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.
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!
So Girls was fantastic, and I had no idea Judd Apatow would be there! We previewed the first three episodes of the new HBO series, and I’m already a fan. I am looking forward to seeing the whole first season, and I highly recommend it. Guaranteed to be the next big hit for HBO. After that I went to my cohort and alumni party, which was put together splendidly with food, drinks, and spontaneous dancing. I ventured over to Spaghetti Warehouse to catch Sleigh Bells and Major Lazer, but it was pretty pointless due to the line, so I walked back and continued the private party function. Mohawk never happened, but yesterday rocked nevertheless.
Today, I’m hitting the panel circuit; a lot of the music tech discussions are happening today. Currently I’m sitting in Ballroom E/F, waiting for The Future of Music Consumption panel featuring Ken Parks from Spotify, Bill Werde from Billboard, and….apparently David Draiman from Disturbed. Afterwards I’m looking at the Can Social Music Save the Music Industry? panel. Then it’s The Evolving Role of Radio and the SoundCloud Open House before making a concerted effort to get into Pitchfork’s Interactive Party at Mohawk. Busy day, kids! Stay hydrated!
Interscope’s rap roster just got a lot more awesome: Top Dawg Entertainment has confirmed a joint venture today with Interscope/Aftermath, which features the emerging Black Hippy collective. That crew includes none other than my two new favorite rappers, Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. This is great news for the up-and-comers, especially Lamar, whose latest upcoming album this summer will be released on the major label. Expect to hear big things from these guys in the months ahead.
This year’s Free Press Summer Fest has been announced, and, wow, I must say I am impressed. Snoop Dogg, The Avett Brothers, Primus, Big Freedia, Danny Brown, Jeff the Brotherhood, Willie Nelson, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Flaming Lips (performing Dark Side of the Moon), Wavves, Diplo, Best Coast, Major Lazer, Turquoise Jeep! I’m gonna have a hard time avoiding the miserable Houston heat this summer!
Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!
Tracklist:
Tanlines – All Of Me
Royal Headache – Girls
Death Grips – Get Got
Roomrunner – Super Vague
Black Mountain – Mary Lou
Hard to believe, but the greatest week-and-a-half of your year, SXSW, is rapidly approaching. And so, as a fellow Austinite, music blogger, and total South-By fanboy, I feel inclined to prepare those of you stepping into the fray for the first, or maybe even twentieth, time. There’s already so much to RSVP for, and new info is leaked every day. And so, every Friday, from now until party time, I’ll be giving my picks for new announced events and providing much-needed RSVP information.
To keep up with the hooplah, I advise you pay close attention to this Google spreadsheet, which is updated regularly. You can also look at my personal Google spreadsheet, which is by no means comprehensive, but might help you with your party planning. Also, this public Twitter list I created is always great to find up-to-the-minute info on just-announced showcases and parties, official or otherwise.
That rock-tastic album cover above is the upcoming third album Rize of the Fenix from Tenacious D, dropping May 15. Kyle Gass and Jack Black are set to reunite with the incomparable Dave Grohl, and, in case you guys haven’t noticed, I’m super mega pumped big time. To gear you up for the onslaught of metal, peep these classic tracks from the D.
