Sunday, March 18, 2007

SXSW 2007 Show Reviews

Here are some short notes on the bands I saw this past week. Most of them written after drinking for hours.

Wednesday
  • Prototypes - Looks like they have garages in France too.
  • Menomena - Fire sound guy at Beauty Bar. Sammy says, "Boring. Pussy rock."
  • Black Angels - Incredible percussion. Dark guitar riffs. Moody vocals. Check!
  • Hogpig - Can I get a little metal, please?
  • Blacklist - Drummer wearing a leather jacket? Too busy looking cool not being good.
  • Lilly Allen - Live dancehall with full band. Damn she's sassy.
  • The Comas - Why the fuck am I back at the Beauty Bar?
  • Rob Crowe - Love his voice, wish I could catch the lyrics.
  • Die! Die! Die! - Please don't take my knee out. I think I'll need that later
  • Blonde Redhead - Would sound much better at home with the lights out.
  • Schwazy - schweet slacker rap and there's enough crack (butt) here for everyone.

Thursday
  • Andrew Bird - Whistling, violin, xylophone and harmonica are not typical components of music I like, but this was great.
  • Pete Townsend - Solo acoustic rendition of a song off quadraphenia. He's been doing this for 45+ years, wow!
  • Kid Beyond - Spot on beatbox remix of Nine Inch Nails song, incredible!
  • The Shys - Only song I liked was the sample from SXSW site.
  • Bob Mould - Solo acoustic. Is there anyone better than him and Rob Crowe at crafting a bitter sweet pop song?
  • Cold War Kids - Best show of SXSW at this point. Start with 4 people on stage end with 30.
  • Don Caballero - Not doing it for me.
  • Jesu - The sound guy really likes bass. Can't hear any of the guitar, which is what I came for.
  • These Arms Are Snakes - I just moshed myself sober.
Friday
  • Breast Feeders - Sharing a garage with the Prototypes. Best tambourine player ever!
  • Thurston Moore - It's a feedback party and you're invited. Set list = 1 song.
  • Clem Snide - Please something good happen to this man. If not, I'll continue to enjoy the music his misery creates.
  • Perry Ferrell's Satellite Party - Nice shiny pants. Steve keeps saying "Kill me now!"
  • Yuppie Pricks - Hummer in My Hummer, an instant classic.
  • The Clutter - Always great straight up Rock & Roll.
  • Ariel Pink - Why, oh why did I have to see this show?
Saturday
  • Pink Nasty - CD is good, no advantage in hearing the songs live.
  • 7 Shot Screamers - Ooops forgot that every rock-a-billy song sounds the same.
  • Walter Meego - Wish I'd gotten here earlier, good electronic pop.
  • The Parlor Mob - Singer has a picture of Robert Plant on his bedroom wall.
  • Danielia Cotton - Little black girl rocked my world. Back in Black finale, magnificent!
  • Marnie Stern - I really hate it when bands start 15 minutes late. Josh reports that badge line at Stubbs is around the block for Stooges.
  • Kid Koala - Amazing, spins 3 records without headphones.
  • Amon Tobin - One of the best shows I've ever seen! I felt like I was in one of the crowd scenes from It's All Gone Pete Tong. Encore with Kid Koala was insane, speed metal scratches with Tobins big beats, oh so crunchy, I think this is what the big bang sounded like.

2 comments:

emily mae said...

Marnie Stern rocks my world. Bands starting late is a bummer, for sure, but I'm late for work every friggin day. If I was this awesome, I bet no one would care that I can't tell time. here's a sweet video of her

Kyle said...

Thanks for the link Emily. I stuck around for a couple songs and would definitely see her again. I just had to get to the next show.

At SXSW each set is only 45 minutes, so that was a 1/3 of her set that everyone there missed. It's not like she was still setting up. Her gear was there and I didn't hear a sound check.