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Thursday, March 24, 2011

This was the year I finally did SXSW right. I went to shows for seven straight days without totally wearing myself out or getting sick. I had a blast despite the festival being way too crowded (it had an estimated 40% increase in attendance). My only regret was not seeing Wild Flag. HUGE mistake. Oh well. Next year I’ll be sure to bring my bike every day. Then I won’t miss a great show at Waterloo Records because I’m stuck down on Red River. Ugh!

I’ll try to keep my recap brief but that might be tough to do. I saw such a myriad of incredible bands playing all types of music that it’s hard to not to get excited (and thus wordy). Here we go!

- Dan's SXSW 2011 Recap -

- 6 Best Shows -

Typefighter at Lovejoy’s - Four loveable guys that play punchy folk rock. This DC band was funny, energetic, and full of great tunes. They were unknowns to the majority of people watching but by the end of the set they had a roomful of fans.

:Typefighter - Frank Sinatra:

Hey Rosetta at St. David’s - You have to give a credit to the organizers of SXSW. They knew exactly which bands to put in St. David’s and Central Presbyterian Church. Hey Rosetta beautifully mixed guitar rock and soaring vocals with piano, cello and violin. They sounded amazing in the chapel. I need to find out some more about these guys.

:Hey Rosetta - Yer Spring:

Glasser at Central Presbyterian Church - Whoa. I was completely enthralled with this band. The music had a Bjorkish quality and the lead singers voice was absolutely hypnotic. Add that to her Grace Jones robotic dancing style and weird as fuck dress and it all made for quite the spectacle. I have yet to find anyone who was at this show that wasn’t totally blown away by Glasser.

:Glasser - Home:

tUnE-YarDs at Central Presbyterian Church - tUnE-YarDs had the unenviable task of following Glasser at the Pitchfork Showcase, and yet they did it with style. Led by Merrill Garbus, the band pounded out layered tribal rhythms backed by bass, keyboards and horns. The crowd ate it up. It’s hard not to love the magic Merrill produces and to share in her enthusiasm. You could tell she was loving every minute of the show (as were all her fans).

:Tune-Yards - Bizness:

Mind Spiders at Easy Tiger - I went to the Dirtnap Records Showcase and was treated to a killer set by Something Fierce out of Houston. However, the highlight of the night was the flawless performance by Mind Spiders. They ripped through a big chuck of their latest album while also debuting a number of new songs. If you love garage pop or lo-fi psychedelic, you MUST listen to Mind Spiders. Their album is the best thing I’ve listen to all year.

:Mind Spiders - World's Destroyed:

Carsick Cars at Malaia - Haven’t heard of these guys? They’re a no-wave rockers out of Beijing that have been have been compared to early Sonic Youth. They crank out catchy punk tunes that are peppered with searing guitar and plenty of fuzz.

:Carsick Cars - You Can Listen You Can Talk:

- Honorable Mentions -

Note: These are all bands I’ve seen multiple times in the past, but I still sought them out during SXSW because I love them so damn much.

Leatherbag - I caught their showcase at the horribly named Velveeta Room. The band is amazingly tight and proficient while Randy Reynolds simply owns the room when onstage. Frankly, I love everything about this band. I’m anxious to hear their next album which is rumored to be released this year.

Ted Leo - I never tire of seeing Teddy whether he’s by himself or with The Pharmacists. He’s one of indie rocks most talented and charming front men. He was doing the solo thing this year, just him and his electric guitar. Seeing him play solo reminded me that he’s an amazing guitarist in addition to being a great songwriter.

Menomena - I kind of lost touch with this band for a while. I didn’t realize one of the original members had left and was replaced by two new guys. No worries. They still delivered an engaging and often memorizing set which featured their trademark deep sax. Even though they have a new record out, they played all their old favorites which delighted the crowd.

White Denim - Just as with Menomena, this was the first time I’ve seen the band with its new lineup. The fourth member definitely changes the dynamics of the band. The extra guitar took up more space and pushed the rhythm section to background. Initially I wasn’t feeling it but soon I realized why they made the move. The band fed off one another and it was interesting to see how they rearranged old songs with the new lineup.

Thao And The Get Down Stay Down - I was kind of surprised that these guys were at SXSW. Thao has an album with Mirah coming out next month, but they weren’t playing of those songs. So if they aren’t playing any new songs, why were they here? Simple: they love Austin. And you know what? We love them back. After Thao tours with Mirah in support of their record, she’ll gather with the Get Down Stay Down in July to record their next album for the always awesome Kill Rock Stars label.

And last but not least ...

Peelander-Z - After going to shows for six straight days, I honestly had no intention of seeing any bands on Sunday. That was until I heard Peelander-Z was playing a kids show at the Spider House. My two year old daughter insists on playing Peelander-Z whenever we ride in the car so I couldn’t deprive her of a chance to see them live. She was completely mesmerized and after the show was over and we started walking back to the car she asked, "Daddy, do we have to go?"



- Dan Corbin -




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