SXSW 2011-Day 1 (3-16-2011)

Another year, another SXSW Music survived. It's crazy, it's five days of no sleep and eating on the run. But then you see that new band that knocks your socks off, or start chatting with that established musician whose music you've always loved on the street as you race from one venue to another, and no matter how tired you are, you know you're coming back next year.

Carrie Brownstein of Wild Flag @ NPR' Day Party @ The Parish

This year, I also covered acts from Washington, DC for the Washington City Paper, which you can read here. Wild Flag, a girl-super group of Mary Timony, Sleater-Kinney and Helium was tremendous. They may very well rank as my favorite act during SX. Other locals were These United States, Ted Leo, and the Bad Brains. I think the Nikon and I survived that madness by the grace of God and the 6'5 guy who stood behind me the whole time.

H.R. of Bad Brains @ Emo's Main Room

I'd never seen the Brains live before but I had a feeling it would be mayhem. What was really interesting though was watching while the crowd went insane, the band just stood there calm and collected-no leaping about for H.R. And he bowed to everyone, including the audience, after every song. Complete serenity in the midst of chaos. It was amazing to witness.

Other bands I caught Day 1 included Hayes Carll, The Tender Box, Duran Duran, and Fake Problems.

Hayes Carll @ American Songwriter's Day Party




The Tender Box @ Rusty Spurs







Duran Duran @ Stubbs








Fake Problems @ Dirty Dog Bar



(See the rest of the photos from each set here)

Original Big Star Bassist Andy Hummel Dies at Age 59

(Andy Hummel and Ken Stringfellow at the the tribute to Big Star, SXSW 2010)

Just months after the untimely demise of Big Star frontman Alex Chilton comes another loss from this most influential band. Original Big Star bassist Andy Hummel died yesterday at age 59 after a two-year bout with cancer.

At SXSW this year, Big Star was being "feted" if you will, and Big Star was to perform the last night (Saturday). Of course, with Chilton's death on the first day of the conference, the performance became a tribute. Hummel both spoke about his experience in Big Star at the panel, "I Never Travel Far Without a Little Big Star"...

(See the rest of the photos from the panel here)

...and performed at the tribute later that day. The man still had some mad chops.

(See the rest of the photos from the tribute here)

In his years after Big Star, Hummel worked at Lockheed Martin and resided in Weatherford, TX. The Dallas Observer did a nice piece on him last year here.

Superchunk Talks to the Village Voice

I'm super sorts of slammed with a day-job deadline today, but wanted to share this mighty cool video interview that the Village Voice did with Superchunk's Mac and Laura after Superchunk's awesome Village Voice SXSW day party set.

Foxy Shazam: Bringing Arena Rock Theatrics to a New Generation

Thanks to technical difficulties with my camera, Macbook, and a new portable external hard drive all being friends so I could clear off my camera, I missed one of the main bands I'd looked forward to seeing while at SXSW, Foxy Shazam. (To the Best Buy-Columbia Heights employee who sold me the external hard-drive and assured me it was Mac-compatible, you, my friend, deserve a serious junkpunch.)

One part Queen, one part Slade, one part Cirque du Soleil, a dash of Arcade Fire, and maybe a little Rush (Shazam lead singer Eric Nally sounds oddly like Getty Lee to me), the Shazam opened the SPIN Day Party at Stubbs on Friday and from all accounts, their set was one of the best of SXSW. Nally's stage moves were jaw-dropping, and included a penchant for climbing about like Spider Man and acrobatic leaps atop his bandmates, much like in the video below.



Seems they wrote one of the songs on their forthcoming self-titled debut full length, out April 13, to be a "sports anthem" ("Unstoppable," which was used in a commercial during this year's Super Bowl). A little odd? Yup. But I dunno, I think odd, when it's creative, can be pretty exciting; at least it's not boring. The best part is that the Shazam doesn't seem to just rely on stage dramatics; if it were just all that and bombastic superego (they do proclaim themselves the "Michael Jordan of Rock n Roll"), I'd call bullshit for sure. But from what I've heard, the music backs them up. Now if they'd just bring the live show to DC!

I came across this bio written by Nally. It seems to explain a lot (including the band name).

About Foxy Shazam:

Hello, my name is Eric Nally and I am the singer and founding member of this rabble-rousing pack of f***s they call Foxy Shazam. Our other five members are (in alphabetical order): Daisy (bass) Aaron McVeigh (drums), Alex Nauth (horns) Loren Turner (guitar) and Sky White (piano). I love them but before I get into their story, I would like to spend a little time on myself: I am twenty-four years old, the father of two boys, Julian Michael and Francis Jordan, as well as a loving husband to Karen Nally. This creates an interesting contrast to my career as a professional musician.

I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was one of two white boys in an all-black high school. The band name Foxy Shazam came from a saying in my school meaning, "cool shoes." If you had cool shoes kids would say those are "foxy shazam." Because of this we have a lot of soul, and try to let it bleed through our music as much as possible. Mom and Dad were pretty poor as I was growing up but always supported my musical interests nonetheless. In the early years they bought my band cheap guitars and amps and drove us to shows in the family Thunderbird. I owe them big time and will someday repay them.

Now that you know a little about my history, I would like to talk about my bandmates. Alex, our trumpet player is my right hand man and as a matter of fact he is transcribing this for me right now. Alex is classically trained, has a likable personality and is easy to get along with. We picked him up on the corner of Hollywood and Las Palmas a couple of years into the band's existence and I feel like his horn playing has added to the uniqueness of our sound. I meet a lot of people that think horns are stupid, but he's going to change that.

Loren, our guitar player is a weird guy to get the hang of and he's very quiet. Everyone that meets him gets the impression that he's mad at them but that's not the case, it's just the way his face looks. He loves Dimebag Darrell and I love the influence that gives him in his guitar playing.

Daisy, our bass player has been in the band for about three years. To be honest, I don't know too much about him and I like him like that. That's what makes him Daisy. However, I do know that his contribution to our band is enormous and without him we would not sound the way that we do.

Aaron our drummer is the newest member of the band. The position of Foxy's drummer, until Aaron, has been one that is filled temporarily but never permanently. I would never be caught dead in the clothes he wears but, hey, to each his own. His drum playing is not fancy but it's extremely solid and is exactly what we've been looking for all these years.

Last but not least is Sky White, our pianist who is trained in classical and jazz performance. I remember Loren and I went to a show his old band was playing and the second I saw him stand on his keyboard with a piñata on his head I knew we had to get him in Foxy Shazam. It didn't take too much convincing and a week later we were recording our first album Flamingo Trigger (which came out in 2005) and went on to do Introducing (2008). Our self-titled major label debut is coming out now.

When I listen to a Foxy Shazam record I think of Evel Knievel, Bruce Springsteen, my childhood, Van Morrison, my old friends from high school I don't talk to anymore, Elton John, the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and beyond, Iggy Pop and my first kiss. One of my favorite things to do when listening to my music is to close my eyes and picture a crowd of six million people all chanting "Foxy! Foxy! Foxy!" The lights go out and my band walks on stage. It gives me goose bumps. It all makes sense to me. When you listen to our record, think of your favorite things and it'll make sense to you as well.

Foxy Shazam is not concerned with what category it falls into. We want to stand for our generation.

We want to be the biggest band in the world.

We are the Michael Jordan of Rock N' Roll.

Give a Listen: Oh Lord-Foxy Shazam/Buy Foxy Shazam

Lyndsey Parker, a super cool music editor for Yahoo Music, conducted an interesting interview with the Shazam following their bombastic Stubbs performance in Austin.

Foxy Shazam SXSW 2010 Interview from Yahoo! Music on Vimeo.

SXSW 2010: Sondre Lerche and Jon Auer Rehearsing for the Big Star Tribute

The legendary Big Star was to be celebrated at SXSW this year with a panel on the band and its influence, as well as a closing set at Antones on Saturday. So it was a mighty big blow felt by everyone attending when news started circulating Wednesday of Alex Chilton's death. What was to be a performance by Big Star became a tribute to Chilton, with various singers slated to "borrow" Chilton's mic.

I've got photos forthcoming of it all, but it was widely agreed upon by all of us who attended that Sondre Lerche's performance of "The Ballad of El Goodo" was definitely one of the evening's highlights. Lerche's serene and moving voice was the right fit and brought the song, and everyone listening, to a whole new level.

The video below is of Big Star/Poisies guitarist Jon Auer rehearsing beforehand...



and of the performance at the tribute. I really wish you all could have been there, video doesn't come close to capturing the beauty of Lerche's sound. It was truly something special.

Roving Reports of Rock and Roll: SXSW 2010

Hello! I am back and alive (barely thanks to a head cold), but willing to tell the tales. Sorry I wasn't amongst those doing real-time postings...this year was great but also seemed to have the subtitle "SXSW 2010: If something can go wrong, it will." I'm working up the photos right now but some of the highlights off the top of my cold-ridden and exhausted brain (there will be others)..

Loved
-Ivan and Alyosha: awful name but wonderful band. Lead singer has a voice like Jeff Buckley but like an octave lower.

-Austin Hartley Leonard: wound up catching him twice, once acoustic with his banjo player, the other with his full band. Both times, awesome. He lives in LA so you kids with a more alt-country jones out there should check him out.

-Glossary: LOVED their sound and their musical timing...they change up tempos and do different types of hooks for sure.

-Street Sweepers Social Club: I haven't liked a rap-centered band since Public Enemy but good Lord was this good. The place was jam packed and the band's sound had everyone glued to the stage. (Although trying to shoot photos with mosh pits happening on either side of you is rough.) Met Tom Morello in the lobby of our hotel-really nice guy.

-Broadway Calls: Punk pop is back with a vengeance and this 3-piece is leading the charge. On same label as Gaslight Anthem so makes sense. Room sucked but the band was explosive.

-Superchunk: Four years in Chapel Hill, NC and I never got to see Superchunk play once (this was went they went into a bit of a hiatus). Eight years later, I can safely tell you: it was utterly magical. And fucking rocked my face off.

-Harlan T Bobo: Discovered this guy via the Memphis version of that "$5 Cover" show. Couldn't stay for the whole set as I had drinking to do with a KROQ DJ at the Hotel Driskill (and a drink, or five, at the Driskill had been on my list of things to do). But he's got this great sound and is quite the storyteller.


Wished I'd Seen:
-Surfer Blood: they played like 23 times over the four days and the first night I almost saw them but for bad location (they were put on a rooftop whose entrance was a tiny stairway next to the downstairs stage where another band was playing-quite the bottlenecked clusterfuck). From then on, it was just bad timing and I missed every other performance. (File under "bad timing").

-Cymbals Eat Guitars: file under "bad timing" and "Southwest Airlines is to blame"

More to come...stay tuned!

And So It Begins...Cheap Trick, Spoon Announce Headline Shows at SXSW 2010

It's early January and right on schedule, some acts have announced headlining shows for SXSW in March.

-3/17: NPR is opening the conference with their showcase at Stubbs; Spoon is headling. The show kicks off Spoon's US tour for their 1/19 release, Transference. (Transference is available for pre-order here.) As is usual with NPR, they will be broadcast, webcast, and podcasting the entire show. Hopefully a Britt Daniel acoustic show announcement somewhere won't be far behind...

NPR also announced today that they are streaming Transference now through 1/18 for free here.

-3/19: Legendary rockers Cheap Trick are headlining the Auditorium Shores Stage on Ladybird Lake with special guest, The BoDeans. The show will be free and open to the public.

And rumor has it that BL&L favorites The Hold Steady will not be making the trip south this year but Lucero will be, playing out at Ladybird Lake at some point during the week; here's hoping additional locations will be added!

First 230 Showcasing Bands Announced for SXSW 2010

Woot! The first 230 showcasing bands were announced for 2010 SXSW-Music. Lots of Euros and Brooklynites with this first lot it seems but a couple of goodies, including The dbs.

Full list can be read here.

Smokey Robinson Confirmed at Keynote Speaker for SXSW Music 2010

Smokey Robinson has been confirmed as this year's keynote speaker for the Music portion of SXSW 2010.

The incomparable poet of soul music, Smokey Robinson has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the 2010 South by Southwest Music Conference, taking
place at the Austin Convention Center Thursday, March 18. As Motown celebrates
its 50th anniversary, Robinson, one the label's primary songwriters and first
hit-makers with the Miracles, marks closer to six decades singing professionally. The former VP of Hitsville USA recently released his latest batch of smooth romanticism, Time Flies When You're Having Fun, on his own Robso label and couldn't believe how 50 years felt like "three weeks ago" when the Chronicle caught up with him backstage this summer in Fort Worth: "I grew up in the hood in Detroit, [and being a singer] was my impossible dream. I never thought it would ever come true. I never thought I'd be doing this for my livelihood. Actually, when I was [young], I thought I was going to be a cowboy. That didn't go well. There were no horses in the neighborhood where I could hone my skills [laughs]." (SXSW.com)

SXSW 2010 Music Registration Opens

FYI, SXSW 2010 Music registration opened 8/3 (we don't call BL&L your last place for current news for nothing heh). And just like a lover who hurts you so good, the initial badge price is up to $595 this year. Initial price period ends 9/25 (and prices go up continually from there), so buy early!

Songs, Sun, and Lone Star Beer: SXSW 2009, Day 3

Intro, Day 1, Day 2 (day), Day 2 (night)

1. The Wrens
When I saw The Wrens were playing this year's SX, one of my travelmates knew of them so I asked him to describe their music. His exact words were “awesome and awesome-est.” Said travelmate and I don’t always agree on what constitutes “awesome” music (our common ground is Springsteen and Westerberg), so I wasn't sure what I'd find upon arriving to their noon set at the Hot Freaks day party this third day.

What I found was complete and utter awesome and awesome-est. Squared. To infinity.

Sometimes, hearing enough music that is just ok-not mind-blowing, not life-changing, but palpable-enough of that and you start to think "ok" is enough. You forget what it was like to hear music so good it scrambles your brains and all you do is grin like an idiot.

Go see The Wrens live and you'll recall all of this soon enough. What a glorious full-on aural assault of melodious noise.

(See more photos from the set here)

Give a Listen: Everyone Choose Sides-The Wrens

What could follow up such a thing? I needed some time to breathe so had a few beers then set out to catch my first SX music panel. Along the way, I caught two minutes of Bishop Allen...



and Viva Voce...
(See more photos from the set here)

2. Music Panel: The Sound and the Fury
SX has a ton of panels on all sorts of things music-related. But I thought "Sound and the Fury" looked pretty interesting if only for the roster (see below). Where else would you see Sylvain Sylvain, Matthew Caws, and Jonathan Poneman (one of the founders of the Sub Pop label) in the same place?

Like the variety of perspectives Faulkner offered in his classic novel, artists' views of the music biz are filtered through their particular experiences. Without denying the difficulties facing the recorded music market, and the economy as a whole, there are opportunities for intrepid musicians to find fans and make a career out of their creativity. The artists and execs on this panel bring unique histories to their current work, and they'll share their thoughts about furthering their goals in this challenging era. But maybe we'll leave Faulkner's themes of incest and despair out of this panel.

-Moderator: Karen Glauber Pres, Hits Magazine
-Lynn Barstow, Program Dir, Emmis Austin Radio/KGSR/KROX
-Matthew Caws, Nada Surf
-Karen Glauber, Pres, Hits Magazine
-Matthew Hales, Aqualung
-Mikel Jollett, The Airborne Toxic Event
-Jordan Kurland, Owner, Zeitgeist Artist Management LTD
-Anya Marina, Performer, Anya Marina
-Jonathan Poneman, Sub Pop Records
-Sylvain Sylvain, New York Dolls

(More photos from the panel discussion here)

There were some pretty funny quotes. Sylvain Sylvain on being a cult artist: "You get laid a lot." He also talked about taking a job as a cabbie in the lean years so he could make music on the side. "I got robbed three times, once by a woman." And Matthew Caws: "We'd rather play a packed closet than a half-empty living room." (Gotta love Matthew Caws.)

3. The Henry Clay People
Playing the last of their 98786876 shows at this year's SX at Red Eyed Fly, the HCP boys were ready to cut loose.



HCP are consistent in putting on a great musical performance, even a few drinks in (well here, it was more "a lot of drinks in"). The obvious closeness of the band collectively, and of the brothers Siara as family, make for an entertaining stage show; that friendliness amongst them exudes into the audience when they play. Combine that with their excellent musicial abilities and damn catchy songs, and you've got a great can't-miss band. I see great things on the horizon for HCP.







And I couldn't get a proper shot of drummer Mike Hopkins the whole show, so he was nice enough to pose for me after. I've always said I'm too east coast to live on the west coast, but damn, if all the boys are as handsome as Hopkins, I may just have to reconsider...

(More photos from the show here)

Give a Listen: You Can Be Timeless-The Henry Clay People

After HCP, I caught up with the travelmates at the SPIN day party at Stubbs for a few minutes of Glasvegas. "Daddy's Gone" is a lovely, rather hymn-like song that really does hold up live...



Give a Listen: Daddy_s_Gone-Glasvegas

And then I headed over to Maggie Maes for the only performance at SX of The Takeover UK, who were headlining the Sonicbirds party. Out of Pittsburgh, PA, Takeover's excellent take on powerful indie Brit-pop is worth a listen (debut is called Running with the Wasters). Their energetic live show should not be missed.



My travelmate John did a great writeup on the show here




(See more photos from the set here)

Give a Listen: Ah La La-The Takeover UK