South by Southwest

[MadSteelDarkness]

Well, it's South by Southwest time again here in Austin, and since there's quite a few music heads on the boards, I figured I'd give you guys my biased, daily blow-by-blow of the festival, bands I saw, and any other useless tidbits I can come up with. So without further ado:

(Extremely long post warning)

Wednesday:

The first band I went to check out was playing at Elysium, which sucked because A.) they're the only club to insist on checking my bag, and B.) having checked my bag , they confiscated the one lousy bottle of water I brought with me. It wouldn't have pissed me off quite as much except for the fact that they are the only club that does this. This is also the club that famously kicked out a local music journalist for smoking a J. Anywho, having finally gotten into Elysium, the gal who was checking wristbands had the gaul to ask for a tip (look, I'm a seriously generous tipper, whether it's at a restaurant, coffee house, bar, hotel, etc..., but for fuck's sake, just for making sure I'm wearing one of these ugly plastic things...no way). So yeah, Elysium: The Worst Club in Austin, which (finally) brings me to the first band:

The Minni-Thins

Ugh. Crappy pseudo noise-punk from Newport KY. I caught half of one song and the first half of another, and decided these guys weren't worth my time, considering that next door at Beerland was playing:

The Bad Rackets

Ahhh, that's more like it. Some good local boys with a love of the Heartbreakers and the Ramones. I'd caught them a few weeks earlier at a cool punk dive bar/pizza joint (which has the best pizza in town, seriously) called The Parlor. They seemed a bit off their game, but still played a good set. Their album "Full on Blown Apart" is out on Mortville Records, and is well worth checking out if you're into the above named bands.

So, after that lovely bit of ear candy, it was off to Club de Ville to see:

Lou Lou and The Guitarfish

Not bad. Fun punk rock-y stuff from San Francisco, but veering a bit close to the pop crap that passes for punk these days. Still, they rocked decently enough, although the singer seems like she's been listening to too much Pretty Girls Make Graves. I give 'em an A for effort, and because the singer was so goddamn adorable.

I grabbed a beer, hung out for a bit, and decided to check out the next band, Birdman labelmates:

The Nice Boys

Huh, apparently their amps don't go to eleven. Decent Cheap Trick wannabes from Portland, OR, with the silliest hair I saw all night. I suppose if I was into that sort of thing, I would have been entertained, but I'm not, so I wasn't. I went back to Beerland, popped a quarter into the Galaga cab (and scored terribly, natch), and waited to see:

The Trashies

Fuck yeah! Nasty, kick-ass, beer and meth fueled madness from Seattle. I don't know what was cooler, the fact that they announced a cover of Black Flag's "Six Pack", only to then play something completely different, or the fact that they kept spitting on each other. Awesome!

My GF was with me, and I didn't want to monopolize the whole night with stuff I liked, so I offered to go to The Parish to check out:

The Young Knives

Okay, here's how the Austin Chronicle's Marc Savlov described these guys:

"Ever wonder what would have happened to Joy Division if Ian Curtis hadn't gone and tied one on? Oxford, England's Young Knives have gone Transgressive Records with their EP Junky Music Make My Heart Beat Faster, assaults with battering drum work and thick Peter Hook-ish basslines, overlaid with punchy, upfront vocals that mine both London '79 and New York '80. Clearly, they've lost control."

Right...

Now, I like Joy Division (as does my GF), so were we disappointed. Really, these guys sucked harder than any other band I saw all night. I believe the best way to describe 'em is, as their fellow countrymen would say, twee. Ugh. And although one of the basslines did sound pretty Joy Division, I highly doubt Ian Curtis would have been singing in a falsetto, had he lived. My GF agreed that these guys sucked balls, so after just two songs we split, and went over to The Red-Eyed Fly to peep:

Jedi Mind Tricks

Okay, I've got to rant a bit here. First of all, it should be said that I love hiphop, ever since I first heard the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, and Kurtis Blow in the fourth grade. And I've been to well over a hundred hiphop shows over the years, going back to the days when I was one of the few, if not the only, light-skinned guys in attendance. But the thing that righteously pisses me off at almost every show is what I call "hiphop time". For the love of fuck, will someone tell me why no hiphop show can actually start on time?! I mean, damn, these guys have the least amount of equipment to set up, and yet, no one is able to start a show that isn't at least 30 minutes late.

Now, at any other time, I can forgive this, but at SXSW, when there are literally thirty other bands playing at the same moment, my time is precious. Every minute I waste waiting for an artist to get off their ass and get on stage is a minute I could be seeing someone else. After wasting almost half a Saturday a couple of years ago waiting to see Prince Paul and the Automator, only to witness what someone else best described as a "contemptuous non-performance", my patience with this kind of bullshit is gone. </rant>

I waited fifteen minutes after start time, but Jedi Mind Tricks were a no-show. Fuck 'em. I headed back to Elysium, where my bag was checked by the trollish door chick yet again, to catch the last half of:

Lesbians on Ecstasy

An aptly-named group, if I ever saw one. Four women-who-like-women from Montreal playing a decent mix of Industrial and Gabber, who were clearly having a ball. Not great, but their ebullience was infectious. A good time.

After that, I went to the cramped confines of Jackalope to catch the insanity that is:

The Rebel



Wow. I guess the best way to describe these guys and gal from London is if you imagine the unholy offspring of Jad Fair, Daniel Johnston, and Eugene Chadbourne as channeled through Mark E. Smith on heavy pharmaceuticals. Throw in a heaping dose of jangly guitars and jarring synth, and you're there. Seriously awesome stuff. Oh, and the drummer was cute.

Time for one more, so I hopped down to Room 710 for the last band of the night:

Gogogo Airheart

Ties for my favorite band of the evening (with The Trashies). Fantastic four-piece from San Diego, mixing equal parts early PiL and Alice Donut, with a splash of Dead Kennedys and a slice of old-school Sly and Robbie. An excellent cap to an overall fun evening.

Thanks for reading. More to come tomorrow...

[dpful]

Some Friend of mine from SLC, UT. are playing down there, I like them a lot.

They're called Tolchock Trio.
Check them out if you can.
www.tolchocktrio.net if you want to check it out first I suppose

[MadSteelDarkness]

Thanks for the tip, dpful!

Unfortunately, they played last night.

Helios Creed and Rhys Chatham tonight, though! I'm stoked!

[CMoon]

The big festival for me is Terrastock 6 next month.

[Acid King]

My fest is Emissions from the Monolith. Hopefully I'll be able to go this year.

[Jon]

MadSteel I hate you. I have always wanted to attend SXSW but never seem to make it. Excellent write up by the way. I always heard that the bigger named acts are kinda hard to catch due to the size of some of the venues.

More min-reviews please!

[MadSteelDarkness]

Day two,

Thursday

This proved to be an interesting day/night, as most of what I heard wasn't in a club. In fact, for most of the day, I was serenaded by:

Five Unknown Punk Bands

Apparently, there was a show just two blocks over, at the North Loop strip (home to fine shops like Sound on Sound records, "naughty gift" shop Forbidden Fruit, and a lovely anarchist bookstore called Monkeywrench books). I thought about walking over and checking it out, but the fact is, they were so loud, I could hear them just fine from inside my pad. They ranged stylistically from old-school Dead Boys rock to NoMeansNo-esque art punk. All good stuff, and hey, I didn't have to go anywhere to hear 'em!

I arrived at the Red River district a bit early, so I grabbed a pint at Room 710, and stuck around to hear the first band:

Circle Takes the Square

This fourpiece from Savannah, GA started promising enough, beginning with ambient droniness, which segued into full on grindcore goodness. That didn't last long, however, as soon they veered into slow, ponderous territory, and my bored-o-meter (TM) suddenly spiked. These guys and gal might be good someday if they can figure out what the hell kind of band they want to be.

Ah well, down to the Emo's annex (which is really just a parking lot with a big tent), to see the first band of the Kill Rock Stars showcase:

They Shoot Horses Don't They

This Vancouver sextet truly deserves the term "uncategorizable". Ummm..., where to begin? Strains of The Birthday Party, mixed with latter-period Tom Waits-ian stomp, call-and-response shouted vocals (from all six band members), and a three-piece horn section. Whatever you call 'em, I liked it. A lot.

I bailed just before their last song in order to hoof it back to Room 710 in time to catch:

Insect Sex Act

This is Brett Bradford's (Scratch Acid) newest project, teaming with drummer Max Brody (Ministry), who was also in Areola 51 with Mr. Bradford. Jason Craig (Pong) was pulling bass duty. Excellent post-Amphetamine Reptile noise, but that's what you'd expect from the man behind Scratch Acid. A few special guest spots ensued (as they so often do when local boys play in Austin), finishing poignantly with some recorded vocals from the late, great Randy "Biscuit" Turner. I complemented Brett on a great show afterward, and shook his hand. He gave me a CD, and I slipped him a business card, asking him to give me a call if he ever needed a cameraman. Looking at my card, he asked, "So, you're Austin?"

"Yep, I'm Austin..."

There was a question as to what to go to next, so I took a chance and puttered over to The Central Presbyterian Church (yes, you read that right), to catch the Table of Elements showcase. Unfortunately, they had shuffled the ensembles playing that night, so I'm not exactly sure who it was that I saw:

Two Avant-Garde Guitarists

These two guys played some wonderful drones. Beautiful stuff, and the church really added to both the acoustics and the overall ambience. My GF asked me if I'd ever been in a protestant church before, to which I replied, "Not while sober..."

I decided to stick around for the next artist, who turned out to be none other than:

Thurston Moore(!)

Now, I've seen Sonic Youth a number of times over the years, but I've never had the privilege of seeing any of them solo. Thurston played an awesome, screechy, feedback-drenched piece, and was joined by the two previously mentioned guitarists for the second half. Words fail me....gorgeous, terrifying, awe-inspiring... All I had to say afterward was, "Damn, I wish I'd brought a DAT recorder..."

After all the feedback and lovely noise, I decided a change of pace was in order, so I popped down to Carribean Lights to hear the first song by:

The Refugee All-Stars

Fun, hopping Afro-pop made by folks from Sierra Leone, a country that makes me incredibly depressed just thinking about what's gone on there.

I had to jet after the first song, though, because back over at Room 710 was the record release party of the inimitable:

Helios Creed

Mr. Creed and co. ripped it up proper, playing kick-ass martian acid rawk. The set consisted mostly of songs from his new record, "Deep Blue Love Vacuum", but they also slipped a vintage Chrome track in early on. Unfortunately, they brought on some grizzled old chick (half out of her mind on various substances) to sing the last three songs. Blissfully unaware of her "guest" status, she hogged the spotlight as much as she could, finishing with an ecstatic and decidedly un-punk rock "We love you all! We love you, Austin!!!" while wearing her best "You like me!...You really like me!" look. Ugh. Oh, well. I picked up Helios' new CD at the merchandise table. Pretty good stuff, but not nearly hitting the heights of his earlier work.

Back to church it was then, to see the end of:

The Arnold Dreyblatt Ensemble

Rocking good stuff from Berlin, in that wall of guitars way, but ultimately just a warm-up for:

Rhys Chatham

I have wanted to see this guy and his "Guitar Army" for fifteen years, and he did not disappoint. For those not familiar with his work (or that of like-minded composers like Glenn Branca), imagine if you will six guitarists playing jagged riffs a la Sonic Youth (who were heavily influenced by Chatham and Branca, and most of whom played in Branca's ensemble), culminating in a fantastic wall of sound and fury. The classic "Die Donnergotter" was played first, followed by his seminal "Guitar Trio" (with Thurston Moore sitting in, as well as Mr. Chatham himself, bringing the total to eight guitars(!)). Pairing back to six guitars, the "army" finished with an encore aptly titled "Untuned Guitar". A brilliant, and exhausting, end to an evening of guitar gods.

Whew!

Thanks again for reading. More tomorrow!

EDIT: Thanks for the kind words, Jon! Yeah you're right, it is pretty difficult to see some of the big name acts, unless they play somewhere huge like Stubb's. Fortunately, however, I tend to stay away from those and stick to (mostly) lesser known stuff.

[Jon]

AARRGH! Animal Collective and Neko Case playing tonight. Superchunk and the Pretenders (!) playing Saturday. It all sounds exhausting but totally worth it.

I will have to check out They Shoot Horses Don't They. Anything described as the Birthday Party meets Tom Waits deserves a listen.

I am not the biggest fan of Thurston's more masturbatory side but I still would have loved to have caught that set as well.

Keep it coming...

[Rob]

TONIGHT: SEE AFRIRAMPO!!

I'd also look see Grey Daturas and Savage Republic or Quintron if I was there. That's a lot of bands I don't know anything about.

[MadSteelDarkness]

Afrirampo and Quintron (and Miss Pussycat) are already on the list.

I'll see if I can't peep Grey Daturas and Savage Republic (who're on at the same time as Quintron...so, I dunno). Thanks for that, Rob!

Animal Collective are also on my list, but man, there's just too much to see tonight.

DMBQ also looks worth checking.

See you guys tomorrow!

[MadSteelDarkness]

Day three,

Friday

This nights offerings proved a little more diverse, because my GF picked half of 'em. It should be noted that despite my constant use of first person in these posts, my intrepid gal pal has been with me every step of the way. Although she says she's liked most everything I've dragged her to, she's also the type to cheerfully endure a band that I like, even if she thinks they suck monkey balls.

The first pick of the night was hers, so off we set to Zero degrees to hear:

Polysics

And the first pick was a winner. Devo is an obvious inspiration for this Tokyo fourpiece, but saying that doesn't nearly do them justice. Sure, they wore matching jumpsuits and shades, and were largely synth-driven, but throw those elements into a blender and set it to "maximum shred". Highlights included a blistering cover of "My Sharona"(!). Near the end of the set, the frontman/guitarist exclaimed that they were going to "burn this fucking house down!"

And boy, did they.

After that, I though it would be a good idea to cram into Jackalope to check out Ralph Spight's (Victim's Family) solo project:

The Freak Accident

But was I wrong. Smug, self indulgent "art" pop. Blech. One song, and I was gone.

It was a toss up on who to see next, and although I was leaning toward Oxbow, the GF cast the tie breaking vote to walk down to Emo's IV and see:

Grey Daturas (thanks for the suggestion, Rob!)

Muuuuuch better. I was under the impression that this group from Melbourne, Australia was a trio, but only two people (both on guitar, one of whom switched to drums, and then back) showed up and played a single, thirty minute piece, consisting mostly of feedback-drenched drones, punctuated by some thundering drumwork midway through. Good stuff, although I commented to the GF that "after last night, I feel that church is a better venue for this kind of music." Anywho, I liked 'em enough to pick up their "Dead in the Woods" CD at the merch table, which is fantastic (and does feature a trio. Huh.).

Then, it was a short jaunt up to the Flamingo Cantina (one of my favorite venues in Austin, by the way), to see my most anticipated act of the evening:

Afrirampo

Hmmm...how to describe this Osaka-based duo to the uninitiated? Two cute gals (a guitarist and a drummer) playing frenetic, insane noise punk mixed with bizarre stage theatrics and the scariest vocal shrieks since Diamanda Galas. I don't know which moment I liked better: when they arrived on stage flapping their arms and clucking like chickens, or when the drummer produced a pair of panties (not sure from where...), put them on her head and yelled, "I...am... CUTE!". An incredible live act, and one I'm glad I finally had the privilege to see.

I wanted to stick around and catch DMBQ, but alas, that was not to be, because it was going to be a long trek up to Oslo (where the Ninja Tune/Big Dada showcase was happening) in order to see my honey's final pick of the evening:

TTC

My GF loves Le Hiphop Francais, so this one was a no-brainer for her...

As for me...well...

I didn't like 'em. Don't get me wrong, though. This Parisian quartet (3 MC's and a DJ) were entirely competent, with good interplay, rapid-fire flow, and decent (if uninspired) production. But I prefer my hiphop to be more socially-conscious (or at least good and angry). These guys seemed to be mostly about bling and booty, albeit in a mocking Beastie Boys sort of way. Also, I've never really liked the hopping, Dancehall-inspired, 808-driven school of hiphop that's become more prevalent in the last several years. I much prefer what Q-Tip referred to as "the boom, the bip, the boom-bip". So yeah, not my bag at all. Oh, well, at least I snagged a promo copy of Ninja Tune's new spring sampler CD (and another for my ladyfriend, natch).

Now it was my turn. It was a long, long hike over to The Velvet Spade Patio, so I was afraid I was going to miss:

Quintron and Miss Pussycat

But fortunately, they went on late, so I was able to catch the entirety of their performance. 9th Ward (New Orleans) native Mr. Quintron put on a searing set of organ and drum machine-fueled madness, aided and abetted by the fabulous and deranged Miss Pussycat. On the down side, their set was pretty short, probably due to their tardiness. I wanted more, dammit!

Double whew! Fatigue is starting to set in now, but I can definitely hack it for one more night.

Thanks again. The finale tomorrow...

[Rob]

That looks like an awesome day.

TTC

Haha, I've heard them on the (college) radio. Dans Le Club!

[magnum opus]

i wasn't there but bruce stirlings talk was pretty good
www.warrenellis.com

[MadSteelDarkness]

Day four,

Saturday

Despite feeling bone-tired, I was pretty stoked for the final night.

Arriving downtown early (I finally stopped being such a cheap bastard and paid for parking), I went to hear the only band scheduled early, at the patio of Habana Calle 6 (a Cuban/Carribean restaurant):

Dressy Bessy

Other than the fact that they're from Denver, and have a female singer, I can't tell you much else about these guys, because they seemed to be only letting Badge-wearers in. I could hear 'em well enough from the river though, so I hung out and listened to a couple of songs. Decent enough alt rock, if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not, so...meh.

Over to Beerland then. I slapped a quarter into their Galaga cab, and was shocked that my terribly low score was the high one on the machine. Yikes! The first band of the Gearhead records showcase then took the stage:

The Spunks

This trio (apparently from both Tokyo and New York) played a heaping helping of energetic, straight-up punk rock, with an extra side of silliness. Good fun.

It was a muddy slog over to the Velvet Spade Patio, but well worth it after seeing:

Notekillers

Three middle-aged guys from Philly scorched through a series of jangly, cinematic, avant-rock instrumentals. Guitarist David First was shredding so hard, he managed to break strings on both of his axes. These guys kicked much derriere.

The GF had a powerful need to make a pit stop afterward, so we popped into Club de Ville. While I was waiting I caught a song by:

The Lovely Feathers

Emotional pop crap from Montreal. Double blech. Stop whining, you pussies!

Soon, the gal pal was back in action, so we headed to Jackalope. Man, do I hate this venue. It's a frat bar usually, so not at all the proper place to see the likes of:

Angry Angles

A good name for this trio of pissed-off Memphis punks, who ripped through a short set of fast paced, bile-fueled songs. I liked 'em.

It started to rain then, but that didn't stop me from running over to Room 710, because a favorite of mine was soon to be on:

Zombi

When I first saw this dynamic Chi-town duo (one on keyboards and bass, the other on drums), they could best be described as a Goblin tribute band, although the instrumentals they played were originals. A year later, they've incorporated elements of John Carpenter and various Italo-horror soundtrack composers into the mix. The place was packed tight for the Relapse showcase, but soon cleared out somewhat when many of the assembled metalheads realized that these guys were not, you know, a metal band. Eh, their loss. These guys were fantastic.

It was a short jaunt up Red River, to The Velvet Spade, to catch the last two songs by:

Cause for Applause

They've been compared to The Fall and The Birthday Party, but I don't think they're quite worthy of those comparisons. Still, this New York quartet played some good, twisted art n' roll. Pretty cool stuff. I'll have to check out their other songs and see if they're up to snuff.

I hung around because next up was:

Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds

Guitarist Kid Congo Powers' (The Bad Seeds, The Cramps, and others) new band took their sweet-ass time setting up, so I only got to hear one song. I can't quite pin 'em down musically, but I wasn't terribly impressed. Pretentious rock that mixes up 60's and 70's influences, I'd say. But who knows what their other stuff sounds like.

I wasn't going to stick around and find out, though, because back over at Jackalope (ugh) was playing:

The Spits (sup, Pa )

Absolutely the best band of the evening, and the best punk show I've seen in...well, ever. These four crazy bastards from Seattle totally levelled the place. I yelled myself hoarse and I think I pulled something while pogo-ing, but it was well worth it. Apparently I wasn't the only fan in attendance, either. The club was filled to capacity with a writhing, slamming, trash-throwing horde of sweaty punks who knew the words to every song.

Whew! Exhausted and barely coherent, I still managed to stumble into The Velvet Spade Patio to hear the last two-and-a-half songs by:

The Sundresses

This Cincinnatti-based trio played some nifty, angular rock with a touch of Stray Cat strut.

And that's it. I'm going to bed for the next couple of days.

Again, thanks very much for reading.

[Neon]

Interesting stuff.

Pairing back to six guitars, the "army" finished with an encore aptly titled "Untuned Guitar". A brilliant, and exhausting, end to an evening of guitar gods.

Sounds like between this and the feedback thing most of these bands aren't really enjoyable to listen to. Very punk rock though. More descriptions next year plz.

[PaCrappa]

I can't believe I let this get off the first page before I replied to it.

Would you believe I've never seen The Trashies? I keep hearing about them but everyy time I hear one of their recordings, they leave alot to be desired. Perhaps my only hope for seeing them was when they played with The Spits last year which I missed. So they were the bomb eh? I might have to try 'em some day.

I'm not sure I've even heard Helios Creed (heard of 'em of course) but my boys The Dead Vampires www.myspace.com/deadvampires Are playing with them next weekend. Sweet!

So what schtick were the Spits rockin in Austin? My fave is probably the "tin foil space centurion" look or "ski mask with prison denim" thang. Best band ever, especially live. Their shows are such a great excuse to get hammered and have a fight.

Anyways, sounds like a total fucking blast. I might try to visit next year. I've never been to Texas.

Pa

[MadSteelDarkness]

Would you believe I've never seen The Trashies? I keep hearing about them but everyy time I hear one of their recordings, they leave alot to be desired. Perhaps my only hope for seeing them was when they played with The Spits last year which I missed. So they were the bomb eh? I might have to try 'em some day.

Heh. Well, I wouldn't say they were "good" per se, but they sure were fun. The GF said it was the only show in which she feared for her safety, so that should tell ya something. To me, that's always a good sign... Your mileage may vary, of course.

I'm not sure I've even heard Helios Creed (heard of 'em of course) but my boys The Dead Vampires www.myspace.com/deadvampires Are playing with them next weekend. Sweet!

Ahhh, the Helios...former guitarist for Chrome. He's been making strange, trippy, spooky acid punk for many a year (I highly recommend "The Last Laugh"). Again,your mileage may vary. He and his band put on a good show, but then had to feck it up by bringing on that stupid old hippy chick to sing the last three songs (one Fabienne Shine, who is apparently famous 'cause she fucked Jimmy Page back in the seventies or something...Yech. I fuckin' hate hangers-on...). If they don't bring her along, it'll be a fun time. If they do, and you go see 'em, throw something at her for me, please.

The Dead Vampires, eh? I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the suggestion, man.

So what schtick were the Spits rockin in Austin? My fave is probably the "tin foil space centurion" look or "ski mask with prison denim" thang. Best band ever, especially live. Their shows are such a great excuse to get hammered and have a fight.

Well, the keyboardist was wearing a silver radiation suit thing, while the rest of the band were in Spanish inquisition-style pointy hoods and robes, with upside-down crosses painted on their faces. And yeah, those guys were pretty goddamn amazing live. I can't wait 'til they play here again.

Anyways, sounds like a total fucking blast. I might try to visit next year. I've never been to Texas.

Pa

That would be sweet, man. My place is pretty cramped, so I couldn't put you up, but I sure as hell would love to buy ya a beer or three. Drop me a line (or pm) if you're ever going to be in town!