If the economy is sick, then no one told the folks and attendees at SXSW. I, on the other hand, have a different story to tell. There’s nothing like attending a music conference with an ear ailment. Talk about a cruel, cruel irony. Not that I’m complaining. Like they say about golf or fishing, a […]
John’s Mega-Superior SXSW ’09 Show of the Year: The Alejandro Escovedo Orchestra
I’ve mentioned previously that one of the reasons I’ve been going to SXSW for 10 straight years (which is to say, 11 South-bys) now is in search of those only-at-South-by moments of pure magic. Of the magical South-by moments that I’ve been privileged to witness over the years, more than a few have involved the […]
John’s SXSW ’09 Showcase Highlights: Totally Michael
Having just had my mind expanded by Jaguar Love on the outside stage at the I Heart Comix showcase on Thursday night, I headed back inside Beauty Bar to discover that the set by Totally Michael, the artist I had arrived at the venue actually intending to see was already in progress. As it turned […]
John’s SXSW ’09 Day Party Highlights: The Wrens
I’m already on record as thinking that the Hold Steady are among the best live bands in the world. Well, I’m prepared to double down on that statement for the Wrens, who are happily back to performing live shows. This was the first of three sets the band was to play in Austin while on […]
John’s SXSW Showcase Highlights: Jaguar Love
OK, so you might be thinking to yourself, “What was with those prefatory remarks you made threatening to blow our minds with your picks, John? We’re with you so far.†Well, strap yourselves in, friends. From here on in, things get weird, and in the immortal words of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, “when the going […]
John’s SXSW ’09 Day Party Highlights: The Hold Steady
Having been a pretty big fan of the Hold Steady for a few years now, I commend myself for showing incredible restraint in having only taken in two of the four sets they played over three days and nights in Austin … but I should probably confess that this decision was made easier knowing that […]
John’s SXSW ’09 Showcase Highlights: The Shys
I first heard Los Angeles-based garage rockers the Shys on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, where they were featured as the purveyors of The Coolest Song in the World with their insta-garage classic, “Never Gonna Die.†That fuel-injected selection was the second song of their Saturday night set at Prague, their final South-by performance this year, […]
John’s SXSW ’09 Day Party Highlights: Glasvegas
I’ll just come right out and say it: As far as I’m concerned, the eponymous debut album from these Scots is the album of the year so far. (Yes, yes, I know it was released in the UK last year. I don’t live in the UK, OK?) Brilliant songwriting by frontman James Allan, who crafts […]
Willie Nelson – Naked Willie
Many people will tell you it all began back then. What was the “Nashville Sound†in the sixties is now Adult Contemporary with an accent. I don’t know if I totally agree, but there is no doubt that the “Nashville Sound†was the first attempt to put a formula on the music in order to […]
John’s SXSW ’09 Showcase Highlights: Cut Off Your Hands
Elemeno P, my favorite New Zealand band (since discovering them at South-by ’07), unfortunately canceled their appearance this year, but their fellow kiwis in Cut Off Your Hands more than ably stepped in to fill the gap, proving that the spirit of the mighty Flying Nun Records artists doesn’t only resonate in Elemeno P. I’d […]