South by South West - Messing with Texas (part 1)

Sooo, the original plan was to keep a day-by-day SxSW diary, but...well...that just didn't happen. Internet cafes seem to be a dying breed these days and there was just too much going on all the time. There was a computer in my hotel, but with a beyond sucky connection speed and a maximum fifteen minute usage policy, it proved pretty hopeless.

Instead, this is a sort of mega post...well, two mega posts....covering most of the fun that went down in Austin over the past week.

Sunday 14th March

I arrived in Austin after the first Greyhound bus experience of my life. Most of the weirdos in Houston seem to gather around the coach station, so it was an "interesting" way to start the day. I also realised that vegetarians aren't really that well catered for in Texas, so my first American breakfast consisted of Doritos and a bottle of water.

The interactive branch of SxSW was still in full swing, so the city was literally mobbed with bloggers, web developers and other electronic geeks. Maybe it was just because I was on my own and had no idea of where to go, but at first Austin was a bit intimidating. Hordes of people everywhere, rushing between festival parties and seminars. It was just a bit full on. Anyway, completely by accident I stumbled across a poster saying that Jad Fair was in town, not for SxSW, but playing a show in small theatre hall along with some other bands. BINGO! Jad is a bit of a personal hero of mine, so this was a most excellent way to start off the week in Austin.

Jad Fair doing his thing
The Salvage Vanguard Theatre is quite far away from most of the festival action, but eventually I found my way there. I met a bunch of lovely people, saw some hideously bizarre support act (the less said the better....really) and eventually Mr Fair and Co hit the stage. I'm not too familiar with his solo stuff, but it didn't really matter. He played Secret, which is my favorite Half Japanese song, so all was well in the world...and suddenly Austin didn't seem so bad.


Monday 15th March is a bit of a blur. Not quite sure what I did. Sun, beer etc. Haha. Maybe I will add something later.

Tuesday 16th March

Another day of exploring the city, this time in the rain. Went to the Highland Mall, which was an intensely depressing experience - the ultimate symbol of America in a recession. It was a completre ghost mall, with shop assistant far outnumbering the shoppers.

The best thing about Austin during SxSW is all the unofficial parties and events going on. The whole town goes music crazy and people turn their shops, restaurants and even houses into venues for the week. I found a place called House of Guys, which was literally some guys' house and they were putting on a bunch of bands in the evening.

The Fungi Girls at House of Guys
Since this was the evening Allo Darlin' arrived in Austin I didn't have time to see much, but managed to catch a band called The Fungi Girls. It was quite an experience watching a couple hundred people trying to crowd into a living room.

The Fungi Girls myspace

Wednesday 17th March

The first proper day of SxSW music. Allo Darlin arrived safely and we spent most of the day registering, getting wristbands, catching up and drinking free bar at some Brooklyn Lager party. In the evening it was time for their official showcase, at a venue called The Tap Room at Six.


The band was in good form and showed no signs of jet lag. The venue wasn't the most exciting of places, but the gig still went down well. It was the first time I'd seen a full Allo Darlin set with Greg on bass and it was nice to see him being so into it and fitting in so well with the rest of the band.

Paul and Elizabeth at Allo Darlin's official showcase gig

Thursday 18th March

The first really busy day and the sun was shining again. Started off by heading to the far east of 6th Street to see Slow Club. They were in good spirits, but weren't having much luck with their gear. The amp kept breaking down, drum kit kept falling apart. In the end they just gave up and finished off their set acoustically.


After Slow Club we headed over to the lawn party at the French Legation Museum. We had some free beer, listened to The Antlers in the background, before heading back to 6th again to catch Quasi playing at a parking lot.

Sam and Janet were in great form and played an amazing set. I haven't managed to get hold of the new album yet, but from what I heard it should be ace.

When they finished we headed back to the lawn party to see if could see some of Dum Dum Girls. By now, the place was completely mobbed and it proved impossible to see much of the band....or to get to the free beer.

In the evening I met up with some old friends from Sweden and convinced them to come along to see Japanther. Their show was at 1am and by then the free beer and free pour tequila was making itself known.

Japanther are always great live and despite the show being in a shitty lounge bar, they gave it all they. Hmmm...I really don't remember much after this show, but somehow I managed to get home. Yay.

To be continued....

It's on! - Texas, Day One - Best Fwends

So, my South by South West adventures have begun. Landed in Houston at around 1pm and spent most of the day just exploring the area. Looks like a nice place actually. There's a bunch of nice bars on Westheimer, along with a shitload of vintage clothes shops and thrift stores. Originally, I was going to go to the rodeo for that true Texas experience, but I got hold of a "what's on" type of magazine and saw that Best Fwends were playing at Mango's. So, I checked out a bunch of bars, had some food, spent an insane amount of money on beer and eventually went to the show.

I don't really know Best Fwends that well. I listened to their album a few times when I first got it, but it was always just a bit too loud and messy. Last night, though, after 28 hours of no sleep, a ten hour flight and plenty of beer, they hit just the right spot. Singing (well, screaming) along to a back-up track of 8-bit bleeps and fast beats and dancing with two giant inflatable gargoyles, it was...just a bit insane and an awesome start to the week! Unfortunately, in state of drunken confusion I deleted both of the two videos I shot of the band. Ah well. Might well go and see them again during the week.

Alright, Austin's calling.

Austin...here I come

OK, so it's almost time. In about 23 hours or so I'll be on a plane to sunny Texas, home of Dallas the TV series, erm Dallas the city, a bunch of gun nuts and one of the most famous indie music festivals in the world, South by South West or SxSW if you prefer.

SxSW, eh. It's a monster of a festival and navigating the festival website in order to create a schedule is quite a task. There's so much going on and everything seems to clash. But, I guess that's the way of most music festivals.

My SxSW so far:

Sunday 14th March - Tuesday 16th March - I'll just be bumming around the city trying to catch a movie or two at the SxSW Film Festival which is also on.

Wednesday 17th March

The Muffs, back in the days

The music starts! This is the day of Allo Darlin's main showcase show, which takes place at 11:10pm at The Tap Room at Six....so the place is called Six, that's not a time. How confubbling. I have no idea where anything is in Austin, but in an ideal world I'll manage to catch French actress-turned-mega-hyped-then-completely-disappeared-only-to-reappear-this-year-singer-songwriter-songwriter Soko at 8pm. At midnight old-school pop punkers The Muffs are playing. Probably won't make it to that, although it would be awesome.

Thursday 18th March

Math The Band

Busy, busy, busy evening. Trying to catch crazy electro pop loonies The TerrorPigeon Dance Revolt at 7:30 and will most likely hang on in that same venue for some riotous chiptune/8bit pop madness from Math The Band at 10:30. Mega clash follows with Adam Green, Dum Dum Girls, Beach Fossils, Roky Erickson and Man or Astro-Man? all playing at the same time (midnight-ish), but they all might have to be missed in order to ensure I get in to see Japanther at 1am. It's been over two years since I saw those guys and their new album is absolutely amazing, so I really don't want to miss that.

Japanther at Barden's Boudoir, London (March 2008)

Friday 19th March

Grass Widow

Another crazy eveing. A Say Hi solo show at 7:45, followed by Quasi at 11 and Grass Widow at midnight. Hoping to finish off the night with either Les Savy Fav, Liars or The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, who again, all are playing at the same time.

Saturday 20th March

Best Fwends

This will be a tricky day, since Allo Darlin are playing three shows. I might have to sneak away from at least one of those, casue there's alot of other stuff on. Kimya Dawson at 3pm, Best Fwends at 10pm, The Wave Pictures at midnight and Liars or No Age at 1am.

Eek. That's alot of music. I expect to miss most of the planned things and see alot of random things instead, but I feel very organised having a plan. OK...no sleep for eight days.....GO!

Allo Darlin'

Looking at my total blog tags you'd think the only thing I write about is Allo Darlin'. Well, they're bloody great, so what can you do? I went to the 100 Club on Saturday for the London Popfest all-dayer. As usual, I managed to miss most of what I wanted to see. The only full set I saw was Allo Darlin' and as usual they were great. Saturday's show was the last one for a while with Bill Moustache on bass, so he played half the set before turning over the bass duties to Greg, who will be filling in until Bill gets his daddy schedule under control.

The video for Allo Darlin's Polaroid song is finally up on youtube. Check out Bill's hair!!!

Fuzzystar

I've been meaning to go and see Fuzzystar for a long time, but something had always come in the way. Yesterday evening, despite there being a gazillion other things on, I finally had the chance. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The only recordings I had heard were made many moons ago and I guess I was expecting some sort of scuzzy folkrock in the vein of Arizona Record era Silver Jews. And to be honest, I wasn't really in the mood for that. It was pissing down and I was completely soaked when I got to the Betsey so it wasn't a great start to the evening...

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was rather amazed. There's nothing worse than when a friend's band is really bad and you have to pretend to like them, so I was extremely relieved when Fuzzystar turned out to be really really good. I seem to call everything with harmonies "Beach Boys inluenced", which really shows how far my musical knowledge/vacabulary stretches, but I'll continue that trend here by saying that they sound like the result of an illegitimate affair between a Scottish Brian Wilson and Elliott Smith. Or something like that. They're really good anyway and well worth checking out. They should have an EP out soon and are playing in London a lot.....so there.

Fuzzystar myspace

Hey ladiez!

This looks rather awesome as well. And when is it happening? On Thursday of course. Along with a gazillion other things. I was listening to the PENS album on my way to work today. It's a most excellent soundtrack for so-packed-you-want-to-scream tube carriages.

More info here

Christmas all over again

OK, so variety is the spice of life and so on...but I really can't stop listening to this album. I downloaded it in the beginning of the year and must have listened to it in its entirety at least once a day since then. Yesterday it became my first new vinyl purchase since the Trouble Books debut...whenever that was...2008? I also bought their Nineteen/Twenty-nine seven-inch, which at SEVEN QUID was a tad pricey, but it is also awesome, so...

Anyway, the band is of course Christmas Island, the album is Blackout Summer and you need it.

The below taster is probably the best song about dinosaurs ever....along with Tyrannosaurus Rex For Christmas by The Lovely Eggs....Christmas+dinosaurs=awesomeness...coincidence? I think not.

Christmas Island - Dinosaurs (mp3, Mediafire link)

Christmas Island myspace

Buy the album