You can’t go wrong with Icelandic music, amiright? Sigur Rós, For A Minor Reflection, Björk, I could go on. Well, prepare to add Of Monsters and Men to the aforementioned list. This first EP of theirs is bursting with joyful energy, featuring raucous percussions, horns, and effortless vocals. Of Monsters and Men’s earnest exuberance is a breath of fresh air for weary ears. Catch them at SXSW if you can!
A few of you charming people have asked me about that wonderful weirdness that happens every year in Austin, commonly known as South By Southwest. By no means do I consider myself an expert in regards to this renowned music festival. However, I have gone for several years now, and would be more than happy to impart any and all knowledge I have upon you, my lovely and loyal readers. So, without further ado, here are my tips for the SXSW-goer:
1. Expect free shows. I cannot emphasize this enough. I have gone to SXSW shows for four years now and I cannot remember a single show I had to pay to get in to. I would say about 90% of concerts fall into one of these two categories: they are either promoting bands, so they want anyone and everyone there, or else they are so exclusive you can only get in with a wristband, badge, etc. Either way…free.
(Now, I heard a few nebulous rumors after last year’s South By of limiting the number of free shows. So, if that’s the case this year, I apologize for giving you faulty advice… That has just been my experience the past few years.)
2. Speaking of wristbands… Don’t buy a wristband. They are way too expensive (over $100 I think), and the chance that it would actually help you get into a show you otherwise could not is extremely slim. I bought one the second year I went, and it didn’t do me a lick of good.
3. Age matters. If you are over 21, you can get in almost anywhere. Usually the only people making money off these shows are the venues, and they make it off of selling drinks, so the majority of venues aren’t too keen on all ages shows, and are quite strict on enforcing that policy (believe me, I’ve tried sneaking in and failed). This is just an unfortunate fact of life for us minors.
However, there is hope for the young’ns. Stubb’s, Mohawk, Red 7, Emo’s, The Red-Eyed Fly, La Zona Rosa, and any unconventional venue, like a church, hotel, or museum, have all, in my experience, hosted all-ages shows during SXSW. And that’s only a short list - dig around and I’m sure you’ll be able to scrounge up plenty of great shows, even if you’re under 21.
4. On that same train of thought, your best bet in finding shows is to Follow the bands you want to see on Twitter.
Sidenote: again, if you’re 21, it’s a different story, because then I’d tell you to start looking for showcases to RSVP to ahead of time. But most of those showcases are at bars, so minors would be outta luck. You might still want to check, though, if you find one that looks really interesting, to see if it’s all ages. For showcase info, follow @SXSWPartyList. Yep, it’s that simple.
Anyway. Yes, unless you’re scoping out showcases, your best bet is to make a list of bands you want to see and keep up with them on Twitter or Facebook. While venues can be extremely wishy-washy with posting SXSW schedules (if they post them at all), bands want you to come see them, so you can bet your boots they will be painstakingly meticulous about letting their fans know exactly when and where they are playing.
5. Which leads me to another very important point. Artists always play more than once. Almost nobody comes all the way to Austin, often from other states and countries, to just play one show. Notable exceptions would be the odd secret show of some huge-name band (e.g., Metallica at La Zona Rosa in 2009), a one-time reunion concert, or the like. But, the point is: if you miss one show of a band you really wanted to see, do not despair! They’re probably playing again, perhaps even twice in the same day. Be persistent in checking on show times - things can change up until the last minute.
6. There’s no official “lineup”, per se. If you’re looking for all the artists on one convenient list, the closest thing you’re going to find is this. But never trust the website - again, your best bet is to go straight to your favorite bands’ Twitters and Facebooks to see if they’re playing.
7. See people play at Waterloo Records. It’s free, it’s always all-ages, it’s rarely crowded, and it’s an Austin original. They have relatively high-profile artists that play there all week, but people rarely pay attention because it’s outdoors and during the day. But what’s wrong with that?! Also, Jack White was randomly hanging out there last year. And it’s next to Whole Foods. See people play at Waterloo Records.
Along those same lines, always check out Auditorium Shores, too. Free, outdoors, great lineups. I’ve seen Bright Eyes, The Strokes, Explosions in the Sky, and tons of others play there before. The Shins are playing there this year. Always a good time.
Welp, that’s about all I can think of to tell y’all for now… Good luck, and I hope to see all your bright and shining faces in God’s favorite city in a few weeks!!!!!
Play of the day:
“Page 28” - Sleeping At Last, Yearbook: August EP
Well this is just lovely. Give the words a good listen, too.
Play of the Day:
“Upward Over the Mountain” - Jesse Lacey, Iron and Wine cover
Whether or not you are an Iron and Wine fan, or a Brand New fan for that matter, this cover will knock your socks off. Jesse is brilliant. Also, bonus points to whoever catches his mess-up in the middle of a verse… Proof that he is human I suppose.
Play of the Day:
“Clark Gable” - The Postal Service, Give Up
“And I want life in every word
To the extent that it’s absurd”
Nada Surf’s upcoming album, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, is up for the listenin’ here! Me? I’m waiting ‘til I buy it to listen. What can I say? I need a little more suspense in my life. It’s gonna be aaawwEeeesoOO00oomeeee. But don’t take my word for it… As it says so eloquently in the description on NPR’s First Listen,
“Now seven albums into a 20-year career, Nada Surf relies on familiar ingredients throughout The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, out Jan. 24: big guitars, beautiful vocal harmonies, generous affirmations. But a new Nada Surf record is formulaic the way springtime is formulaic: It’s always there to be counted on, and always an intoxicating arrival.”
So, let me get this straight: NPR contacted Son Lux, aka Ryan Lott, to challenge him, as they have other artists before, to create an entire record in one month-and the shortest one, at that. That’s February, if you didn’t have that one figured out by now. And that after waffling a bit, he responded with a hearty ‘challenge accepted,’ and just popped out We Are Rising? That’s crazy talk! But 100% true; you can read about it here!
And a wonderful album it is. This is music suited more for studying or vegging than for jamming, but if you’re in the mood for sparse, tightly produced electronic music, this is certainly the album for you. Weird effects abound, including but not limited to clattering beats, spastic flutes, Nintendo-like bleeps and blips, echoey chimes, shimmering synths, all tastefully offset by Lott’s own aching voice. We Are Rising is creative and deftly produced, a fresh offering in the often stale realm of electronic. The fact that it was written and produced in only four weeks is just icing on the cake. (But pretty darn impressive icing if you ask me.)
GUYS I AM DYING RIGHT NOW THIS IS SO GOOD
New album, Port of Morrow, to be released March 20!
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You
Punky dance-rockin’ Brits get kinda moody, but still sound like they’re from outer space on their sophomore release.
Mates of State - Mountaintops
Chipper boy-girl duo croon and shout over synthy, sunny pop beats.
Feist - Metals
The gal that made using the word “chanteuse” a thing is planking on the cover of her album. Seriously though, this record is awesome.
The Weeknd - House of Balloons
Electronic/dance music, meet R&B. Have a child. Name it The Weeknd. Pardon the necessity of photoshop on this previously nudeful album art.
Transit - Listen and Forgive
Pioneers of current post-punk channel Dashboard Confessional and Braid, simultaneously.
Wild Flag - Wild Flag
They might look like your mom, but they probably rock quite a bit harder. And love Cyndi Lauper more.
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Strum-happy, super-chill slacker boy wants to be just like Neil Young when he grows up.
An Horse - Walls
Punchy electric guitar riffs back funky girl vocals in this perfectly adorable guy-gal duo. For fans of Tegan and Sara.
States - Room to Run
Frontwoman Mindy White is a true indie-rock diva, wailing fiercely and pitch-perfectly over rock-driven drums and guitars.
Yuck - Yuck
At times rowdy, at others drowsy, this album gives a distinctive take on lo-fi rock that’s not only actually listenable, but enjoyable.
For their first release since their 2010 EP Neighbors, Now, Now (one of my all-time favorite bands) recently announced that their sophomore album, Threads, will be released (on Chris Walla’s label!) sometime this spring. Stream “Dead Oaks,” a track off the new album, here!
These are the albums I listened to the most this year. An absolutely subjective list of my own personal favorites. In alphabetical order:
The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
Dinner and a Suit - Since Our Departure
Eisley - The Valley
The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
James Blake - James Blake
Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
Mat Kearney - Young Love
Needtobreathe - The Reckoning
Thrice - Major / Minor
“It’s been a long December, and there’s reason to believe
that maybe this year will be better than the last.”
-Counting Crows
Happy 2012, y’all!
This album is seriously weird. Like, I’m not really sure what it even is. These songs aren’t fast or upbeat enough to be considered dance music. But I guess they sort of are, with their reverberating synths and hooky beats. …Sort of. What The Year of Hibernation sounds like, more than anything, is a dance record played underwater. With xylophones. I’m telling you, this album is WEIRD.
Nevertheless, it’s got a kind of irresistible charm to it. It’s very creative and fresh; there’s nothing else out there right now that’s quite like it. In my opinion, whistling, xylophones, and catchy, simple melodies make for much better dance music than most of the melodramatic, overproduced stuff on the market these days. Youth Lagoon is precisely what the name sounds like: a tribute to unembellished youthful vibrancy…that sounds like it was recorded underwater.
“The Hawk In Paris wants to know if you will go to the dance with them.
Check ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
So says the bio on their Facebook page, and I can think of no better way to introduce this album. The Hawk In Paris have brought us a disarmingly accessible record that will draw you immediately into its microcosm of shimmering dance-pop. At parts you can’t help feeling like you’ve been whisked away to a royal ball. Or a really sweet dance club.
It’s not that this album is a simple affair: meticulous production and layers of synths are outstanding features of His + Hers. Nope, this album is a full-fledged electronica (Do people even use that word anymore? Legitimate question…) shindig; it’s just so dang catchy that it captivates immediately. Not to mention the charming, earnest lyrics that will just about sweep you off your feet if you’re not on your guard. Judging on those components, I’m fairly sure that going to the dance with The Hawk In Paris would be the greatest date ever. But then again, we all know my prom experience would not be difficult to top.
Joe Lewis hails from Austin, and I’ve seen his band’s name on the bill for plenty of venues around town but just recently got around to enjoying his latest offering. Let the record show I’ve heard good things about his live show, as well. Scandalous is pure throwback, with whiskey-strong garage rock guitars backing straight blues vocals that sound cut-and-pasted from the swingin’ ’70s. This is music to lounge around to in your groovy flat, robe and slippers donned, with your hair in curlers, smoking a cigarette. Or to get all dusty at Stubb’s to. Either works, really.
