Trevor Powers’ vocals remind me of Daniel Johnson both the physical sound and the earnest lyrics. Then he takes these simple melodies and opens them up inside lush, shimmering layers of live and electronic instruments. RACHEL HAYS
— YOUTH LAGOON – WONDROUS BUGHOUSE ALBUM REVIEW
03/13 – 10:40pm @ Stubb’s (NPR Showcase)
03/14 – 5:00pm @ 1100 Warehouse (Pitchfork Party)
03/15 – 4:00pm @ Hype Hotel (Stereogum Range Life)
03/15 – 5:30pm @ Red Eyed Fly (After the Gold Rush)
03/15 – 12:00am @ Club de Ville (Paradigm Showcase)
The band basically spells out relaxation with their name choice. Their music videos and album art reiterate that fact; the video for their song “Slow Down” is perfectly California cool. – JUDY NELSON
— POOLSIDE FESTIVAL LIVE SHOW REVIEW
MON, MAR 11 – 8:00pm @ The Mohawk (Transmission Entertainment Showcase, 912 Red River)
MAR 13 – 5:20pm @ Cheer Up Charlie’s (Spaceland Showcase, 1104 E 6th St.)
MAR 13 – 9:30pm @ The Tap Room (School Night Showcase)
MAR 13 – 1:30am @ Red 7 (Windish Showcase, 611 East 7th St.)
MAR 14 – 1:35pm @ Flamingo Cantina (Under The Radar Showcase, 515 E 6th St.)
MAR 14 – 6:00pm @ Sonos House (606 E 3rd St.)
MAR 15 – 4:00pm @ Red Eyed Fly (Another Planet Entertainment Showcase)
MAR 16 – 4:00pm @ Lustre Pearl (97 Rainey St.)
Years ago, I was at SXSW and dying from crippling food poisoning. I was at the Warp Records showcase, more or less ready to die, when Flying Lotus took the stage and revived me. One-man electronic shows aren’t always compelling, but with his tricked out beats, spastic visuals, and just general mythology, Flying Lotus is one of the best electronic solo acts to see. VIVIAN HUA
03/12 – 12:00am @ AMOA Arthouse at Jones Center
(Plus an unannounced surprise performance!)
Official / Unofficial Showcase
& Party Recommendations
Tuesday, March 12th
Tuesday, March 12 @ Barcelona (209 E 6th St.) – 6:00pm to 2:00am
A lucky few can catch JETS — the collaboration between Jimmy Edgar and Travis Stewart of Machinedrum — at 1:00am on the first day of SXSW Music. LUCKY! There is also a related boat party on Wednesday, March 13th, but it is presently sold out. Check out JETS’ amazing mix on FACT MAG. RSVP on Facebook!
Tuesday, March 12th @ The North Door (501 N I-35) – 8:00pm to 2:00am
What a freaking showcase title. Here, you get to see Nicolas Jaar and Matthew Dear in one place, along with Young Fathers, Vietnam, Orthy, and Forever Changes Tenlons Fort (?). Details here.
Wednesday, March 13th
Wednesday, March 14th @ Wardenclyffe (1101 Springdale Rd.) – 1:00pm to Late
A stacked roster of fun and rainbowy local acts supported by the Raw Paw publication gives out free beers via Adelbert’s Brewery and provides a look into the non-touring circuit of SXSW. Don’t let the profusion of triangles on the Facebook invite turn you off, for there are some legitimately good bands here. The lineup includes SIP SIP, Hikes, Little L, Corduroi, Selva Oscura, Holiday Mountain, Milezo, Growl, Popular Culture, Grundel in the Bronx, H thunderbolt, Marmalakes, Borrisokane, The Cymatic, Older Women, YUM, Costa Rica, and Victoria Noll. RSVP on Facebook!
Wednesday, March 13th @ Hype Hotel – 1:00pm
An afternoon low-key dance part with John Talabot (DJ Set), Shlohmo, Ryan Hemsworth (DJ Set), Disclosure, and Charli XCX, with free food. Free with RSVP!
Wednesday, March 13th @ Gallery Black Lagoon (4301 A Guadalupe St.) – 6:00pm to 2:00am
Featuring an open bar with craft beer and Jameson, you can also catch the indie and electronic sounds of Hundred Waters, Levek, MSNRA, Ghost Fields, and Eugsine, amongst others. RSVP on Facebook!
Wednesday, March 13th @ Elysium (705 Red River St.) – 8:00pm to 2:00am
The amazing Andy Stott and John Talabot headline, followed by Optimo, Blue Hawaii, Archie Pelago, and Huerco S., for some awesome pickings from one of the best electronic music blogs around. Details here.
Wednesday, March 13th @ Stubb’s – 8:00pm to 2:00am
Yeah, okay, if there’s a reason to get a SXSW pass, it’s for stuff like this. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cafe Tacvba, Alt-J, Youth Lagoon, Waxahatchee and Le1f. Details here.
Thursday, March 14th
Thursday, March 14th @ Hotel Vegas / Volstead Compound and Sailor Jerry Lounge (1500 & 1504 E 6th St.)
Two stages and two parties, official and unofficial. Free before 7:00pm w/ RSVP!
UNOFFICIAL DAY PARTY RECOMMENDATIONS
12:30pm – The Shivas (Levitation Stage)
12:30pm – Midday Veil (Volstead)
01:30pm – Wampire (Hotel Vegas)
03:45pm – Sinkane (Sailor Jerry Stage)
04:15pm – Akron/Family (Levitation Stage)
05:00pm – Suuns (Levitation Stage)
OFFICIAL SXSW SHOWCASE RECOMMENDATIONS
10:00pm – Night Beats (Levitation Stage)
10:45pm – Thee Oh Sees (Levitation Stage)
Thursday, March 14th @ Soccer Camp III (2107 E 16th St.) – 7:00pm to late
Plenty of Not Not Fun artists at this show, including Xander Harris, Rites Wild, Maria Minerva, Samantha Glass, Eyes Blood, White Poppy, and Holy Balm — along with Vinyl Williams and Ducktails. RSVP on Facebook!
Thursday, March 14th @ Scoot Inn (1308 E 4th St.) – 7:30pm to Late
UNRGHHHH Wu-Tang Clan in the house. Performances by Ghostface Killah (backed by Adrian Younge and Venice Dawn), Inspectah Deck, U-God, Large Professor, Elzhi, Phony Ppl, Jasmine Solano. Not sure where RZA is considering he is throwing the show. Nonetheless. DETAILS HERE!
Friday, March 15th
Mostly this is enticing because it is a secret warehouse party featuring acts from LuckyMe’s roster. Free with RSVP!
Friday, March 15th @ Old School (401 E 6th St.) – 8:00pm to 2:00am
Get ready to dance your ass off, as Midnight Magic and Kisses play back-to-back at this show for StubHub (who cares), along with other worthwhile acts like Shout Out Out Out and the crazed Anamanaguchi. Also featuring Cinnamon Chasers, Orthy, and Tropics.
Friday, March 15th @ Swan Dive (615 Red River St.) – 7:00pm to 2:00am
M For Montreal always know how to put on a killer show, and this year, they’ve teamed up with Arbutus Records to get arguably even more killer. Catch Braids, Doldrums, Blue Hawaii, Pat Jordache, Majical Cloudz, and Sean Nicholas Savage all in one place. See details!
Saturday, March 16th
Brooklyn Vegan has four days of day parties, but Saturday’s is most exciting by far, featuring Unknown Mortal Orchestra, MS MR, A Place To Bury Strangers, Foxygen, Autre Ne Veut, Doldrums, and White Lung. It also begins at noon and ends at 6:00pm, giving you plenty of time to catch all of the exciting Saturday night festivities. Free with RSVP!
Saturday, March 16th @ Red 7 (611 E 7th St.) – 8:00pm to 2:00am
For a hefty dose of extreme, one can head over to Red 7, where the Relapse Stage, hosted by the always-reliable Relapse Records, features Black Tusk, Royal Thunder, ASG, Howl, Inter Arma, and Call of the Void. On the other side of the building, the headbanging/booty-shaking continues with Big Freedia, Antwon, Iron Lung, Power Trip, Merchandise, Parquet Courts, and The Novice. See details!
Supported by Pour Le Corps Records, Clumsy N Shy, and Holocene Portland, this is an unofficial free, all-ages, and all-day-and-night house party featuring Delicate Steve, Mark Mcguire, Xander Harris, Rites Wild, eyes wings and many other things, Darktown Strutters, Midday Veil, Rose Windows, Wampire, Psychic Twin, Beca, Brainstorm, Young Pharaohs, and Def Rain. Plus visuals all night courtesy of John Barker. Download the mixtape or RSVP on Facebook.
Band Recommendations
It’s a well-known fact that even if you don’t care about !!!’s music, they put on a helluva live show. And with all of the funk and dance newbie that’re floating in the air these days, these guys are pretty OG. – VIVIAN HUA
03/13 – 5:00pm @ Lustre Pearl (FILTER On Rainey Showcase)
03/14 – 6:00pm @ Emo’s East (Check Yo Ponytail Party)
03/14 – 12:00am @ Clive Bar (FILTER On Rainey Showcase
03/16 – 12:00am or 1:00am @ Hype Hotel (HypeM Party)
Arthur Ashin, the man behind Autre Ne Veut, does not draw from the R&B/electronic music genres. Instead he smashes them together in spontaneous bursts, lets them fall through his fingers, and then draws out the full arc of his gorgeous vocal melody over the emptiness. RACHEL HAYS
03/13 – 11:00pm @ Empire Control Room (Official SXSW Showcase @ Empire Control Room)
03/14 – 1:15pm @ 1100 Warehouse (Pitchfork Day Party)
03/15 – 5:00pm @ Urban Outfitters (Urban Outfitters Back Lot Party)
03/16 – 3:00pm @ Old Emo’s (Brooklyn Vegan Day Party)
Like the best food AM & Shawn Lee have come together in such a way that the separate ingredients compliment each other while remaining distinct from one another. Heavy reverb guitar solo served over 8-bit inducing Casio. RACHEL HAYS
One of my favorite acts from last year’s Decibel Festival, Andy Stott really knows how to work up a dark dance party in the most muted of ways. VIVIAN HUA
— ANDY STOTT LIVE SHOW REVIEW AT DECIBEL FESTIVAL
See Resident Advisor’s Official Showcase (right) for details.
Intelligent, groovy hip-hop that makes for busting a move while thinking deeply about life’s complexities. Always a good time, and sometimes with funky stage dancers! – VIVIAN HUA
03/13 – 12:00am @ Cedar Street Courtyard (Carson Daly Official Showcase, 208 W 4th St.)
03/14 – 5:00pm @ Waterloo Records (600 N Lamar St.)
03/16 – 4:15pm @ Mohawk (The A.V. Club Showcase, 912 Red River St.)
I want to see the UK band Disclosure not just for their specifically British, infectiously soulful electronic music. Members Guy and Howard Lawrence are brothers, and I am intrigued by any family band–way more than couples in bands. RACHEL HAYS
03/13 – 5:00pm @ The Hype Hotel (Gorilla vs. Bear Party, 301 Brazos)
03/13 – 12:30am @ Pitchfork Warehouse (1100 E 5th St.)
03/14 – 12:35am @ 1100 Warehouse
03/15 – 5:15pm @ Fader Fort
03/15 – 10:05pm @ La Zona Rosa (612 W. 4th)
03/15 – 12:50am @ Scoot Inn (1308 E. 4th St)
The California duo slips cooly into the pool of psychedelia and draws out intricate, effortless pop arrangements. Warbling through catchy pop melodies, Foxygen still brings the grungy depth I’ve come to expect from bands on the Jagjaguwar label. RACHEL HAYS
MAR 14 – 10:55pm @ Red 7 (Secretly Canadian Showcase, 611 E 7th St.)
Kisses’ The Heart of the Nightlife was one of my favorite records of 2010, and their recent signing to the lovely pop label Cascine and awesome new single (below) seem sure signs of their continued success. – VIVIAN HUA
See StubHub Live Official SXSW Showcase (right) for details.
Everyone loves a lady who can shred on guitar, and Marnie Stern is back with the horribly-titled The Chronicles of Marnia, ready to blast your silly face off with her erratic sensibilities. – VIVIAN HUA
03/12 – 7:00pm @ Panache SXSW Kick Off Party
03/12 – 10:00pm @ Pitchfork Interactive Party
03/13 – 2:25pm @ Flamingo Cantina (Under The Radar SXSW Party)
03/13 – 4:30pm @ Stage on 6th (Paste Magazine Party)
03/14 – 5:00pm @ Club Deville (Insound/Oh My Rockness SXSW Party)
03/15 – 12:30pm @ Easy Tiger Bakery (Pure Volume Party)
03/15 – 9:00pm @ Hotel Vegas (Panache Booking)
Though we have a couple of Not Not Fun artists playing on our unofficial showcase, we missed out on snagging the lovely Estonian electronic pop weirdo Maria Minerva. For me, she’s a must-see act at SXSW. – VIVIAN HUA
03/14 – @ Soccer Camp (The Hounds of Love, 2107 E 16th St.)
03/15 – 7:30pm @ The Hideout (Not Not Fun Showcase)
This New York nine-piece (who often tour with less) live to create disco-dub-funk throwback party times for everyone. – VIVIAN HUA
— MIDNIGHT MAGIC BAND INTERVIEW
See StubHub Live Official SXSW Showcase (right) for details.
MS MR are a mysterious pop band that seem to never offer downloads of their actual songs and loving posting cryptic communications via an extremely strange Tumblr. There’s something really enticing about their sultry and sexy presentation and borderline diva vocals. – VIVIAN HUA
03/13 – Lamberts (SXSW Day Party)
03/14 – Hype Hotel (SXSW Official)
03/15 – Cedar Street Courtyard (FILTER Magazine Day Party)
This isn’t just punk on grunge or grunge on psychedelia. Naomi Punk slam out movements in heavy, crunchy washes of guitar and drums. A classic formula is used in intricate new configurations to create a textural delight. RACHEL HAYS
03/15 – Impose Showcase
03/16 – Captured Tracks Showcase
Clown & Sunset label owner and man-about-town Nicolas Jaar pulls in fans far and wide with his brand of intelligent yet accessible electronic music, made for dark nights, smokiness, rain, and all sorts of heavy but beautiful moods. VIVIAN HUA
See Flaunt Magazine’s Official SXSW Showcase
One of Seattle’s more creative folk outfits gets their hands dirty at SXSW, bringing the woods without bringing the cheese. The In.Gredients show is an intimate and stripped down set. – VIVIAN HUA
03/13 – 5:30pm @ In.Gredients (2610 Manor Rd.)
03/14 – 5:15pm @ Fado’s (Rethink Pop Music & Ninkasi Showcase, 214 W 4th St.)
03/16 – 3:00pm @ The New Movement (Pop Press International Showcase, 616 Lavaca St.)
03/16 – 8:00pm @ TenOak (The Greater Pacific NW Official Showcase, 409 Colorado St.)
Sam Flax played our showcase last year, and were some of the kindest beach bum psych rockers around. Their latest record, Age Waves is still on regular rotation in my life, and they are hard workers who deserve the attention. They’re now on tour with Foxygen, and one can only hope that propels them higher, higher, higher.
03/13 – 3:30pm @ Trailer Space Records (Burger Party, 1401 A Rosewood Ave)
03/13 – 4:40pm @ Cheer Up Charlie’s (Echo/Echoplex & Origami Party, 1104 E 6th St.)
03/14 – 2:00pm @ Peckerheads (My Old Kentucky Blog Party, 402 East 6th St.)
03/15 – 10:45pm @ Cheer Up Charlie’s (Ad Hoc Party, 1104 E 6th St.)
03/16 – 1:30pm @ Yellow Jacket (Impose Party, 1704 E 5th St.)
03/16 – 4:30pm @ Hotel Vegas (Burgermania, 500 E 6th St.)
GAH! Give me more falsetto over funk basslines. All the time. Ahmed Galleb lets you dance inside the fullness of his vision as only a man who plays a million instruments on every track can. – RACHEL HAYS
03/14 – 3:45pm @ The Liberty (Austin Psych Fest)
03/14 – 10:00pm @ Clive Bar (Filter Magazine Showcase)
03/15 – TBA @ ? (Tiny Mix Tapes / Northern Spy Unofficial Party)
03/16 – 3:55pm @ The Liberty (Pop Montreal)
03/16 – 8:00am @ The Museum of Human Achievement (Hometapes)
These guys are absolutely bursting with personality through their lo-fi pop jams, with so much bounce in their musical step they might shake themselves into having some sort of complex. Feed that pop-loving juvenile left in you with Slam Donahue! I love Cantora Records for pop music, what can I say? – VIVIAN HUA
03/13 – 8:00pm @ Lamberts (Bond Music Group Official SXSW Showcase, 401 W 2nd St.)
Icelandic artist Soley brings her moody and haunting melodies to SXSW, and she is one of my favorite singer-songwriter ladies to listen to. – VIVIAN HUA
— SOLEY – SMASHED BIRDS MUSIC VIDEO INTERVIEW
03/13 – 10:00pm @ Hilton Garden Hotel
03/14 – 11:00am @ Cedar Street Courtyard (FILTER Magazine Day Party)
03/15 – 12:30pm @ The Mohawk
This is party music. Not the kind of party where people break your roommates stuff and puke in the tub. Instead its warm, relaxed and inviting. Dynamics keep shifting pleasantly and you just don’t want to leave. RACHEL HAYS
— TORO Y MOI – ANYTHING IN RETURN ALBUM REVIEW
03/12 – @ Mohawk (SXSW Interactive Official Showcase, 912 Red River St.)
03/13 – 12:00pm @ Haven
03/14 – 11:00pm @ Lustre Pearl
03/15 – 1:00am @ The North Door
No, THIS is party music — the kind of party where someone throws up in your tub. Sometimes that’s more than worth it. Especially when its a woman screaming about a fat lip and not just one more dude. And in true party fashion, they are also playing everywhere during SXSW. RACHEL HAYS
03/13 – 1:30pm @ Parish (Consequence Of Sound Day Party)
03/13 – 5:00pm @ Urban Outfitters Back Lot (Urban Outfitters / Rookie Magazine)
03/13 – 1:30am @ Holy Mountain (Enabler PR Showcase)
03/14 – 1:30pm @ Scoot Inn (Thrasher / Converse Day Party)
03/14 – 3:20pm @ 1100 Warehouse (Pitchfork Day Party)
03/15 – 2:00pm @ Gypsy Lounge (Blundertown Day Party)
03/15 – 5:00pm @ Bar 96 (Filter Magazine Day Party)
03/15 – 10:15pm @ The Long Center (Syrian Benefit)
03/16 – 3:15pm @ Old Emo’s (Brooklyn Vegan Day Party)
03/16 – 6:50pm @ @ The Yellow Jacket (Impose / WNYU Day Party)
These Brit pop invasioners need not much of an introduction, but they do have a new album. Go back to them for classics and for currents. – VIVIAN HUA
03/16 – 12:00pm @ Waterloo Records (600 N Lamar Blvd.)
Ω