popwreckoning

Hailed by NPR and Pitchfork as the new “buzz band” to watch, dreamy surf-pop outfit Tennis take a break before their three night run in Las Vegas to discuss living and playing in their hometown of Denver.

Brianna Hernandez, PopWreckoning: How is it returning to Denver from being on tour? After receiving so much attention nationally, is it strange to return to Denver where you are still relatively unknown?
Tennis: Really great. Denver is the most comfortable city to live in and after being in big cities every night. It’s the only place we want to be.

BH: Prior to Tennis, you played in various bands in Denver. Which bands?
T: James has played in much more memorable acts: Tjutjuna, Mothership and a bunch more. All the bands I played in were so bad that we couldn’t get shows in Denver and the DIY scene hadn’t started yet. Thank god for house shows because we couldn’t even play a show in Denver as Tennis in the beginning.

BH: Who are some of your favorite musicians in Denver?
T: Gauntlet Hair keeps putting out some really amazing stuff. The new Woodsman record is, in my mind, their best yet. Can’t go wrong with Tjutjuna either.

BH: What is it like playing for a crowd at home in Denver versus elsewhere?
T: We have a lot of really great people at our shows, but we also have the most amount of critics. Denver press has always been our most negative, and in that sense, it’s a bit weird. Aside of that, we love playing at the Hi Dive and always have a great time.

BH: When you aren’t on tour, where are some of your favorite places to be in Denver?
T: Our favorite bar is the Great Divide Tap Room. Really great people there and the best beer in town. We also find ourselves at Forest Room 5 quite a bit. But our favorite place to be is at Bistro Vendome for their Sunday brunch.

BH: Your last album chronicled a sailing trip. Will your next album follow in suit? How do you feel about concept albums?
T: We haven’t put any restraints on our writing yet, so at the moment, it isn’t going to be treated as a concept album. I think most albums can be tagged “concept” albums; it’s really hard to write 10 or so songs that are so disjointed that they can’t be associated with each other.

BH: What are you listening to now? What would people be surprised to know you listen to?
T: We’ve been listening to a lot of R. Stevie Moore lately. Some Jackie De Shannon, too. I don’t know if those are surprising or not.

BH: How would you describe your sound?
T: We’ve been using the word “vintage” a lot in reference to the production techniques we used on the album. I don’t know. We try to make things sound like a human being made them.

BH: How did you meet one another?
T: Alaina [Moore] and I [Patrick Riley] met in an Analytic Philosophy class. I’ve known James on and off since high school.

BH: Any plans to move from Denver…or to take another sailing trip?
T: We are definitely planning another sailing trip. Don’t really know where or for how long, but it’s going to happen. We talk about moving away from Denver, but we never make the necessary steps to do so. I think Denver is a place you always talk about moving away from but never do.

BH: What is your favorite part about touring and playing live?
T: I really like hearing Alaina’s voice live with a room’s natural reverb. As for touring, we love visiting our favorite bars, diners, restaurants, beaches, people, etc.. in every city. It gives us some sense of routine when we go to the same places every time we tour.

BH: If you weren’t Tennis, what would you be doing instead?
T: If I wasn’t in Tennis I’d probably be fixing up boats or something.

BH: Where did the name Tennis come from?
T: White people, I assume. The name doesn’t mean anything to us which is the purpose of a band name, right?

Find more from Tennis here.

Just as important as going to Austin to see music is going to Austin for the food. I’ve previously mentioned my affinity for breakfast tacos, but Friday I tried a different culture’s food. Not sure if it blasphemy to eat something that isn’t Mexican that close to Texas, but this morning called for Coffee with a capital “c.” No one does Coffee like the French. So Friday morning, I found myself at Le Café Crépe, being handed a menu by a Frenchman who was greeting me with a “Bonjour, mademoiselle.” Behind a glass window, employees were preparing mouth-watering crépes. Sadly, we were in a rush (as always), so we got our mochas to go and paired then with pain au chocolat, which is bread with chocolate. The flaky bread was fresh from the oven and filled with gooey chocolate. A light dousing on powdered sugar made this perfectly delectable. As we walked toward a first venue in considerably better moods, we promised to revisit the restaurant when we had more time, which we did Sunday morning before driving home.

After brushing some spilled powdered sugar off my shirt, I dashed into Emo’s for the mysterious Cults. For a long time, it was downright impossible to find out anything about this band and hopes of catching them on tour were slim to none. Fortunately, they seemed to have changed their mind on that as they have started touring more extensively and the band was practically everywhere at SXSW. The band is essentially the pop project of couple Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin, but they were joined by a full band for the performance. “Go Outside” was the only tune I really knew, but the lo-fi pop songs were all catchy and light-hearted…at least in sound. Lyrically, the duo likes to stay true to their name and often draw inspiration from cult leaders.

Chain Gang of 1974 was playing in another room at Emo’s just above Cults, so I went to check out this buzz band. Don’t be fooled by the 1974 in their name. They sound like a better fit for the 80s, but without going overboard on synths. There was an edge to the music, but also a danceable beat. If you’re like me and have heard the buzz about this band, but hadn’t checked them out before, start by giving their epic “Hold On” a listen.

Foster the People is a band that I was saying should be huge since last year. “Pumped Up Kicks” was my summer jam. Radio was a little slower to recognize its catchy awesomeness, so a lot of people are just discovering Foster the People. In the year since I’ve first learned of this band, I’ve only come to love them even more and seeing them live only solidified my love. At times this piano pop rock group sounds like Peter Bjorn and John and then other times it seems like they’ve got some Vampire Weekend thrown in, but with the subtlety of a group like Tennis. There are a lot of diverse influences working together very smoothly for this band, so if you’re lagging behind with the radio stations, get on it and check this band out asap.

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt was a performance that was so epic that it got its own post. You can find that here. In short, the wild performance art band got us to run around the venue, freestyle dance in the middle of a clapping circle of strangers and jump up and down under a parachute while shouting, “We’re alive! We’re in love! We’ve got hope…just because!” Definitely gets the award for most memorable set of SXSW.

Reeling from the insanely fun experience of Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, I stumbled out to Sixth Street a bit dazed and unsure of what to do next. How do you follow up a band with a parachute? I found myself wandering. First I traveled up to Mohawk, where Ted Leo was starting an acoustic set a little early. Crisp vocals and friendly tone demonstrated why this guy is a favorite of so many. From Ted Leo, I bounced to a tent next door where Glasser was taking the stage for the Rhapsody Party. A beautiful set, but one that couldn’t quite match the almost holy experience of seeing that band the night before at Central Presbyterian Church.

When I wandered out of Rhapsody, I honestly had every intention of giving the music watching a break and finding a spot to charge my phone. But then luck took me by Stubbs and a woman asked me to check-in on Foursquare in exchange for two passes to the exclusive Spin Party.  How can you pass up something as simple as that? I love social media!

Some middle age guy that I had never seen before was on the mainstage when I walked in. In awe of my sheer luck, it took me a moment to realize I knew the song being performed: “Touch Me once, touch me twice…” Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark was singing the song from one of my favorite soundtracks of all time (and no this was not the OMD performance at Stubbs with the camera boom incident). I might have dismissed OMD when I first walked in as some rando middle age dude, but he’s still got it. As an added bonus, Moby joined OMD on bass.

From OMD to DOM, the inside of Stubbs was getting packed for this buzz band. “Living in America,” has long been my jam. How can you resist the slinky chorus, “It’s so sexy to be living in America”?

And back outside, the Spin Party band I was most anxious for: The Kills. With Jack White in attendance at SXSW, there were some rumors of some special collab, but this was a straight up the Kills set. And I was ok with that. Allison Mosshart continues to steal the show no matter who she’s on the stage with – her vocals, her attitude – it’s just impossible not to watch her.

I left the Spin Party before TV on the Radio to chat with the duo behind Acrylics. Look for that interview soon on PopWreckoning. After my chat with Acrylics, I wandered through the Brooklyn Vegan Party to briefly watch the Dodos, Middle Brother and J. Mascis. I had heard a lot about J. Mascis, but I found the set kind of boring. The falsetto just wasn’t my thing. So I quickly left and went to catch a band from across the great pond that I knew would entertain: A Silent Film. I had the privilege of seeing this passionate piano rock band at their first US show ever back in Kansas City during the Fall. They seem a lot more confident now and delivered such a great set that people even asked for an encore and the venue guys, who had at first seemed very anti-encore to stay on schedule, even gave their approval because they were enjoying it so much. This band could easily draw some comparisons to Keane, but I find Keane rather sleepy. If anyone has heard of the UK’s Embrace, I would say that is a more apt comparison.

!!! might not be a band name that everyone can understand or say, but people have no problem understand the band’s music. The tent that !!! was a non-stop dance party. It kind of reminded me of seeing LCD Soundsystem at Bonnaroo – a little similar with the music and with the vibe.

I trekked far from Sixth to the Lustre Pearl to catch the next two acts. Noah and the Whale is a band that I had been eagerly anticipating for SXSW. Their romantic folk ballads had won my heart on recordings, but I had yet to see them live. They were supposed to play SXSW two years ago when I was here, but canceled. Then I was supposed to see them at Lollapalooza and they canceled. This year was to be my chance. Now, after finally getting the chance to see them, I think I’m ok that they canceled. Love their music, but they were one of the most boring bands of the festival. I didn’t need another Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, but I just didn’t feel any energy or passion from these guys. I’d rather just go home and listen to my CDs because this particular live performance added nothing.

In contrast, the band that followed had plenty to watch on stage. Gayngs followed and this is autotune done right. This is a supergroup featuring members of Bon Iver, Doomtree, The Rosebuds and more. I don’t believe I counted all 23 members there for this performance, but they sure came close to a full group. The stage was packed. The soft-rock set got the audience dancing and I think any Austinites holding a grudge for the band’s unfortunate cancellation at ACL was quickly forgiven by this performance.

When I returned back to the main area of SXSW, I headed back to Stubbs for an old SXSW favorite of mine. The Airborne Toxic Event has this amazing ability of making viola look badass. Viola is not a badass instrument, but this band knows how to make it rock. And if one viola wasn’t enough, the band had another join the performance as part of a string quartet set up on the side of the stage. Awesome. They played through songs from their popular debut and several from their upcoming release. The Airborne Toxic Event never disappoints. But the rest of the night did disappoint. TATE would end up being my last of the night. After waiting in another line for an hour and encountering several venues that ended up being Badges only, I gave up on Friday and decided to call it an early night before the final day of SXSW.

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Check back for more to come from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW. You can see more photos from Day 3, Friday, March 18 below and click these links for Day 1 and Day 2:

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is something more entertaining than any loling cat on the internet. Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is more winning than Charlie Sheen could ever hope to be. And Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is a phenomenon more beautiful than double fucking rainbows. So what does it mean?

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is the name of a band. There were a lot of good bands at SXSW this year, but there was only one Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt and that band was the best band at SXSW. A daring statement, but one worth making.

When surrounded by the thousands of bands at SXSW, you have to make yourself memorable. You have to stick out. This is how Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt stood apart from the crowd.

1. TPDR blew off the stage. They were up close and personal and joined the audience on the dancefloor.

2. TPDR was theatrical. With a set up and light show that looked like it was stolen from my grandmother’s garage sale the band already had a unique thing going on. It’s March and the main source of light was a light up plastic snowman. But it wasn’t just the surroundings that were decked out. The band was, too. The guitarist looked like he fell out of the 80s with his retro shirt and big ‘stache. The singer was wearing a purple dress with ridiculously poofy sleeves, but he paired the dress with some sneaks for running around the venue better.

3. Energy! This band does not stay still even when tuning. One second the singer’s hopping in the center of the floor and the next he’s pushing everyone back into a circle to direct different audience members into the center to dance. Then before you can blink, he has you marching through the venue to the back where he founds some random bucket to hop up on and sing his next chorus.

4. TPDR has a parachute. That’s right: a parachute. As the set was nearing its end, TPDR brought out a mysterious duffel bag, opened it and just asked everyone to grab a piece and pull. A giant, colorful parachute popped out and the entire crowd got underneath. “Jump and sing this with me: ‘We’re alive! We’re in love! We got hope…just because!’” exclaimed the singer. Never was there such laughter and glee at a concert as when this group chanted that anthem and jumped underneath a parachute. It was kind of insane, but also ridiculously fun.

5. The music. Don’t think that TPDR is a gimmick band. They sounded great – especially if you’re into groups like Tilly and the Wall, Blastoids or This Show Is the Rainbow. TPDR could easily stand on a stage like any other band, deliver their songs and it would be a solid set. So why do all this other stuff? It’s fun. That simple.

So was it a concert? A circus? A parade? A party? Whatever it was, it was uniquely Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt.

And if you have an affinity for exclamation points or want to hear more from Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, visit here.

Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin with Thursday’s blog. It was St. Patrick’s Day and I had originally RSVP’d to a few daytime showcases, expecting to see a handful of smaller, lesser known bands. However, without the wristbands of the day before and with the confusion of RSVP lists, I didn’t actually end up getting into anything for the first part of the day. It was a minor disappointment but it did allow me time to go find the press room and photo edit for a bit- something I desperately needed to get caught up on before I was drowning in a five day backlog.

However, this stroke of luck landed me in the line for Stubb’s about two hours before the doors, meaning I was one of the first twenty people in the door. Stubb’s tends to be one of the more popular venues (and it’s one of the few all ages venues) so it tends to get pretty full fairly quickly. Meanwhile hundreds of people filled out the outdoor venue (something this Seattle girl wasn’t used to). I planned on staying at Stubb’s for most of the evening, then wandering to see what was going on at a few other places.

Before that night, I had never even heard of Foster the People (I know this is practically blasphemy, but I live under a rock sometimes). After listening to amazing songs like “Pumped Up Kicks”, “Helena Beat”, and “Houdini,” I’m more than convinced that they will be one of the defining bands of this decade and quite possibly in the genre of indie pop. For a band that has been out about a year and a half, they are already playing Coachella and SXSW. Their first full length album, Torches, is due out May 24^th. For someone who absolutely can’t stand most mainstream indie bands, they caught me by surprise.

For me, they aren’t just another cookie cutter indie pop band. Their anthems are catchy, California summers recorded for posterity against a background of synth and some addictive drums, all layered with a dose of frontman Mark Foster’s incredibly dulcet tones. The Los Angeles based band is not just musically sound, but they are an amazing live act as well. Every single person in the crowd was dancing, clapping, and singing along, and the show was a blast. Next to Flogging Molly, they were probably one of the better shows I saw all week.  From lo-fi pop to catchy dance hits, they are going to be one of this summers greatest new bands.

Up next was Noah and the Whale, playing new tracks off their early March release, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down. Overall they weren’t bad, but they weren’t exactly to my tastes either. An almost painfully stereotypical English indie folk band, they are classically talented and good, if that’s the sort of thing you are into. Visually, they weren’t very entertaining, but overall they had a fairly solid set. Good acoustics, decent music, and a breezy, warm summer night and you’ve got a decent show. Even if you don’t like indie folk, they are worth a listen and even maybe a gander at a live show.

The third act of the night at Stubb’s was Portugal. The Man. I had never gotten to see them live, and due to press restrictions in the photo pit, I couldn’t actually shoot the show. However, I did get to stand back and really listen- something that I don’t get to do too often at festivals. After about twenty minutes I came to the conclusion that it was minorly anticlimactic. As good as they are recorded, I just wasn’t feeling their live set. For an indie prog rock band of this magnitude, I was expecting more energy, more precision, more general enthusiasm. That just wasn’t the case for that night. I plan on catching them in Seattle at some point, but until then, I can’t really make an adequate assessment of their live set.

After two vaguely disappointing sets, I decided to hit the Velveeta Room, a tiny bar on 6^th to catch Adam Arcuragi & The Lupine Chorale Society with some friends. Surprisingly, for this infectious blend of blues, country, indie folk, alt rock, and soul, their set was pretty amazing. It was two-step at its finest and was a great way to mellow out between the other sets. Adam Arcuragi is immensely talented, but from what I could see and hear of the Lupine Chorale Society, they either needed a better sound tech or a whole new ensemble – I’m honestly not sure which. Adam’s songs are soulful, a coined “Death Gospel” of poignancy and cathartic lyrics and melodic ballads. Probably one of the more heartfelt sets of the festival, I was truly blown away by the artistry and skill that was apparent in every note of his. Some tracks could have used more piano, some a fiddle or a cello, but overall they were obscenely good to be playing a half empty venue on St. Patrick’s Day.

To round off the night, I found out that Ron Sexsmith was playing an acoustic set at the Hilton Garden at Creekside (a trek and some hunting to find, but worth it for Sexsmith). Acoustics in conference rooms are barely adequate for someone of this caliber, but with an acoustic set, I was surprised. The Canadian singer-songwriter played some of his more popular works, taking requests from the sheepish and adoring crowd. Ron played his guitar and sang his heart out, soulfully pouring passion and skill out into the waiting crowd with precision of a master of his craft. Between songs, he charmed the audience with a running commentary and some general discussion about his works and his life. Pushing the boundaries of intimacy with his fans, Sexsmith managed it with stammering grace.  One of the best acoustic performances I have seen to date and another highlight of the festival, I will definitely be checking out his catalogue and film extensively in the near future.

With that chilling beautiful set, it was time to return my gear to the hotel, a long walk to the breezy Austin night and catch some sleep before the weekend events and the upcoming long haul.

(Look for the rest of my SXSW coverage coming soon!)

Find the artists here:

Foster The People
Noah and the Whale
Portugal. The Man
Adam Arcuragi & The Lupine Chorale Society
Ron Sexsmith

SXSW

Check out more of my Day 2 photos here!
(Please note that due to memory card failure, this is a fairly small set).

Wednesday morning dawns overcast and humid in downtown Austin. After 36 hours of stressing and running errands like a madwoman, I am finally here. I head to the convention center and pick up my wristband (priority passes that basically allow you into venues before the general public) and get my camera tagged for the press sanctioned areas at venues. Its official- I am official. SXSW Music 2011 had begun.

After looking for decent coffee (a necessity in the coming days), I get into one of the first of many queues for the week. I want a wristband for a specific venue and without it I won’t be able to get in, even with my general wristband. I am blocks away from the venue and a security guard confirms my suspicions – there is absolutely NO way I am getting a venue wristband, as I showed up too late. I try again with another venue and am denied again. So far, SXSW has already shunned me twice, but I tried not to let it spoil my day.

I wander downtown Austin a bit and get an idea of the general venue layout. With over 90+ venues spread out across multiple square miles, I know that I need to make a plan for the next few days. Heading back to the apartment that I am sharing with other industry people for the week, I start looking at the schedule and fleshing things out a bit. I leave early to head back across the river and back into the mayhem.

At 6 pm, the streets are packed. The fourteen venues along the Red River corridor are sporting queues for both badge/wristband holders and the general public, who are more than willing to shell out some significant cash at each separate venue to see a glimpse of the action. I grab some barbeque and stand in line at Mohawk, the furthest venue up Red River, and home to two stages, one indoor and one outdoor. At 7:45, the doors were opened and security was out in full force. After getting my camera gear inspected, I was let into the small, intimate venue that would be home for the night to some of the best electronica that I have ever heard. It would be the first of many venues I visit tonight, but a great place to start out. The indoor stage is small, low to the ground, and there was a small crowd of people milling about as the first act queues up his laptop and starts mixing his beats, kicking off the night in style.

Up first was Sodapop, the playful moniker of Anticon Records’ label manager Shaun Koplow’s DJ persona. Mixing everything from San Francisco underground rap to electropop of today, Sodapop basically curated a live, mixed version of Anticon’s general catalogue, including throwing in some new musical visions of his own. It’s clear that the label isn’t just his livelihood- it’s his passion and he knows it inside and out. With this bit of transparency, it was incredibly interesting to watch him shift from genre to genre, different styles with a fluidity of someone who knows the general electronic scene and wants to push those boundaries a little further that what we might expect.  Throughout the night, Koplow would be spinning between the sets, a veritable palate cleanser with his general genre-bending sound. I plan on keeping my eyes peeled for this guy in the future, because the electonica genre is due for an overhaul and a revolution, and chances are that Koplow will be somewhere near the forefront.

Up next is a guy with a saxophone. Everyone looks confused, as this is an electronica showcase, but we go with it. Once he records and loops a few phrases, it all starts to make sense. It’s the genius of Asura and Anenon, a collaborative work of Ryan York and Brian Allen Simon. Brian Allen Simon, Anenon, is the founder and CEO of Non Projects and another visionary in the genre of experimental electronic composures, who is also multi-instrumental musician. The intricate loop of saxophone notes is then blended with piano and synth to create a hauntingly beautiful intro before drums and melodic vocals kick in to fill out the track and creates such a potent blend of ethereal tonations that it is sure to give you goosebumps. He continues along this vein, making the crowd sway and bop along with his beats, continuing to fill the room with sound. It’s like being dumped into a tank of noise- so many layers, so much complexity that it’s hard to keep track of it all. The resulting cohesive pieces are nothing short of vibrant musical imagery, passion in music form. It’s brilliant and bold and sets the standard for the night and gives me an idea of where he will take his fledgling label in the upcoming years.

Mixing the second half of this set is Asura, the creative alias of Ryan York. York has a background chock full of classical jazz, electronic, and modern classical education and experience and brings that to the table in his tracks. With an organic approach to his pieces, the simple sounds mixed in obscenely complex patterns take on a life of their own. Standing there, I felt like I was drowning amongst living, breathing beats, pops, and thumps. Live, he is dynamic, mixing completely improbable sounds. It’s mind-numbing and liberating all at once, a veritable experience of noise in its truest form. A favorite of mine was “Timber” featuring Ana Caravelle, another Non Projects composer, whose ghostly voice lends even more embodiment to the static, staccato base track being mixed by York.

The overall experience of these two was completely and utterly thought provoking and a little intense to be honest. I decided I needed a change of pace and wandered over to the Red Eyed Fly in attempt at catching Marques Toliver. I had heard through the grapevine that he was exceptional, and I wasn’t disappointed. Walking into the back of the packed venue, I could hear him crystal clear and all I could compare him to is Jason Mraz, but with a little more soul thrown in. Not only can this man belt it out with the best of them, he is incredibly vocally talented. He combines his amazing voice with lyrics that hit home with such a passion it makes your chest hurt. Playing songs off his upcoming debut EP, Butterflies Are Not Free, he captivated the crowd and myself with an intensity that was almost scary. If he keeps following the same path, guaranteed his songs will start showing up on wedding playlists and on popular television series here shortly. I only happened to catch a few songs towards the end of his set, but I am bound and determined to get my hands on the EP when it comes out to see what other soulful tunes lay in store for the masses.

After all of this electronica and soul, I wanted something a little different. Heading to Emo’s Annex, I caught the American Scarecrows set. I’m not much into folk rock at all, but they could probably change my mind on that. “Wild Hearts” is their first “single” off the still untitled upcoming debut album, and is downright brilliant. Along the same vein of Counting Crows with a tiny bit of folk and country thrown in, and you have this incredibly addictive band out of Burnsville, Minnesota. They were incredibly fun and brought out a healthy dose of talent- something I really wasn’t expecting from a band that is practically nonexistent on the internet. I am stoked to see what they bring out with on the debut, especially if the live sound was anything like their recorded sound. I could definitely see them playing Austin City Limits or Bumbershoot, possibly even Coachella in the next few years, and hope to see them next year at SXSW with a bigger fanbase.

Back at Red Eyed Fly, I managed to squeeze my way into the Summer Camp set. When it comes to lo-fi pop, they are probably one of my new favorite bands in the genre. Despite the technical difficulties, this adorably entertaining duo had the crowd singing and dancing along. Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey make up Summer Camp, with both of them doing a mix of vocals, and Jeremy playing the guitar, making the tracks simple and sweet. Vaguely reminiscent of Tennis and Spectral, if you’re into that vein. They were a perfect complement to the now slightly breezy, warm, almost summer night and I could tell that the festival was really finding its pace for the year. With their debut out this spring, their tracks “Ghost Train” and “I Want You” are both catchy and perfect for the upcoming summer season.

I decided to go a little more mainstream at this point and head down to ACL Live at the Moody Theater. I run and catch a pedicab across town (a godsend after wandering with 32 lbs of gear up and down Red River) to make it in time to catch DeVotchKa. Turns out the pedicab driver is a bass player in a band playing here at SXSW on Sunday night and invites me to come see them play (my flight leaves at 6 pm that evening).  He gets me there just in time for me to make it into the photo pit before they come on.

If you’re like me, I never really got the hype around DeVotchKa. I could never really get into their tunes, could never really understand exactly WHY everyone claimed they were so great. I’m a connoisseur of gypsy styled music (I’ve seen Gogol Bordello a countless number of times), but just couldn’t seem to get into their sound. Seeing them live, I’m totally regretting not listening to them sooner. Celebrating the release of their fifth album, 100 Lovers, they rocked the Moody Theater. The Denver based band has been around for more than a decade and yet still hasn’t lost their touch- instead, it seems like they are gathering a bigger and better fanbase over the years and are still willing to adapt and change to meet the demands of the industry and their fans. With their success of the Little Miss Sunshine Soundtrack, for which they were nominated for a Grammy, they have finally found the time and funding to perfect their sound.

This was clearly apparent with their performance. They sounded polished, perfected, a little tighter than the last time I had listened to them (probably six years or so ago, when I first got into the gypsy scene), and seeing them live was damn near enlightening. They have put a lot of time and effort into making themselves who they are at this point. Live, they are a gypsy wedding band full of fun and contagious tunes and they not only bring forth a great sound, but some interesting elements to their live set. From acoustic bass to sousaphone, trumpet to accordion, viola to violin, Theremin to guitar- it’s all there. They are the proverbial gypsy band, through and through, especially with their extensive 2011 tour schedule booked. With a blend of Romani, Slavic, Greek, and Spanish influences, their folk cabaret style show is musically sound and visually appealing. They were the perfect opener for the night’s final act.

At 11:45 pm, the sound of bagpipes fills the Moody Theater. Flogging Molly comes out to a visibly excited crowd and plays one of the best live shows I have ever seen. If you’ve never seen Flogging Molly, you are sorely missing out. If you haven’t even heard of them, go Google them. I promise, I’ll wait.

With some of the best Celtic rock around these days, they kicked off St. Patrick’s day the right way. The crowd (drunkenly) sang along, the band really got into the show, and many of the photographers were dancing or singing along in the photo pit. The energy in the room was better than any other show I have ever seen, hands down. I have to say, the ACL Live stage was one of the better venues I got the privilege of shooting over the course of the week, and coupled with this amazing band, it was the proverbial perfect show. The lighting was amazing, the sound and acoustics were more than decent, and I had a blast. For an Irish girl to kick of St. Patrick’s Day with a Celtic rock band, I couldn’t have had a better first day. I had finally hit my festival stride and wasn’t quite ready to call it quits for the night.

Grabbing our gear, two other Seattle based rocktographers and myself trekked from the ACL theater all the back up to the Red River venue of Stubb’s in hopes of catching Duran Duran. However, the line was long and security told us that there was no way we were going to be able to get in to shoot. We stood around and listened for a bit (they actually were pretty amazing live) before heading back to our respective lodgings for the night.

Along the journey back you could hear the surrounding venues, clubs, and bars starting to celebrate the holiday. SXSW Music had just started and was nowhere near over.

(Look for the rest of my SXSW coverage coming soon!)

Find the artists here:

Anticon Records
Asura and Anenon
Ana Caravelle
Non Projects
Marques Toliver
American Scarecrows
Summer Camp
DeVotchKa
Flogging Molly
Duran Duran

SXSW

Check out more Day 1 photos here!

It’s probably pretty boring to hear about everything I did while in Austin, since it’s a lot of walking and hangs with friends. So here’s a recap of Wednesday and Thursday with the occasional picture:

Best part about Texas: DUBLIN DR. PEPPER. It’s everywhere and it’s so delicious.

We arrived Tuesday night, dropped off our bags and headed to the Scoot Inn. Thee Oh Sees were playing on the outside stage and were awesome. After a 12-hour drive, it was nice to dance to their catchy tunes. A great way to start off the week.

Wednesday: I spent most of my day at the Topshelf/Count Your Lucky Stars Showcase. There are some places in your city that you can walk into any day and see all your friends, like a normal hangout spot.

Then there are times when you’re in a completely different city in another state and run into all of your favorite friends and people from across the country at once. The Count Your Lucky Stars and Topshelf Records Showcase at SXSW was exactly like that.

Not only did they have a killer lineup, but it was also an awesome environment. In between sets, friends were hugging, telling stories and catching up with each other throughout the entire day. As soon as I walked in the door, it was a familiar feeling. One that makes you feel at home. A home that happens to have 13 bands and tons of free stuff!

Gotta Groove Records gave out free limited 7-inches with bands playing the showcase including an unreleased Empire! Empire! track. There was free rum from 1-2 and then again late in the day from Treaty Oak Platinum Rum. Not to mention 150 free 9×25″ silk-screened posters courtesy of Soundtrack Printing.

This was the only showcase that I had the chance to stick around for the entire day. It set the bar high for the rest of my week.

Here’s a list of bands and I suggest you check out each and each one of them:

The Clippers  | theclippers.bandcamp.com
The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die | theworldisa.tumblr.com | theworldis.bandcamp.com
Annabel  |  annabelband.tumblr.com |  annabel.bandcamp.com
Joie De Vivre  |  myspace.com/joiedevivreband
Reptilian  |  thereptilian.blogspot.com |  thereptilianband.bandcamp.com
Pswingset  |  pswingset.com |  pswingset.bandcamp.com
Into It. Over It.  |  intoitoverit.com
Football, Etc  |  footballetc.wordpress.com
Grown Ups  |  myspace.com/ihategrownups
Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)  |  myspace.com/empireempireiwasalonelyestate
Caravels  |  myspace.com/caravels
Moving Mountains  |  movmou.com
Defeater  |  notourstuff.blogspot.com

Thursday: Headed to Plush in time to catch Such Gold and Native.

Left to see Evaline, but sadly missed them. Had a not-so-good  free margarita, then dinner at Hut’s and got a really large and delicious veggie burger. I suggest stopping there for burgers.

After that, I walked around sixth street to see what all was going on there.

There was a large crowd in a circle so I wandered over to see what was going on. A guy was in the middle of hammering a nail into the tip of his nose. It was a two-person act, where the finale was having the audience staple dollar bills to their chest. For $10 – you could staple it to his forehead.

Went out to the Mellow Mushroom by UT to see Sleep Bellum Sonno‘s set.

Got a ride back downtown and headed over to Lambert’s. Arrived just as Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band was setting up. The last time I saw KD was in Kansas City at a large theater, but seeing him at this smaller venue was definitely a better experience. Granted, at the larger venue he had the chance to move around more but as with most smaller places, it was a more personal performance.

I love everything about Kevin. His energy, his voice, plus he is always good about interacting with the crowd and introducing the Goddamn Band. Best part about his set? Songs from his project with Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books.

North Wales rock band the Joy Formidable brought their energetic set to Washington’s Black Cat Friday night. Opening for them were the Lonely Forest from Washington State and Nashville’s Mona. Both bands proved to be good choices as support, as they showed chutzpah in their respective sets. Coming to this gig, I didn’t know anything about the Lonely Forest. In their short 30-minute set, they rocked out on their guitars and jumped all over the stage. At one point, lead singer / guitarist Jon Van Deusen was completely taken in by the moment, he was on the floor and rolled all the way over backwards, losing his blue Seattle Seahawks cap in the process. After sheepishly retrieved the lost hat, he remarked, “I didn’t mean to do that…but it was fun!” Disarming. The band have just put out their debut record, Arrows, last week on Trans Records.

To be honest, I didn’t know what to make of Mona when I got a track of theirs in my inbox in April 2010, when no one in Britain knew who they were. When I heard they were from Nashville, my first thought was, oh no, do we really need another Kings of Leon? Turns out the band is originally from Ohio but moved to Nashville to find fame and fortune. Like Kings of Leon, they’re an American band who have been fully embraced by the British: they won the MTV (UK) Brand New for 2011 poll voted by fans and figured in many top 10 lists of bands to watch in 2011. So I was really looking forward to seeing Mona, to judge for myself what all the fuss was about.

Mona look like four toughs and they rock out hard on their instruments, but judging from their sweet smiles from onstage as they realized the audience was loving their sound, I can tell their hearts are in the right place, music-wise. The song that everyone at the Cat seemed to know, “Listen to Your Love,” went down wonderfully, as drums banged and guitars swirled in perfect harmony. “Teenager” was another highlight, with its heavy backbeat and shouted chorus (see video below). Their album comes out in mid-May in the UK. See these guys now in small clubs here in U.S. while you can, because I think it’s only a matter of time before they blow up big.

On this night in March, the Joy Formidable had “graduated” from their Black Cat Backstage appearance last November to the upstairs, larger main stage, accommodating 400 more people. By their appointed set time of 11, the place was packed. Good on Washington. They may only be three people, but these three people – Ritzy Bryan (lead vocals / guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (bass / vocals), and Matt Thomas (drums) – pack enough energy to probably set a jumbo jet into flight. Putting words down on paper (or in this case, on a music blog) to explain what you feel when you see them seems ridiculous because you have to see the band to fully understand how much power they bring when they play. The Joy Formidable live is punk with its raw, hard rocking, devil-may-care attitude but they are also evocative and atmospheric in the way only emo and alt-rock can be. Being up in front with my friends, I could feel the stage vibrating madly as the band thrashed about wildly before, during, and in the outros of many of their numbers. If you’d like to watch their performance at the Parish in Austin at this year’s South by Southwest, NPR has it here.

Reflecting on this show, I considered how great it was to see them on a Friday night, when you could get all your aggressions of the work out, headbanging to their raucousness. Their debut album, The Big Roar, just came out here in the States on March 15, but it was obvious by many audience members singing along and pumping their fists in the air that many had already memorized the songs. The band played songs from their 2010 EP A Balloon Called Moaning and tracks from the new album. When Dafydd started in on the trademark bass line of “Austere” and fans cheered, he asked with a smile, “guess you know this one?” That would be a yes. It’s a great song on recording, but wow, seeing them play it live is 1,000 times better. Before “I Don’t Want to See You Like This” (see video below), Bryan asked the audience who had ever visited Wales. Watching this woman chat with fans was heartwarming, but then she launched into the song and you had to pinch yourself. Is that really the same woman? She may be a cute blonde Welsh girl but can she can sure pack a punch in the lyrics and guitar department. The call and response between Bryan and Dafydd of the gentler number “9669″ was a brief respite from the Joy Formidable three-pronged attack showed their softer side.

“A Heavy Abacus” from the new album was to be their last number, but it was clear the 11-song set just wasn’t enough for some people. One fan begged the guitar tech to ask the band to come out for another encore. The tech, busily trying to unplug equipment, was incredulous: “you mean you want an encore to the encore???” I laughed to myself. Yes, the Joy Formidable have come to America with their Big Roar. I only hope more people here will go see them and witness their majesty for themselves.

The Joy Formidable Set List
The Ever Changing Spectrum of a Lie
The Magnifying Glass
Austere
The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade
Cradle
Buoy
I Don’t Want to See You Like This
9669
Whirring
//
Greyhounds in the Slips
A Heavy Abacus

Tour Dates
Mar 28 – Met / Providence
Mar 29 – Brighton Music Hall / Allston, MA
Mar 30 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Mar 31 – Terrace Club @ Princeton University / Princeton, NJ
Apr 01 – Abbey / Harrisburg
Apr 02 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto
Apr 04 – Basement / Columbus
Apr 05 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Apr 06 – 7th Street Entry / Minneapolis
Apr 08 – Larimer Lounge / Denver
Apr 09 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 11 – Mississippi Studios / Portland
Apr 12 – Crocodile / Seattle
Apr 14 – Bottom of the Hill / San Francisco
Apr 16 – Coachella / Indio, CA
Apr 19 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix
Apr 20 – Launchpad / Albuquerque
Apr 22 – Luminary Arts Center / St. Louis
Apr 23 – Riot Room / Kansas City
Apr 26 – Grog Shop / Cleveland
Apr 27 – Smiling Moose / Pittsburgh
Apr 29 – Webster Hall / New York City

The Joy Formidable: website | myspace | The Big Roar review
The Lonely Forest: website | myspace | @ Neumo’s
Mona: website | myspace

After seeing about 23 bands in one day, I fancied myself some sort of concert attending superhero. Powers: stamina (able to stand for an entire day), superhearing (can stand in front of speakers and not turn immediately deaf) and the ability to see the future (able to pick out the next big thing). You know what would have been a good superpower? The ability to fly…or maybe something like Nightcrawler’s power where I can just pop myself wherever I want to go. Thursday, we faced the fierce supervillain known as  ”traffic” and his extra evil sidekick, “the good-luck-trying-to-park monster.” After a ferocious battle, we finally made it downtown and found a place to park.

I was already frustrated – in the time it took us to park, I missed a handful of bands I wanted to see. Feeling defeated with yet to see a single band for the day, my friend insisted we’d feel better with coffee in our systems. The hits just kept coming – the coffee/breakfast taco place we walked to had just finished serving breakfast. NO BREAKFAST TACOS? How to go on? It was like some cosmic SXSW-being had found my Kryptonite and took away my breakfast tacos. Perhaps if I had gotten more sleep, I would have realized that in Texas almost every other building or food trailer has tacos and all was not lost, but at that point in time, it really felt like the end of the world.

We ordered our coffee, sat down and I half-heartedly ate my sandwich off the lunch menu. Midway through our meal, my friend perked up. “Bethany, do you know who is sitting next to us?” I cast a casual glance at a table of what looked to me to be your everyday SXSW goers – sunglasses, toms shoes, suits and really skinny guys. A few of the guys had their backs to me and my previously mentioned superpowers didn’t involve x-ray vision to see who those guys were.

“That’s Michael Cera.”

I listened to the voice. Sure enough, that was moviestar Michael Cera was sitting next to us with his band Mister Heavenly, while I just sat around looking like a depressed hobo because I didn’t get to eat my daily tacos.

But you don’t care about my ridiculous obsession with breakfast tacos, so let’s get to the music.

We finally moved on from breakfast. I wanted to check out Foster the People at the MTV Garage, but the line was huge to get in and I don’t really do lines…at least not that early in the day, so we walked a few more blocks and ended up at the IFC house where we were under the impression that Wye Oak was about to play. Well, there were quite a few people at the IFC house enjoying the free drinks and a lot of other people looked busy in the glass studio, but it didn’t look like Wye Oak was playing anytime soon. Now I came to Texas to see an absurd amount of bands and so far this day we had been striking out. We bustled back outside and walked another block to perhaps my favorite venue at SXSW: The Central Presbyterian Church. Why do I love this venue? 1. Air-conditioning, 2. Chairs and 3. Best acoustics out of all the venues. I guess iTunes got the awesome acoustics memo because they recorded all the bands playing there and you can download those live sessions from SXSW on iTunes now.

We had gotten a text about an unofficial lineup happening at the church, but we didn’t really know set times. So we were pleasantly surprised when our first performance of the day came from synth rockers Neon Trees. Some people are anti-top 40 radio/mainstream, which Neon Trees have broken into, but if you disregard this band for their popularity, then you’re being an idiot because they are phenomenal live. They sound a bit like the Killers and were even discovered by that band in a way. I’ve seen them almost ten times in the past year alone because of their relentless tour schedule and I’ve never been bored by them. Each performance is unique and this performance was especially so. As mentioned earlier, this band was performing in a church and their frontman Tyler fully embraced the setting, taking off his shoes for climbing over pews and up on podiums, swinging his microphone around and more. In the middle of one song he leaned against the podium and said, “We’re gathered here in the church of rock,” before busting into the next round of the chorus. The people loved it, but I could only imagine some pastor in the back of the church cringing.

Kansas City’s the Republic Tigers followed, playing several of their new songs. “Kingsly,” “Merrymake It with Me,” “Somethin’ Fierce” and “Manny Feathers” filled out most of the set. Though the official recordings of these songs won’t be released until mid-April, but iTunes did record the entire live session at the church. If you want to check out this performance, visit here.

From the church we ventured into a very different sort of venue: Headhunters. Instead of pews and crucifixes we had tikkis and bamboo. The room looked like it only should hold 15 people, but closer to 100 people had squeezed in to the back patio, pressed up against the walls and spilling over the stairs. A band called Hot Panda was just finishing up and though we didn’t get to hear too much from them, I loved the big ballad rock thing they had going on that was turned into party music with the brass accompaniment. But the real reason why we had wedged our way into Headhunters was to see the party king himself: Andrew WK. Andrew WK was singing and playing keys, while a member of Beach Fossils tore it up on the guitar, which was awesome within itself, but really made this show complete was the hosting/singing of Nardwuar the Human Serviette. With this unique trio, we learned about Canadian government, learned about Nardwuar’s back hair and we got down. Though there wasn’t much room to move, Nardwuar demanded that everyone get down and jump up in unison. If you didn’t – he’d call you out and yell at you until you did as asked. Forget the free booze parties with the sunglasses handouts, this is how you party at SXSW.

From Andrew WK and Nardwuar, we swung by the Paste Party on 6th Street. We were eager to check out Saddle Creek trio Rural Alberta Advantage, but a duo of ladies drew us into the sideroom to see what their folksy songs were like. The act performing was Exene Cervenka. The Rural Alberta Advantage performed true to their name, singing heartfelt indie rock songs that transported listeners to what life is like in rural Alberta.

Then we went to see another trio: Grand Child. Grand Child wasn’t really on my radar until I learned that the kind guy, Andy Lane, loaning us floorspace to crash on in Austin was performing at the festival in this band. When I was last at SXSW two years ago, I saw his other band, Driver F, perform a bombastically fun set at the Tiniest Bar. Driver F is pop indie rock with trumpets blazing and huge drumbeats. Grand Child is complete turnaround from that sound. Grand Child is a folk trio with violin, guitar and occasional accordion. Their were some technical problems during this set, but the band kept a positive attitude and still performed a solid set.

The Strokes were the big buzz band Thursday and unlike most bands playing at tiny bars, the Strokes were given a big stage in the middle of a fenced in park. They weren’t scheduled until 8, but the Auditorium Shores Stage at Lady Bird Lake was a bit of a walk, so we joined the masses already walking over there. The park was packed. Food tents and port-a-potties lined the fences and blankets with fans covered nearly every square inch of ground. The photography pit ended up as complete chaos – which was just another testament to the band’s popularity. Despite their break, the Strokes  haven’t changed much since the last time I saw them. Sure, the guys all have slightly different haircuts, but the set contained all the hits you could want – “Hard to Explain,” “New York City Cops,” “Reptilia” – and the expected new ones. The songs fit in just as well with the old songs thanks to killer guitar riffs and Julian Casablancas‘ almost-bored-sounding-yet-still-suave singing style with the surprise yowls here and there. Fans got a little too zealous about this show though and the night ended with a bunch of people knocking over a fence, trying to push their way in when it hit capacity.

Hot and tired from the walk to the Strokes, my next stop was a return the air-conditioned Central Presbyterian Church. I had just missed Cults, but by luck I got in just in time for the almost religious experience that was Glasser. Haunting, ethereal vocals and entrancing stomping dance moves to tribal beats: it was like the venue was made specifically for Glasser. Beautiful and breathtaking.

The next portion of my night was a tribute to goofy, geeky indie rock at Maggie Mae’s. I know ‘geek’ used to have a negative connotation, but I’m using it with a very positive tone and to describe bands with pop culture references and very smart lyrics. Washington’s The Lonely Forest performed new songs off their just released Arrows. This is the band that was good enough to attract Death Cab for Cutie‘s Chris Walla‘s attention to sign to as the first to his label, so they’re worth checking out. They’re so catchy, that you won’t regret giving them a listen.

Inside Maggie Mae’s was Aussie Darren Hanlon plucking away upbeat folk songs on guitar and banjo. He was joined by a female guitarist and vocalist that I didn’t recognize, but it was a nice addition to cover the many guest vocals he has on his album.

One of my favorite bands that I last discovered at Lollapalooza followed Hanlon. Jukebox the Ghost is a piano pop rock trio with tons of energy. Their songs are so bubbly that even when they’re singing about being crazy, you’re in a happy mood about it.

If Wednesday I was all about the ladies, it seems like Thursday had become my tribute to Canadians. My favorite Candian singer is Dallas Green and I went to watch him perform with City and Colour. City and Colour has some of the most beautiful and true lyrics I’ve heard. The folk songs are fairly simple instrumentally – mostly just acoustic guitar – but it just makes the poignant lyrics and singing stand out all that more. Just take a look at some of the lyrics in the opening song of the set, “Sleeping Sickness.” “With all the worries that occupy the back of my mind, could it be this misery will suffice?” sings Green in the chorus. For anyone who has lied awake at night with troubling thoughts, this song describes the “sickness” exquisitely.

From one singer-songwriter with killer lyrics to the next, I rounded out Thursday with a familiar favorite: Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band. Every time I see him perform, he is equally, if not more, passionate. He can mislead by starting off with the typical slow, folk sound, but then he hits a chorus and veins are throbbing and he’s yowling out with such energy and vigor that you can’t help, but be swept away. As a special treat, the set also included songs from Devine’s project with Manchester Orchestra, Bad Books.

So despite my earlier frustrations with the day, Thursday ended up being pretty fantastic.

—
Check back for more to come from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW. You can see more photos from Day 2, Thursday, March 17 below and read her Day 1 blog here.

Bands at SXSW found themselves performing everywhere from traditional venues to bicycle shops, but perhaps the most unique and special performances were at Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church. The non-traditional concert setting provided some the best acoustics music lovers could find…not to mention a nice reprieve from the Texas heat.

Glasser, Neon Trees, James Blake and Cults were just a few of the bands invited to perform at the church. Also performing there was Kansas City band The Republic Tigers. The Chop Shop band had been busy in the studio recording new material, but for concertgoers at Central Presbyterian, they performed several of these new tunes live.

ITunes was there recording the Thursday SXSW performance and you can now download live versions of “Somethin’ Fierce,” Merrymake It With Me,” “Manny Feathers” and “Kingsly.” Just click here to download the live Republic Tigers EP.

You can also check out an exclusive stream of “Somethin’ Fierce (live)” below:

‘Somethin’ Fierce (Live)’ The Republic Tigers by ATL REC.

*Photo by Nick Davis

When Electric Six was forced to cancel their October 30 tour date they promised to make up their Kansas City stop. Thursday, March 31, they’ll roll into The Riot Room alongside The Constellations and Kansas City’s Antenna’s Up. Popwreckoning has been blessed with the opportunity to gave away four sets of tickets to the show.

Winning them is easy. All you have to do is answer the following question below by leaving us a comment: What is your favorite Constellation and why? Please be sure to leave us a WORKING email address and first and last name in which we can contact you at. This contest will end Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. CST. You will be contacted that evening to let you know if you have a place on the guest list that evening.

As usual, I’d like to thank you for reading Popwreckoning and would like to wish everyone the best of luck.