SXSW 2008 Final Report

I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that after my initial day 1 preview, I didn't have time to preview or review any of the succeeding days. There's just too much going on in those 13 hour days for one man to update a blog. So, a week later, here's a recap of some of my favorite shows as well as photos from several of the performances I saw.

Top Five for SXSW 2008:

1) Hands down, the highlight of the festival was My Brightest Diamond at the Central Presbyterian Church. The acoustics in there are absolutely astounding and when the right performer is in the space, there's not a better place to see a show. It beats rock clubs all to hell. Songstress Shara Worden not only brought her enrapturing voice and songs to the stage, but also a backing string quartet.

Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond.



String Section.

2) Destroyer at the Dell Lounge. Even though this show occurred at two in the afternoon, the band was plenty energized and pumped out some great songs from albums old and yet to be released. I had had "Dark Leaves From a Thread" since I got the new record and hearing it live was awesome.

Destroyer.

3) Jens Lekman at the Mohawk. The Swedish pop perfectionist has the whole package: he's a great songwriter, girls swoon, and he's funny on stage. The whole crowd was absorbed in the show, fans singing along and newcomers laughing as Lekman ad libs more background on "Nina" and her dad from "Postcard to Nina."
Jens Lekman.

4) The K Showcase at Emo's. Even though we cut out for a little bit to catch an act across town, the whole night was solid. Karl Blau kicked it off with his guitar and loop petal and show highlight "Dragon Song." Kimya Dawson was as endearing as always, playing songs dedicated to her daughter Panda and from her upcoming record, which will be a children's album. The Blow closed off the night with a late night dance party. Despite the wonderful, picture with extreme accidental redeye where Karl Blau appears to have terminator-like lazer vision, I've posted a more acceptable picture of the lo-fi pop musician.

Karl Blau.

5) Although my favorite was Shearwater, the two acts that preceded them in the stellar lineup at the French Legation on Friday were also outstanding: Yo La Tengo and Atlas Sound. Last year, my favorite show of the festival was Shearwater at the Presbyterian Church and this year I was treated to a set of almost entirely new material from their upcoming album that will be released on Matador on June 3. Yo La Tengo is of course classic and phenomenal for the second time I've seen them. Atlas Sound was actually an unknown to me until the festival, but they were superb. I was surprised to see Adam Forkner on stage with them, who I know from his various other projects, but had no idea he was playing with Atlas Sound.



Shearwater. (from left to right, Jonathan Meiburg, Thor Harris, Kimberly Burke)

A Harpist performing with Shearwater.



Yo La Tengo.



Atlas Sound.


Other highlights included Phosphorescent playing "Not A Heel," and YACHT's performance at Emo's, which included his love interest, Claire and a ton of new material. And now, other shots from shows during SXSW:


Claire from YACHT.




Basia Bulat at Antone's.




Emmy the Great at the French Legation.




Hanne Hukkelberg at Emo's.




John K. Samson at The Dell Lounge.




Kimya Dawson at the French Legation.




Lykke Li at Emo's Annex.




Lykke Li at Emo's.




Phosphorescent at the Mohawk.




Ponytail at the Mohawk.




Red Hunter of Peter and the Wolf.




She and Him (from left to right, Matt Ward, Stephanie Drootin, and Zooey Deschanel).




She and Him (from left to right, Matt Ward and Stephanie Drootin).




Zooey Deschanel of She and HIm.




Khaela Maricich of The Blow.

SXSW Day 1 Preview

It definitely doesn't feel like the eve of SXSW. But believe it or not, crowds of music lovers will swarm downtown starting as early as noon tomorrow for the hundreds of free day time parties that will occur. It can take hours to pick apart which shows to see on which days as many bands will end up playing at least once a day if not more. Tomorrow, some of the best grabs are as follows:

2:10 YACHT – Emo’s
2:30 Bowerbirds – Emo’s
4:25 Why? – Emo’s
5:05 The Blow – Emo’s
5:35 El Guincho - Emo's

3:45 Phosphorescent – Mohawk
4:00 Shearwater – Mohawk

As for evening shows, the best bets for a full bill are at the low profile Central Presbyterian Church and at the always solid Austin mainstay Emo's. Specifically, Emo's will be hosting the first K Records SXSW showcase since (I believe) 1999. Three almost band new signings will be sandwiched between classics Karl Blau and Kimya Dawson and rising superstar Khaela Maricich of the Blow.

Central Presbyterian Church
Brandon Jenkins 8:00 p.m.
Zookeeper 9:00 p.m.
Peter and the Wolf 10:00 p.m.
Bowerbirds 11:00 p.m.
David Karsten Daniels 12:00 a.m.
Ola Podrida 1:00 a.m.

Emo's
Karl Blau 8:00 p.m.
Jeremy Jay 9:00 p.m.
Mahjongg 10:00 p.m.
Saturday Looks Good to Me 11:00 p.m.
Kimya Dawson 12:00 a.m.
The Blow 1:00 a.m.

recent cinema experiences

If I had had this thing up and running a few weeks ago, I would have had lots to say about the now passed Academy Awards. Most pertinent might have been the films selected for best foreign film, which included neither France's Persepolis nor Romania's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. The former, I saw about a month or more ago and it was just phenomenal. It delved into some territory with which few in mainstream or even alternative America might be aware while simultaneously managing to be heartwarming and comical. The latter I just saw yesterday and while vastly divergent in tone, it was equally as profound. Both of these films are must sees and should have been on the ballot for best foreign film. I mean, 4 Months won the Palm D'or! What does a foreign film have to do these days?

Here's a Variety article which endorses not only this point of view, but also comments on other categories which have noticeable problems:

To belatedly announce my pick for best (American) picture, it would be There Will Be Blood. I won't belabor my opinion by citing aspects of the film I'm sure we've all heard a hundred times over.

Outside of the big screen, I've been watching a lot of past Cannes winners like L'Enfant and Caché as well as some older classics like Band of Outsiders and Breathless. The latter Godard film I'd seen before, but I had failed, somehow, to ever see the first. I guess it goes without saying that it's a masterpiece, but I really wasn't prepared for exactly how much I dug it. It was completely superb, and the last five or ten minutes were just unbelievable. I also watched Antonioni's La Notte recently, which I didn't like as much. The film was really superb up until the last ten minutes which were a bit of an understatement, I felt.

Of course, I've kept up my weekly quota of watching waaaayyy too much of The Wire, which has more than captured my attention. I'm currently about half way through season 3. Classics aside, I plan to watch Minority Report for the second time later tonight.

Beach House!

Tomorrow night is Beach House in Austin at Emo's! Since the start of my second year teaching at LBJ, I have been to very very few shows. Coincidentally, one that I'm looking forward to more than any other in recent recollection falls on the first night of our spring break.

In related news, the new Beach House record is unbelievably gorgeous. I planned to have a more in depth analysis of the album here, but as I've run out of time this week, I'll keep it short.

In typical fashion, the duo from Baltimore employ a sound that recalls a few bands past and present, but by and large is a unique appeal in today's music landscape. Devotion flows lazily, lush instrumentation builds, intricate melodies roll silkily. The opener is slightly more upbeat than expected, and definitely entrapping, but the album highlights come later on. The House's cover of Daniel Johnson and Jad Fair's "Some Things Last A Long Time" is achieved masterfully and the title track and album closer is exquisite. This is that perfect kind of album that you can't help but leave in and let it play another time through.

Tomorrow night will be incredible. And who can believe that we get the Papercuts as an added bonus? Can't. Wait.

SXSW 2008

With SXSW one day away, what better day to start a blog? Although, the blog won't be dedicated solely to music, a good portion of the writing here likely will.

In years past, I've volunteered for a music or even a platinum badge, but more recently I've had to settle for spending the dough for a wristband. Frustrating on two levels: one) spending more money while two) decreasing my access to events. At any rate, after a cursory glance through the schedule, here's a list of things that are at list in the mix:

Karl Blau, Madeline, Peter and the Wolf, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Okkervil River feat. Roky Erickson, Bowerbirds, The Kills, The Dodos, Kimya Dawson, The Blow, Jens Lekman, Phosphorescent, Bodies of Water, Yo La Tengo, Evangelicals, Bon Iver, Mark Kozelek, Love As Laughter, Basia Bulat, Shout Out Louds, Vampire Weekend, My Brightest Diamond, She and Him, Destroyer, Castanets, M. Ward, The Teeth, Dr. Dog, The Pillows, Shearwater