You know I’m a big fan of the Athen’s music scene, and the 40 Watt Party happening during SXSW is always a great opportunity to catch some of city’s finest.

Once again taking place at the Side Bar, this year’s event is featuring 3 stages, one dedicated to the recently passed Vic Chesnutt. 3 stages and a healthy dose of music, including the lovely ladies in Warpaint and the veteran’s Camper Van Beethoven.  Open to the public and no wristbands or badges needed.

Minus The Bear have remained on my radar ever since I came across the Menos El Oso recording, and as much as I want still be a big fan of the band, some of the singles that they have been releasing lately, just don’t seem to have the same hold on me as some of their earlier work.  I’m still holding out for the full recording though, before I jump to any conclusions.

The band recently signed to the Dangerbird Records label, and have a newly recorded album to set loose May 4th, titled Omni. The release was recorded with Grammy Award winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket). My least favorite MMJ album.

MP3> Minus The Bear ‘My Time’

SXSW Dates:

March 18th            Filter Showcase @ Cedar St Courtyard (3:30pm)
March 19th             Relix Magazine Party @ Antones (3:20pm)
March 19th            Musebox @ Rusty Spur (1am)
March 20th            Stubbs (9pm)
March 20th            Dangerbird Records @ Mellow Johnny’s (11:20pm)

Austin music bloggers Covert Curiosity and Sonic Itch Music team up once again to present a special music and visual event that will showcase their individual styles and musical leanings.

Sponsored by Spectacle Sunglasses along with Salvation Pizza, Birds Barbershop, and Do512

+ featuring visual art by:

EricPowerUp and Total Unicorn

Eastside Get Down
is happening
Thursday, March 18th noon-6 p.m.
@ The ND @ 501 Studios
corner of 5th and Brushy
Austin, Tx
www.ndvenue.com

and features:

Twin Tigers (Athens, GA) – 5 PM

About the bands: Read more

No secret here, our love for some Twin Tigers. The band just released the video for the track off of the Grey Waves release, titled “Red Fox Run”. And it’s here..

And you might find Twin Tigers during SXSW playing a little party @ The Independent being put on by some really, really, really good friends..Rawr!

Twin Tigers @ SXSW
3/17 Wednesday
10am WOXY.Com Radio Session

3/18 Thursday
Sonic Itch Music Day Party @ the Independent

3/19 Friday
12:35pm Twin Tigers @ Sneak Attack Day Party @ Clive Bar w/Jukebox the Ghost, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Speak, The Spring Standards, Danny Ross
9pm Official SXSW Showcase @ Emos Annex WOXY.Com Showcase w/Bear in Heaven, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Crystal Antlers, French Miami, TV Torso

3/20 Saturday
1:30pm Old Flame/Obscure Magpie Day Party w/Born Ruffians, Black & White Years, Dead Confederate, Many More
5pm 40 Watt Party with Futurebirds, Dead Confederate, James Husband, Gift Horse, American Cheeseburger, more

I’m sure that most of you are looking forward to SXSW 2010, and have been keeping a close eye on the list of parties that has been slowly revealing itself over the past few weeks. Time to start getting those RSVP’s in, and planning your schedule.

For complete and thorough listings, check out:

*The Austinist’s list of Day Shows, Afterparties, and More

*Do512’s Special SXSW list

And stayed tuned for a special announcement of a party that myself and some other fine folks are putting together…..Rawr!!

Here’s a short list of notable events that always are on my list of visits..

Filter has their hands in a couple of events that you should consider.. Read more

The headlining act for Wednesday night’s bill may be Akron Family, but my curiosity is fixated on the mostly female band that is opening the show, Warpaint. I can’t really remember where I first heard the band, but my interest in them has been borderline obsessive at times, and I figured out why recently. Shortly after releasing their debut EP Esquisite Corpse the California based band signed to Rough Trade, which is part of the Beggars Group. I have a relationship with music that is a bit more lengthy than some, and there was a time period that a majority of my music consumption was fueled by the innovative sounds by many of the bands were on the 4AD label which is part of the Beggars Group.  Back then Cocteau Twins, Wolfgang Press, Pixies, Throwing Muses, Bauhaus, and many other great artists were a part of this label, and I loved it all. It’s taken me a bit to put 2 and 2 together, but Warpaint takes me back to this time, while still remaining fresh and functional in the current scene.

History provided, and now we have Wednesday night at the Parish which is the near future. A near future you should engage in, if possible. The members of Warpaint cautiously spin a seductive style of music that dances with psychedelic lush arrangements, and lyrical temptations. Stick around for Akron Family as well.

Warpaint @ The Parish 2.24 BUY TICKETS

The band will be back in March for SXSW, so stay tuned….

MP3> Warpaint ‘Beetles’

What’s Better Than The Van? Winning a van full of music gear.

The good folks over @ Better Than The Van, who have been helping touring musicians find a better place to spend the night than in their van have a HUGE giveaway planned for this year’s SXSW Festival. A van full of music gear, to be given away on Saturday March 20th. Guitars, drums, pedals, straps, cymbals, strings, and much more from the likes of Epiphone, Ernie Ball, Zildjian, and Pro-Mark, just to name a few. And you get the van!

Go to Better Than The Van to register to win..

BTTV VAN GIVEAWAY! from Better Than The Van on Vimeo.

There’s no shortage of love for the Scots in Frightened Rabbit here, and the anticipation of a new album and some live dates in ATX during SXSW is full blown swollen. The Winter of Mixed Drinks drops legal on March 1st, and this is the video for the second single off that roundy.

I’ll have SXSW dates for you as soon as possible.

I know, enough with SXSW right? This is it. A few more wonderful pics from Valerie Fremin of the sights and silent sounds of the greatest music week of the year.

It seems almost like yesterday, but SXSW is well behind us, and a lot of great memories are we really have left. Well, that and hopefully a lot of hope for some great new music from some of the bands that you experienced that wonderful week. Valerie Fremin’s images secure some of these memories from some of these great moments.

The dust has settled and only a few reminders of SXSW still remain, mostly in memories. Photographer Valerie Fremin captured only a fraction of the event, but the images add life to the memories.

In answering the question “what’s the best show you saw during SXSW?”, I have to think about it in a couple of different terms. There’s the bands that I may have seen times before, who are established acts and generally put on a great show and there are the bands that are really new, almost unknown to me, that completely take me by surprise. These are the 3 bands that I enjoyed quite a bit, if not quite immensely during SXSW 2009 that fall into the later mentioned.

• Twin Tigers: I had been told by some that this band was good, but when friends recommend other friends bands, I approach with caution. So this is how it all went down. Fellow Athen’s band Dead Confederate are set to close out a party on Thursday night, and upon taking the stage, announce that they are playing two cover songs then turning the stage over to their friends Twin Tigers. After DC ripped the sky open with their Sonic Youth covers, Twin Tigers filled the hole with sonic harmonial bliss, not just musically, but performance wise as well. It’s one thing if the music is good, but a great performance is key, and not having any experience with either, my reference point was zero. From zero to ten is what these guys achieved with me that night, while securing a fan or two along the way. The band has just released a 7″ on Old Flame Records and there’s an older EP that you can find on iTunes. It’s early yet for these guys, but if my experience is of any indication of what’s to come, the rock-n-roll revolution has a serious new player.

MP3> Twin Tigers ‘Envy’

• Port O’ Brien: Quite on the opposite end of the musical spectrum than the previously mentioned band, California’s Port O’ Brien combine elements of indie rock, folk, and acoustic. Although the recorded material is nothing to shrug off by any means, but it does little to relay what an amazing performance these guys put together on the stage. After receiving a nice recommendation from a friend who had seen them earlier in the day on Friday, I caught this amazing live performance @ the Soundcheck Magazine party. A high energy performance in which each song seemed to build and build in sound and texture, while each member bounced enthusiastically around the stage. Guitarist Zebedee Zaitz danced and bobbed while almost seeming to get lost in his own sounds, that it at times it was questionable as to whether or not he would be able to land safely on the ride and in time, but never failed to do so. M. Ward recently named the band his favorite new band, and it’s easy to understand why.

Photo by: Guillermo Herren

• School Of Seven Bells: Probably a little more well known to some, Brooklyn’s School of Seven Bells are no strangers to the music scene. Former Secret Machines member Benjamin Curtis has wisely choosen the beautiful talents of sisters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza to accompany him on this musical transformation from former outlet to this dreamy, lush, psychedelic, day trip destination. There’s a small hint of Curtis’s former self, and watching him lead the trio with his highly effected guitar work, reminds me of a lost opportunity to see Secret Machines in the past. The Deheza sisters add a warm harmonic element and worldly aspect to the sound that only seemed to grow more pleasant and encompassing as the afternoon set @ the Mohawk passed. Passing only a bit too quickly. The band’s debut Alpinisms found release in late 2008.

MP3> School of Seven Bells ‘Half Asleep’

I made a list of all of the bands that I saw during SXSW last week that I really enjoyed, and I have to say that it was a pretty damn good week for some great performances by some seasoned vets as well as some new upcoming acts. Pt 1 consists of some of the bigger acts that played as well as some that I just can’t seem to get enough of their music and their performances.

• Dead Confederate: Long time favorite of mine, Athen’s Dead Confederate played a total of 7 shows this year @ SXSW, and I managed to catch a bit of 3 of those. The one more interesting set consisted of covers of two Sonic Youth songs, one of which is a Sonic Youth classic in my opinion, “Diamond Sea”. I’m not generally one for cover songs, in fact I usually despise them, but DC covers Sonic Youth almost better than Sonic Youth covers Sonic Youth. An outstanding 2 song set that lasted at the least, 20 min. I lost track of time awash in the sea of sonic dreaminess. In a time when our attention span seems to be shrinking into bits and bytes, Dead Confederate are not afraid to jam the lengthy jam.

• Silversun Pickups: I know I might catch some flack for this one, but you have to understand my history with these guys. I first saw them perform 3 years ago @ SXSW and they completely blew me away. The experience of seeing them @ the Filter party on the Cedar Street Courtyard stage, and on the patio of Moonshine will be hard to replace with anything I will ever see from them again. The 2008 ACL performance was atrocious and almost painful, but their opening spot @ Stubbs before Metallica renewed my faith in the bands ability to put on a good show. I may never be the fan that I once was, but the memories of that little band 3 years ago will always be there. The band has a long awaited follow up to their debut hitting streets April 14th.

• DEVO: One would think as long as I’ve been around and being the music geek that I am, I would have seen these guys before, but unfortunately I had not. I was half expecting a bunch of older guys to come out and do a competent job of rocking through their extensive catalog of hits while I relived my youth, but not the case. DEVO came out to play, like a young successful band, with some new material that they had to sell, and they sold it well. They were loud, they were animated, the LED screen accompanied the show with fun imagery, and they rocked both the new material with the hits. Bravo DEVO!

Thur afternoon @ 3:30 p.m. 6th street.

SXSW is that one event every year that never fails to bring a sense of excitement as well as an extreme feeling of being overwhelmed. Every year when the dust settles, I always seem to feel like I missed something great, possibly to not utilizing my time properly. In past years, to try and utilize my options, I’ve invested in the badge (move to the front of the line please) and put together intense schedules, in hopes of avoiding that sense of missing out. It just doesn’t work. This year I took a differnet approach, for several different reasons.

Now, we all know that SXSW has grown into an event that takes over the city and has spawned a whole non-official festival as well. Free day parties and shows have grown to a number that surely has the official SXSW livid beyond belief yet limited on what they can do to restrict. The Fader Fort is a prime example of how big the non-official events have become. In all my years of attending, this year seemed to be the year that SXSW flexed it’s muscle as much as it could to try and prevent bands from playing non-sanctioned events. I heard of several situations where bands were asked to not play events, resulting in bands dropping off of parties, or representing themselves a bit differently to avoid detection. Even Gomez’s Tom Gray mentioned that he was surprised that SXSW hadn’t pulled them off stage during their IFC Crossroads performance on Tuesday night. Quite honestly, I’m not exactly how I feel about this. On one hand, it comes across as petty, but I do understand to a certain extent. What’s the compromise though?

So after years of buying into the SXSW, purchasing the badge, checking out the trade show, attending panel discussions, etc., I decided to take a different approach. No badge and no schedule. I did happen into a wristband, but it really served more as an accessory than a way to access any show that I wanted to see. It sure as hell wouldn’t have gotten me into 3 different shows on Wed night that I wanted to see, as the lines were long well before the performances, and even the badges were waiting in lines that stretched for 1/2 a block or more. Is this the future of SXSW? Long lines beyond belief with the elite few and extremely patient getting to see the shows that they really want. I thought it was the present, but a couple of huge shows that I thought wouldn’t be accessible for many, surprised me. Wristbands getting into Metallica? The Austin Music Hall selling tickets for Devo to the general public? Not what I expected at all.

Maybe Wednesday’s crowds were a result of an overlap of Interactive and Music badge holders? I heard from several people who work the week in several different capacities that this year didn’t feel as busy as years past. It’s hard for me to gauge, but makes sense being the economy is in the dumps. I do know that the Fader Fort had no shortage of lines each day in it’s operation.

Where am I going with this? I love SXSW, and think it’s the greatest week of music anywhere in the world, and I look forward to each year like a young child looks forward to Christmas. I want to support the business that is SXSW, but is it necessary for someone in my position, in order for me to have the best experience during the week. Not necessarily.  People complain about the locals or non-wristband/badge folks who take advantage of all of the parties, clogging up lines, and making it more difficult for the “official” attendees to enjoy this events, but what is the solution? I don’t know, but I do know that this year I didn’t throw down hundreds of dollars in hopes of gaining better access to shows, had the best SXSW in years, and saw almost every band I set out to see. And I saw some good stuff. I hope that you did as well.

Standout bands from this year..coming soon.

If day one of SXSW 2009 is of any indication of what is to come, it’s gonna be friggin NUTS! Caught a few bands, drank a few beers, and chatted with some good friends.

Highlight 1: Watching the Austinists Paige Maquire on stage with the Akron Family, complete with Indian headdress. Rock on Paige!

Highlight 2: Surprisingly impressed with Dan Auerbach’s performance @ the Parish. I’ve never been much of a Black Keys fan, but Dan’s show is a must see. Joined by My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan, Dan rocked the shit!

A few more highlights that I can’t share with you now, but maybe soon.

A little video (audio not great, but you get the idea):

Dan Auerback @ The Parish SXSW 209 –

Sorry Ultra