Mar 31
straightforward country but then did a gorgeous spaghetti western song, basically a more country coherent version of Dirty Three, think it was mostly the pedal steel guitar, otherwise not really my style
Mar 31
Heavy Metal, Thrash No Comments
head-banging long-curly-haired thrash metal and very serious about it – classic lead singer posturing: he regularly held his microphone out to an imaginary crowd for them to finish his lyrics or at least scream – as always, I quickly tired of the screaming vocalizing – don’t these boys worry about their vocal chords? Not to mention their necks…
Mar 31
Punk legends X will be on tour this April for a run of dates through the end of June. The X-TRL Tour will see the band performing setlists voted on by their fans. Votes are taking place on the band’s website. The tour will also support a charity auction for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
X-TRL Tour
April 9 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom Write a review
April 10 Seattle, WA The Showbox Write a review
April 11 Seattle, WA The Showbox Write a review
April 14 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre Write a review
April 15 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre Write a review
April 19 Indio, CA Coachella Music Festival Write a review
May 26 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club Write a review
May 29 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Write a review
May 30 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Write a review
May 31 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Write a review
June 4 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live Write a review
June 5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Write a review
June 6 Baltimore, MD Ram’s Head Live Write a review
June 9 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle Write a review
June 10 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel Write a review
June 11 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre Write a review
June 12 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club Write a review
June 13 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse Write a review
June 16 Lexington, KY The Dame Write a review
June 18 Chicago, IL Double Door Write a review
June 19 Chicago, IL Double Door Write a review
June 20 Chicago, IL Double Door Write a review
June 22 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre Write a review
June 23 Minneapolis, MN The Cabooze Write a review
Concert information is up to date at time of publication
Mar 30
suddenly I missed When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth – a lone tower of a man playing sludge metal… all by his lonesome – Why? Why would you be a one-man-metal-band?
Mar 21
I gave them a second chance and did they ever come through: definitely a top SXSW show – they and I are kindred spirits on some unrealistic level – in appearance, the men in the band are composed professionals in their little black suits but I was attracted to the burgeoning chaos and deviltry and insane genius expressed in their lanky loping (the guitarist) and the blue eyeliner of the glimmering and leering lead singer with a comfortable voice – there were two other guys (drummer and keyboardist?…sorry… this was my very last show of SXSW and I was a zombie) and a totally disparate gorgeous blonde swanky girl who also sang – they reek of Britain and they reek of drug history – technically, their sound is not outrageous but the twists therein are delicious – they lyrics are also smart and creative – as I said, I pursue them because they are the creators of one of my favorite songs of 2008: “Lottery Winners on Acid” (which they closed with) but they genuinely have a free-wheeling chamber pop sound that is smart and world-weary… but hopeful – I really really like this band
Mar 21
Detroit MI – I was very disturbed by this show – it was a white female in a boy haircut, baseball cap and baggy clothes … the point is, of the few showcases that highlighted genuine rap, all the SXSW officials could come up with was some little white girl????… reeks of racism to me – not to downplay her – she could flow, as they say, and had intricate lyrics – far more political than the act before her – similar hardcore but minimalist style – but in reality, her voice was pretty weak – she also had a lot of technical difficulties with her CD/DJ which probably wasn’t her fault – I enjoyed her more when she was joined by a black guy with a resounding voice – was really at this showcase to see Pigeon John but they were running late and I had places to be : (
Mar 21
Ann Arbor MI – yummy! – totally different crowd and totally different sound – young black boy with arm extended pumping and stage roaming – had a sidekick rapper and a DJ – it was intelligent/political hardcore rap but minimalist/old-school style – he was good but the sound in the venue didn’t allow him to shine as he might have elsewhere
Mar 21
Pop, Psychedelic, Rock and Roll 4 Comments
wrong band… wrong time… wrong audience… wrong place – maybe they’re good but maybe they’re not – I couldn’t get out of that audience of 60 year old guys bobbing their heads fast enough – typical 1960s jangle pop band – should you be proud that you’re decent after 40 years of practice?
Mar 21
Dance, Heavy Metal, Punk No Comments
so tight and hard, they almost approached math metal – in addition to this, they were distinguished by their ‘fun’ take on the whole serious rock/metal thing: they started with a “dance party” that really made you want to dance and had audience participation which is atypical for this sort of music – eventually played songs that approximated rockabilly/metal if there’s such a thing – would call them dancepunk if hard-pressed – I keep wondering why there was so many Japanese bands at SXSW? Or was this just a Dara experience? – this was one of my favorite shows at SXSW and I was moved DESPITE extreme weariness
Mar 21
Reggae, Singer/Songwriter No Comments
this venue immediately transports you to another place with irregular stadium seating, Mai Thai drinks, open-aired roofing, and the sweet smell of pot – the world of dub, ska, rocksteady and things reggae-beautiful – I was immediately soothed but was scrunching my brows once the music started – it was sounding like Lenny Kravitz to me which was not what I was looking for – UrbanBiker, a far more savvy consumer of the genre, stated in flat disdain “…this is not reggae… this is a Jamaican singer/songwriter” – all he needed to say… ‘singer/songwriter’ is the death knell no matter where you’re from – he islanded it up a little bit as songs progressed but never approached escape…
Mar 21
Electronic, Techno No Comments
I LOVED it – reminded me of the sounds of the rave scene in Vegas in the late 90s – all spare electronic sound with the intense build-ups and break-downs of DJ Jean’s “The Launch” – seemed to just be one guy on a computer but the crowd was hyperkinetic like ants
Mar 21
Britpop, Modern Rock No Comments
really solid – chamber pop – Radiohead-esque but lighter and goofier – distinguished by a plinking xylophone (? – maybe… we were looking for a place to rest our weary feet at this point… but this was a band that was on my list through hearsay only) – had the look of British lads but looked them up and they’re California surfers which I’ll accept as fact
Mar 21
College Rock, Modern Rock No Comments
we hated it and left after a couple of songs but keep in mind that 4 days of 12 hours of music will make you a tad intolerant of average-joe rock – UrbanBiker described it as music for the 20- to 30-year-old female… heartfelt… emotional
Mar 21
really bad Japanese punk-pop, dull as all get out
Mar 21
Country, Folk, Singer/Songwriter 1 Comment
I’ve seen her before in The Knitters – suppose I developed an affection for her because of Rockboy’s minor obsession and because I am fascinated by people who traverse from the world of punk (X) to the world of country (The Knitters) – the crowd was a lot of late-middle-aged men with badges…. ech – Exene looked ancient… maybe 60? – she had attitude in abundance in demeanor and speech but her music was just blah – singer/songwriter with a slight country-folk twang – we left for hotter waters
Mar 21
Alternative Rock, Arena Rock No Comments
much better than last band – have a 90s alt rock sound – like Toad the Wet Sprocket but harder – sound in this venue was so bad that it was difficult to judge – moved into anthem rock too
Mar 21
Heavy Metal, Thrash No Comments
hell, screamo metal
Mar 21
the show I won’t forget – I recognized their name but knew nothing of them – first and only band who was actually introduced by a SXSW official (I guess) – he said that they were the only band who was asked to return to SXSW because they “bring it” when they perform – top-notch showmen with costumes, stunts, antics, acrobatics, lame jokes, and general insanity – and then they made me think, why do all of these bands NOT put more effort into their shows!!?! – they bill themselves as comic punks in their fluorescent spandex outfits – the guitarists were guys and we thought the drummer was a girl (either way s/he was adorable with spunky grin throughout the show) – they climbed on top of their speakers, into the 2nd floor crowd, on top of the tarp covering the 1st floor crowd – they flashed cardboard signs that said “healthy,” “steak,” and just nonsense – everything they said in their Japanese accents was nearly unintelligible – they created a bowling alley in the middle of the crowd with their bodies as the ball and the pins – this all would have begun to annoy me if they didn’t also have the music but they did – it was this insanely tight, intense dance punk, actually similar to other Japanese rock bands at SXSW
Mar 21
vaguely remember liking them several years ago – the sound was really good at this venue but it had an outsdoory festival feeling which was too un-SXSW to stay – dark sonic indie rock – nuanced – nice vocals too
Mar 20
Garage Rock, Psychedelic No Comments
I didn’t recall at the time why I was so committed to seeing this band but I was surprised when I saw the audience members who ended up being the band members: the freaky guy with a bald head with the exception of a stringy shoulder-length curtain of hair along the rim of his skull AND in a truly awful shirt with wide white and pink stripes underneath an old suit jacket AND those I-want-to-molest-you yellow-mellow 70s eyeglasses – otherwise, the drummer and bassist were cute young people and the other band members were average-joe older people – they’re from Detroit which is instant cred – despite my misgivings, they were instantly much more exciting than the last band – a stomping drum was matched with dark psych-infused garage rock – the freak’s vocals were particularly interesting… a distinctive ponderous progression… almost spoken or stumbling – I was not surprised at all that I had some memory remnant of really liking them – unfortunately, as usual, they were running late and I had to run and only saw a couple of songs – but I looked them up upon arriving home and these are the two songs that had led me to being subconsciously committed to them: “You’re Not a Nice Girl” and “A Song for Someone Sometimes”
Mar 20
Montreal – came to this showcase for Outrageous Cherry but also because I have discovered I am a girl immediately smitten by the sound of garage rock which was the theme of the showcase – this band was young and idyllic – they were a more melancholy version of The Beach Boys – they were quite good but I’m always annoyed by young freshness in rockers – on a happier note, the music played in between sets was fantastic: all old garage I instantly recognized and an indication I was in the right place – BUT the crowd was ALL OLD MEN which was a clear indication I was in the wrong place
Mar 20
Heavy Metal, Southern Rock No Comments
people in the bar were excited for this band – I categorized them as some crazy mix of Southern rock and metal – they also had a distinctively 80s metal sound to me, i.e., they were technically good but not my style – they even threw in a bit of old-school screamo – their conversations with the audience were entirely cuss words – maybe Motorhead?
Mar 20
Dance, Goth, Modern Rock No Comments
this band was distinctive in a quiet way – there was a girl on guitar and singing in a slinky glittery dress of large black and gold stripes – she had on black nylons and no shoes – there was a clean-cut cute urban-looking boy in black on guitar – there was a drummer in something – their music was a gothy sort of dance-rock almost approximating a poppier Bauhaus which is a pretty dramatically positive comparison to make… but there you have it – they both had good voices – too low key to go crazy over – oh and they were part of a Swedish showcase
Mar 20
Heavy Metal, Prog Rock No Comments
this band was gripping and totally up my alley but WomanInCharge insisted on moving on – Sabbath-riffing stoner metal… blah blah blah… but with a Renaissance looking girl with wild long red curls as lead vocalist – from Canada – will look into further
Mar 20
Alt-Country, Indie Rock, Pop No Comments
I have an extreme fondness for this band’s vocal harmonizing and general sound (please see “Shake Our Tree”)… quirky fun indie pop with interesting lyrics – very unfortunately, the Mohawk’s sound system totally failed the band and underplayed the voices and highlighted the less interesting instrumentation – additionally, in what I saw (a lot), they did not play my song – I think it’s possible they’re solid song crafters and it’s just a matter of being better on album than live – their physical appearances were interesting enough though that I suspect the Mohawk is to blame
Mar 20
this band was a Rolling Stones looking and sounding band – nothing wrong with that – their one notable moment was when they activated the smoke machine in the dead of outdoors midday harsh light… too funny – I can’t lie… we were there for the free beer from the grand Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon – if you don’t pursue this band, please do pursue the very fine Mirror Pond Ale from Deschutes Brewery
Mar 20
I woke up weary from the second 12-hour day of SXSW but was stirred by the thought of seeing one of my newest favorite bands, The Black Angels – I confuse them with The Black Keys (whom I love too) and The Black Lips and The Black Keylips… it gets complicated… but I had pretty much straightened out that the Keys were garage while the Angels were gorgeous lovely sonic psych metal – anyway, I hustle over to this bookstore at something like 11:30am and am discomforted by the sight of about 8 disheveled young-hipsters, as I’ve taken to calling the femme boys and mottled girls who make up our new generation of ‘with-it’ youth, because this is not the size or the composition of the crowd I would expect for my favorite band… I am patient… because this is required at SXSW… especially when you’re groggy and unable to think of a better course of action to take – I am further discomfited by the young goofy look of the young-hipster band themselves, who are five feet from me setting up – I am comforted though by an exchange between two of the disenchanted alienated 21 year olds: “who are they?” “they’re our friends from New York” “are they any good?” “no… no… just kidding… [in a low confidential voice] they’re really good” – anyway anyway, they start and it’s not my band, not even close – they’re alt-country-rockers – in typical band fashion, they throw out their name and I hear something in addition to ‘The Black Angels’ – I wait until the song finishes and hustle out only to arrive home and figure out I had neglected to look at the preceding line of my webpage schedule and thus the beginning of the band name in all of my SXSW fervor – in all fairness, they were a very decent band and it was all my fault
Mar 20
Dance, Electronic, Gangsta Rap, Rap No Comments
she was the rapper I’d come to see (part of the British grime scene) and she wasn’t quite what I expected – I pictured a wannabe type gangster girl, more pretty than tough, but she was far more ‘legit’ than the two female rappers before her: small intense-looking white girl in baggy clothes, baseball cap, snarly rapping, etc. – you can’t help but be totally sucked into her world: Eminem-like phrasing and attitude, cockney accent, and total stage dynamism and mastery – lots of silly posturing but I loved her – she could rap fast and plays in interesting twists with her words and her voice – her DJ samples a lot, including American music, and can go from kooky noises to harder synth walls – am currently considering my rapper potential
Mar 20
Dance, Electronic, Pop, Rap No Comments
all-class sultry deep-voiced black girl rapping over groovy electronic big-bass DJ tracks – another bad ass – her music was harder and she was better than Amanda Blank – girl power begins to surge in the room
Mar 20
swanky white city girl who raps like a bad-ass boy – she was all swishy smooth black hair with a pretty girl gold necklace – she held her microphone close to her mouth with forearm extended straight and covered in a mass of tiny gold bracelets – she had a DJ backing her with hardcore party rap – big crowd – I quite enjoyed her… oooh, just looked her up and she’s associated with a party rap band from Baltimore whom I have really been liking: Spank Rock… even better… and she’s apparently “dirty rap” though I totally missed that
Mar 20
I had an idea that they were a Belle and Sebastian type band but not a bit of it – they’re an electronic-sounding indie rock band who apparently have an illustrious producing career though that may have been bad information from people near me – from Sweden and it’s not a guy named Peter Bjorn and a guy named John but rather three guys… I’d be annoyed if I were Bjorn
Mar 20
Dub, Pop, Reggae, Soul No Comments
this band has a gorgeous reggae-pop sound that I’ve come to crave – probably because of the touches of dub – singer’s voice is also a husky high-pitched delight – although my drunk compatriots were a bit of a distraction and my view was often blocked, the band did not disappoint a bit – music and lyrics can move from fun to more soulful and melancholy – they were a group of 3 to 5 clean-cut nice-looking white and black people – “Where’s your soul gone to?”
new fiction by Andrew Marx
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