SXSW 2012 Recap

Not sure how to do justice to all the bands we saw.  As usual, we didn't get to see many of the bands I wanted to see (only 6 of my top 10 priorities).  Here are some quick categorizations for this year's music:

Bands I didn't like before but was converted to a fan after seeing them live:  Hospitality, Milo Greene, Blitzen Trapper

Highly anticipated acts that delivered: The War on Drugs, Of Monsters and Men, Buxton, Gardens & Villa

New bands (to me) that made me want to hear more:  Aunt Martha, District Attorneys, Ki: Theory

Best local Austin act I saw:  Pink Nasty.  The name really detracts from the nice Americana sound they produce.  Definitely want to see them again.

Acts we missed that generated a lot of buzz:  Lumineers, Caveman.

Here's the entire list for posterity:

Tuesday

@Hole in the Wall
Pink Nasty
Channing Lewis of Grand Champeen
The Pollies
Bohannons
The District Attorneys

Wednesday

@Brew Exchange
Conner Youngblood
@Dogwood
James McMurtry
@Mellow Johnny's
The Barr Brothers
@Dogwood
Jon Dee Graham
The Hobart Brothers
Ruthie Foster
@Brew Exchange
Free Energy 
Choir of Young Believers (3 songs)
@24Diner for dinner
@Gingerman
David Garza
The Thunderchiefs
@Haven
Blood Orange
Oberhofer
Ki:Theory
Band of Skulls

Thursday

@Waterloo
Blitzen Trapper
@The Stage on 6th
Vintage Trouble
JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound
Of Monsters and Men
The dBs
@Hotel Vegas
The Velvet Teen
Fanfarlo (1 song)
@Takoba for dinner
@Mohawk
Brazos
Gardens & Villa
Bear in Heaven
Exitmusic
The War on Drugs

Friday

@south by san jose
The Mastersons
Dry the River
Milo Greene
@Home Slice
Hospitality
Yellow Ostrich
@Zax for dinner
@Auditorium Shores
Tender Mercies
Diamond Rugs
@Tap Room
The Ragbirds
Skinny Lister
Aunt Martha
Scattered Trees

Saturday

@Waterloo
Youth Lagoon
@Yard Dog
Ken Stringfellow (1 song)
Garland Jeffreys
@St. Vincent de Paul lot
Lincoln Durham
Buxton
Suzanna Choffel
@Zax
The Pines(2 songs)

Top 10

Since it's so chaotic and we have lots of choices each day/night, here's how I would prioritize my decisions.  No real logic behind it, but I have heard good things about the bands and/or their live performances so I'd like to check them out:

The Barr Brothers

Blood Orange

Caveman
Choir of Young Believers

Gardens & Villa

little hurricane

The Lumineers

Of Monsters and Men

Youth Lagoon

Zola Jesus 

edited already!

The Pines

Last year we finished up SXSW at Zax (the Red House Records party), ate dinner then headed home.  Not a bad way to wrap things up.  If we decide to repeat this is the last band playing at 5pm at Zax.  They're from the Midwest and currently reside in Minnesota.  A nice sound.

My ideal finish: dinner afterwards, watch The Cult at Auditorium Shores, then bike home.

Chimes

Tender Mercies

Here's an Americana side-project from members of Counting Crows.  The band has been around since before Counting Crows formed but just decided to release their first record, which has gotten great reviews.

Saturday they're playing the Yard Dog party (Dogfish Head last year, yummy!) and the Outlaw Roadshow at Rusty's (across from Kebabalicious, yummy!).  Some good acts on that bill but no times listed yet.  I could be happy at either of those shows all day long.

Scarecrow

Tanlines

Here we go with Saturday.  Usually on Saturday we try to catch a band we wanted to see earlier in the week but missed or find a good spot to sit and just watch whatever bands are playing.  There are a few new bands playing on Saturday that may be worth checking out.

Here's an electro-pop duo from Brooklyn getting airplay on XM.  This is a different one than the one we heard the other day.  The album comes out March 20th but they're already getting hype so it's probably going to be good.  They play the MWTX day party on the East side along with Electric Guest, FIDLAR, etc.

Brothers

Cuff the Duke

Here's another band that has been around for quite a few years that I've never heard.  They're from Ontario so I guess they don't get down here much.  Their last two albums were produced by Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo so that should give you a feel for their style.  They cite Blue Rodeo as one of their main influences.  This song comes from their last release which was nominated for a 2012 Juno.

They play their showcase Friday night at Trinity Hall and I think they have a day show Friday, too.  Not much information on them.  I guess they like a low profile.  Their website hasn't been updated in months.

Time is Right

Aunt Martha

Here's a band out of New England that has already played CMJ, Bonnaroo and even opened for Deer Tick.  Here's a lot more on them.  They play the Friday night showcase at Tap Room, which would be my Plan A if we decide to not do the Lambert's showcase.  They also play a day show Friday at Maggie Mae's and one Saturday at Bar 512.

Bloodshot

Nikki Lane

If you want country here you go.  She's from South Carolina but now resides in Nashville.  Her voice reminds me of Wanda Jackson, who is also in town I hear.  She played CMJ in NYC and got a write-up in the NYT.  I like this song.  Definitely a throwback.  I also like the video.

She plays her showcase Friday night at Club 606 along with Grace Woodroofe.  She also plays the Twangfest party at Jovita's Saturday along with Crooked Fingers.

Gone, Gone, Gone

Crooked Fingers

Back to previews.  We're up to Friday now.  Today will be heavy on Americana after all the indie-pop, guitar-rock, and electronic shows from earlier in the week.  First up is a band that's been around for awhile.  It was formed after Archers of Loaf broke up back in 1998.  I'm not familiar with either band, which either speaks to my lack of knowledge of Americana or the lack of coverage of Americana in general.  Either way, I like this song and the band's style.

Their showcase is the Friday Merge showcase at Frank, which would be my Plan A if it wasn't at Frank.  They also play the Paste day party at the Stage on 6th along with Belle Brigade, Rhett Miller, Lumineers, Barr Brothers, Glen Hansard, Reptar, Alberta Cross, etc.  Phew. That's another great lineup.  Finally, they play the Saturday Twangfest party at Jovita's along with the next band I'll post shortly.

Typhoon

Radiohead

I'm going to skip the SXSW previews for today.  Instead, you may want to check out this band from England called Radiohead.  They've put out a few albums so you may have heard of them.  Apparently they are similar to Oasis and Blur so if you like them you make like these guys.  They play in town tonight so maybe we can pick up a cheap ticket and check them out.

As I like to repeat often, I saw these guys in 1995 opening for R.E.M.  It's a case of wishing you could go back in time knowing what you know now.  "The Bends" had been out for a few months but all anyone knew about them was "Creep".  Look at the setlist during that tour:


1. My Iron Lung
2. High and Dry
3. Planet Telex
4. Anyone Can Play Guitar
5. Just
6. Street Spirit (fade out)
7. Creep
8. Fake Plastic Trees
9. The Bends

Sick.  If they played a set like that today people would freak out.

Anyway, here's a song to get you ready for tonight.  It's an "outtake" from "King of Limbs" that was released at the end of the year.  They sometimes play it on this current tour.  I really like it and hope it makes it into the show tonight.

The Daily Mail

FIDLAR

While we're on the L.A. skate punk guitar-rock theme, here's another one.  They play at Lustre Pearl Thursday and a few places throughout the week.  They're signed to Mom+Pop Music, home to Andrew Bird, Sleigh Bells, and Neon Indian.  The next Social Distortion?  You decide.

No Waves

Bleached

I think this band is going for most shows at SXSW this year.  They are playing everything.  I think that will change because some parties have them playing at the same time.  I don't think that's possible.

In the spirit of Vivian Girls, Best Coast, and I'm sure lots of others, here is the latest Ramone's style girl-group.  This is sisters from L.A.  Pitchfork likes them.  I like this song.

Searching through the Past

Peaking Lights

Today I'll try to fill in the Thursday activities with some bands I haven't mentioned in the past.  Peaking Lights is a husband-wife duo from Madison, WI by way of the Bay Area.  They are at the Pitchfork day party at Mohawk.  They also play at Urban Outfitters on Saturday so if you like them we probably won't have trouble catching them.  They'll be back for the Austin Psych Festival on April 27th but I think we may be busy that weekend.  The music is psychedelic chillwave.

All the Sun that Shines

Reptar

I'm sure they're playing these guys on XM so you've heard them.  They're all over SXSW this year and I'm sure they'll be blowing up soon so we'll end up seeing them at some point I'm sure.  They play the Paste party at the former Radio Room on Wednesday.  This day party also has Barr Brothers, Belle Brigade, Punch Brothers (former Nickel Creek), Alberta Cross, etc.  Quite the lineup.

I'm not so sure about these guys.  Their live shows are supposed to be fun.  This song is good but it's a little close to MGMT.  They're from Athens, GA which is a good thing.  If they were from L.A. I'd think they were another rip-off band built by the RIAA music machine.  I still have questions because their other "hit" song, "Sebastian", sounds just like Vampire Weekend.  Not much originality.  Decide for yourself.

Stuck in my Id

The dBs

Wednesday is the annual Guitartown day party at Mother Egan's Dogwood, which is always good.  Freedy Johnston, James McMurtry, Thomas Dolby(?!), and many others.  The band I want to see is the dBs.  This is the original lineup that includes Chris Stamey.  Stamey played with Alex Chilton and is here to participate in the collective of all-stars playing Big Star's Third album at the Paramount Wednesday night after a screening of the Big Star documentary.

The dBs, from Winston-Salem, formed in the early 80s after the demise of Big Star and before the rise of R.E.M. and are held in high esteem by R.E.M. Peter Buck is in town for the all-star show too so maybe he'll be in the audience Wednesday.  I don't see any other performances by the dBs other than Friday night at BD Riley's.

Amplifier

Tycho

This week I'll try to cover some day parties and alternative showcases.  I'm going to skip Tuesday night for now.  We can discuss plans for that as the options are diverse.  I'll start with the Wednesday day parties.

Tycho is instrumental dream pop from San Francisco-based Scott Hansen.  Nice way to start a Monday.  He's playing Red 7 and Red Eyed Fly on Wednesday.  However, he's also playing the MWTX day show on Thursday, my first choice.  So maybe we can wait.  He also plays the Club de Ville showcase Wednesday night, my Plan B/C.

Hours

Princeton

It's Friday so I'll post one of my guilty pleasures.  This is pure sugary retro-pop that sounds like a complete rip-off of A-ha.  So what, it's still a good song.  The band is from L.A. (of course) and include twin brothers on guitar and bass.

They play a showcase Wednesday at Maggie Mae's and a day show Wednesday at Beauty Bar and Thursday at the Pure Volume House.  I doubt I can handle a whole show of this but it's a nice little ditty for a Friday.


Florida

Solander

This is a trio from Malmö, Sweden that plays folk/pop.  This is their second album but the first I've heard of them.  A nice song.  They are playing St. David's Bethel Hall on Wednesday and have one day party on Thursday at the Swan Dive but nothing else.  I wasn't a fan of Swan Dive last year so maybe they'll play another show.  On that note, there's nothing posted for the French Legation Museum that I've seen.  What's up with that?

Book of Advice

Motopony

Today is potpourri day.  I don't have a theme.  Just want to post some songs I like but can't fit the bands into the schedule yet.   Next week will be more specific posts with bands at day shows or Plan B/C showcases we may want to attend.  For now, some of the songs I've enjoyed while researching.

First up is a band from Tacoma/Seattle that plays folk/pop(?).  Fairly new, they are making waves on MTV and HBO apparently.  This song's lyrics are right in line with Scissor Sisters but I have no idea what that's about.  They seem like folky/hipster Seattle dudes but then put out a song like this.  Pretty cool actually.

Anyway, they play 2 showcases.  Neither are on my list.  They also play Friday morning on KUT at the Four Seasons.  Also not on my schedule.  No other day parties listed.

King of Diamonds

Youth Lagoon

This is the moniker of San Diego-born Trevor Powers.  He has been getting lots of hype and is playing all the big parties (Red 7 Wednesday, Pitchfork Thursday at Mohawk, Aquarium Drunkard also on Thursday, Flamingo Cantina Friday) and has 2 showcases.  Definitely one of the buzz bands of the year.

I've heard bits of some of his songs on XM and haven't been too impressed.  I discounted it as another avant-garde act that the critics love but the public doesn't.  Then I heard this song.  It's brilliant.  So much feeling in such a simple song.  If he's got more songs like this then count me in.

17

Grace Woodroofe

Here's someone that's set to go places.  Just 21, she moved from Perth, Australia to L.A. and was taken under the wing of Ben Harper.  He produced her album and she toured with him last year.

This song is perfect for today's theme.  It reminds me a little of Portishead.  Her other music is more blues and rock.  I wasn't too impressed by what I heard but maybe it will be better live or after repeat listens.

She has 2 showcases, one Friday at Club 606 and one Saturday at Maggie Mae's as part of the Australian BBQ.  Doubt we'll make either of them.  She's also doing a segment on KUT at 8am Wednesday.  Doubt we'll make that, either.  No day shows but I'm sure that will change.

Battles

Ramona Falls

Today is melancholy song day.  Maybe it's the weather.  Maybe it's because we just finished "The Wire" and this music suits the mood.  Maybe it's because I like these songs.  


First up is Ramona Falls, a side project of Brent Knopf of Menomena.  This is their 2nd album.  This is a good quote about this song: 


 “I like the idea of someone refusing to feel lonely, 
despite how utterly alone they might actually be,” Knopf explains the 
song. “It’s a form of rebellion.”

They play their showcase Thursday at Red Eyed Fly.  If we can't get into Mohawk it's an option.  They also play a day show Friday at Red Eyed Fly.

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