This is fine.
The best part is you get an EP.
You can go to the Teen Daze bandcamp and check out the story behind the EP. It includes stories mountainside houses, roommates with instruments, British Columbia’s beauty and pizza and video games. But add to it, the last bullet point is this, “ps – All proceeds made off this record will go towards my wedding budget. Love you bean!”
Just $4, a gift that gives back…
Hi, nice to meet you. You mind giving me some air?
Wow, Stubb’s was it packed for Grizzly Bear. So packed that the photo pit was moved in to allow for more people space because the show was oversold. I didn’t know that sardines had date nights. Was it worth it the uncomfortably close neighbors?
A couple quick notes on the show including my love for Owen Pallett and of course the human monopod show pics…
Rating: 
We rarely think of electronic artists carrying stage presence. We rarely consider live performance an important aspect of an electronic act. Andre Obin won electronic performer of the year according to hometown Boston’s Music Awards.
The reality is that having good material can trump all. The latest album effort from Andre is called The Arsonist, assumingly for the strong third track we have shared here. But we’ll get there, let’s start at the beginning.
The first seven minutes of the record is dedicated to a song called “Golden Hair”, a simple progression of tones set the stage for an oncoming bassline that starts in the higher octaves and is filled in with angrier deeper synth tones and an inevitable drum track no less that two and half minutes in. I love the slow builder, though formulaic, when the right sounds are peppered in, it can be raise the hair on your arms at high volume. This sends me right to my roots in electronic music of GOA trance, D&B and bands like Orbital and Higher Intelligence Agency. Lofty affected vocals, allegory to Rapunzel, fill the content so the wife doesn’t get mad about songs with out words.
“Blue Powder” changes things up a beat, slows it down, less dream, more synth ballad. Lyrically soft, but intentionally, so, think M83. Title track next, holy crap, I love this song. And quite honestly, it may be the biggest barrier to me upping the score on the album. It is a stand out for me, setting an unreasonable bar.
“Lemondrop” peppers in more M83 vibe, maybe even a little chill wave meets Massive Attack, coolly hollowed breaks and dominant drum track. “Soft Rain” is the probably the poppiest jam on the album. I used it in the SxSW preview and the synth hook makes you smile. Mood changer. “Gazelle” is a mantra-driven darker jam, perhaps the low point on the album for me, but the previous and next tracks are that much better. “Enjoy” deploys the longwave synth bassline and high atmospheric tags that I have always been a sucker for. It is brow down driving music.
The 43 minutes with Andre ends with track eight, “Anthem”. It is a statement, kind of all the things he loves in one song. Big synth hooks, changing tempo, breaks and beats; I think Andre is a Gary Numan fan. The circular lyrics run, “it’s a lot to take home, the thoughts that take hold, there’s so much at stake, it’s a lot to take.”
Unfortunately, my brief SxSW encounter was a late night technical difficulty. The tracks I heard performed were hampered by I/o issues, but did still sound solid as he tours with a drummer and and synth/bass/guitar. I would like to see him again in a proper setting…
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No, I am not done yet. This one and a gallery of the showcases is all that is left. If I can muster it, I’ll do a best of post. Best-ofs are easier well removed from a festival because lasting memories help define what really got you going.
Anyway, this giant gallery of daytime show goodness includes some candids and portraits from around the conference during the unofficial events. Highlights include Wax Idols, Nobunny, The Soft Moon, Criminal Hygiene, Bleeding Rainbows, that band Thurston Moore is in, Delorean and so much more.
Click through. Play a game of “oh yeah, I was there.”
Good Friday. Slow Friday.
How about a little something you might have missed post? Well, don’t mind if I do do. Take a listen to this lovely track by Fol Chen off the album The False Alarms on Asthmatic Kitty. <- one of my favorite label names Hang with it through the lead in…
BTW, there will be a couple more SxSW related posts from this kid next week. Not done yet. Nope, not me.
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The Film portion is becoming my favorite part of SxSW. I go on documentary overload, picking obscure topics or things that fit my mood. Sometimes, I even choose whatever is playing at The Ritz so I can grab a beer and a pizza.
This year, I jumped around quite a bit. The first night had polarized moments of horror in a doc about Idonesian “Free Men” and the Raimi/Campbell backed remake of Evil Dead. I also hit docs on Branson, old gay people, Napster and an all brother brass horn group. I took a chance on the black and white low budget Whedon and friends production of Much Ado About Nothing shot in Whedon’s house. Some notes and a few pics from the premiers to follow.
While it is usually a rather homogenized list of artists, this year’s Spin Party featured some names I wanted to see. Parquet Courts and CHVRCHES were included in the day’s agenda which also gave me a shot to double back on Unknown Mortal Orchestra and check out Solange (Beyoncé’s “indie” sister, y’all). Sorry, had to skip Kendrick Lamar for Girls Names and Small Black . I am sure there were some freebies which I ignored. I got to skip the line with my fancy Red pass and there is a photo pit at Stubb’s, so thank you Spin Mag.
Read on for plenty of pics and my notes on each artist…
One aspect that gets lost in all of the day party RSVP anxiety is the ability for peeps registered with the conference to attend panels and interviews at the Convention Center. This year, there were four participants high on my list: Rachel Maddow, Danny Boyle, Depeche Mode and Dr. Steve Weinberg. That last guy you may not have heard of before, but he is a legend in physics. I am a nerd.
Thought I would share some thoughts about each session and share a few pics.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Flaming Lips.
…and Guards, Surfer Blood, Atlas Genius, Frightened Rabbit, The Joy Formidable, and Alt-J.
I told you all last year that I pick at least one night per SxSW to camp at a bigger venue. Last year, it was The Belmont for Jesus and Mary Chain. This year, same venue for The Flaming Lips. Other than a weird unannounced show, when would I get any where near this close to Wayne and the boys? …save for holding up the plastic ball thing as Wayne walks out over an audience. Add to that several bands on the rise or with a prize, some I have seen before, some new to me, and one that I was massively apathetic towards. What did I discover? Read.
Oh and a massive shit ton of photos to go with everything…
My SxSW overload begins with a show that happened at my favorite venue, The Mohawk. It was a limited entry kind of deal, badge and wristband only, no wristbands even got in – Iggy Pop and the Stooges with Japandroids.
I had requested access to the NPR showcase featuring Nick Cave and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. To think, SxSW has become the kind of event where seeing Iggy in a thousand person venue is a backup plan? Odd.
Read on for thoughts and pics…
