Catching a concert comes with a variety of experiences. For example, sometimes the headliner on a bill outshines the opening act(s) so much that those in attendance wonder, 'why the hell didn't I just show up for the last half of this show?' Other times, the support on the bill is the highlight of the night, noteworthy beyond any of the predictable offerings from the headliner. And on the perfect occasion, the mix of talent at a concert is just right. At the El Rey Theater this past Thursday night we had exactly that experience with standout performances from both [...]
Photos by G. Shirley Manson and Geoffrey Dicker I love Shirley Manson so much, I don't even know where to begin. Perhaps in the mid 1990s when all I was interested in musically was New Wave, Classic Rock and Prince Bootlegs... The Alternative music scene which had become uber-popular did absolutely nothing for me and as a result, I lost out on seeing bands like Nirvana when there were many chances to check them out. But then I heard the voice of an angel (and formerly [...]
Justin Timberlake 's "Suit & Tie" lyric video showed us just what a snazzy guy he is, but it also shows us how sneaky he is. At the end of the clip, JT nonchalantly revealed that The 20/20 Experience is set to drop on March 19, and nobody even noticed. Near the end of the lyric video, Timberlake smashes a piece of glass scrawled with the annoucement " The 20/20 Experience: Coming Soon ." However, for a split-second, "Coming Soon" is replaced with "March 19th." Seriously, go watch it again [...]
I think it safe to say that the extraordinary Fiona Apple is one of the all-time favorite artists of every single writer on the Muruch staff. This is particularly true of our Mid-West reviewer/photographer Jen "Coble" Hopper, who was fortunate enough to attend Fiona Apple's live performance on March 19th at Chicago's Lincoln Hall. You [...]
Primitive Weapons, all photos by Carmelo EspanolaCrustcake, represented by the intrepid Andrew Wilhelm and Van Damned, spent four days in Austin, Texas, at South By Southwest, one of the world's largest, film, interactive and music festivals. Between the two, they saw 49 bands, ate 10 tacos, four slices of pizza, four gyros, three bratwurst, and drank 52 beers, five whiskey and cokes, five rum
Here's what I love about TV On The Radio (well, besides everything, that is): The band has three critically acclaimed albums and a new one on the way, but they opened their set at the MOG/Lexus showcase at the Mohawk with "Young Liars," the title track from their debut EP. Here's what else I love about TV On The Radio: The band always looks like they're having fun. Smiling on stage, loose and fluid, the band ripped through ten tracks, equally balanced among their various releases. Two new tracks, "Will Do" and "Repetition" seemed vital and young. Songs like "Staring [...]
I may never see Outkast play in concert, but I've now come as close as is possible without Big Boi and Andre inhabiting the same stage at the same time. Sir Lucious Leftfoot, author of one of last year's best hip hop albums, closed out SXSW's best showcase with one of the best sets of the week. Best best best. I came in expecting a hit parade from Sir Lucious Leftfoot: Son of Chico Dusty . We got that and so much more. Smiling and laughing, Big Boi started his set out with a slew of Outkast originals, from [...]
Watching Wild Flag set up for their show at MOG’s Lexus-sponsored SXSW showcase, you might think that a group of demure ladies were about to follow up Smith Westerns’ set with similarly sunny pop. You would be in for a shock. Luckily I had caught a fiery set from the all-girl supergroup earlier in the week and braced myself. Earplugs in, I pressed up in the front row, eager to see them tear it up again. And tear it up they did. Jumping around the stage, Carrie Brownstein and Mary Timony looked possessed on guitar, while [...]
SXSW Music 2011 March 19, 2011 In This Gallery: 3/19 - James Vincent McMorrow (Purevolume) 3/19 - Home Video (Purevolume) 3/19 - Tapes n Tapes (Lustre Pearl) 3/19 - Okkervil River (Lustre Pearl) 3/19 - The Joy Formidable (Brush Square Park East) 3/19 - Sharon Van Etten (Central Presbyterian Church) 3/19 - Typhoon (Central Presbyterian Church) 3/19 - Rural Alberta Advantage (Central Presbyterian Church)
It was blue sky and t-shirt weather, there was free Brooklyn Lager, and Smith Westerns were taking the stage - only the first of five stellar acts composing the outdoor half of the MOG and Lexus Saturday afternoon party. Jam-packed for one of the heaviest-hitting bills of SXSW 2011, Austin's Mohawk feels born for conditions like this - outdoors, multi-leveled, sun where you want it, shade where you need it, and all sorts of different angles from which to watch and listen. The overall effect isn't far from having hundreds of people hanging out and several [...]
Okkervil River 's Saturday afternoon set at Mohawk was a decidedly different affair than their headlining show the day before at Flamingo Cantina. That day's set was apparently rushed along by all manner of technical and administrative difficulties, and it showed; the band railroaded through a breakneck, nearly non-stop 30 minutes of hits and audience captivation. At the MOG/Lexus showcase on Saturday, however, they seemed a different band as they took the stage. As if their sets earlier in the week had worked the kinks out of their SXSW routine, they came [...]
![SXSW Review: Secret Cities [Lamberts, March 19, 2011]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3315312_lg.jpg)
Baltimore - Somewhere hidden in my brain, there must be a nerve with slots for scrabble blocks. And I further imagine that, when nano-scopic wooden blocks of letters matching the name of this band are assembled, this nerve is aggravated, causing a deathly impulse which instantly twists my tongue and locks up my jaw but maintains saliva function, thus transforming me into a slobbering half-wit. It's like some form of pressure point martial art, and as Derek and Paul witnessed, it works every time. Afterward, I began to refer to them as "the band that I can't pronounce", and it [...]
![SXSW Review: Asobi Seksu [Parish, March 19, 2011]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3313552_lg.jpg)
Baltimore - Every year at SXSW, things occur at the Parish that should stay at the Parish. It is one of those magic space, a simultaneously synchronized spacetime between this an another universe that inherits the properties of neither. It happened again this year. But first let me set the scene. Casiokids were playing as I mounted the stairs at Parish. There was no visible way of getting past the sound desk as the funnel between it and the bar was already crowded with people taller than me on stilts. I grudgingly sat down on the stupid incline - like [...]
![SXSW Review: Datarock [Cedar Street Courtyard, Filter Culture Collide party, March 19, 2011]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3312155_lg.jpg)
Baltimore - Here is a recepe I learned at SXSW this year: Several Talking Heads 4 red tracksuits 4 Norwegians 1 bowl of electro-pop 200+ SXSW goers Cube the Talking Heads and marinate in electro-pop. Mix in the Norwegians wrapped in individual tracksuits, sprinkle the SXSW goers, and bake under warm March sun for 45 minutes until well done. Voila. You have made a Filter Culture Collide party with Datarock. I am usually not enticed by electro-pop/punk, even on the best of days. But the way [...]
Austin - You know, Austin has an unofficial slogan - "Keep Austin Weird." If by extension, South By Southwest is all about the weird, then Tim Kinsella of Joan Of Arc could be it's poster boy. Joan Of Arc's set was just the beginning of an evening of weird acts to close out my SXSW experience, inluding some stand up comedians (including Tig Notaro, Hampton Yount, and Ben Kronberg - all weird) and the legendary Yoko Ono. The band put on a solid set of post rock-ish tunes punctuated with Kinsella's odd comments and compelling yet off kilter demeanor [...]
Austin - Men Without Hats was undoubtedly one of the most unique shows I have ever went to. Now for some background, Men Without Hats are a Canadian 80s new wave band that gained popularity with hit singles The Safety Dance and Pop Goes The World . You have heard those songs before. They were the headliners for NXNE 's showcase in Austin, at nice and late time of 1 am. My pure interest in attending this showcase was just to hear The Safety Dance and also, to just say [...]
Setlist School About A Girl In Bloom Been A Son Lithium Blew Negative Creep All Apologies Aneurysm Serve The Servants Scentless Apprentice via Tweet
Wrapping up our photographic coverage of this year's 25th annual South By Southwest music festival is this last gallery on the last day of the conference and our first time at the wonderfully outfitted Virgin Mobile Vibe House, which was really just a house that had been converted into a playpen for revelers in the [...]
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The Panic Manual
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Rollo & Grady
THE CULTURE OF ME
Kanye West Performs “New Slaves” And “Black Skinhead” On Saturday Night Live
Watch Fred Armisen’s SNL farewell with Carrie Brownstein, Kim Gordon, J Mascis, Aimee Mann
And We'll Run
