I’m still a little out of it from the flight and the week, so the second part of my SXSW wrap up will come tomorrow. In the meantime, why don’t you people post up your reviews of SXSW. Things that were amazing, things that sucked, anything you want. Let’s hear it.
(and for those of you who are sick of the SXSW coverage, don’t worry! the light is at the end of the tunnel…)
Reviews of Swedish artists The Tough Alliance, Jens Lekman, Lykke Li and The LK here – http://stopusnot.blogspot.com/
+ a video of TTA “performing”.
Best shows of the weekend
The Big Sleep- Mohawk
My Morning Jacket- The Parish Tues Night
NERD- Stubbs
Willie Nelson-METV Live Set
Dead Confederate/Dexateens- Belmont
http://cubikmusik.typepad.com/cubikmusik/2008/03/thats-all-folks.html
http://cubikmusik.typepad.com/cubikmusik/2008/03/last-day-of-sxs.html
My fav shows:
Pigeon Detectives and The Wombats (Filter Mag party at Cedar Door Friday; both amazing new British bands that sound like The Kasier Chiefs)
The Stills (Rachel Ray Showcase at Beauty Bar)
Okkervil River (Yarddog and French Legation Museum)
Mason Jennings (Jo’s Coffee Wed. and Fri.)
The Black Keys (La Zona Rosa)
The Redwalls (Jovita’s)
I had a real surprise that my fave gig was somebody I had seen many times before BUT Billy Bragg was great on Sat afternoon at the UTNE party at Thirsty Nickel. He made us laugh, rocked us and inspired us with his rhetoric. Oh and Kate Nash joined him too!
Other than that the best shows were bands new to me – Delta Spirit, Georgie James, Handsome Furs and Christopher Rees. I also totally bought into the Bon Iver buzz
These Are Powers (Habana Calle 6 and Mohawk-Name says it all.)
The Duke Spirit (Was this Buffalo Billiards or Shea Stadium?)
Autolux (Autolux at the best venue in Austin [the Parish] playing new songs? Totally a winning combination.)
soiled mattress and the springs. (from brooklyn)
bitches brew. !
and all the YACHT shows
I just finished my 3rd annual day by day SXSW recap/review over on my blog. Here are all the ’08 posts:
http://www.vivisectingmedia.com/blog/category/sxsw-2008/
I have also posted a lot of pics that we took during the trip in my inline blog gallery. Check it out.
The good:
The Most Serene Rebuplic
Bad Veins
The Whip
Two Gallants
Tokyo Police Club
She and Him
Doomtree
Lovelikefire
Light Speed Champion
Devotchka
The Weakerthans
Be Your Own Pet
Gentlemen Auction Club
The Big Bad:
MGMT (yikes, if I want Phish, I’d see Phish–I don’t want to see Phish)
We enjoyed British Sea Power, Sleepercar (Jim Ward of Sparta), and The Duke Spirit the best. South and The Tontons were the worst sets we saw.
My SXSW info is posted on Houston Calling:
Day 1: http://houstoncalling.net/?p=1257
Day 2: http://houstoncalling.net/?p=1258
Days 3-4: http://houstoncalling.net/?p=1259
Good times, but not the best year.
The Awesome:
The Vines
The Redwalls
High on Fire
Helmet
Kilroy
do512.com party
Semiprecious Weapons
The Worst:
Hot Dog King made me vomit.
While having attended SXSW dating back to inception, I find crawling through the alleys and catching snippets of free sleepers to be more enticing than wasting so much time in lines. Two picks from this year: The Teeth, and a Texas songwriter, Hayes Carll.
My favorites of this year: White Denim, Wooden Shjips, Monotonix, Tim Easton, and The Pillows
Best parties: New West Party and FXFY
Best show, hands down, was Florence and the Machine.
close second was The Blow at Emo’s.
the worst I saw was this terrible band playing at the nylon party. I don’t even know their name. I wish I did, though, so I could avoid future exposure to their music.
-Great-
Two Gallants
Cloud Cult
…Music Video?
Ra Ra Riot
Cloud Cult
The Drams @ New West Party
My Morning Jacket
Cloud Cult
-Good-
Tokyo Police Club
The Happy Hollows
Album
Grand Ol Party
-Eeek-
Bam Bam
Douchebag Crowd at Serj Takawakawhatever
p.s. Hi Liles.
I saw a video on here talking about The Heavy shooting guns during SXSW…
Random SXSW HERE:
http://www.blender.com/Blender-Blog/blogs/1168.aspx
The Pan I Am was . . . interesting. And unexpected. And I will certainly never forget it.
Liam Finn was amaaaaaazing. I can’t get over him.
I think I must have been in a bit of melancholy most of the week, though, because they two who resonated most were bon iver and Emmy the Great.
The Filter party with Wombats, Lightspeed Champion, Pigeon Detectives, Los Campesinos! and Shout Out Louds was great, but really freaking hot.
Faves:
Rocket at agave, major improvement from last year
Die Die Die at the red eye party..hypnotic
Human Giant skit (tshirt guns) at Waterloo Park
Muncipal Waste at the Hot Topic Party
The Ravonettes at Emos on Saturday Night
Civet at Red 7
Dollyrots acoustic at Hunnypot party
The Donnas at Emos on saturday night
Katy Perry at the direct tv taping
Nico Vega at the austinist
Lightspeed Champion at the Domino showcase
Duffy at Stubbs
Mixhell at the Vice Showcase
meeting Rachel Ray at her party
-good times
Here’s my review of something that “sucked.”
God I’m already sad. I met SOOO many cool people at this years SX.
But to get to the Good Stuff:
By far The Wombats killed it, saw them twice
Vampire Weekend was the show to see
as was the Tom Morello Show
Saw a lot a good free shows, Emos and the Annex being among the Best.
The only bad Sh*t I saw was Augustana. God do I feel like a horses for paying $25 to see that crap.
all my reviews are done (hooray for posting in real-time) and I’ve got a day of photos up as well. more coming by the weekend.
http://www.chromewaves.net/sxsw2008.php
some of my faves:
1. Fleet Foxes (sub pop showcase and SXSeattle day party)
*these guys are amazing!
2. Bon Iver (showcase at Maggie Mae’s)
3. Black Mountain (showcase at Mohawk)
4. Longwave (Filter party)
5. Liam Finn (Paste party)
Honorable mentions: Blitzen Trapper, Helio Sequence, The Most Serene Republic, Spoon, Uh Huh Her, Pleasant Grove, Tribella
Top 5
1. Hot Water Music
2. Delta Spirit
3. Black Mountain
4. Two Gallants
5. Dark Meat or Akron Family–it was pretty close
Nicest surprise – Greta Gaines
The Filter Party w/ Los Campesinos and Pigeon Detectives – had to leave before the Wombats, but I did see them at the British Embassy Party. Love. Also loved The Whip.
Duffy at the Fader Fort and again at Stubb’s, right up front! She’s got a smokin’ band.
The Heavy during the day – would have preferred their night show, but was still at the Body of War showcase.
X at Emo’s!
American Bang – kept running into them ALL weekend. Great band, nice guys!
Jason Collett
Rocco de Luca
Carbon Silicon
The SPIN/American Spirit late-night party w/ Soundtrack of Our Lives. Stupendous ending to another great SXSW.
Best
Eddie Spaghetti solo at the Longbranch
Black Keys at Emos
Carbon/Silicon at Lone Star Lounge
Wing at Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room
Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders at Room 710
Paul Collins Beat at Soho Lounge
Teenage Bottlerocket at Headhunters
Worst
-Dance club idiots at Soho Lounge that were confused as to why the upstairs was closed. Do they not realize why the street is blocked off and that most people are wearing a badge around their necks?
-My six day in a row hangover and the long plane ride home.
Too many indie rockers here.
You missed the awesome Scandinavian black metal showcase @ Red 7. Avatar and 1394 were fantastic and something different.
Monotonix — good show, mediocre music.
The Spits — short ‘n’ sweet
Municipal Waste — someone still knows what ’80s thrash is about
Limbeck was my favorite show. Both times, at Headhunter’s and Purevolume.
Also enjoyed The Stills, The Shout Out Louds, Portugal The Man acoustic set, and Two Gallants.
I noticed that official sxsw volunteers were mostly bastards this year. To the nth degree.
Laura, why were the volunteers bastards? Wha’ happened?
I’ve bought a badge the last 3 years, volunteered for another badge back in 1998. I’m starting to think the badge is nothing more than a status symbol and no longer necessary. The official parties are not exclusive to registrants only – anyone can go to anything; everyone I know w/ a wristband had no problem getting into the shows they wanted to see, including the buzz bands. I don’t attend the panels, the swag bag isn’t really all that…I’d like to hear what everyone else thinks – badge, wristband, or neither?
Livia, I agree, my badge was mostly useless this year – mostly hit the day parties and after parties and worked during the early evening. My friends with writ bands did fine. But yeah, the TSOOL closing show at the Spin party was amazing. I had to get up and grab a tambourine and thank GOD I had enjoyed plenty of free drinks. Looking for photos of my guest spot, actually…my photographer got drunk and took off by then…(gorgeousarmadapresents at gmail d0t com if you have some photos of that show)
I only had a problem with my wristband once – the Wednesday night show at Antone’s, which I couldn’t get into. But that was Antone’s fault for opening the doors at ten till eight, instead of at seven, like one would assume.
Wombats and Pigeons?, yes great but were my top bands LAST year.
This year absolutely top and underattended – The Pan i am- your loss.
other great shows I was a cub scout, the rascals and the indelicates.
Almost recovered.
i pay cash to get in. if i want 2 go 2 a party, i’ll try asking someone to get me in.
SXSW Favourites
Devotchka (twice) but best at Antones on the Friday.
Justin Townes Earle at Red Eyed Fly on Saturday
North Mississipi Allstars at Opal Divines
REM at Stubbs
and
Christopher Rees at 18th Floor Hilton Garden Inn on the Saturday!!!!!
Good times!!!
Well, this is about a month after the fact but SxSW was awesome. Had wristband for the first time and I will not do another SxSW without one. There were a dime a dozen over rated indie bands that played jangle pop and thought they were the next big thing. They all sound the same – boring!! The best of what I saw: Scale the Summit, Sara Bareilles in-store, Black Metal night with 1349, meeting and hanging with David Fricke, Rachael Ray, and
Brian Posehn. I hope my next SXSW is half as good as this one. Thank you Austin!!