- Tue 23 Mar 2010 | Views: 2123 | Comments: 9 -
SXSW
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hello hello everyone
last year i averaged about 3 shows a day at sxsw and by the end of the week had completely forgotten my identity... so it was pretty nice to go this year and just hang out, check out bands, DJ a bit and eat far too many tacos.
just look at the anticipation in those eyes.
anyway. for those of you who don't know what sxsw is its a big music industry festival type thing in austin, texas. this is austin in miserable weather.
so all the labels managers prs agents everything go hang out watch loads of bands and get wasted then probably give a couple of bands a record deal. as a consequence about 8 zillion bands descend on the city, a lot of which are total rubbish. luckily i got to see quite a lot of good ones! here's the round up...
this is a band called War Paint. they are all girls (!), and at some point sounded like a girly XX (or 'double X' as the americans like to call them) until they would go into a big pscyhedelic prog out thing. anyway i liked them a lot, check it out at www.myspace.com/worldwartour
next up are smith westerns who are the cutest young puppy dogs EVER and have pretty good songs too..
cute!
cute!
cute!
sorry i didn't get the bassist, but he did have the best amp in the world...
Kudos. www.myspace.com/smithwesterns
we saw this band called the Middle East (good name) who were pretty buzztastic, if you like fleet foxes, read the guardian and are very upset about what's happening to 6music then they're probably right up your street (although admittedly everyone should be upset about 6music whether you like this band or not).
www.myspace.com/visitthemiddleeast (good myspace too)
I DJd at the IAMSOUND showcase which was fun although not long enough! here is some jesus stuff from the bar...
also the party was hosted by a drag queen who was wearing a dress identical to one i have in blue. jokes.
JJ played who everyone seems to love, they're from sweden and sound beautiful on record, and live the singers voice is amazing but the other guy maybe needs to make a bit more effort then putting a backing track on and having a fag on stage...
i can't find the myspace i'm being an idiot but go look it up on youtube...
then this band called We Are The World played, who had amazing costume and lights and dancers, it all looked incredible... only thing was i couldn't really handl the music for the whole set, but they have a brilliant video that's definitely worth watching
www.myspace.com/watwla rocking the sexy beekeeper look, points.
ok what else what else... oh yeah so this guy is one of my favourites, he's from Toronto and calls himself Diamond Rings...
he's also a visual artist and hand designs/ creates loads of his clothes and merch, plus he had a UNICORN keyboard banner thing, amazing!
you should DEFINITELY go listen at www.myspace.com/diamondringsmusic i think his voice sounds abit like bryan ferry and he's just super cool and nice and could later be spotted wandering around with a casual giant keyboard under his arm, new trend me thinks.
not sure if this guy was someone from we are the world trying to make a quick extra buck...
...or if someone had just ripped off our stage outfits!
EVERYONE was talking about this band called sleigh bells...
i couldn't decide if it was really cool or a bit hip rave for me, but if you like shouty girls and trendy sounding heavy stuff have a listen www.myspace.com/sleighbellsmusic i definitely appreciated the madonna lace gloves
we hung out with these guys from the band Salem for a bit, they are kind of really, really dark...
...but still like sequins. points. www.myspace.com/s4lem
We ran into our lovely friend Elizabeth Harper from Class Actress, who was sporting some Killer earrings!
Unfortunately we missed their shows but hopefully they'll let us off after seeing them every night on tour! They are coming to the UK soon so look out, www.myspace.com/elizabethharper
Then we saw another of my favourite gigs at a teeny crammed Brooklyn Vegan showcase, a girl called MNDR
She's a kind of amazing one woman show that kind of DJs all her own self produced backing tracks live and sings a bit like Cyndi Lauper and dances like crazy! I've been listening to her sampler CD a lot since I got back, Fade to Black is especially good which you can hear at www.myspace.com/mndrtronica (MNDR stands for Amanda)
We hung out at the Levi's Fader Fort for a while, where luckily I ran into my two favourite double men, Andrew Andrew!
I did an interview with them for Fader Fort in front of a giant picture of my face, it should be around somehwere but I have no idea where. Apparently I was dressed like a girl scout on acid that day. Loving their double gaga tshirts. Am sending them double boots ones!
We watched Marina who played a packed set...
and made everyone jealous of her micky dungarees!
She also managed to make me look like a small dwarf. Mind you most people do that.
*TERRIBLE PICTURE WARNING*
Here is a terrible picture of a band called Washed Out (there was too much smoke!)
Actually I think its just one guy and he plays with a band called Small Black, but whichever he totally killed it at Fader Fort and has one massive choon the name escapes me but i'm sure its on www.myspace.com/washedout
I wasn't really very happy when I got dragged to a Tatoo parlour in the middle of nowhere on the coldest day Austin has ever had for my first hardcore experience. Have to say it was probably worth it though. This is Cerebral Ballzy.
www.myspace.com/cerebralballzy. I got a tshirt and everything.
Early on the last day we went to see the latest signing to DFA, Free Energy.
These guys were literally the happiest guys in the world, they just looked so happy to be alive never mind on stage. Everyone keeps saying its a weird signing for DFA coz they're kind of drivetime rock but I trust James Murphy as he is a genius so go have a listen www.myspace.com/freeenergymusic. They were also giving out free CASSETTES which was a cool idea but i have no idea who in the crowd would have the technology to go home and listen to it. Maybe this woman...
WTF?!?
Ok I'm getting a bit muddled up.... we saw some other bands like Tan Lines and Magic Kids who were pretty good but I didn't get pictures... I DJd a bit at the NME party where this guy with a harp called Active Child played and a band from Manchester called Everything Everything, and The Drums who I have a total band crush on and who we went to see again on the last night supporting Scissor Sisters.
*TERRIBLE PHOTO WARNING* (i was too small!)
I think they kind of owned SXSW and definitely should be massive. Also they win the award for silliest stage dancing...
Listen to their wonderful songs at www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever
Then we went to Perez' party and obviously got far too drunk to take any pictures... but saw Snoop and danced to Hole, pretty good.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST BLOG EVER! THE END!!!!
