SxSW

[veruca salt]

Just saw OP mention that he'd checked out Joss Stone at SxSW and was curious
to see if anyone else had gotten along to check out the talent?
I'd love to go to SxSW one year, it looks incredibly awesome this year.
Reviews please?

[OutletPass]

Tell you what Veruca...I can give you a fairly long review since I went down to see a friend and took everything in for 5 wild days. Bear with me and pick out what you're interested in....there are a million venues...and genres...and 3X times the scheduled acts just come and play on the street or in any small place that will have them...it's just music insanity..

Big Crowd #1 Favorite:
Los Lonely Boys...they open for Willie Nelson on his tours...and people down here just go nuts for them. They're sort of SRV and Santana....great guitar licks and amazing organ. Not conjunto, more in the R&B tradition. They're nasty, but it's all Tex-mex...English and Spanish...they will be BIG.

Big Crowd #2 Favorite:
Joss Stone....better live than on her CD. Sorry that Kiki found the CD a little flat, but you have to see her live...the CD was done in 4 days using little known soul/R&B songs...she's got a new one coming out that are her compositions..a 16 year old girl who has an an amazing voice,,,but she's spare about it. 2 notes will do instead of 5..Know what I mean ?

Big Crowd #3 Favorite:
Franz Ferdinand...Don't know what I can say...they may actually be the "Best in Show"...they rocked out for 3 hours and that's just freaking unheard of at SXSW. They have lot of hype behind them...a lot of buzz...and the crowd went nuts.

Best Music in other smaller venues:

1) Broken Social Scene....you'll like them, Veruca...trust me.
2) The Thrills...watch them...they're going to go HUGE. Another one you'd like. I can't say this enough...Veruca. The thrills are on the way. Gretness...
3) Polyphonic Spree,...from Dallas...and just interesting but real different in tones and texture. Everyone from right to left and from up to down loves them...for good reason.
4) Morning wood...not my favorites..but they are damn good live.
5) Caviar...didn't get to se them, but heard that everyone else did.

Great Voices:
1) Nellie McKay....jazz singer who's just 19 and brilliant.
2) Andy Bird........singer/violinist. Not sure which is better..both are equally enrapturing.

The Back in business....again, file.
I was out with friends on Thursday at La Zona Rosa when BLUR showed up....and went into the world beat, which I love. Short set, though...they're promoting a new CD...forget the name..sounded wonderful.

Great Giutars from the Gonad set:
Ian Moore...just clean, natural fretwork.

Want to try something diff:
The Delgados...no claims...just listen and guess where they're from.

I'll think of a couple of others, I'm sure...so more later.

[dude1394]

I have los lonely boys. You are correct, very good santana/srv combo to me.

[sturm und drang]

Franz Ferdinand rocks. That is all there is to say.

Except, of course, that I am incredibly jealous that you got to see them live.

Veruca, if you haven't bought Franz's S/T cd, do so. It is simply awesome.

And to you, OP... psst on you for making the trek down to Austin. You're my idol.

[Rhylan]

Originally posted by: OutletPassBig Crowd #1 Favorite:
Los Lonely Boys...they open for Willie Nelson on his tours...and people down here just go nuts for them. They're sort of SRV and Santana....great guitar licks and amazing organ. Not conjunto, more in the R&B tradition. They're nasty, but it's all Tex-mex...English and Spanish...they will be BIG.

Yeiah dogg, been listening to these guys for months.

[XERXES]

I was supposed to go down (to SXSW) on Tuesday night for Ray Benson's (Asleep At The Wheel) birthday party. I got tied up here though. Damn it.

[veruca salt]

Thanks for that OP, I'm very jealous.
Sounds like you've had a ball.
Funny thing though, most of the stuff you told me to look out for, I love, so you
must know my taste pretty well.

Franz Ferdinand are one of the best new bands I've heard in ages. I've not been as excited about a single, they way I'm excited about Take Me Out, for a long long time. And yes Sturm, the album is fantastic.

The Delgados I've not heard for years, but when I was about 18 there was a period where i listend to Pull The Wires From The Wall on loop for about 3 months.

The Thrills, brilliant.

Polyphonic Spree...well I can't put it into words [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Broken Social Scene is the only one I'm going to have to look out for.

I have a friend that has flown from over in Australia to be there, so hopefully I'm going to get a whole lot more interesting tales & reviews.

[Big Boy Laroux]

polyphonic spree. i love their song in "eternal sunshine" (Light and day, i think it's called). They're the 25 member band or something like that.

[chumdawg]

Originally posted by: OutletPass

Want to try something diff:
The Delgados...no claims...just listen and guess where they're from.

Scotland?

Did you catch any of the following local acts (or is anyone else here a fan of these)?

Pleasant Grove
Centro-Matic (or Will Johnson solo)
Slobberbone
Mandarin
Sorta/Sparrows
Baptist Generals

[OutletPass]

To update a little bit from today's DMN...

Polyphonic Spree is one of 5 MAIN stage acts at LollaPalooza this year...

I love La Zona Rosa as a venue...great Mexican food..and where else can I dance with Andie MacDowell ? A couple of other bands that played there who played and got great acceptance...Mission of Burma ...and Preston School of Industry (cheap, silly fun...but still fun...like orange cheese nachos at the AAC.)

Went to a noon daytime show at Emo's and caught Dears...totally packed after a blowout show the previous night..I enjoyed it a lot. Then we headed to Caucas...

and got TV on the radio...I'd like to tell you about them..one of the better bands in an afternon gig. Screaming, soaring guitars and a tight, almost insane rhythm section. Tunde Adebimpe's does the vocals...and he pulls it all together...this is another band that could be big.

Since I gave good review about 2 bands from Scotland (Franz Ferdinand and the Delagados) here's a third one, Sons and daughters...didn't see them, but heard a bunch of good stuff from friends that I trust.

NOW, the main thing I forgot to mention in my first post...a woman who plays piano and is coming on the scene. Here name is Jamie Cullum....PLEASE go find her CD...I believe it's called "Twentysomething".

There was another pianist/vocalist that I saw from the States...I'll have to go back and find her name

Some band I didn't hear, but everyone loved (apparently):

Bettie Seervert
World/Inferno Friendship Society

And, I know this will make Sturm crazy, but I caught Joan Jett at a midnight show at the greatness of STUBB'S...and she's still a badas...Joan Jett, Barbeque and Tequila. What's better than that ?

(Veruca, do you know the Sleepy Jacksons from OZ ? I saw them for about 30 minutes and they were TERRIBLE..but I'm think that it was a bad sound mix in a small venue...just sounded like noise)


(Chum...I didn't see Pleasant Grove or Slobberbone at SXSW (so many bands, so little time) but I've seen them up here...god stuff, but they didn't have a lot of "Buzz"...B-52's played, too and got good reviews again)

Ok...enough is enough...my take from all of this is:

Franz Ferdinand will be the next "Beatle's Invasion".....people love them that much.

[OutletPass]

BBL...you're right about Polyphonic Spree...they all wear white robes like a choir...But they're unveiling "mutli-colored" robes for the LollaPalooza tour...They're just greatness...and the best thing out of Dallas since Stevie Ray went big.

My final note for a bit...

A few things were really big this year:

1) Bands from Scotland. (FF, Delgados and Sons and Daugthers)
2) Soul and R&B.
3) World music...(my personal favorite)
4) Jazz pianists/Vocalists.
5) Post punk jazz fusion.
6) Violins added to the mix.
7) Comedians...everyone was running out to see them after the shows at 3am. Killing Dubya.

What flopped as a genre (for whatever reason):
1) Hip Hop.
2) C & W in every form
3) Tex Mex.
4) All boy bands...can you say..women on guitars, women on bass, and women on drums.
5) 60 + performers...I didn't see them but I heard that Little Richard and Kristofferson were the WORST sets of the entire SXSW.

Best rumor...Peter Gabriel is coming next year with an entire lineup of world music bands.

Want to go, Sturmie ?

[veruca salt]

Yeah I know the Sleepy Jackson, they're like the coolest thing in Oz indie rock at the moment.
Everyone salivates all over them. I don't mind them, but you're not the 1st person
to tell me they're horrible live. So it may not have only been a venue sound issue.
They've got some great tracks, but I don't think they're that amazing.
There was actually 20 something Australian bands at SxSW this year, which I
think is the most that have ever appeared. Not a bad effort for our little country of
20 mil [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[sturm und drang]

As you anticipated, I am beyond jealous. JOAN JETT? She has no equal. In my eyes, she is the biggest badass of all time.

Some friends at work went down for it, but I had to - sob, sob - work. Adulthood sucks.

But next year, OP, next year... I shall forsake grown-up-edness for a weekend of barbeque, debauchery and music in Austin. Veruca, you should come. And I don't want to hear that tired old "but it's halfway around the world" excuse.

Speaking of, Veruca, have you heard The Faint yet? I am listening to nothing but their Danse Macabre CD and Franz Ferdinand right now. Sigh. Any advice for me? I have endless trouble with my PMs - apologies for not taking this little indierawk conversation private.

[veruca salt]

I think that Faint album is awesome. I was totally addicted to it a couple
months back. Have you heard the Rapture? I imagine if you like the Faint, you'll definitely be into that, if you're not already.
Other than the Franz, there hasn't been anything recently that has absolutely blown my mind.
I think the Future Kings Of Spain (another band out of Scotland, I think) album is worth a listen.
I picked up a copy from work a couple weeks ago, and I'm definitely enjoying it. Nothing special, just
some nice rock really.

[OutletPass]

Joan Jett stopped her set and said "Where the hell is Sturm" ?

I sent that b***** a VIP Pass.

[turbo.mav]

These guys were there, and they rocked! You can actually listen to and buy their album here a few months before their
release The Secret Machines Expect good things from these guys in the future.

[SaltwaterChaffy]

I heard that Dizzee Rascal was at the festival. Any of the hip-hop fans get to check him out?

[Caliente]

Maybe we can stop by his house for some bongo lessons..................[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]