The Current Music Blog: March 23, 2009 Archive

SXSW Friday recap

Posted at 9:39 AM on March 23, 2009 by Jim McGuinn

Friday was the peak of my SXSW experience this year. Twelve bands, two repeats, and a whole mixture of sounds that you only find in places like SXSW (and the Current!).

Melanie and I had some early meetings among our peers at non-commercial radio, discussing issues and hearing upcoming releases (can't wait to play the new Camera Obscura for you guys). Add in a taping of a future Theft of the Dial with Silversun Pickups and some great Indian food for a dinner break, the rest of the day and night were taken up by discovering artists. Here goes!

Gentleman Reg: We just got this record from a new band out of Toronto, and I didn't know what to expect from the live show. On the record there are fuzzy guitars and glammy T. Rex shuffling beats, but live the pleasures were more subtle. A four-piece with two gtrs, keys and drums, the live set was nothing flashy but nonetheless a gem, especially on a warm sunshiney SXSW afternoon. Def pick up the record if you like what we're playing, and while there's no fireworks or smokebombs in the live show, it's a satisfying shimmy that left both Melanie and I smiling.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart: Digging this record and fearful of encountering the Young-Band-Undeveloped-Live syndrome that seems to plague a lot of young bands, TPOBPAH pulled it off on stage at the Fader Fort. With hooks, looks, and a great interplay between the band members, this was one of the few bands that managed to elevate beyond their crowded genre. Watch out for them in the months to come - could be one of the significant breakouts from this year's SXSW.

We Are Band: UK dance band with a lineup like the Thompson Twins (white guy, black guy, white girl!) and a similar love of all things percussion and drum machine-like, We Are Band won the crowd with their energy and grooves.

Ed Harcourt: A bit sloppy and drunken, but charming nonetheless, our man Ed played part of a tribute to a tour / charity created by Billy Bragg called Jail Guitar Doors - commited to using music to help prison inmates rehabilitate.

Otis Gibbs: Another Jail Guitar Doors artist, this Indiana native toured with Bragg last year and gave the proceedings an air of Americana roots. Not unlike Steve Earle, Gibbs played actual prison songs, including a Hank Williams cover.

Frank Turner: Not just a friend of Bragg's but a near clone of his mixture of pop, politics, and verve - when the time was up for Turner's set he led the entire audience out onto Sixth Street where the singalong continued for 20 minutes more.

Mumford and Sons: One of my favorite discoveries of SXSW this year, I described this band to one as a gene-splicing of Fleet Foxes with the Thrills. Merging English folk with sun-drenched Americana, this English quintet captivated a large crowd, despite totally botched sound that made their harmonies even more impressive fighting against inept soundmen.

Radio 4: An "it" band of a few years ago, they brought their post-punk-funk to a small room this year and sounded great with their Americanized approximation of the Gang of 4.

The Hold Steady: Chatting with Craig Finn before this midnight show, he seemed a bit worn out from the SXSW multiple gigs per day routine, but once he took the stage, he owned it. What a thrill it's been to see this band develop over the past few years, and it was a treat to crowd into a tiny club (for perhaps the last time?) to see our hometown mythologizers turn in one of the dominant performances of the festival. Maybe it was just a warmup for their gig the next day at the Rachel Ray Day Party, but it was yet another gig where band and audience meld into one, singing along with the hooks of Finn's tales of his hometown and the Mississippi River, and the band's tight update of classic rock influences from Bruce to Thin Lizzy.

The Soft Pack: A bit of a buzz on this LA band, and while they didn't disappoint, they also didn't stand out in a field crowded with post-Strokes indie rock bands.

Peelander-Z: What can I say? I was back for round two from my favorite Japanese theatrical reductionary punk band. Performance art and pure adrenaline combined to make me laugh hysterically for hours afterward, despite being hit in the head by a drumstick and opening a cut. See, the band not only hands their instruments off to fans during their set, they also distribute colanders and drumsticks to the crowd to beat along with the mayhem. Leaving their show I talked to many new converts who agreed - Peelander-Z, a life changing experience.

Sam Roberts: Second time that I just happened to hear Sam ripping thru an epic set closer. The guy should be as big here as he is in his native Canada, where his last album entered the charts at #1.

Song Of The Day Info - BLK JKS - 03/23/09

Posted at 10:15 AM on March 23, 2009 by Barb Abney

Song Of The Day Info - BLK JKS - 03/23/09
Today on our Song Of The Day Podcast we're featuring BLK JKS with the tune "Lakeside" from their recently released Mystery EP.
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Live Blogging 03/23/09

Posted at 10:27 AM on March 23, 2009 by Barb Abney

1:50 p.m. Local Music - Solid Gold
They're playing Turf Club April 3rd.
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1:25 p.m. Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
They're playing The Varsity Theatre April 19th.
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1:15 p.m. Andrew Bird
He's playing State Theater on April 11th.
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1:05 p.m. Dead Weather
Jack White, Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs) Alison Mosshart (The Kills) and Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) are Dead Weather. They will release their debut, Horehound in June.
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12:45 p.m. The Thermals
They're playing The Triple Rock Social Club on April 26th.
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12:40 p.m. - Local Music - Little Man
He's playing The Nomad this Friday night.
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12:30 p.m. M. Ward
He's playing First Avenue on April 25th.
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11:35 a.m. Morrissey
Here's the review I mentioned on air.
He's playing State Theater on April 6th.
Catch him on Jimmy Fallon tonight.
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11:25 a.m. Doves
Kingdom of Rust will hit the shelves on April 7th.
They're playing at The Varsity on May 28th.
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11:15 a.m. Black Kids
They're playing The Varsity Theater with Mates Of State on April 12th.
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10:50 a.m. Gentleman Reg
The Canadian artist has recently released Jet Black in the U.S.
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10:45 a.m. Lily Allen
She's playing First Avenue on April 11th.
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10:30 a.m. Gomez
They will release A New Tide next Tuesday (March 31st). There's still time to pre-order a copy here complete with an autograph!
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10:20 a.m. White Rabbits
It's Frightening, the band's forthcoming sophomore album will hit shelves on May 19th. It was produced by Britt Daniel of Spoon.
Here's a recent feature on the band.
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10:10 a.m. Elbow
They'll be stateside in August while supporting Coldplay's upcoming tour.
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Three songs you might enjoy having stuck in your head!

Posted at 12:20 PM on March 23, 2009 by Barb Abney

My Three Songs
Andrew Shones from Mankato picked this set because..

"These are just some songs I would enjoy having stuck in my head."

Gang Gang Dance - "House Jam"
Feist - "Sealion"
Sigur Ros - "Hafsol"

Make your "My 3 Songs" requests here.

A Car, A Gorrilla, and the Real Fifth Beatle?

Posted at 12:45 PM on March 23, 2009 by Steve Seel

On This Date In Music History:

1953 - Chaka Khan was born.
1964 - John Lennon's book of verse and rhyme 'In His Own Write' was published in the UK.
1968 - Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), was born.
1997 - U2 were at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Pop' the bands fifth US No.1 album.
1997 - Keyboard player Craig Scott (Elastica) died of a heroin overdose
2008 - Neil Aspinall, who ran the Apple Corps music empire for the Beatles from 1970 - 2007 died at a hospital in New York from cancer aged 66. A school friend of Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he was regarded by some of the band as the "fifth Beatle" becoming he the Beatles' road manager in 1961 before becoming their personal assistant.

Music History Highlight: On this date in 1949, Ric Ocasek (The Cars) was born, making him 60 today. He has also been a producer for several other groups including Weezer, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, No Doubt, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Guided by Voices, and Suicide. In honor of Ric's 60th, I played The Cars' "Dangerous Type" from Candy-O.

SXSW Recap of day 3 & 4: Rock all day and night!

Posted at 4:32 PM on March 23, 2009 by Melanie Walker

For those of you who followed my Twitter posts, you'll notice that's exactly what I did on day 3 and 4 in Austin, TX at the SXSW Music Conference. I rocked out all day and night Friday and Saturday and now I'm paying for it with a terrible head cold and sore throat. I had a massive amount of sleep of about 6 hours on Friday night and didn't let my head really hit the pillow till my plane back to Minny on Sunday around 10am. But it was worth it! It's always worth it!

Yet, it is weird to be back in the "real world" with "real people" and rain falling here in St. Paul as opposed to the sun shining in Austin. I always come back from SXSW with a new sense of invigoration and inspiration! I think it's partly the timing of the festival. It's tailing the last rungs of those long winter months that we experience in the twin cities. So, a good few days of heat and sunshine are always incredibly refreshing for this jellyfish skinned girl! But, it's really an inspiring because of all the wonderful people and music I get to meet and experience.

Everyone at SXSW is there for one common reason, they love music. It helps remind me of why I got into this mess of an industry in the first place. I genuinely and passionately, love music! I meet all kinds of people in Austin during the conference, managers, artists, musicians, writers, djs, and even folks sticking around from the interactive or film portions of the conference. I'll be honest, it's very reaffirming being in the thick of the industry at SXSW. Even though this conference has turned into a huge marketing opportunity for anyone who's game, there are still a number of us attending for its original intentions. To discover new music and exchange new ideas!

But enough of my sappy reminiscing. Onto, what I did my last two days in Austin! On my last two days I caught some of my favorite new artists on the scene. Most notably being Gentlemen Reg, Dirty Projectors, Ra Ra Riot and my favorites of the conference (who were the only band I allowed my self to see twice simply because I was so excited about them), Wild Beasts!

I admit I wasn't sure what to make Wild Beasts at first. It's unlike anything else you'll hear on the radio today. Incredibly raw and true, their performances are so vulnerable it may make you feel a bit uncomfortable at first. Wild Beasts aren't concerned with anything but being honest about who they are goofy, playful, emotional, melancholic pop music that strains to be something unique and authentic. Its intelligent music that is as accessible as it is odd. I now love it and can only hope you will give Wild Beasts a fair listen or two before making any judgments. I'm crossing my toes they can make it to the twin cities soon so you can experience them live as well. Stellar musicians all the way round! Their music is art in the truest sense...and the main reason that's truly remarkable is because all four of the band members are only in their early twenties. Incredibly refreshing, they are old souls walking blindly in a modern world. My only selfish wish is that they had played one of my favorite tracks, His Grinning Skull.. It's a strong second runner to their biggest single thus far Devil's Crayon.

For some show by show breakdowns you can check out my tweeting on The Current live Twitter feed. So, here's what I was able to see my last two days in Austin.

Friday
Gentlemen Reg
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
We Have Band
Ed Harcourt
Otis Gibbs
Frank Turner
Mumford & Sons
The Soft Pack
Radio 4
The Hold Steady
Lady Sovereign
Peelander-Z
Crystal Stilts

Saturday
Chairlift
Chief
Wild Beasts
Melissa Auf Der Maur
Laura Marling
Dirty Projectors
The Duke Spirit
Silversun Pickups
Ra Ra Riot

The fortunate and unfortunate part of SXSW is there is too much music for one person to see at any given time. Thankfully some of these artists will be visiting the twin cities soon. But, who do I wish I had the time to see at SXSW? Take a look below at everything worth checking out that I simply did not have the time for but are definitely worth checking out online...

Iran
Titus Andronicus
Cage The Elephant
HEALTH
Late Of The Pier
Asobi Seksu
Japanther
Fol Chen
Esser
The Pink Spiders
Girls
Ume
Wavves
Little Boots
Janelle Monae
The Temper Trap
Ida Maria
Champagne Champagne
Ladyhawke
Department Of Eagles
M Ward
Post War Years

Who had I wished could've attended and played SXSW this year? Loads of bands, but most notably....

Junior Boys
Bat For Lashes
Royksopp
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Neko Case

All five of these albums are turning out to be some of year's favorites already. You'll defiantly hear them on The Current! I know a few of these artists will be in town soon! I'll be out to those shows and highly recommend them to you as well.

This is your Music Director, Melanie Walker, thanking you for taking the time to read my ramblings and wishing you and yours many lovely musical experiences soon...