SXSW 2008: DAY SIX

Well, my first Music day of SXSW began with me hoofing it over 18 blocks from my apartment to Mother Egan’s Pub to see former dB’s front man, Chris Stamey, perform with Old Ceremony as his backing band. They had never performed before together, which provided Stamey with some interesting moments in which he basically conducted the band during the songs.



The songs were jangly Power-Pop stompers, all of which punctuated by Stamey’s airy, somewhat nasally vocals. He told the audience that his 9 year old daughter had started a band called Weird Girls, and that in between every song, they told jokes. I think his set was made up of mostly new songs, I only recognized one of them, aside from his closing cover of Chris Bell’s "I Am the Cosmos"

The Summer Sun (mp3) - Chris Stamey
I Am the Cosmos (mp3) - Chris Bell

Next I went to Emo’s Main to see the the Raveonettes, who despite sounding good on record, just aren’t interesting live. Their too-cool-for-school-detachedness is a real turn off, how can an audience be engaged by your music when you not?

Attack of the Ghostriders (mp3) - The Raveonettes

Bored, I walked over to Emo’s Jr and saw a band I had never heard of called Let’s Go To War. After some embarrassing technical difficulties before their set, the band dropped a massive Funk Bomb on the audience.



Their bass was jaw-rattling and their energy filtered through the room with every pulsating beat. A Moog, Techics, & a white dude with 2 laptops and a purple shirt that said "All I do is Smoke Weed & Sip Syrup," what more could you want?

Life We Live (mp3) - Let’s Go To War

I then stayed in Emo’s Jr, and watched theDeathset. I saw them a few years ago at Flamingo Cantina, and back then they were just 2 guys and some pre-recorded beats. Now they’re like a totally different band, axing one of the 2 guys, replacing him, and then adding a drummer and keyboardist to create a full on Noise-Pop attack.









The crowd was totally insane for this band from the word go, dancing on stage and on the floor. It was without a doubt the best audience of the day, and one of the best shows of the day.

Around the World (mp3) - TheDeathSet

I then went across the street to the Emo’s Annex to await the Wedding Present at 5:15. Before they played, I caught a set by a singer-songwriter named Sean Hayes. Not really my thing, but kind of interesting. His sound was a throwback to the Folk-Country vibe of Jonathan Edwards, but his lyrics were really odd with songs about Alabama chicken, James Brown, Voodoo, & Rattlesnakes on the dance floor.

Alabama Chicken (mp3) - Sean Hayes

Afterward, the Wedding Present played. I was really looking forward to seeing them, and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to learn that it was literally only half the band performing, vocalist & guitarist David Gedge & a bassist. Bottom line, it’s hard to dance when there’s no beat. On the upside, he said that the Wedding Present has a new album coming out and a North American tour in September or October.

Brassneck (mp3) - Wedding Present

After a 2 hour break, I went over to Habana Calle 6 to see Laura Barnett. Miss Barnett sat in her chair with her bare feet pressed up against various peddles at the foot of the stage. In her hands, she held a Kalimba, or thumb piano, an acoustic box with little metal tabs that when plucked made a xylophone-esque tone.



With her angelic voice, she crafted sweet, bizarro Folk songs about absurd topics like Robot Ponies, all the while performing them with an earnest sincerity.



She sang a song in which she told members of the audience what they were going to be, some people were going to Bears or Crocodiles, but I’m supposed to be a star in a video game. I really enjoyed her set and bought a Cd.

Robot Ponies (mp3) - Laura Barnett

I then went over to Red-Eyed Fly, and watched a couple songs by my favorite Furniture Records Supergroup, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth. I got to see them perform a new song (about having a seizure) and "It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity" before heading over to Elysium to see Shellshag.



Let’s All Get Fades (mp3) - When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth

Shellshag is a band from Brooklyn who garnered my attention with the song "Gary’s Note" sometime last year. I thought it was a pretty safe bet to see them since they are part of a good scene and don’t really tour this way very often. I liked the duos set-up quite a bit, with their microphone stands entangled, crossbones style, with the guitarist on one side, facing the drummer on the other. Their sound was a combo of Trash Punk & Glam, high energy and fun and kinda dumb too. They did a cover of "the Promise" by When in Rome. If you were to judge a band by their fans, you would think that Shellshag were a couple of assholes, but obnoxious fans aside, I think they’re probably really nice people. They seem like one of those bands that don’t really fit into the scene they’re part of, but are kept around because they’re just good people. I don’t know, maybe that’s assuming a lot. Also, I don’t have any photos from this show, because this was the only show that someone from SXSW actually gave me shit for having a camera.

I then went to see Jeff Lewis at Club DeVille. This was my favorite show of the day. My friend Brit had been going on about Jeff Lewis since we hung out back in September, and I had just recently bought his new Cd, "12 Crass Songs," from Backspin Records a week or so prior to going to the show.
He played whipsmart Folk Rock songs about his many contradictory thoughts about Will Oldham, narrated a "documentary" about the Complete History of Communism in Russia using a book with giant coloring-book-style-drawings in it, and also did several Crass covers from his new album.





He also sold comic books at the foot of the stage. It was great.



End Result (wma) Jeff Lewis (Crass cover)

Lastly, I went to the Mohawk to see the Mae Shi, who had a lot of buzz around them, and they probably played a dozen shows during SXSW.



They were high energy, noisy, & boring. Sadly, it all seemed contrived and gimmicky. I wanted to like you Mae Shi, but when you pulled a white sheet out and held over the audience’s heads, it became pretty apparent that you were overcompensating for something.

Boys in the Attic (mp3) - The Mae Shi

--Popkoff

SXSW: IHeartComix vs. Mad Decent

Fluokids, DJ Mel, & Flosstradamus
Before I begin to talk about the IHeartComix event, I want to review some of shows I have seen.
Monday, I went to the Beauty Bar for the Fluokids and Flosstradamus event. I must admit that the Fluokids were amazing, their DJ set included electro, old school techno, and tons of zany off the wall edits. My friends and I danced our asses off, and the open bar provided by imeem.com was also a plus. Flosstradamus began their DJ set with Crystal Water's 1994 classic New York House anthem "100% Pure Love". The whole dancefloor gasped and cheered with complete joy, it was heavenly and made me so excited and nostalgic...BUT THEN Flosstradamus played ANOTHER Crystal Waters song the influential "Gypsy Woman" from 1991, the guys kept cutting up the "la-da-de" vocal part with the organ riff, it felt like like the speakers were pounding the walls with soul.



I will admit something though, the DJ set that really moved me the most though was fellow Austinite, DJ Mel. He played a set that included house, soul, funk, 80's electro, and so much more. I was completely stunned that his musical scope was so vast and GIMMICK FREE! He really represented Austin well, and if you see an event with him on the bill, GET A TICKET! He is pictured above with my friend Herme, photo by Annie Ray.

Lindstrøm
Lindstrøm played a laptop set featuring music from his forthcoming release, “Where You Go I Go Too”. I arrived late to the venue, as I entered Diskjokke finished an animated sounding preformance. Shortly after, Lindstrøm set up his gear and began playing. The DJ set was a bit confusing to the some of the audience. There was A LOT of industry types there, who were sort of scratching their heads as Lindstrøm played for over what seemed like 10 minutes before dropping his first kick drum. He was slow and deliberate, taking his time to create soundscapes that were at times serene, dreamy as they were complex and cerebral. If this show was any indication of his next record, I can only say he has firmly moved from the space disco vibe of his earlier work to a more minimalist approach to disco that is at once laidback and transcendent. Definately, an artist to watch in 2008.

IHeartComix vs. Mad Decent
This Friday is the unreal free event featuring over 40 artists playing you every possible style of dance music imaginable. From the baile funk of Diplo, the fidjit house of Switch, to the Pop Funk of Walter Meego. This is going to be an interesting event.
One of the great things about SXSW, are the free shows giving you just as much as the actual label showcases. We truly live in an amazing city! RSVP for admittance.

IHEARTCOMIX official site
Mad Decent Official Site
Annie Ray offical site

---Mr. Mark

SXSW 2008: DAY FIVE

Today was kind of lackluster; the crowd attendance dropped a day earlier than it usually does, due to the Music portion of the festival starting. I saw 4 screenings today.

First up, was Reel Shorts 3, a collection of 6 short films, mostly dramas. They were all surprisingly good, but by the end, 5 of the films were completely overshadowed by the uplifting spectacle of “Glory at Sea,” a 20 minute film that brought most of the audience to tears.

It’s a mythical take on Hurricane Katrina, in which the drowned dead are still spiritually alive at the bottom of the sea, while their surviving family members struggle to keep the spirits from being crushed by the devastation of the storm. In an effort to reconnect with their fallen family members, the survivors build a giant ship out of trash and items from their past, and launch out to sea where the journey ends in a bombastic gut retching finale. It was pretty moving.

Next up, we went to the Alamo Ritz to see “Yeast.” This film was actually quite inspiring in an unintentional way. My friend Boyd was so dissatisfied by it’s complete lack of visual look, likable characters, successful acting, and enjoyment, that he flat out told me that he’s making a movie this year to enter into the festival, because as he put it, if this shit can get in, I can get in.

For clarification purposes, the film is about 3 miserable women who are friends, but shouldn’t be, because they are all relentlessly bitchy towards each other in long repetitive, mostly improved sequences. That’s the whole movie from beginning to end, and while it may be realistic, as a viewing experience, it’s pure hell.

We then went to the Paramount to see “The Toe Tactic,” a very odd Comedy/Drama revolving around a group of people whose lives are unknowingly being directed by a group of animated dogs playing cards, all Greek Mythology-like, looking down from an omnipotent position and all.

The movie had a lot of weird casting decisions, at least as far as bit players are concerned, with Eugene Merman as a Elevator Man, John Sayles as an Apartment Manager, and David Cross & Eli Wallach as the 2 of the voices of the dogs. It was a colorful and sweet movie, but I’m not sure I would ever watch it again. It also had music by Yo La Tengo in it.

The last movie I saw of the night, and mostly likely the festival was “Nerdcore Rising,” a documentary about the growing Hip Hop subgenre, Nerdcore, that makes the logical fuse of Rap and Geek subject matter.

The movies really about the “inventor” of Nerdcore, MC Frontalot, and his band’s first nationwide tour. For being a movie about a subject I’m not too fond of, it wasn’t bad.

Okay, that’s it for movie, at least for me. I saw 23 movies in 5 days, not too shabby. It’s all music from here on out for me though.

--Popkoff

SXSW 2008: DAY FOUR

I managed to see 5 movies today. First up was a documentary about Crawford, Texas and the social & economic impact of George W. Bush’s residency, entitled “Crawford.”



There was really nothing wrong with this movie, but I didn’t really feel like it covered any new ground. I think I’m just completely burnt out on Political Documentaries.

Next up was a movie that I missed on Saturday called “Explicit Ills” which “stars” Paul Dano & Rosario Dawson, although it’s really an ensemble piece, and they’re no more in it than anybody else.

The film was Executive Produced by Jim Jarmusch and it sort of feels like one of his movies, slow paced and meandering, but never boring. It was definitely one those films that I had to think about for a while before eventually deciding that I liked it.

The story revolves around several poor people (many of whom are young first time actors) living in Philadelphia whose lives are all interconnected through their healthcare needs.

After “Explicit Ills,” I went to the Paramount for a screening of the Universal Pictures Comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” This one falls under the Judd Apatow umbrella due to the facts that it was produced by him and written by & stars “Freaks & Geeks” aluminous Jason Segel.

All I’ve got to say about this Apatow crew is that they seem unstoppable. It’s not just that they make really funny movies, as much as it is that they really good adult comedies. This was so immensely enjoyable!!

I then went back to the Ritz and watched “One Minute to Nine,” a documentary about a woman who has 5 day left with her sons before beginning her 10 year prison sentence for the murder of her insanely abusive husband.

This one was pretty gut retching, and uniquely done, in sense that it avoided traditional documentary techniques like narration and outside exposition, opting rather to focus entirely on the situation at hand and allowing to story to unfold as it happens. It has a pretty shocking twist at the end as well.

Lastly I saw yet another Round Midnight movie, this one was called “Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie.” It was a documentary that I honestly wasn’t sure was real for most of it, but it slowly sunk in that these people were real. It’s basically about 2 aging “hillbillies” who for 24 hours a day, are consumed by finding and documenting a Bigfoot.

What it’s really about though, are their lives and their rocky friendship. It’s funny, but it’s the kind of funny you feel guilty about laughing at because the people seem so genuine. The filmmakers themselves seemed like really nice guys, and unlike some of the directors I’ve seen over the past few days, they seemed very overwhelmed and pleased with their inclusion in the festival.

This is my last day for seeing movies, if all goes well, I should end up seeing about 25 movies in 5 days. Tomorrow the music coverage begins.

--Popkoff

SXSW 2008: DAY THREE

I had a volunteer shift at 9am on Sunday, which was really 8am, due to the crappy daylight savings. My shift ended around noon, so I walked over to 6th and got a couple breakfast tacos from Torchie’s, and then met up Daniel at the Austin Convention Center for “They Killed Sister Dorothy.” It was another documentary from the same distributor as “Wesley Willis’s Joyride,” but this was something complete different.

For starters, it’s one of those documentaries that is so insane, it seems fake, but I assure you, it’s very real. Basically, it tells the story of Sister Dorothy, a nun who spent decades in Brazil as a missionary and citizen of Brazil. She became leader of community and an advocate against the mass destruction of the rain forests until one day in 2003, when the 72 year old nun was shot 7 times in the middle of the village. The movie is at times, gut retching, but most of the time, it is completely riveting, especially the insanely Shakespearian courtroom scenes. The film received a extended standing ovation, followed by an emotion Q & A with the director, Sister Dorothy’s brother, & her best friend.

Afterward, Daniel & I got back in line, saw Eugene Merman, and watched Judge Dredd buy a coffee from Starbucks. We then watched “Super High Me,” Doug Benson’s pot-smoking send up of “Super Size Me,’ in which he goes 30 days without smoking pot, followed by 30 days of nonstop smoking.

It was everything I thought it would be, which is to say, very funny, but instantly forgettable.

Next up, we went to the Paramount, and saw “The Promotion,” a satirical Comedy staring John C. Rielly, Seann William Scott, Jenna Fischer, Lily Taylor, & Fred Armisen. The film tells to the story of 2 Grocery Store Assistant Managers competing for the same Store Manager promotion. It was a lot funnier that I thought it was going to be, and actually reminded me a lot of “Election.”

We then watched “Run Fatboy Run,” introduced by “Director” David Schwimmer. The new comedy has an impressive pedigree, staring Simon Pegg & Hank Azaria, and sporting Michael Ian Black as a co-scripter.

All of that made me wish the movie was a little bit more biting. It was funny, but syrupy sweet, plus I could of really done without all the slapstick. Not bad though.

Lastly, we saw “Dance of the Dead,” a Zombie Comedy that has a lot of charm. Filmed in Rome, Georgia, the movie is a lot of fun, playfully (but not condescendingly) poking fun at the conventions of both Teen Sex Comedies and Zombie films.

It is easily the best of the Round Midnight movie I’ve seen thus far this year.

--Popkoff

SXSW 2008: DAY TWO

Saturday was extremely exhausting, mostly due to the “bad” daylight savings which resulted in me only getting 3 hours of sleep and prevented me from writing this post sooner, so here it goes.

I only managed to see 5 films on Saturday out of an intended 6. First off, I saw a documentary entitled “Secrecy,” which was about the immense amount of classified information that has been created in the wake of 9/11, the validity of it, and it’s effect on national security.

The film was good, but it got a little repetitive at times. Overall though, I give it a lot of credit for maintaining its objective point of view. It managed to detail several instances in history in which the media’s revealing of classified info completely under-minded our government information-gathering-capabilities, but also represented various ways in which our government’s intense secrecy and lack of communication harmed our national security. Apparently, the movie is going get some sort cable screening at some point, plus distribution to the educational circuit.

Second up was another documentary about the last 3 years in the life of cult-music-icon, Wesley Willis, entitled “Wesley Willis’s Joyrides.”

I thought this film was quite good, insightful, & surprisingly touching at times. After the film, the director did a Q & A in which he seemed to get choked up at just talking about Wesley.

After the Q & A, I drove from the Alamo South downtown and met up with my friend Boyd at the Ritz, we saw a film called “The Lost Coast.” It was preceded by a short entitled “Sunlit Shadows,” which I thought was better than the actual movie we watched. “Shadows” was about a loving couple lying around the house all day, but it was done in an eloquent and interesting way, showing scenes narrated by the guy in the relationship, and then re-showing the same scenes, but this time inserting the woman’s thoughts about them. It was a uniquely accurate account of love.

“The Lost Coast” was about a group of old high school friends who wander through San Francisco on Halloween night, two of them are forced to confront their unspoken sexual history. There was the potential for good film in this premise, but unfortunately, this was not it. It wasn’t terrible though.

Next up was one of my most highly anticipated films at this years festival, Harmony Korine’s “Mister Lonely.” The film was surprisingly straight-forward for Korine, but still considerably odd and beautiful. The plot centered on a Michael Jackson impersonator who meets a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, played by a completely foxy Samantha Morton. The two of them make a connection with one another, and she invites Michael to a commune populated entirely by other impersonators, Charlie Chaplin, Abe Lincoln, Madonna, etc.



I completely loved this movie, and was caught off guard by how optimistic and whimsical it was, plus Harmony Korine was there for a Q & A, that not only included a story about why Austin makes Harmony think of butter, but also, yet another amazing Werner Herzog story.

Because we stayed for the Q & A, we were unable to get into our next film, “Explicit Ills,” but I did see Rosario Dawson walking around. So we killed time until midnight and then watched a movie called “Shuttle,” which was a horror pic about some college students who take a shuttle from the airport that turns into what Wesley Willis would call a Hellride. Man, this movie sucked. As my friend noted, it was a completely unnecessary entry into an already over-saturated genre of torture films, not to mention the whole movie could of ended at any point if the characters characters in it would just make the most obvious & logical decision. This is the second year in a row that the Round Midnight films have been really weak.

Okay that’s all I can type now, I got another movie in 45 minutes, but I’ll catch up sometime in the next day or two

--Popkoff

SXSW 2008: The Fluokids & Flosstradamus

March 9th and 10th, Farrell the head honcho over at the great music blog Fluokids will DJ for FREE at the imeem.com party at the Beauty Bar. Launched in 2005, Fluokids is more than a blog, it's a youth movement - an internet and musical revolution whereby enthusiasts and DJ's alike can download the newest and most wanted music coming out of Europe. By constantly posting remixes, these Gallic laptop maestros are pushing what people will like tomorrow. Teaming up with labels like Edbanger, Kitsune and Modular, the Parisian crew of seven regularly DJ all over Europe, and by their own admission are "nerds with an ultra-developed social life - as much on cyber platforms like MySpace as in real life."


Also on the imeem.com bill March 10th at the Beauty Bar is Chicago's own Flosstradamus. The Flosstradamus kids are part of the next league of mash-up/edit teams around the world blurring the lines between scenes and dance music genres. Expect their DJ set to include anything and everything from Baltimore Electro to mainstream top 40's pop, to classic R&B, these kids will make you shake your ass.

Expose on French Disco including Fluokids







Flosstradamus meets Matt and Kim


-Mr. Mark

SXSW 2008: DAY ONE

Okay, it’s 2:55AM, so I’m going to try and keep this brief. I managed to see 4 movies tonight despite the fact that the film schedule is so unaccommodating. Basically, instead of having 3 simple rounds of films, 7:00 start times, 9:30 start times, and midnighters, the schedule is stacked in a way that makes so that the next film that you want to see determines the film you’re going to see before it. If you really want see the film at 8:00, you better see the one at 6:00 instead of 6:30, regardless of whether or not you want see it.

At any rate, I beat the system tonight by literally running from theater to theater. First off, I saw "Goliath" at the Austin Convention Center. In 1997, the Zellner Brothers made a film called "Plastic Utopia" that was a hit at the SXSW festival that year. Critically well-received and rarely seen, the film had my friend Justin Lincoln in it, playing the role of Corduroy Boy. I enjoyed "Plastic Utopia" very much, so when I saw the Zellners had a new film, it was a no-brainer for me.

"Goliath" is a dark Comedy about a man going through a divorce, who becomes obsessed with finding the one thing he has left from his marriage, his cat, Goliath. At only 80 minutes, the film feels a little slow paced, but it still has the same dark Coen-esque humor of "Plastic Utopia." To my surprise, it also has Justin Lincoln too, playing the divorce lawyer. It was actually a pretty revelation for me, because I recognized his voice before I even saw him on screen. The film also has Willy Wiggins in it as a man who gets fired in a bathroom stall, and the guy who does the introductions at the Austin Film Society Essential Cinema screenings, as a private detective.

Next up was "Ano Una," a film that I actually built up, which made the screening a little tense for me. Nerves aside, this was the best film I saw of the night. Between 2004 and 2005, the director took hundreds, possibly thousands of photos of his surroundings. He then compiled some of the photos into some semblance of a narrative, and then added a voiced-over dialogue. The effect was wonderful and constantly interesting.

I then ran to the Paramount to see "21," the new mediocre Kevin Spacey Blackjack movie. The film is yet another entry into the crowded "Rise to Power/Fall from Grace" genre, not to mention also another movie that tries to make card playing a spectator sport. To quote Hank Hill, "What makes celebrity’s think we want to watch them play Poker?" Also, next year will mark the 10 year anniversary of the death of Kevin Spacey’s career.

Finally, I went back to the Alamo Ritz to see THE ONLY MIDNIGHT MOVIE ON OPENING NIGHT, "Otis." The film is a "Political Film," but also a "Dark Satire" about a 40 year man who kidnaps teenage girls and forces them to take part in High School Football/Cheerleader/Prom Fantasy. The film stars Illiana Douglas, Kevin Pollock (both of whom were in attendance), and Daniel Stern. The twist on the teenage kidnapping set-up is lifted write out of "Fight for You Life," in which the tormented family circumvents Police justice, opting instead for Vigilante justice. It’s a little more complicated than that, but I digress. Overall "Otis" was not that bad though. It’s one of those movies that as it wears on, it takes on its own kind of cinematic logic. As my friend Boyd put it, the more ludicrous it got, the more he warmed up to it as a whole.

Okay, so that was my first night. Time for bed!!

SXSW 2008: Lindstrøm

Imagine, it's 1978 you are at a disco; intoxicated, dancing, the lights are making you hallucinate. The DJ segues from a funky 4/4 string fueled number into Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". The speakers vibrate with a highly syncopated synthesizer arpeggio, you are immediately transported from the dancefloor into outer space. This is what happened to me the first time I heard Lindstrøm's 2005 single "I Feel Space", it introduced me to the Norwegian "Space Disco" sound. Along with Prins Thomas and Todd Terje, Lindstrøm makes music that is a throwback to disco without irony or sarcasm. Having released over 20 singles for Azuli, Smalltown Supersound, Eskimo, Expanded, Modal, Bear Funk and his own Feedelity imprint and just as many remixes; his sound has expanded into a restrained take of Italo Disco meets hypnotic percussion and off the wall synthesizer arrangements and a steady 4/4 beat.
This year, Lindstrøm debuts his new imprint label, Strømland. It's first inaugural release was the Dominique Leone single "Claire". Leone, a writer for Mr. Popkoff's beloved Pitchfork Media, has a full length set for release on May 20th. The single was a stomping vocal house track with wonderful shuffling percussion. The B side to the single featured the track "Clairevoyage", a scorching remix by Lindstrøm collaborating with Mongolian Jet Set. True to the Lindstrøm sound it is hypnotic, repetitive, and infectious pulling Arp, Moog, Fairlight and crazy vocals into the mix.
Lindstrøm will be playing 4 dates during his spring world tour. Austin, Paris, Mayrhofen, Austria, And Kiev. So you guys better recognize.

Feedelity Records

Lindstrøm Myspace

Lindstrøm will be playing the Smalltown Supersound Showcase
@ the Thirsty Nickel (325 E 6th St)



Lindstrøm "There's a drink in my room and I need a hot lady" [mp3]

Dominique Leone "Clairvoyage" [mp3]

Lindstrøm "I Feel Space"


---Mr. Mark

SXSW 2008: Cryptacize

When Nedelle Torrisi (who has previously toured with Jens Lekman) & Chris Cohen (Deerhoof & The Curtains) watched a YouTube video of percussionist Michael Carrieira elaborately playing a cowbell, California’s Cryptacize was conceived.

With the recent Asthmatic Kitty release of their debut album, “Dig That Treasure,” the trio unloaded an atomic bomb of Super Sweet Minimalistic Pop that most likely demolished the hearts of every Indie Rocker within a 20 mile radius. Their sound is sparse, yet it intricately flows in directions that you would never expect. The songs are beautiful and lighthearted, but never seem cutesy or jokey.

Cryptacize are playing for FREE at End of An Ear (2209 S 1st) on Friday March 14th at 1:00, and again at the Okay Mountain Gallery (1312 E Ceasar Chevez) at 4:00.

They will also be playing their SXSW showcase show at the Central Presbyterian Church (208 E 8th) on Friday March 14th at 11:00pm.




No Coins (mp3)
We’ll Never Dream Again (mp3)

--Popkoff

SXSW 2008: Cut/Copy

In 2001, Melbourne's Dan Whitford started Cut/Copy as a solo project to exercise his love of sampling and instrumental hip hop, over the course of the next seven years it has evolved into a full band and blossomed as an homage to bands like New Order, OMD, and ELO.

When I first heard Cut/Copy on their 2005 debut "Bright Like Neon Love" it was apparent to that these guys were walking the dance/rock tightrope common of the time and doing it exceptionally well. The album was solid and cohesive without sounding cliche-which is a feet in itself. If their current single, "Lights and Music" is any indication of what to expect from these guys I'd say they have successfully merged underground 80's disco and electro with modern pop. The sound is HOT. "In Ghost Colours", the bands highly anticipated second full length was produced by Tim Goldsworthy of the DFA and will be released in April 2008.

Cut/Copy will play at the Karma Lounge as part of the Modular Records showcase Wednesday, March 12 at 12am, and also appear as part of the Rhapsody party on Friday, March 14 at the Austin Convention Center. They are making limited US appearances this leg of the tour so check them out.


Cut/Copy "Lights and Music" (Modular)

"1981" [2001]



"Time Stands Still" [2005]


"Lights and Music" [2008]


-Mr. Mark

SXSW 2008: Dan Sartain

Five years ago, Alabama's Dan Sartain released "Dan Sartain vs. The Serpientes" on Swami Records, a label responsible for not only the reissues of bands like Crime & The Penetrators, but who could also lay claim to more modern faceshredders like Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu. With attitude to spare & an ability to slither between Punk, Rockabilly, & Garage influences, Mr. Sartain fit in perfectly alongside his label-mates.

Two years after Sartain's second release, "Join Dan Sartain," he's bringing his wiry frame to Emo's for the Swami Showcase, which also includes the totally badass Seattle punk outfit, The Spits, as well as CPC Gangbangs. The show is on Thursday, March 13th, and Mr. Sartain plays at 10:35.



To quote Dan Sartain's Swami bio, "this guy's more talented than a 1000 talented dudes."

Tryin to Say (WMA) - From "Dan Sartain vs. The Serpientes"
I Could Have Had You (WMA) - From "Dan Sartain vs. The Serpientes"
Drama Queens (WMA) - From "Join Dan Sartain"

--Popkoff

SXSW HAS GONE CRAZY!!! Death Sentence PANDA! Invades

Seriously though, the day shows this year are ridiculous. The Wedding Present are playing for free at Emo's on Wednesday, March 12th, at 5:15. Motorhead & Napalm Death are playing Stubbs on Thursday for free, and that show sponsored by VICE? Then there's the Mess With Texas Day show, which has expanded to Waterloo park and is offering no less than 30 bands; The Breeders, NOFX, Simian Mobile Disco, Islands, Kimya Dawson, Fucked Up, Matt & Kim, & Abe Vigoda, just to name a few. ShowlistAustin is adding more & more free shows everyday to there already huge catalogue of events, with bands numbering in nearly a 1000. Day shows aside, there are of course plenty of interesting showcase shows going on in the evening, but with that being said, I think that this years line-up is pretty week overall. It's also somewhat derivative of last year's line-up: hell, Jandek is playing the exact same venue in the exact same timeslot that he played last year.

At any rate, the band I'm most excited about seeing is Death Sentence: PANDA! from San Francisco. Ever since the moment I first heard their insane blend of No Wave Noise, Cheerleader shouts, and BOOM BOOM BOOM drums, I needed to see this band. They will finally be arriving in Austin on Thursday March 13th, for the Upset the Rhythm showcase at the Habana Annex Backyard (708 E. 6th St, 21+). They will be playing at 11:20, and will be alongside current hotshits, No Age. If you can't make it in for that show, never fear, because like everyone else, they're playing a day show the next day at Ms. Beas (1104 E 6th St @ Medina St 7pm?).

No Enemies (mp3)
New China Blazer (mp3)



Check back with us tomorrow, we should have another post up.


--Popkoff