SXSW '07
Here is the long awaited SXSW blog entry (okay, long awaited for myself only). If I could summerise a typical day in SXSW it would go as follows: 9am wake up, 10am catch a panel or two, 2pm catch a day party, 4pm drink free beer, 6pm eat free BBQ, 8pm catch the first showcase show, 3am hunker into bed. Needless to say 5 days of that schedule is bound to take at least a couple years off my life.
Now for the fun stuff..
First off, the picture to the right is of Buck 65, Sage Francis and Skratch Bastid at Spirro's courtesy I my friend 2nd Floor Living Without A Yard.
And now for the highlights in nomination category form...
In the category of Biggest Surprise Rock Show...
Peter, Bjorn and John — I have been enjoying their latest CD Writer's Block since I returned from New Zeleand. It is fun, quirky and dancable. It is also though musically rough around the edges so I was wondering what type of a show would translate and although they were high on my list of must see, I wasn't expecting much. Suffice to say the band rocked it hard putting on the high energy one would expected from country mates The Hives.
In the category of Biggest Disappointment...
Kiwi rock bands — Sorry, I love the country but the show case, aside from the free food and wine was boring.
In the category of Pregnant Dummers that Rock...
Imperial Teen — I was amazed that Lynn Perko, so obviously late in her term, was able to handle the kit with such gusto and energy. This was another high on the list to see band that did not disappoint (despite a bit of roughness from being out of practice). They played new stuff from an album coming out on Merge in the fall. This show also made it into the categories of Hipsters Not In Their 20s That Inspire As I Enter My 30s and Cute Boy/Girl Harmonies That Make You Dance.
In the category of What's in the Water in Montreal (aka The Next Big Thing)...
Kukai — I gives me great joy to see French Canadian bands, like Malajube, are coming out with a relevant sound to today and singing in their native language. Kukai were on the M Is For Montreal showcase and pretty much floored me. Their live show was tense and their hooks and melody indispensable. They will be the next big thing from Canada! As an aside apparently Malajube sold out their tour in the US!
In the category of I Wanted to Hate Them But Couldn't...
Tokyo Police Club &mdash Why? Hometown jealousy and nothing more! They are truly deserving of the hype they are receiving. It was 45 minutes of high-energy angular rock. They also proved to be the fasted band to setup and tear down at the entire festival. 10 minutes folks, seriously is all you need!
In the category of You Have To Be French Canadian To Understand...
Call Me Poupee — Entertaining, arousing and bizarre. Songs about beaches, long distance relationships and KY jelly. What is not to love? Makes me glad I took French immersion in grade school.
In the category of Who Needs to Understand the Words...
Asakusa Jinta &mdash Either described on MySpace sites as "Musical Gangsters from Tokyo" or "Pychobilly punk marching band". Caught them at the Japan night showcase and was completely overwhelmed. I had no clue what they were signing about but the groove they formed was so intense I couldn't help but dance.
Other bands I saw that were worth the trip to Austin included: The Pipettes (cute, adorable Brit girl pop), Sparklehorse (somber and beautiful), Apples In Stereo (scattered and catchy), Skratch Bastid (rap theatrics) and Luc Doucet (cause I've missed him all this time).
Other bands to check out that I discovered: Dosh (solo, loop station madnesss), Thee More Shallows (music out of a suitcase) and Midnight Movies.
Phew, done...