So after a few weeks to gather myself and edit the plethora of photos I foolishly thought I could power through in a few nights (No. Nope. Not at all) here is the official SUPER LATE SXSW coverage from Kata Rokkar. Yup, remember that music festival last month where everyone in the business came to Austin TX and watched 20 bands, drank free beer, ate free brisket, and slept three hours every night only to wake up and do it all over again? Yeah well while everyone else is getting ready for Coachella, I am still reminiscing over the overly sponsored and mass hype-fest that is SXSW Festival. One can’t help but feel like you’re embedded into this commercial landscape of demographics and target markets. But luckily there is still a communal atmosphere among those who attend this event. Every one has a unique story about who they saw, where they ate, and where they wound up the next morning. Oh that DJ Baby Chino (above), who I’m a little impressed and terrified by.
Two Tone Wolf Pack
Band: Two Tone Wolf Pack
Venue: 6th and Red River(?)
Thoughts: I stayed for a few songs. They’re your typical gypsy street folk band that probably records only on tape (they do). If you’re done with this over polished Mumford-pop folk, this is your remedy.
Sponsor: Struggling Artists Inc. and a genuine sense of DIY sensibility.
MP3: Two Tone Wolf Pack – Uncle Sam from Munster Boogie (2010)
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Sundress
Band: Sundress
Venue: Parkside
Thoughts: I wrote in my note book “…they’re okay.” It’s polished psychedelic rock music at it’s most “okay.” I honestly can’t tell you whether it was the poor sound or the bland demeanor of the band, but I remember not feeling impressed by what I was listening to. Either way I stayed for the whole set, but that’s because they had free sliders and Heineken.
Sponsor: Probably Heineken.
MP3: Sundress – Derelict from Sundress (2011)
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Thomas Wesley Stain
Band: Thomas Wesley Stain
Venue: Somewhere on the street
Thoughts: Listened to one song and watched already drunk people dance to their music. I tried to look up their music at home but there’s nothing. C’mon guys! Get a bandcamp website at least!
Sponsor: Life on the Street
MP3: None…c’mon guys! Marketing!
The Apache Relay
The Apache Relay
The Apache Relay
Band: The Apache Relay
Venue: The Bat Bar
Thoughts: I don’t usually associate lasers and fog with uplifting folk-pop bands but the owner of the Bat Bar was insisting all night that the fog machine be pointed directly at the audience members and not at the band. Anyway, The Apache Relay brought a fairly high energy and passionate performance for the ever growing crowd at this particular showcase. It wasn’t anything I haven’t heard before but I did enjoy the onstage chemistry with the various band members. For me, even if the music isn’t completely interesting, as long as the band is into it, I’m on board.
Sponsor: Obnoxious Bar Owners Obsessed with Fog Machines
MP3: The Apache Relay – Home is Not Places from American Nomad (2011)
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Ume
Ume
Ume
Ume
Band: Ume
Venue: The Bat Bar
Thoughts: I was really looking forward to witnessing Lauren Larson and her band Ume demolish the stage. I wasn’t disappointed. Well, maybe a little. It’s true that Lauren’s stage presence is fairly intimidating and physically ferocious. She whips her hair and guitar like a death metal queen up in flames. So the performance aspect was there, however a few songs were indecipherable due to poor sound and over distortion. In addition, the vocals would cut out and she would become visibly aggravated, which she took out on that poor guitar of hers. Anyway, if the music they played that night matched the energy they projected, Ume would be unstoppable.
Sponsor: Bad Ass Bitches Who Play Guitar
MP3: Ume – Captive from Phantoms (2011)
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Yellow Ostrich
Yellow Ostrich
Band: Yellow Ostrich
Venue: The Bat Bar
Thoughts: After a few sound issues (like every SXSW show), Yellow Ostrich took the stage with multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Jon Natchez at the helm. These guys brought something refreshing to this line-up and projected this elevating harmonic sound that grabbed pretty mush everyone at this showcase. People lined up outside the open window to observe this unique indie-pop powerhouse. 2012 seems to be a pretty good year for this band and you could feel it in that room.
Sponsor: The Sweet Sounds of Awesomeness
MP3: Yellow Ostrich – Marathon Runner from Strange Land (2012)
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Caveman
Caveman
Band: Caveman
Venue: The Bat Bar
Thoughts: Caveman have been on the cusp of making it in a Local Natives-kind of way and if their shows fit the formula that was displayed that night, it won’t be much longer now. Listening to Caveman you wouldn’t expect the amount of fervor and devotion to the band’s vision that would be experienced live. I for one was expecting a calm late-nite set to wind down to, but instead I got a delightful series of songs with infectious drumming and crowd pleasing harmonies.
Sponsor: Geico
MP3: Caveman – Thankful from CoCo Beware (2011)
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