SXSW 2009 RECAP

Peelander-Z @ Hot Freaks - Day 2 (Photo by Ryan Suffern)

How can you go to a place where you get a serious sun burn and come home with a cold? It's the non-stop nature of SXSW, the choose your own adventure aspect of it where everyone comes home burnt out with a farmer's tan and a dozen stories.

I was thinking about doing a day-by-day recap but it's now all blurring together like the steady stream of electro-indie bands coming out these days. Instead, here were some of the highlights.

BEST BAND THAT I SAW FOR THE FIRST TIME: SHILPA RAY & HER HAPPY HOOKERS

The lovely Shilpa Ray could be our generation's JANIS JOPLIN. Big words? Perhaps, but that raspy growl, that sweet inspiration, her contagious enthusiasm for music gives her a fighting chance. I compared her to ROSEMARY CLOONEY ("Come On-a My House") but let's be clear that Shilpa Ray is NO retro act. It's relevant, it's dark and dirty, and it's completely refreshing. I know, the photo is horrible, it's me after a couple of Jager shots with my Blackberry camera.

Photo by Ryan Suffern

BEST LIVE SET OF MUSIC: THE BROTHERS MOVEMENT@ SOHO LOUNGE

I caught them a couple of times in Austin, but Saturday night's show for the Irish Music showcase was special. From song one the boys punched us in the mouths until the final song, a real mother-fucker of a jam, closed out as loud as THE WHO. Here's what the IRISH TIMES had to say about it.

BEST PARTY: HOT FREAKS

Both days of HOT FREAKS at The Mohawk and Club De Ville were amazing. Think about it, THE DELTA SPIRIT, THE HOLD STEADY, CAMERA OBSCURA, SEBASTIEN GRAINGER, OBITS, THE WRENS, THE ROSEBUDS, PORT O'BRIEN, LEMONADE, SHILPA RAY, GIRLS, HARLEM, JEREMY JAY, and on and on and on, together with Torchie Tacos on the deck and you have some amazing music.

Here's what CHROMEWAVES had to say about it > http://www.chromewaves.net/2009/03/camera-obscura-the-grates-and-peelander-z-and-more-at-sxsw/

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

LOCH LOMOND's heavenly voices at the Brooklyn Vegan party on Wednesday night. FRANCIS & THE LIGHTS turns into PRINCE with a bit of JIM CARREY at the Levi's Fader Fort. THE ETTES drummer is a super star playing the Noise Pop/Take Root Records party, why aren't they a household name yet?? THE TEMPER TRAP displaying "Sweet Disposition" outside near The Continental Club, then stumbling into THE FEROCIOUS FEW playing on the sidewalk around the corner in front of the HOTEL SAN JOSE. EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS going late late night on Saturday at PureVolume.

Again, everyone's personal SXSW is their own adventure, but I'm always surprised people go all the way to Austin to see Metallica, or Echo & The Bunnymen, Kanye West or Ben Harper. Really? Don't they all come to your town over and over again? Haven't you seen them before? The festival was built on the idea of having a place where fans and industry could go to discover new artists, and it really has gotten away from that. Why do some bands get 3 official SXSW showcases, and others don't get in? Play all the parties you like, but allow for the little guy to get their shot more often. Something needs to give. You saw a lot less 'free' this year, as sponsors and everyone gets hit by the economy, but more parties than ever before. The unofficial party circuit keeps expanding so far east now that you are almost in Lubbock. I love SXSW, but by Saturday night when the bridge-and-tunnel crowd comes in and things become Mardi Gras on 6th Street, it's time to get out.

MARCH FUTURE SOUNDS COLUMN IN RECORD OF THE DAY (UK)

Click picture to enlarge article

Our little guide for the Brits for next week's SXSW Festival in Austin in this week's copy of RECORD OF THE DAY

LISTEN TO FUTURE SOUNDS ON WOXY: LIVE LOCH LOMOND

Listen HERE

Here's today's playlist.....recorded at our new home at ArtInSound Studios in downtown LA at The Brewery.

Future Sounds #4 – 12/01/2008

I Blame Coco – I Blame Coco – I Blame Coco – Island Records UK
Dan Black – Yours – Yours Single – A&M
Django James & The Midnight Squires – Hurricane – Demos – Unsigned

BREAK

Illinois – She’s So Blonde – Kid Cat - +1 Records
Telekinesis! – Tokyo – Ideas – Unsigned
Falcon – The Sandfighter – Falcon – Unsigned

BREAK

Lilofee – Destroy Me – Lilofee – Unsigned
The Good Natured – Heart Of Stone – Demos – Unsigned
Friendly Fires – Jump In The Pool – Friendly Fires – XL Recordings
We Have Band – Hear It In The Cans – Kitsune
Delphic – Counterpoint – Demos – Unsigned

BREAK

Royal Treatment Plan – Undercurrent – Undercurrent Single – Universal Records UK
The Muslims* (now The Soft Pack) – Future Rock – The Muslims – 1928 Recordings
Pistol Pistol – She’s So Hot – The Cause – Unsigned
Four Dead In Ohio – Jesus Won’t Dance In My High Heels – Fandango Label

BREAK

LOCH LOMOND LIVE IN STUDIO

Elephants & Little Girls
Field Report
Carl Sagan

BREAK

Jessica Lea Mayfield – Kiss Me Again – With Blasphemy So Heartfelt – Polymer Records
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons – We Should Fight – Inside The Human Body – Minty Fresh
The Wheel – Just For Me, But I Thought Of You – Desire & Dissolving Men LP – Public Service Records
Meaghan Smith – Poor – Take Me Dancing – Sire Records

BREAK

Golden Animals – The Steady Roller – Free Your Mind & Ride A Pony – HappyParts
The Ferocious Few – Heaven & Hell – Demos – Unsigned
Society Of Rockets – Time – Our Paths Related – Underpop Records

BREAK

Le Corps Mince De Francoise – Bitch Of The Bitches – Demos - Unsigned
The More Assured – I Want Your Despair – The More Assured – Unsigned
Violens – Violent Sensation Descends – Violens Single – Unsigned
Chester French – She Loves Everybody – Love The Future – Star Trak

END OF PROGRAM

*Bold denotes debut appearance by artist on Future Sounds

TONIGHT IN LA: THE DECEMBERISTS + LOCH LOMOND

One of our favorite bands from Portland, Oregon - LOCH LOMOND- is in town and is supporting THE DECEMBERISTS at The Wiltern this evening. Not sure if you've had the chance yet to hear this -piece posse, but think FAIRPORT CONVENTION meets SUFJAN STEVENS.
Show starts at 9:00 PM (All ages).

This afternoon, at our newly found radio studios downtown in THE BREWERY, we're lucky enough to have Loch Lomond in for an on-air performance that will air on next week's Future Sounds on WOXY show. Thanks to Andres for making this happen!

FUTURE SOUNDS DEBUTS....

More information on bands that debuted this week on the FUTURE SOUNDS radio show...

THE HIGH & LOW
FROM: Cincinnati, OH
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/highandlow
Unsigned

3 gals and a guy from Cincinnati, Ohio bring us some dirty music that reminds us another female from Ohio - Crissy Hinde. The Queen City never sounded so nasty. Listen to "These Days"

2AM CLUB
FROM: Los Angeles
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/2amclub
Unsigned

Probably by the time this song really gets into your brain, the 2AM CLUB will be holding a major label record deal. It's pretty obvious that this song will knock IGLU & HARTLEY off the block and run right at a key placement on 'The Hills'. Listen to "Flashing Room"

PILLARS OF SILENCE
FROM: San Francisco
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/pillarsofsilence
Unsigned

This is precious indie rock at it's best. Track "Guilty Hands" would go perfectly on the JUNO 2 Soundtrack. We're going to get them to come down to LA to play a party soon.

BELAIRE

FROM: Austin, TX
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/belaire
Indiedirect Records

Austin's latest darlings, and I'm excited to see them Friday night at the ACL after party at The Mohawk - I'll have a full report on their live abilities, but this song, "You Really Got Me Goin’" is just too damn catchy.

DIEGO GARCIA
FROM: New York
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/diegogarciamusic
Unsigned

The former frontman for ELEFANT, Diego Garcia, has gone solo and has been packing them in at his weekly Bowery Hotel residency in NYC recently. Check out "You Were Never There", you'll see why, a drastic departure from his previous sound, this time giving us a worldliness that calls us to Brazil and beyond.

LOCH LOMOND
FROM: Portland, OR
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/lochlomond06
Bladen County Records

Wanna talk about a gorgeous song? Try "Carl Sagan" on for size and you'll scratch your head at how much quality, folk music is coming from the Pacific Northwest these days (Fleet Foxes, Butchers & Builders, etc).