Handsome Furs performing “Legal Tender” at Insound’s SXSW 2009 day party at Club De Ville. Yeah! (Sorry for the pixelated video quality. YouTube really strips down the video.)
Wintersleep Plays Hotel Utah Tonight
One of my favorite up and coming bands, Wintersleep, is playing San Francisco’s Hotel Utah tonight. I just saw them this weekend at SXSW and can confidently vouch for their live performance. They rock. The Halifax-based band is on tour supporting their latest album Welcome to the Night Sky. One of my favorites for 2008. If I wasn’t so sick I’d be out there to see them again tonight. You should be there though. That way when they make it big you can say “Yeah, I saw them at Hotel Utah once.”
Listen to “Drunk on Aluminum”:
I Live Here: SF
A quick break from our regularly scheduled program for a public service announcement plugging a cool project from local photographer and blogger, Julie of Tangobaby. She’s launched a new blog called I Live Here: SF that features portraits and stories of the people that call San Francisco home. It was amazing to meet her, hear her story, share our goals and ambitions and be a part of her dream. Such an interesting interlude to a random Friday.
Since we connected through the blogosphere, music was a big part of our conversation. As was fashion and my current obsession with my new peacock feather necklace. (Isn’t it pretty?) I was asked recently what we were listening to when this shot was taken. I can’t recall exactly, but if I had to choose one song to reflect my mood it would be Iran’s “Buddy“. I’m in love with this song. (More on this band later.)
Listen to “Buddy“:
Video: The Ruby Suns – “There Are Birds”
The new video for “There Are Birds” from The Ruby Suns album Sea Lion. One of my favorites!
SXSW 2009 Friday Highlights
Friday at SXSW kicked off in style with a great day party hosted by Insound at Club De Ville. Obits opened the day with an impressively scorching set, followed by one of my favorite bands, The Handsome Furs, who’s energy and chemistry did not disappoint. I had yet to see them live so was thrilled to get up close and personal with them at such a great venue. (Loved Alexei Perry’s leopard print jumpsuit too.) American Analog Set followed but they were a bit too quiet to be appreciated with a crowd in the full throws of an all you can drink PBR pint party, so off I headed to the Spin private event at Stubbs.
At the Spin party, which was a blast, I caught The Black Lips – who lived up to their infamous stage performance reputation — Glasvegas and the seminal band of the 80s Echo and The Bunnymen. Ian McCulloch’s voice was amazing and the band’s performance was one of my highlights of the festival for me. Between sets we were entertained by the likes of The Crystal Method and NASA. A great show all around! Thanks Spin!
Without missing a beat, we headed to the TopSpin party to see White Denim crush it. If you don’t know this band already, you are missing out. Exposion is my favorite album of 2008 and they are absolutely incredible live. Whew, okay. I’m a good nine bands in and we haven’t even gotten to the official SXSW schedule yet!
The evening kicked off with Alberta Cross. Man, these guys are good. Really, really good. One of the SXSW sleepers, in my opinion. Loney Dear was up next with a lackluster performance, but all was redeemed when we made it to Emo’s Jr. for King Kahn & The Shrines. Holy crap! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like them. Absolutely and completely crazy live performers. People were hanging from the rafters, taking off their pants, moshing and giving puja to the holy Hindu, King Kahn. I didn’t think the night could get any better until we ended up at the mother of all after parties to see Starf**ker. My new favorite band. I loooovve them!
Listen to Handsome Furs “I’m Confused”
Listen to The Black Lips, “O Katrina”
Listen to Echo & The Bunnymen, “Killing Moon”
Listen to Glasvegas, “Geraldine”
Listen to White Denim, “Shake Shake Shake”
Listen to Alberta Cross, “The Thief and The Heartbreaker”
Listen to King Khan & The Shrines, “No Regrets”
Listen to Starf**ker, “Iaadeedaa”
- The Handsome Furs at Club De Ville
Glasvegas at Stubbs
The Black Lips at Stubbs
At the Spin party. Music, hipsters and free beer - oh my!
Echo & The Bunnymen at Stubbs
Alberta Cross at Rusty Spurs
The Legendary King Kahn enjoying a well deserved drink after his performance at Emos Jr.
Starf**ker Rules!
Hanging with The Black Lips frontman.
SXSW Thursday Highlights
The day couldn’t have kicked off better than with The Phenomenal Handclap Band. With 10 members deep, it was one of the better dance rock bands I’ve seen in a while. Truly infections. Especially with San Francisco’s Bart Davenport joined them in his 70s attire on stage. Everyone one who was anyone in the indie rock world seemed to be there.
Other highlights of the night were definitely Girls and Grizzly Bear at Central Presbyterian Church. I had goosebumps for the entire Grizzly Bear performance. Sitting in pews and hearing them perform in a beautiful stone church was one of the better music experiences I’ve had of late. Truly awesome and transcendental. My religion!
Listen to Phenomenal Handclap Band “Testify”
I Tweet, You Tweet….
…we all Tweet for SXSW, cell reception permitting. The show is underway and I’ll be Twittering more than blogging for the next couple of days. Follow me, indierockgirl, on Twitter!
The Decemberists Death Count
Listen to “The Rake Song”:
I loved this article in Paste Magazine that analyzes the death count of all 76 songs in The Decemberists’ catalogue of music. The Decemberists frontman and songwriter, Colin Meloy, has killed upwards of 70 characters of his own creation. That averages out to about 0.92 deaths per track. They detail the characters causes of death nicely in a spreadsheet, but here’s a summary:
Leading causes of death:
1. Cannibalism (31)
2. Drowned (6), unspecified (6)
3. War, unspecified (6)
4. Shot (5)
5. Childbirth (3), suicide (3)
6. Abandoned (1), beaten (1), beaten then burned (1), consumption (1), hanged (1), killed by ghosty kids (1), mining accident (1), poisoned (1), premature birth (1), stuck in chimney (1)
Deadliest releases:
1. Picaresque (44)
2. The Hazards of Love (8)
3. The Crane Wife (5)
4. Castaways & Cutouts (4)
5. Her Majesty (3)
6. Always the Bridesmaid EP (2), 5 Songs EP (2)
7. The Tain EP (1), Picaresquieties EP (1)
Deadliest songs:
1. “16 Military Wives” (36)
2. “The Rake’s Song” (5)
3. “Leslie Anne Levine” (3)
4. “I Don’t Mind” (2), “We Both Go Down Together” (2), “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” (2), “The Perfect Crime #2” (2), “Days of Elaine” (2), “Hazards of Love 4” (2)
Video: Bat for Lashes – “Daniel”
The new video for “Daniel” off of Bat for Lashes forthcoming album Two Suns due out April 6.
Mixtape: SXSW Picks, Part 1
My rock-n-roll vacation is just days, hours away. I’ve been combing the line up of 1400 bands for weeks now. My list is made, I’m checking it twice and trying to keep the panic at bay as I struggle to find a way to fit it all in.
SXSW is the equivalent of Mecca for the indie music junkie, like me. It’s the place you go to discover the best new artists everyone else will be listening 6 months or a year from now, depending on where you fall on the music curve. And already I’ve found some gems. Here’s a sample of a few bands I’m particularly excited to see. Believe me, there are many, many more. Some of them are classics reunited – like Echo and The Bunneymen and Red Red Meat – others somewhat establish, but most are new to the scene and trying to break out. Enjoy!
the OCMD SXSW Playlist #1
1. Benjy Ferree – “Pisstopher Christoper”
2. Obits – “Pine On”
3. Abe Vigoda – “Don’t Lie”
4. New Villager – “Rich Doors”
5. Foreign Born – “Vacationing People”
6. Iran – “Buddy”
7. Red Red Meat – “Gauze”
8. Wheat – “El Sincero”
9. Echo & The Bunnymen – “Killing Moon”
10. Handsome Furs – “Dumb Animals”
11. Wintersleep – “Drunk on Aluminum”
12. White Lies – “Death”
13. Let’s Wrestle – “I Won’t Lie to You”
14. The Transpersonals – “Twenty Twelve”
15. White Denim – “Mess Up Your Hair”
the OCMD 