SXSW Recap

[coop41]

ok, I'll go first!
An amazing year, so many great people from all over the world who I now consider friends. Free beer and great music is a phenomenal way to start every day. Here is my recap along with my videos and pictures (I'm not the world's best photographer - right Philly?)

Best Shows:

The Joy Formidable - Blown away all 3 times I saw them. Absolutely phenomenal live. The Buffalo Billiards Show was insane.
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Here is a video from Lance Armstrong's bike shop (you too can buy a $4800 bike!):
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Yuck – Rocked both times I saw them.

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The Fleshtones – The day show at Ginger Man was absolute brilliant chaos which included the band singing and playing all over including on top of tables, guest appearances, push-ups and I got to “play” both guitar and bass during the wild show in the Austin heat.
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Their 1 a.m. show at The Continental Club was excellent although not as crazy, although Peter Zaremba was extremely gracious.
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The Dead Milkmen at MWTX day show was nothing short of amazing, stage diving was not only not frowned upon but encouraged, with stage divers conversing with band members and even getting their pictures taken by them. Male and female stage-divers galore, being kneed in the head and kicked in the face causing a slightly bloody nose was no deterrent in the packed dust bowl of East Side Drive-In. There was even a guy with a dog on his shoulder right up front. Their cover of Gary Numan's Cars was a highlight.
The Crowd:
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ringside view:
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Jukebox the Ghost were outstanding, extremely competent musicians with a nice tight set of guitar pop.
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The Limousines put on an upbeat show that had the crowd hopping despite it being a day show at the Red Eyed Fly. Disappointed I didn't see them again.

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Kid Canaveral – From Scotland, a great show with some excellent songs, aanother band I wish I could have caught more than once, were very friendly as we chatted them up after the show as well.


!!! - wild show which surprised me

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Next Best Shows:

Surfer Blood


OFF! (Keith Morris - Black Flag/Circle Jerks and Jeff McDonald Redd Kross)
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Army Navy
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Cloud Nothings
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Ume

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Richard Barone (with Vanessa Hay from Pylon)
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Esben & The Witch
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The Jezabels

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Bombay Bicycle Club, Hungry Kids From Hungary, Admiral Fallow, Fast Romantics,We Barbarians, Davila 666, Wild Flag, Violens, Dodos, Vulture Whale (disappointed with their song selection)

Keepin' it real with Big K.R.I.T.
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Others we saw sets or bits and pieces of sets that were not for me and/or nothing special:
A Place To Bury Strangers
Screaming Females
Great Big pile Of Leaves
PS I Love You
Japanther
O Emperor
True Widow
TV Torso
Antlers
and a handful of others I have likely forgotten.


Best 80's reference t-shirt:
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Dude with a cat on his shoulder:
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...and ???:
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Best line by a shouting homeless person who was black:
"Anyone have a lighter that I Can have?"
After being immediately handed a lighter by a passer-by, "A White man gave me a black lighter, I should have asked for a wife!"


After their interview, the guy on the right tried to steal our cab, you have never seen two people act like he was invisible as Frau and I were not to be denied as we sailed away
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Another great year...you just don't know what you are missing.

[Frau_Blucher]

[quote]Originally posted by coop41
[br]
Best Shows:

The Joy Formidable - Blown away all 3 times I saw them. Absolutely phenomenal live. The Buffalo Billiards Show was insane.
[/quote]
I'm not seeing where it says "...my favoritest live band in all the world now." Is this just the draft recap?? [8D]

I guess I'll have to work on mine now. It feels like South-By got extended a couple days with the two BSP gigs out here. Well done!

[Frau_Blucher]

Shit, this was a challenge just trying to remember what all I did. This week was much more of a blur than other South-By's for some reason. The gig total of 52 was ever so slightly less than last year, but I think still a ton considering we took big chunks of Saturday to hang out with some very cool friends - a real highlight of the week. Just a chronologic tally for now while I get my reviews and pics sorted...

[b]Tuesday 3/15:[/b]
True Widow @ Red 7 Inside
No Age @ Red 7 Patio
Austra @ Red 7 Patio
Ume @ Red 7
Japanther @ Red 7 Patio
PS I Love You @ Emo's

[b]Wednesday 3/16:[/b]
Twin Shadow @ Mohawk Patio
Megaphonic Thrift @ Lipstick 24
Esben & the Witch @ Lipstick 24
Cloud Nothings @ Mohawk Patio
Tennis @ Club deVille
Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Club deVille
Yuck @ Club deVille
Yuck @ Stubbs
Kid Canaveral @ Maggie Mae's - like Coop mentioned, lovely people these Scotts. They can write a mean pop song, fully inflected with their heavy accents, but my favorite track is probably the wistful, soulful 'Her Hair Hangs Down', here soundtracking a mini-doc of the Isle of Eigg Festival they did last summer:
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Chappo @ Dirty Dog
O Emperor @ Barbarella
Admiral Fallow @ Maggie Mae's
The Twilight Sad @ Maggie Mae's

[b]Thursday 3/17:[/b]
Violens @ Flamingo Cantina
The Dodos @ Flamingo Cantina
Yuck @ Flamingo Cantina
Wild Flag @ The Parish
The Joy Formidable @ The Parish
The Antlers @ The Parish
The Joy Formidable @ Mellow Johnny's: a real friend-fest with new and old mates Coop, Evan, Chris, Michael, Peter, and here Greg (plus an unannounced Plagiarism too apparently!), all soaking in the band that many of us thought were the class of the festival, here during the intimate sound check:
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Horse Thief @ Easy Tiger
I Was Totally Destroying It @ Easy Tiger Patio
Mount Kimbie @ Windish Agency House
Friendly Fires @ Windish Agency House
Monogold @ Palm Door
Bombay Bicycle Club @ Klub Krucial

[b]Friday 3/18:[/b]
No Joy @ Mohawk
Tristen @ Mohawk
Chat with Anthony Fantano, "Internet's Busiest Music Geek" @ Mohawk Patio - I don't know if people here know about this guy. I recognized him instantly. It's hard to do a search for a modern indie band on YouTube and not stumble on one of his reviews. They're usually kinda long-winded, but he's spot-on more often than not (I'm not just saying that because he likes BSP!):
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An Horse @ Mohawk
Ted Leo sans band @ Mohawk Patio
Sharon Van Etten @ Mohawk Patio
Chikita Violenta @ Mohawk
Alcoholic Faith Mission @ Hyatt
Beach Fossiles @ Buffalo Billiards
Screaming Females @ Buffalo Billiards
The Joy Formidable @ Buffalo Billiards
Scala & Kolachny Brothers @ Stubb's
O.M.D. @ Stubb's - survived the crane collapse scare to enjoy a great little gig.

[b]Saturday 3/19:[/b]
The Blir Brunch @ Evan and Tom's - has grown from a simple lunch that a couple of local friends put on for me a few years ago to a full-blown, in-crowd, annual extravaganza with oyster shucking, killer bloody mary's, chilled tunes, and BBQ'd meats galore. I've demanded a commemorative plaque in my honor. Seriously, there's some great fucking people down there in Austin!
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Kitten @ Brush Square Park
Scars on 45 @ Brush Square Park
The Republic Tigers @ Brush Square Park
The Joy Formidable @ Brush Square Park
The Dinner Formidable @ Roaring Fork - yeah, this was pretty freakin' special! [8D]
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Bad Veins @ Skinny's Ballroom
Ume @ Skinny's Ballroom
The Calm Blue Sea @ Skinny's Ballroom
Army Navy @ Swan Dive

[coop41]

Wow, I forgot a good 6-10 bands we saw. wow. I admit, in a drunken stupor I suppose I may have mentioned JF were the best band in the world or best live band, something like that, even though I have never been even a casual fan.

[plagiarism]

I only had time to go to one afternoon's worth of performances/parties and one evening of club hopping. SXSW is really spread out, so that can limit your choices. I didn't have a badge/wristband, so I didn't even try to get to see the biggest acts.

Afternoon shows

* OMD - I went the show in Houston the previous night, so I really didn't need to go to this. I just went to meet up with people I met in Houston. The scope of the concerts was obviously different (concert hall vs. bicycle shop), but it was a good show. It was the only one of their 3 concerts at SXSW that went off without a hitch.

* The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - We tried to get into The Dears, but the venue was packed, so we wandered over here instead. I really enjoyed the show, but perhaps the songs were a bit same-y.

* The Joy Formidable - See Frau/Coop's comments. Amazing how much a trio can do.

Evening shows

I met a friend at The Parish Club to see Apex Manor. $20 to get in. I was shocked. Maybe it was worth it, since it was a showcase for Merge Records. But I didn't want to stay all night in one venue. I got there early and watched the second half of a set by Times New Viking. They weren't my thing.

* Apex Manor - Straightforward power pop/rock performed by veteran musicians. The lead was previously in the band The Broken West, and they also played their song "Perfect Games". Not an earth-shattering performance, but I had a smile the whole way. The SXSW website said that American Music Club was next, but the SXSW app said Telekenesis followed. I ask a couple of employees who's next, and no one knew anything. I would have stuck around for Telekenesis, but not AMC. So, off I went to...

* We Are Animal ($7) - That price is more in line with what I was expecting. Another good performance. I wondered if one guy's keyboard set was just for show, because he played the cowbell like no one's business. Many shouts of "need more cowbell". I don't know if they got the reference. Next up...

* The Chain Gang of 1974 ($13) - The concert was plagued by technical problems, so they only played about 2/3rds of their set and they were late getting started. The singer's stage presence was modeled on Freddie Mercury/Steven Tyler/Ian Astbury, and the other members of the band looked and moved like nerds. The contrast was funny.

My friend didn't enjoy this group, and during the unscheduled intermission, he bailed. He was also out of money, so all our remaining band choices had to be from these three venues. He decided to go back to the Parish, and I'd meet him later. In the meantime, I went to...

* Guards ($8) - SXSW runs on a tight schedule. If a band runs overtime in setting up, then they have to cut their performance short. They're still setting up 15 minutes after they're supposed to start, so I bail. This venue has 2 stages, so I go to the other one. Ringo Deathstarr is playing there, and I'm interested. However, when I get over there, I found out they're still doing the soundcheck. I expect there to be long lines at The Parish, so I decide to cut my losses and head over now so that I can see the end of...

* Versus and then Wye Oak ($20) - I put the dollar amount there for a reason. Although I had my hand stamped, they wouldn't let me back in. The first SXSW employee recognized me and sent me in, the 2nd couldn't see my stamp, and told me I had to pay. So f*** that. I left. I texted my friend and said I couldn't get in. Turns out he didn't either, and was just hanging around and listening outside some random venue. If he had told me, I could have seen Guards/Ringo Deathstarr.

We decide to go back to the Chain Gang venue to see...

* Miami Horror (free now, but barely. That stamp had just about sweated off too.) I don't know much about this act, but I've heard of them because the Next Wave Video of the Day thread. The song that was posted didn't make that much of an impression on me, so I wasn't expecting much.

It turns out, it was the show of the night. Live, these guys are a real party band, with the whole Prince and the Revolution/The Time vibe going on. (They're white Australians.) The whole place was hopping, and as my friend pointed out, they appealed to people of all ages and colors.

I was planning to go to one more concert, but my friend doesn't want to, so I just hang around and get a bite to eat. I pass by Art vs. Science, and that sounds good, but I don't go in. I pass by OMD, not knowing about the crane accident (wondering why so many people are milling around). I pass by one more venue on my way to the car. Men Without Hats are playing Safety Dance, and then Pop Goes the World. Really, that's not how I wanted the night to end.

Edit: Special thanks to edwardnky, tileboy, and wherewereuin82 for frequently contributing to the Next Wave Video of the Day thread. Many of the bands on my list and back-up list came from them.

[Frau_Blucher]

[quote][i]Originally posted by coop41[/i]
<br>Wow, I forgot a good 6-10 bands we saw. wow. I admit, in a drunken stupor I suppose I may have mentioned JF were the best band in the world or best live band, something like that, even though I have never been even a casual fan.
[/quote]
You're hedging?! Shiiiiit.

Look us up next time Plag! Glad you got to see the "wow" surprise band. That's the golden nugget you try to pan for at South-By.

[edwardnky]

Awesome stuff guys, thanks for posting.

[Frau_Blucher]

When I looked at this SXSW schedule, I knew that I'd miss more "good" bands than at any other South-By ever. It was loaded with "good"…sometimes really good. Yet I didn't see anything new that I had a good feeling would jump out at me as "great" (as has happened in other years). It pretty much played out that way. No new band totally floored me, and I'm a little disappointed in that. The great stuff was stuff I knew would be great - Joy Formidable, Yuck, OMD, etc. There was also a huge number of bands that were described with some mention of "sounds like" or "influenced by" [insert] "Sonic Youth", "Dinosaur Jr" and/or "My Bloody Valentine". Many of those were entertaining, but none were as inventive as the early 2000s indie rock resurgence that used our beloved New Wave as a foundation. There are no giants of the shoegaze revival yet, as much as I was looking. Still the best time I've ever had at a South-By and many more “A" ratings than any other year. Said ratings and some pics below (mostly mine but not all):

[b]A+: The Joy Formidable @ Buffalo Billiards[/b] - This was not just the gig of this SXSW. It was likely THE gig of any gig I've seen at ANY South-By. It may have been the best gig I've seen in the last 20 years. Absolutely mental audience that had many of us pogo'ing and fist-pumping throughout the set. I was deliriously jacked up. TJF are like a drug. You get a BIG rush from their gigs. You end up wanting more. I saw them three other times, but this was the best. TJF may have outstripped BSP as my favorite band. Maybe. Shit, I don't know! Someone else’s video of our arms flailing about in the pit:
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[b]A: O.M.D. @ Stubb's[/b] - An abbreviated set because of the camera crane accident. This took nothing away from the gig for me. All the great things that we heard from the New York and other shows apply here. Electrying! (ahem). The shortened time meant they played none of the new songs (I think) - only the classics. Come on, do we really give a shit about the new songs? Deep down?? Closing 1-2 of "Enola Gay" and "Electricity" is something I thought I'd never see again. Not my pic:
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[b]A: The Joy Formidable @ The Parish[/b] - This was the first of four TJF shows I saw and the shortest, but they brought it! I felt like my SXSW really started when these guys finally played. They've got the alt-pop-rock formula freaking DOWN. Most people in line that I chatted with were waiting for Antlers. Dropped jaws and high-fives from the uninitiated are a pretty good sign that they made a great first impression. I can't think of any band out there that can bring it like they can on these short festival sets.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646035_kTni8-X3.jpg">#8232;

[b]A: Yuck @ Flamingo Cantina[/b] - The best of three Yuck performances I saw. They are totally Dinosaur Jr. I don't care. I love it. I won't play the "they're copying so-and-so" card. That's only useful if things are copied poorly or a band is unentertaining. Yuck are very entertaining. Yes, some of their songs also sound a bit too self-similar. I'm sure New Order lost a lot of sleep on that one too. I do hope they improve in all these areas, but for now, a really fun band.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645832_SDVDJ-X3.jpg">

[b]A: The Joy Formidable @ Mellow Johnny's[/b] - A really intimate affair at Lance Armstrong's bike shop for KEXP day party. KEXP seem to like them quite a lot, as it seems anyone who has encountered them live does. It felt like watching them at a private party, and that was pretty special. Not a mental crowd or anything, but just a great, straight, driving set. Like a drug fix, leaving you wanting more.
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[b]A: Kid Canaveral @ Maggie Mae's[/b] - They were on my radar, but I had a pretty pointed sense that they weren't really "my kind of music". Seeing them live, I have to ask myself "Why the hell not?" Great tunes. Great engagement. Perhaps indie pop with a Celtic flair. I'm kinda digging the bevy of recent bands not trying to hide their heavy Scottish accents - Canaveral, Phantom Band, Glasvegas, etc.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646303_aJV58-X3.jpg">

[b]A: The Joy Formidable @ Brush Square Park[/b] - This might have been their weakest (relative!) set given the tent setting. Still, Neak, their sound guy, does wonders even with a portable PA setup. Vocals came out the best amongst all the gigs actually. Might have been an A- except for the highlight of Ritzy demolishing a Miley Cyrus guitar piñata that she and the band spotted at a shop - an awesome take-off on the classic rock meme. Awful vid except for the smashing ~1:40 in:
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[b]A-: Sharon Van Etten @ Mohawk Patio[/b] - Van Etten charmed the shit out of me (not literally of course…well maybe a bit). She's "just" another indie-folk-pop singer-songwriter, but she's got such a great voice and charm. A sweet desperation in her voice. I was really bummed not to have caught her again at Central Presbyterian Church - perfect venue for her. Not even my kind of music, but she's one of those artists who transcends genre barriers and will hopefully grab fans from all around.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645916_N8fb3-X3.jpg">

[b]A-: Twin Shadow @ Mohawk Patio[/b] - A LOT better than I was expecting. Their main video looks a bit one-dimensional, but live, they are a fully fleshed out, truly new wave band with all the hooks, melody and perfect keyboards and guitar interplay you'd expect from new wave. A very pleasant surprise.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645991_o2z6b-X3.jpg">

[b]A-: Yuck @ Club deVille[/b] - The first of three times I saw Yuck, and a revelation. Yes, they had the "lo-fi", "psychedelic" and "showgaze revival" labels and worse - even "mimic's Dinosaur Jr". Again, I don't care. They are really freaking excellent and entertaining. Their lead guitarist is a virtuoso - I could watch nothing but him all day. Why the minus? The Asian chick bugged me for some reason. That's all.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645844_2V28E-X3.jpg">

[b]A-: Friendly Fires @ Windish Agency House[/b] - it's the early 90s all over again with more pulsey disco in it than the more indie-oriented "electroclash" bands of the early 2000s. Imagine a young, unassuming London financier type walking onto stage and then just ripping it up on both the keyboards and with his dance moves. Not really my thing but super infectious. The audience was massively pumped. If you remotely like this sort of thing, keep an eye out for them.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646355_QGxkR-X3.jpg">

[b]B+: Yuck @ Stubbs[/b] - A possible chink in Yuck's armor is that they're not very engaging personality-wise on stage. It doesn't show so much in a small venue because their little bits of wry humor come out well there. There's no sense of that at all on a larger stage. They would do well to develop some more interactivity, but then again, Joy Division and a lot of other folks never had that either…but then again then again, they're not Joy Division.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645802_DafsP-X3.jpg">

[b]B+: Violens @ Flamingo Cantina[/b] - I've loved the odd Violens track and disliked many others. Usually the latter are when they sound too much like their NYC brethren Vampire Weekend. Fuckinhell, the dreaded Vampire Weekend and all their whitey-fied Afro-Garfunkel twee spawn! But…I was also told that they rock out a lot more live than on their albums. This was indeed true. They are very worth going to see. Why they don't marry more of their live sound to the albums? No fucking idea.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645897_PxZ4k-X3.jpg">

[b]B+: The Calm Blue Sea @ Skinny's Ballroom[/b] - These guys were probably the epitome of the swirly, trippy guitar sound I was looking for throughout much of this SXSW. At one point in this set, my buddy Greg noticed what I was doing too - "Dude, wait, you're totally on an experimental rock trip right now, aren't you?" I guess so. They fit the bill…mostly. They didn't WOW me. It was cool It was a trip. But not the total revelation that I was hoping for.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646499_AUdbZ-X3.jpg">

[b]B+: Admiral Fallow @ Maggie Mae's[/b] - Again, not really my kind of music (I keep saying that), but they're very very good at what they do and immensely engaging in a small venue. Think of sprinkles of Elbow and Frightened Rabbit with more folkish Celtic flair. If this sounds attractive at all, it might be worth sampling some tracks.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646691_oBGef-X3.jpg">

[b]B: Ume @ Skinny's Ballroom[/b] - I rated Ume very highly last year. They've done nothing more for themselves since. Lauren seems to like to just jam…HARD. She leaves little space in her songs for swells and releases and some melody, but I think that's where they're at their best, like on "The Conductor". They have plenty of rock chops to not even worry about. They need to write and play better songs. Highly entertaining still, but I was hoping they'd evolved more. See? I can't be won over by just a pretty face!
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645944_sk6TZ-X3.jpg">

[b]B: Esben & the Witch @ Lipstick 24[/b] - I wanted to like them a lot more. I was very much in a reverb-drenched experimental mode, and there were tons of bands with that description at this SX. Esben seemed to have great potential, and not just because their lead looked like a young, hipster Jane Seymour. At times they were very entertaining, and this was when they were performing things that were more structured as actual songs. At other times, they were "WTF?!" - when their "songs" were more like graduate music school performance art pieces. Drop the latter, do more of the former, and possibly become a very good band.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646377_SmUz7-X3.jpg">

[b]B: Mount Kimbie @ Windish Agency House[/b] - I saw their name all over SXSW as they were doing like 10 sets or DJ sessions. I guess they're credited with birthing "post dubstep"?? Whatever. It's modernized early 90s thumpy club music, and it's a lot of fun. I wouldn't go out of my way to see them, but they were on before Friendly Fires and clearly knew their craft. Fun jumping around to their beats and watching all the lovely people for awhile.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646233_6fDae-X3.jpg">

[b]B: Megaphonic Thrift @ Lipstick 24[/b] - These guys have gotten a lot better since I saw them last year. I didn't know then that they were members of Casiokids and the Low Frequency In Stereo, the latter who I wanted to see more frankly. They too come with the heading of shoegaze-inspired, and there is some of that, but it's really more straight rock with some of that experimentation mixed in. Nothing great. Nothing awful.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646247_63LQz-X3.jpg">

[b]B: Cloud Nothings @ Mohawk Patio[/b] - Entertaining punky pop. Not deep at all. If you get bored with a 6-7 song festival set, you can likely kiss off liking their new full-length album. If you're hanging out and drinking on an 80deg Austin afternoon, they're perfect.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646421_ZLwsX-X3.jpg">

[b]B: No Joy @ Mohawk[/b] - 2 Girl 2 Guy lo-fi reverb-drenched shoegaze. Damn, I said lo-fi reverb-drenched shoegaze about 50 millions times during this South-By. Well here's another one. I don't think they'll ever break from the pack - not enough song-writing or truly otherworldly technical chops. Entertaining though and even fairly attractive underneath all that hair. And they really gazed at their shoes…hard!
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646227_t3Ajo-X3.jpg">

[b]B: Kitten @ Brush Square Park[/b] - Kitten's gotten a lot more musically tight than when I saw them (her) last year. The lead singer plays a lot more guitar and is more serious-minded about her singing versus just strutting around stage. She can still do that…VERY well. It's entertaining girl pop-rock, but that's about it.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646269_oFvT7-X3.jpg">

[b]B-: The Dodos @ Flamingo Cantina[/b] - Fun indie pop. Would never go out of my way to see them. Would be a good opening act for a lot of better bands - I can think of a ton worse and less-engaging bands that I've seen too much in this role. Dodos would be perfect. I realize that's not high praise, but there's nothing to damn them for.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646399_3Przq-X3.jpg">

[b]B-: Wild Flag @ The Parish[/b] - Really talented, bit older all-girl band with some good pop-rock chops and tons of energy. The MILF Formidable? Just not that into them. The band that is, not MILFs.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645865_BVDpK-X3.jpg">

[b]B-: Chappo @ Dirty Dog[/b] - These guys came on stage variably dressed like Adam Ant, a flamboyant Indian with feather arrangements, and an ornamented Poncho. First reaction – “This could blow." Upside - they ended up being pretty talented at what they do. The lead singer has a clean, high-pitched, perfectly hard-rock attuned voice - a bit of Axel Rose in him maybe. Downside - I'm not really into the sort of straight rock that they do.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646472_U45YQ-X3.jpg">

[b]B-: The Antlers @ The Parish[/b] - The presumptive "headliner" of the NPR day showcase had to come on after The Joy Formidable. Poor guys. Maybe like Buzzcocks coming on after Joy Division, the air was already out of the balloon; the adrenaline rush was crashing back down. They never stood a chance. I seem to recall they were decent enough. I also recall I left halfway thru their set.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646618_VkWjW-X3.jpg">

[b]B-: Chikita Violenta @ Mohawk[/b] - I was expecting more from what many said was the best indie rock band from Mexico. It's pretty generic indie rock. I guess maybe more of indie rock is pretty generic, and I'm just panning for quite rare gold in an increasingly tapped-out stream.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646446_BSZGZ-X3.jpg">

[b]B-: Tennis @ Club deVille[/b] - Hot girl and her dude playing Beach Boys meets Lo-Fi could be a winning or a losing prop. It's entertaining. I guess. Just didn't move me at all. Again, another entertaining-enough band when you mix in booze and 80deg weather. Someone else’s vid:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MKyy5-8RamA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[b]C+: Bad Veins @ Skinny's Ballroom[/b] - I was expecting a lot more given the buzz about this (yet another) Ohio indie band. Maybe I was thinking I'd hear some of Pomegranates in them (who pulled out of South-By to do their own tour). Maybe I thought their reel-to-reel tape they'd use would be sorta like "Echo" from the original Bunnymen days. I don't know - it was just another indie rock permutation. Snore.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646564_6SLsm-X3.jpg">

[b]C+: Screaming Females @ Buffalo Billiards[/b] - Power trio with lead girl singer/guitarist. Hmmm, sounds like The Joy Formidable! Not really. Just kept going back to the well of the long guitar freakout solos. It didn't help that the girl sang in an Exorcists-like demon-possessed voice. Lots of technical talent. Zero charisma.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646087_wjwEx-X3.jpg">

[b]C+: An Horse @ Mohawk[/b] - These guys are whiter than Vampire Weekend. Wry sense of humor, somewhat engaging, but not doing anything really unique or special. This will be the only time I will ever say "You may just want to listen to Vampire Weekend instead."
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646643_PjXFz-X3.jpg">

[b]C+: Horse Thief @ Easy Tiger[/b] - Another lo-fi, reverb-drenched band at South-By. I think if they played some local venue apart from all the other bands doing this kinda thing, I'd have liked them a lot more. They're pretty good. They just got lost in the shuffle.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646330_P69s5-X3.jpg">

[b]C: Army Navy @ Swan Dive[/b] - I shouldn't really grade these guys. I left after two songs. Another boring, straight-laced white-boy indie pop band it seemed. Coop stuck around longer and said they were quite good. Maybe I'm in some sort of indie rock crisis. What the hell do I really like? Do I even like more than just a handful of my favorite bands? What moves me? Who am I? What am I? Am I a replicant? I don't know.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646589_cbskN-X3.jpg">

[b]C: Beach Fossiles @ Buffalo Billiards[/b] - According to Allmusic, their "reverb-slicked indie pop compares favorably to acts like Surfer Blood, Best Coast and the Drums". Zzzzzzzzz. Didn't impress enough to get me away from my quesadilla and beer in the back of the room. Only reason not a lower grade was that they were belligerent enough to yell that the venue and sound sucked and walked off temporarily in anger. Still a C though because the venue didn't suck - they did. Pic from another gig:
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646539_wNVJj-X3.jpg">

[b]C: PS I Love @ Emo's[/b] - The dreaded 2-piece band. I don't like any of them. I thought I might like Fat Guy who can do ridiculous things to a guitar. He'd probably be lovable and amazing, right? Nope. No personality and no songs. You can be Fat, Good, and Boring or Fat, Bad, and Personable but not Fat, Bad and Boring.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646129_wGJVi-X3.jpg">

[b]C: Tristen @ Mohawk[/b] - Pretty average alt-folk/alt-country. Really cute and charismatic singer not enough to elevate them any higher.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646021_H28oo-X3.jpg">

[b]C-: Ume @ Red 7[/b] - Even Ume fell victim to Red 7's consistently shit sound system. But it's more than that. Their best song is still The Conductor. Write some more and better songs…and stay away from Red 7.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226645964_X5ZKq-X3.jpg">

[b]C-: Alcoholic Faith Mission @ Hyatt[/b] - Their youtube vids are misleading. Maybe it was that it was a semi-acoustic set in a hotel. Snoozefest. Would be a D if I didn't cut them some slack over the venue. Pic from another gig:
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646667_hqPxU-X3.jpg">

[b]C-: The Republic Tigers @ Brush Square Park[/b] - Kinda straight-up midtempo rock to me. Whatever. Dammit, how long do I have to wait for TJF to come on?!
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646115_SKLCq-X3.jpg">

[b]C-: Bombay Bicycle Club @ Klub Krucial[/b] - Yeah, C- is it from me. They almost got a D, but Coop and my buddy Greg tell me they got a LOT better. WTF people?! It's after 1AM. You got to bring it with your first couple of songs, not lay a boredom egg, then decide you want to bring it later. To me, they seemed like the epitome of boring white boy indie band. They're probably better. I left after two songs. Don't go with my judgement.
<img src="http://blir.smugmug.com/photos/1226646513_XF39b-X3.jpg">

[b]D: Japanther @ Red 7 Patio[/b] - Ugh. Tiresome, by-the-numbers, testosterone-soaked punk embodying its worst stereotypes.

[b]D: Monogold @ Palm Door[/b] - Another case of a catchy lo-fi experimental shoegazey single grabbing my attention then being let down by the reality of a bar band learning to muck around with their instruments. Total bummer.

[b]D: Austra @ Red 7 Patio[/b] - Psychedelic hippy freaks pretending to be shoegazers. Cute…but awful.

[b]D: I Was Totally Destroying It @ Easy Tiger Patio[/b] - No, they weren't totally destroying it. They didn't destroy it at all. They're a local college pub band. They have a nicely packaged and hooky YouTube track, but they didn't belong here at SXSW.

[b]D: No Age @ Red 7 Patio[/b] - They're probably really a C band, but mix in Red 7's horrible PAs and you've got an easy D. I have a terrible record with 2-piece bands. None of them are really that good. Even the best of them lose my interest pretty quickly (read 'White Stripes').

[b]D: O Emperor @ Barbarella[/b] - an amalgam of everything boring about white boy indie pop...AGAIN!

[b]D: Scala & Kolachny Brothers @ Stubb's[/b] - Walked into Stubb's to see OMD. I look up and see something akin to The River Dance. Why they hell are they here? A Belgium girl's choir?? Because they're featured in The Social Network?! Because they cover Radiohead and Depeche Mode? Please fuck off.

[b]D: Scars on 45 @ Brush Square Park[/b] - Another band with a single prominent single. "Beauty's Running Wild" was featured on CSI. That's all they got. They're straight, top 40 pop. Awful. I'd never have caught these guys if I wasn't waiting for TJF.

[b]D: Ted Leo, no Pharmacists @ Mohawk Patio[/b] - You know, the dude is about 1 degree removed from the one-man band guy singing "American Pie" at your local pub. Wow, was he fucking generic.

[b]D: Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Club deVille[/b] - They have a song called "Ffunny Ffriends" that's a pop gem. It's what will likely hook a lot of folks. Once reeled in, there won't unfortunately be much other substance there. They're quite boring live. Very nearly dreary in fact, especially the lead singer, who I recalled to be a Kiwi. They must have deported him. I think the band's mostly from Portland, and they have more of Helio Sequence in them than anything like The Shins.

[b]F: The Twilight Sad @ Maggie Mae's[/b] - Maggie's had sound problems by the time Sad came on. It frustrated them immensely, and had them acting like demented infants. Get a grip! The set sucked…bad. I'll never listen to Twilight Sad again. I realize that there's a lot of other choices for very loud, charging indie rock that are better. I'll be deleting their entire catalog from my directory. On top of all that, they've clearly been eating too much haggis and are getting fat. You can't be a slightly fat indie kid. You either have to be a rotund and charming fat guy or, conversely, malnourished.

[b]F: True Widow @ Red 7 Inside[/b] - 'Stonegaze'? Really?? It's shit. 'MBV influences'? That's bullshit. It's heinous, dreary crap. The worst band of the festival. Goodnight and thank you.

[coop41]

wow, minimum of 10 bands I completely forgot seeing even though I liked some of them!

[tileboy]

Great reviews guys thanks. After seeing TJF in November( hope to see them this coming Tuesday) I have to echo all your sentiments. After watching and listening to a bunch of the live streams ( I know It's not quite the same) don't know if I'm as ga ga over Yuck as you guys. Twin shadow did impress me though. Little Dragon was another band I found intriguing via one of the streams.

Frau, surprised The Twilight Sad sucked so bad.


Coop, you've inspired me not to miss The Fleshtones the next time they come thru town.

Plagarism , too bad you didn't check out Art vs Science, would've been interested in a review of them.

[tileboy]

[quote][i]Originally posted by plagiarism[/i]
<br>

Edit: Special thanks to edwardnky, tileboy, and wherewereuin82 for frequently contributing to the Next Wave Video of the Day thread. Many of the bands on my list and back-up list came from them.
[/quote]

Thanks to you too. My I-pod is chock full of tunes you guys have posted

[Frau_Blucher]

Chicago friend Peter with a much better view of the TJF end-of-gig mayhem and destruction of the Miley Cyrus guitar pinata...

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x0dITND2rVM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[the_moth]

is Yuck an all-jewish band?

[Frau_Blucher]

[quote][i]Originally posted by the_moth[/i]
<br>is Yuck an all-jewish band?
[/quote]
Why? You gonna gas 'em?

[coop41]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Frau_Blucher[/i]
<br>Chicago friend Peter with a much better view of the TJF end-of-gig mayhem and destruction of the Miley Cyrus guitar pinata...
[/quote]

wow. Peter, another super nice guy too