austin. They’ve been better in Austin than wherever I’ve seen them on the East Coast for the past two year; thus, they become a staple of my trips to Austin. Something about the sloppiness of micro-sets works to their advantage.
Wish I’d Been Here:
James Blake: Apparently the James Blake show at the outdoor field by the French Legation was one of those shows where God was found. Ironically, the same thing did not occur in the church. The acoustics were fantastic, but when you’re listening to a soothing voice after having been awake for 15 hours in the sun and the heat…that sort of performance in a seated venue is conducive to an impromptu nap. Undoubtedly, his looped vocal harmonies will impress at the sold out Rock and Roll Hotel show.
Twin Shadow: What doesn’t work if you’re a new wave-influenced act who is used to performing on bills with people like Jamie Lidell? Seated venues. People still stood up to dance when their frontman snarkily pointed out the lack of movement, but he won’t have to do this when they come to the Black Cat at the end of the month.
Drive to Baltimore:
Wye Oak: Civilian is the sort of heart-breakingly beautiful album that can move an audience to tears if they aren’t too busy gazing at the absurd shredding of Jenn Wasner. It’s only an hour away, it’s at the end of their tour and even if you saw the sold-out Black Cat show last week…it’s worth seeing again.
Kurt Vile: Kurt Vile was one of my discoveries at SXSW 2009, and his performances with the Violators add dimension, volume and rawness not present at the acoustic performances like his in-store earlier this month. He’s even previously toured with a harpist!
D.C. Presence:
Several D.C. acts had official showcases this year. Vandaveer, These United States, Meredith Bragg, Jukebox the Ghost and The Caribbean were all back for repeat performances alongside newer acts like Magrudergrind and True Womanhood. There were also plenty of chances to see D.C. acts unofficially. A wealth of hip-hop acts (Tabi Bonney, Phil Ade and Fat Trel among others) swarmed the swanky Prague for their DMVincible Party and the D.C. Does Texas Party at Lovejoy’s [disclosure: the author is a D.C. Does Texas organizer] gave festival-goers the opportunity to see bands like Typefighter, Tereu Tereu and Carol Bui who didn’t make the festival proper. Deleted Scenes even played a few shows on the street…before getting shut down by Austin’s finest. (Turns out even in self-made spaces, you need a permit.) Also, one of the acts to close out the festival was local duo Nadastrom. The way they had Prague bumping, it was a shame that the club wasn’t at full capacity. I blame Kanye.
New Discoveries:
Carsick Cars: Garage rock bands were hardly in short supply at SXSW — and many of them were very fun, if not always terribly inventive. However, one of the best was a trio from China called Carsick Cars. Instead of relying purely on furious strumming (although there was also that), Carsick Cars had punchy riffs and nuance that recalled another band from the Eastern Hemisphere: The Clean.
Quiet Company: They have a trombone, they dress in suits and they have a clever sense of humor to match their clever lyrics. I hope this Austin band comes through the area, post-haste.
Street Chant: This female trio from New Zealand who play simple but catchy lo-fi rock and roll songs, will be at Comet Ping Pong for FREE this Thursday. Folks, there is no excuse for you not to go.
It Wasn’t Meant to Be:
The Fader Fort: Why didn’t I see more acts like Lil B, Yelawolf, The Lower Dens and Diddy? Because I took one look at the line at the Fader Fort — the outdoor makeshift behemoth set up by Fader Magazine slightly off the beaten path — and turned around. Waiting in line for the Fader Fort meant at least a one-hour hold in the day, if not a three-hour one. Most of those artists (sadly, not Lil B) played elsewhere, so I didn’t bother.
Kanye West: There was the first RSVP by text message to confirm entry. Then there was the second RSVP by text message to re-confirm entry because they’d confirmed too many people. Then there was the third RSVP if you happened to miss the second one. Then there was the line was longer than anything going into the Fader Fort. There was absolutely no way I was getting into that show.
Other bands you should see when they come through D.C.: The Black Lips, Tune-Yards, Davila 666, Ty Segall, Liturgy
