Celebration Rock, the new Japandroids album, drops June 7th via Polyvinyl. This is the first anthemic, fist-pumping single, which will have its own single release on May 15; the Canadian duo covers Nick Cave’s “Jack the Ripper” for the B-side. So yeah, Japandroids are still awesome. And if you got the chance to catch them play this one at SXSW, then you already knew that.
While MIA and Kid Sister take FOREVER to drop new material, Rye Rye has yet to even release her debut LP, something promised long ago. No matter. The protege wows on her new single “Boom Boom.” Whether we’ll ever see this as part of a full compilation of Rye Rye material remains to be seen, but until then, it’s recommended you should blare this in the meantime.
Today I wrote over at the DDT about the upcoming Ol’ Dirty Bastard movie and the new announcement: Michael K. Williams to play none other than Big Baby Jesus himself. You probably remember Williams from his work as Omar in The Wire and Chalky White in Boardwalk Empire. Now add Dirt McGirt to that list. Read the article here, and jam on some ODB while you do so. Baby come on, baby come on….
Currently prepping for an epic world tour, which includes a May 18th sold-out stop at Stubb’s, M83 are set to release the Reunion EP on May 8, featuring remixes of the Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming highlight. The Naked and Famous, Mylo, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr and more contribute to the project. I am so pumped to hear this, and see them perform a full set of new and old material, I can’t even think straight.
Reunion EP Tracklist:
01 Reunion (Album version)
02 Reunion (The Naked and Famous remix)
03 Reunion (Sei A remix)
04 Reunion (Polly Scattergood remix)
05 Reunion (Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr remix)
06 Reunion (Mylo remix)
07 Reunion (White Sea remix)
Listen to the Mylo remix of “Reunion” below.
My SXSW, I’m sorry to say, ended on a low note that should have been high, but overall it was another fun year, though not as fun as previous ones, for a number of reasons that I won’t go into just yet. The final day probably had some of the best weather that any day of the festival had. I spent most of my day time at Hotel Vegas and Volstead for the Brooklyn Vegan/Partisan/Knitting Factory showcase, where I saw awesome bands like Lucero and Diamond Rugs (a huge highlight for me this week), and rapper Cadence Weapon. Then I met up with some good local buddies and ate at Takoba, the finest Mexican joint on the East Side. Finally, we wandered over to 8th and Trinity for the Red Bull Thre3Style event, where special guest rumors were already running rampant. By the time we got in and got a drink, they had already closed off the gates, so people started jumping the fence early. We saw Datsik, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Erykah Badu, Z-Trip (with Brother Ali), and Questlove from the Roots. The final special guest of the night was Nas, which should have been incredible, but due to microphone problems from the onset, and then a final onstage power-out (whether intentional due to curfew or not, I have no idea), the set was mired with problems and major disappointment. Z-Trip and Nas embraced and walked off saluting the angry crowd, visibly frustrated with the situation.
So overall? SXSW is still the absolute best festival in the world, and this year I got to take more part in the Film and Interactive portions. It cannot be described, one just has to experience it for themselves. That said, this year, compared to the previous years I’ve gone, was a bit of a disappointment. I suppose the letdown that concluded it is symbolic of how I felt throughout, especially during the Music portion. Maybe the City has cracked down on the fun, maybe promoters just didn’t have all the weapons they needed, maybe my expectations for the fest have gotten too high, but whatever the case, I still had a blast, and I’m still looking forward to doing it all over again next year.
I do know no one in the world is happier SXSW is over than my two feet. They braved the elements, and for that I reward them with a relaxing Sunday. You did good, guys. You did real good.
My feet feel like they’ve been stabbed repeatedly, but it’s all good. Yesterday we kicked off things at Mess With Texas, where we opened the day with the smooth sounds and choreographed dancing from Turquoise Jeep! Keep tha jeep ridin’! Then we rocked out to Cloud Nothings and chilled to Purity Ring. The biggest surprise was Titus Andronicus, who have grown into an incredible live band. The place packed up pretty quickly for Built to Spill; the entire warehouse felt like a sauna, but the band sounded amazing. After grabbing a bite to eat and resting our feet, we split off. I met up with some old friends and ran into others at the Green Label Sound Showcase at Club Deville, featuring Flosstradamus, Star Slinger, and all the Mountain Dew you can drink. So, you know, heaven, basically. My good buddy Rachel and I then meandered to the big ol’ Doritos Vending Machine stage thing, where she got me in with press credentials and together we deliriously watched Chiddy Bang. Then it was on to the sweaty ND for Cloud Nothings one last time, who had all apparently succumbed to the SXSW cocktail of heat, exhaustion, sweat, and copious amounts of alcohol. They were in prime shape for a loud, sweaty punk show. It was excellent.
Today I’m hitting up Hotel Vegas for Brooklyn Vegan’s Hotel Vegan party, where I’ll hopefully catch Cadence Weapon, Lucero, and Diamond Rugs. Tonight? We’ll see how my feet feel.
Ah, SXSW Music. What a beautiful, chaotic, serendipitous experience. I’ve met many lively souls, seen many old and new friends, and watched some incredible music. And there’s still two days to go!
Yesterday started off with a jaunt at Mohawk to see Japandroids, who still sound amazing and loud. The new stuff is awesome, can’t wait for the album. After that we high-tailed it to Mess With Texas at the Tops Warehouse, which surprisingly I’ve spent a lot of time at. Two Gallants put on an amazing set, then we walked over to Scoot Inn for a rowdy show from Andrew WK. Beer can throwing, incessant moshing and crowd-surfing. Relentless. We regrouped at the apartment, and then I left my out-of-town friends and met up with some credentialed ones for the Turntable.FM Party at Tops, which included amazing sets from Araabmuzik, A-Trak, ?uestlove, and Diplo, with Reggie Watts entertaining in between. Too awesome to describe, that venue is perfect for electronic music.
So today the plan is a stint at Mess With Texas again, and after that, who knows? I might meet someone with cooler plans, you never know. Randomness and excellence abound; SXSW Music constantly reminds me why I moved to Austin.
No convention center meandering anymore, as I am in full showcase mode. That became apparent yesterday when I stumbled into Side Bar (Beauty Bar line for CoSigns was hilariously long), a place that NEVER has any live music and one that I frequent regularly, only to find an upcoming slot for Hooray For Earth! Needless to say the set was excellent, so happy to see those guys again. Afterwards I got into Stubb’s and witnessed my most wonderful surprise of the week: an emotional, brilliant set from Fiona Apple. Sharon Van Etten sounded great as well, and Dan Deacon was up to his usual hijinks, of which I have mixed feelings about. Alabama Shakes played after, and I must say I was a bit underwhelmed – I couldn’t help but feel they were too derivative of old Kings of Leon material. I enjoyed it, but I was expecting a bit more from a band hyped so much. After that I met up with a friend to end off the night with a short raucous set from Eve 6. So yeah, I haven’t seen either Eve 6 or Third Eye Blind since 1998 (at the same show) and this week I got to see them both.
So today it’s looking like either Mess With Texas or the Pitchfork Day Party at Mohawk, then I’m likely going to the 1100 Warehouse for the Turntable.FM party. We’ll see though, things are getting quite random as SXSW Music rolls on.
For once, my schedule went exactly as I planned it. I caught all my panels, which were all pretty great. The first featured David Draiman of Disturbed, which was….surprisingly…..really great. He was very informed chatting with Spotify guy Ken Parks about streaming-based services and the future of music. I also enjoyed a talk from the founder of Pandora. After that I ventured to Mohawk and caught a set from White Denim. Then I walked out and got in line for the Pitchfork Interactive Showcase, which I caught most of. Teengirl Fantasy, Star Slinger (who ruled it!), Mr. Muthaphuckin Exquire, Bear In Heaven, and Schoolboy Q were all super awesome.
Today I plan to hit up the SXSW Trade Show and Flatstock, then it’s off to Stubb’s for the NPR Showcase and copious amounts of live music! Plus, there’s people in town that I haven’t seen in ages, so life is good! SXSW Music is in full swing!
