I caught this Australia band on my one and only trip to L.A. a little over 3 years ago and they were phenomenal. Youth Group just inked a deal with U.S. label World’s Fair Label Group and have announced that they’ve been invited to perform at SXSW 2009 in March.
A short snippet I filmed at the Spaceland in L.A. in 2005.
I’ll let my wrist do all the talking. Confusion is a virtue in Tejas.
For another exhaustive dispatch from the trenches go to World of Wumme.
Surprise of the Day >>>> The Kills (pictured)
What a fest. It never ceases to get me giggling with pleasure. We must first pour a bit of malt liquor on the curb for the dearly departed Chip Midnight and then report on the day that was…..
Go to World of Wumme for the full dispatch.
While we wait for the Donewaiting crew stationed in Austin to wake from their slumber and blog about last night’s festivities (sadly, I had to cancel my plans to go to Austin this year), let’s see what a few people had to saw about R.E.M.’s performance at Stubb’s.
Billboard: R.E.M. rocked unafraid last night as it previewed its next album with an energetic and politically charged South By Southwest concert at Stubb’s BBQ. read the rest of the review
Village Voice (Rob Harvilla): They’re not very good live. Maybe you knew this. Maybe you’ve chosen to forget. Tonight, we simply overlook. What is first evident, as they triumphantly take the stage at one of the bigger-name SXSW fetes (second, perhaps, to Motörhead), is that the dudes are looking a bit peaked. Wearied. Old, is what I’m saying. Five or 10 years from now they’ll play the Super Bowl halftime show (Browns 24, Vikings 13), and you will be just as alarmed as Tom Petty made you this year — alarmed for both their health and yours. read the rest of the review
Were you there? What did you think?
Allow me a few moments to show some Columbus love. I realize this here SXSW blog is being read by hundreds of millions of SXSW attendees, but it’s necessary for y’all to know that this week in Austin it will be hard to spit without hitting a member of the Washington Beach clique….and the largest concentration of those bands will be playing the second annual Columbus Discount Recording showcase. Last year the label was stuck with the bad luck of playing a place that more resembled South Beach than the skanky dives they’re used to, this year however, they’ve been assigned Lambert’s Patio (a new venue with a prime location and prime BBQ) and the stock couldn’t be higher thanks to vinyl collector scum the world around.
So they say what happens in Texas stays in Tejas (for months on end), that fabled proverb fits no band better than the Unholy Two, who make their SXSW debut this year. The Unholy Two revel in mythology. Is Chris Lutzko a neo-con? Did he support NAFTA from the beginning? Could he be accused of fear mongering? If you clicked yes to all of the above, you’re 100% delusional like myself. The trio should have a 7″ for sale at this event, a document that will no doubt have you at the free clinic for a herpes test (a document which I haven’t gotten yet?), regardless there are two strains running through their sound — pure cum-rock, pure fuck-you gimmick — the mind of a man.
The CDR showcase is also a time of remembrance, or to simply say “dude I wasn’t there, I had no idea,” as Tommy Jay, hot on the heels of the re-issue of his brilliant lost masterpiece Tall Tales of Trauma, will be playing alongside his confidant, and equally legendary, Mike “Rep” Hummel. These are the guys who will probably elbow their way to the front of any performance Roky Erickson might make in the next few days. Psych is not just a word, but a way of life.
I could go on and on — about how the Guinea Worms should’a been playing the fest way back when Mark E. Smith had teeth, how Necropolis could out angle any post-punk group in the tri-state area, how Night of Pleasure is now composed of two public school teachers, and the oncoming storm that El Jesus de Magico presents. I only know one thing, I’m starting my SXSW adventure swilling free PBR and having my mind fucked by the Magic Jesus’ mind fuck (at high noon, at the day show sponsored by this here site). Beware.
Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing Norway’s Marit Larsen, also known as the country’s top-selling recording artist (at least in her own country), stateside you might know her best as one half of M2M (yeah, you probably don’t know her). What I came away with most was the reserved nature of Norway compared to the bright, twee, pop coming from cultural rival Sweden.
Also from the humble coastal city of Bergen, Norway, Sissy Wish (not sure if the name refers to the girl or the band yet), craft an unassuming little kaleidoscope of sing-a-long pop, the kind that might get confused with the usual candy of eclectic female fronted folk (per ipod commercials). Beauties Never Die has yet to be released domestically, so it’s whimsical first single “Float” has more than flown under the radar. Maybe that’s why they’re headed on their virgin North American tour, which includes at least 3 (by my count) shows in Austin. Sunshine and sweetness are two things that define the SXSW experience, for fans of the Cardigans, Beck, and the Postal Service (with a bit more edge and sincerity), Sissy Wish are blessed with both.
Here’s a video for the enchanting “Float”.
A little birdie told us this morning that the Van Halen tour (was it ever actually “officially” canceled?) is back on.
But they’re still not playing SXSW. And neither is Led Zeppelin. Or Radiohead.
FM3 is China’s hottest rock band. Christian Virant and Zhang Jian have pioneered the country’s electronic scene (what little scene there is) since 1999. According to their bio the duo is:
“Known for dedicating prime space for “live” aspects within their work, FM3 produces mysterious, meditative and minimalist soundscapes, while subtly adding elements of Chinese folk tradition into a universe abundant in micro-sounds and synthetic glitches.”
All I know is they invented the Buddha Machine, and mine has become a constant companion for two years running. I’m not quite sure of their appearances in the states so far, but their show at SXSW is the first time I’ve ever heard of them playing within two thousand miles of my home.
More about the Buddha Machine on World of Wumme.
At my first SXSW, ’round the turn of the century, before iphones, bit torrents, and blogs, my posse seemed stalked by Matt Suggs of Butterglory. Every year since there’s always one band that tends to follow me through my Austin adventure, at every day party, getting pizza at Hoek’s, in the hotel lobby at 3 AM. Last year it was Deerhunter, and while I’m still a big fan of the music, seeing their live shtick a handful of times, over four days, it got old. Looking over the schedule this year, I’m tempted to predict Bon Iver will become a constant. Difference is I’m welcoming Justin Vernon’s intimate crystal creeper folk. There’s rarely a moment on the majestic-as-fuck For Emma, Forever Ago that would ever elicit a yawn. Even if you eliminate his coveted slot at the Jagjaguwar/Secretly Canadian/Dead Oceans showcase Thursday night, you’re unlikely to miss him, since appears to be playing in every time slot — you can almost control the environment in which you get to see this. I’m hoping for dusk, outdoors.
Read a full review of For Emma, Forever Ago on World of Wumme.
MP3: Vampire Girls
MP3: Lay Back
MP3: Time Will Tell
How many times have you performed at SXSW?
This will be The Naked’s first time to SXSW. But I came in 2005 as part of The Drugstore Cowgirls.
If you’ve performed at SXSW, what’s your best memory of the festival?
What festival? No, but seriously, how many parties with free booze, food, and great music can you fit into one city in a week? It’s like a kid in a candy shop for rock bands and, oh yeah, you make more connections than you would ever think possible.
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