When I saw Peter Peter setting up, I had the feeling that this could be a good one - two synths and a dude with a saxophone onstage boded well for the evening. Of course with that much equipment onstage and six band members, the possibility for things to go wrong are also higher. And so of course, everything that can go wrong will, and after clearing up a few issues in a lengthy sound check, the band was finally ready to go ... 20 minutes after their scheduled set time. It must be frustrating for bands playing [...]
The week before Canadian Music Week, I had the pleasure of hearing German folk pop band BOY for the first time. I enjoyed their sound and they had a charming demeanor onstage, so when I saw they were playing the El Mocambo at 11:00 on Saturday night, I figured I'd check them out again since there was nothing else that grabbed my attention during that time slot. However, after being annoyed by the overly chatty crowd and dubious sound mix at their show, I hightailed it to the Comfort Zone. No fault of the band of course. [...]
On the first night of Canadian music Week/Canadian Music Fest (CMW! CMF! So many acronyms! Can we just compromise and call it CMWF - Canadian Music Wrestling Federation?), I based my decisions on what to see entirely on geography and band names - the bands with the most interesting names playing in the closest proximity to home won the lottery for the night. In the case of Japanese rockers Jake Stone Garage , geography also factored in in terms of where they were from. After all, in my books, a Japanese band with the word "garage" in [...]
Part of the fun of SXSW is taking in sets by bands in the weirdest venues possible. From restaurants to retail spaces, there's bands playing pretty much everywhere. And so on the Friday night of the festival, I found myself taking in a set of space rock courtesy of Nik Turner at a full on country bar with a mechanical bull and everything. And yes, I did see a patron riding that bull. She fell off, in case you were wondering. One of the most interesting aspects of this show (aside from the fact that Turner and [...]
Over the past few years it's been difficult to get CMW out there to the mainstream Toronto music crowd. Everyone that's just come back from SXSW is tired and feel the need to take a break, the weather still isn't quite Spring-like, and the talent that might consider playing CMW (or CMF as it's now being called) may have chosen to skip it and play NXNE instead or just tour instead. This year has been a little bit different though. You'll see that those in charge of CMW have been able to latch on to other big-name bands [...]
Here are some quick thoughts on other SXSW acts I saw. DIIV, Mohawk Lounge - These guys had a rather long sound check and their shoegazey-distorted indied rock sound didn't really do much for me. I found out later that they had been moved from Red Eye Fly so that the Polyphonic Spree can have a two hour set. Anytime you are an up and coming band that gets moved from one venue to another in favorite of a cult-twee band, you have a right to be upset and thrown off your game, I guess. [...]
The effects of last night’s Balkan Beat Box show were so… overwhelming I can only begin this review with disconnected words and sensations: Swarthiness. Beauty. Back bending/chest-to-the-air-shaki ng. Colorful scarves. Bangle earrings. Unironic facial hair. Purple clothing everywhere (shout-out to Gogol!). Gypsies. Hooplah. Hands up. Lights down. To give more of a narrative: I got to the show in time to see DJ Who Am I (who is only slightly behind the band “Boys” in unsearchable Google names) who is, first and foremost, stunning. She’s this neat little, long-haired, super-hip girl [...]
I'm not sure if this was an official show case, but Best Coast played an early night show on Tuesday night for Red Bull as part of their select sound show case. They were significantly less drunk than the ast time I saw them, which was at the Spin party at last year's SXSW. Playing a set of songs from the two albums, I had a perfectly enjoyable time. The band doesn't do a whole lot on stage besides drink, and play their songs while mostly remaining stationary (Bobb Bruno is more animated of the two). [...]
Despite their lack of physical publication, Spin always manages to throw one of the best parties at SXSW. There is free food, free booze and the lineup is constantly on the ball and this year was no exception. I only attended the first portion of the bill and here's a quick take. Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) One of the bands with the oddest names that I know, the New Zealand three piece act played a short set heavy on noise to open up the [...]
For a guy who basically never listened to rap growing up, I have seen my share of classic hip hop acts: Pharcyde Digable Planets Del La Soul Mos Def aka the dude from Dexter Big Boi So when the chance to see legendary Houston hip hop act Geto Boys came up at SXSW, I had to jump at the chance. Since discovering the track "Damn It Feels to be a Gangster" while watching a Vince Carter dunk compilation on youtube, I have been fond of the threesome's music. Then someone [...]
An unexpected pleasure at SXSW, Philly rapper Grande Marshall left it all out on stage at Fader Fort on Saturday. I haven't been to many hip hop shows in my lifetime, but if all of them are like his set in Austin, then sign me up. Taking the stage a 2 pm is no easy task but Grande Marshall and friends treated the show like it was at 2 am. I don't really know how to actually review a rap show only to say that the "flow" was good and I enjoyed the pace that [...]
One of my favourite things about SXSW is the ability to see relatively popular UK female pop stars come to North America and play in complete obscurity. I like this because a) they are pretty seasoned in terms of performing live b) they are usually playing some divey bar, which is totally not something they are used to c) well, they are generally very attractive. It seems in the past few years the UK has been producing female pop sensations at an absurd pace. Just take a look at this list: [...]
Ideally, SXSW would be all about scouring the schedule, discovering unknown acts, and finding new favourites. And I did do my fair share of that. But more than ever this year, I gravitated towards the older, more established acts with a good percentage of the performers I saw falling into the 50 and over crowd. There's something to be said for seeing a veteran performer with years of experience plying their trade and on the last night of the festival, we took in a set from former CCR frontman John Fogerty . I knew going in that [...]
For a bunch of seasoned performers (or "old guys" if you want to be less PC about it), The Zombies sure were hustling around SXSW like a band of newcomers. I think the band played about 5 or 6 shows around Austin during the week, and this show, a free instore at Waterloo Records, was the first of three on this day alone. No big deal for a bunch of hungry kids in their early 20s, but remember, Zombies main guys Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent are in their late 60s. And I'm happy to report these guys have [...]
Austin - The backyard of a grease monkey is probably the last place I'd choose to perform if I'm a soul player. But then, maybe that's what's preventing me from becoming one because Lianne La Havas certainly didn't mind. Frankly, I think she could have played her set in the landfill that is Tommy Thompson Park and it'll still be just as romantic and charming as a candle-light dinner by the Seine on a misty night with a Mariachi band permeating the background... only the service might feel like it's provided by the Coldstream guards. The atmosphere was still a [...]
Austin - If I could deviate from the strict title that we must use for search engine purposes, I would call this Gary's Latin day/night party. The problem with calling it such is that I will sink to a new low and stop writing, since these two concerts were really meant to be seen/experienced. I'm not too proud, however, to beat my own records. So here it goes: Ozomatli and Bajofondo as painted by the camera. You won't believe the crowd I had to fight to get this [...]
Austin - There must be some balance in life, as well as in your SXSW. Translated, that means one might be disappointed by a band once in a while, but may also be completely surprised by another. This night, I had both. I had first heard from Lord Huron in 2011. Their single "Mighty" was a very bold take on the folk rock genre (which I've linked to below). Starting from a rainy noise, it was composed almost entirely of a chorus of just wails, guitar-highlights, non-sensical giggling, and melodic shouts, punctuated by vocal intrusions once in awhile. It's really [...]
Austin is all about "keeping it weird" and if SXSW can be seen as that spirit amplified, I can think of no better example than Alabama rapper Yelawolf's show at Club DeVille. In many ways, it was what I expected, but also had an element of weirdness about it. And I think "show" is the correct term for what I saw that night. While it may not have been a proper performance in the strictest sense, there was certainly an element of spectacle in the night's festivities. Yes, festivities. This show was touted as a release [...]
Austin - Some times you just can't win. Paul already wrote a glowing review for Billy Bragg. And then he asked that I write one to juxtapose his, as if a chemical engineer should have no more problems expressing himself in the language of mathematics anymore than he would in a bastardized Germanic language. Billy himself would be glowing with shame at this inefficiency if he could cast his healthcare model onto Panic Manual's modus operandi, but given that I have textual diarrhea, I'm happy to oblige. All [...]
Austin - The foghorn warning for folky music was sounded again last night when The Staves were set to play. Given that I'm not especially religious, the attraction to an episocopal church over the years is slightly embarrassing. Despite having a relatively low ceiling surfaces furnished with a sickly green industrial aluminum plates, St. David's Historical Sanctuary retains the grand but intimate feeling of a place for quite reflections. You have to hand it to the religious bunch - they've known how to be pensive before it was hip. And it's in that mindset that the 200 or so gathered [...]
The Panic Manual
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