Austin – Bitches. It’s quite the band name; it provokes a certain sort of reaction, certainly different from what it would be had the band names themselves Flowers, or Puppies. Singer/bassist Blake Ivinson was well aware of this, noting after one audeince member shouted “I love Bitches!” that he was compiling a tape of similar exclamations during shows to play for his mother, who he imagined would be thinking, “What are you doing with your life?”
The band played a fun sort of noise-punk that sounded pretty good, but it was Ivinson’s stage banter that truly made the show. He had a wry, sardonic, dry sort of humour, discussing things such as how their song “Fly Away Home” was inspired by the fact that he thought the message of the Anna Paquin film of the same name was a bit silly. He also commented on how as a kid he was good at the egg and spoon race and the three legged race (ie. he’s not terribly athletic), and mentioned how unhappy he was that the Olympics were coming to London this year, adding, “I suppose it’s a bit like SXSW…” He did make sure to point out though, that playing rock songs is at least better than sports, but it was an astute commentary on how I’m sure many Austinites feel about the annual influx of music industry folk into their city.
Ivinson also took time near the end of their set to trash the sponsors a bit because they couldn’t put up a banner lest it block the ad banner already onstage. “We made it ourselves, what has Pepsi ever made?” he quipped. “I still drink it though,” added drummer Stacy Owen, who often chimed in with additional comments throughout their set. If Ivinson ever decided to set the bass aside and branch out into stand up comedy, I’d consider checking that out as well … as long as he found a way to still keep Owen and her drumkit onstage.
English duo The Big Pink released their second record Future This a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the group after their hit album A Brief History of Love. Would they be a one album wonder like Glasvegas or will they build on that album into something better? Luckily for us, the new record expands on the Big Pink sound and the result is a really good album. The album has surprisingly dropped some of the shoe-gaze/wall of sound elements that made their first album popular, and replaced it with Kasabian like anthems. That works for me.
Check out the first single off the album, titled Stay Gold
Toronto – Are you sick of our SXSW coverage yet? I’m not, but I love that festival and will forever love it. No matter how much I gripe about any problems, make no mistake, SXSW is one of my favorite things on Earth. There is a reason why most people who go once, go again and again. It’s fantastic. Here are our final thoughts from the Panic Manual crew regarding this festival.
Best Act
Ricky: For me, it was OMD. It’s almost unfair, they have a few tracks that shall remain forever timeless, so there’s no way some newbie act will be able to compete with that. Matt & Kim were awesome as well, but I’ve seen them now five times, so I knew what to expect.
Derek: Can I pick two? The Vaccines & Matt & Kim @ Fader Fort
Gary: Datarock, uber energetic and confusingly sophisticated beneath the obnoxious red tracksuits.
Best Moment
:
Ricky: While this year lacked extremely memorable moments (aka Late of the Pier fist fights with security), one of the most heartfelt moments was seeing Edwyn Collins stand up to sing his hit single A Girl Like You. If you know anything about his recent physical troubles, then you can appreciate how Collins, who walks with a cane and sat for most of the show, put forth the effort to stand up and perform his most popular track in front of a relatively small crowd. What a performer.
Paul: Damien Jurado telling the noisy people at the back of the bar to shut up while he was playing. Take that, concert douchebags!
Gary: Getting knocked around by an Asobi Seksu fangirl then getting told-off by a baldheaded guy because I stepped on his girlfriend’s shoe and then getting support from fellow concert goers.
Derek: Fist bumping Aziz Ansari? OMD at the SPIN afternoon? Backstage for Matt & Kim? I could go on, but it was all great.
Biggest Surprise
Ricky: Jonquil and Clock Opera were both exceptional bands that I had previously heard of, but never heard. I’m a fan of both now.
Paul: The Joy Formidable filling in for Raphael Saadiq at Fader Fort. I didn’t know much about them beforehand, but they put on a hell of a show. Also, meeting Troy and Abed from Community out in the street was pretty cool too.
Gary: John Grant.
Derek: Jonquil at the British Embassy were great!
Biggest Disappointment
Ricky: Obviously, missing all of Saturday was a disappointment, but that was unavoidable. Romany Rye was disappointing, but I don’t even know where I heard of them from. They sounded like a jam band that played some random saloon on a highway pit stop.
Paul: Olof Arnalds. She’s got a decent sound, but a little of her goes a long way.
Gary: Toro y moi. It was so disappointing that I forgot about it
Derek: I was hoping for more from Olaf Arnalds. I was also quite disappointed with Those Dancing Days no-show (visa issues)
Best Food
Ricky: How can you pick between the best burger on Earth (Casino El Amino) and one of the best bbq spots I had ever been to (Salt Lick)? You don’t. Call it even.
Paul: Tough call. It was all pretty good. I’ll go with Chuy’s.
Gary: Iron Works; having a beef rib wrapped around my face is gleefully delicious each time, no matter how repetitious.
Our time at SXSW this year was greatly enhanced by Blackbeard Rum, who provided us with many free spiced rum & pepsi drinks at the Spin Loft. There rum was good enough that one of our photographers went to the liquor store and bought a bottle on his way home to the hotel. Apparently, they are new on the market and made by the same Puerto Ricans who make DonQ. I would also like to thank Havianas for giving me free custom flip flops and also to the company Case-Mate for giving me and various people free Iphone skins. Check out their site, you can customize your own case. I’m a sucker for free stuff, what can I say.
What does a band that relies much on reverb sound like when live? I won’t really find out until I next see Beach Fossils. This set of theirs that I went to left a little more to be desired, unfortunately. A few songs in (I think after they played the Horse?), the was a problem with the guitar. The vocal immediately declared “this place sucks”. Although that totally could have been justified – perhaps it was a long simmering irritation from when they were setting up. Anyway, it would appear that the rest of the band knew what was coming, because they started to gyrate like spintops. The vocal finally snapped a little later, breaking a few strings. OK. No big deal. I’ve seen gigs go on sans a few strings. But apparently someone had reached the brink – and the vocal declared again that the audience would either have to wait for him to re-string… or this 5 min set was all they are getting that night. You can imagine a little awkwardness all around. I haven’t heard a single “BOO” up until this point – the audience was still enjoying their show. So, the bass player actually had to come forward and… entertain, by way of stand-up comedy. I, however, couldn’t wait for them to oil the machine and restart. Off I went to the church.
Midlake’s Roscoe was one of those songs that went on single-repeat for days when I first discovered it in 2007, and I’ve been a fan since. Not that having them backup someone did not seem fitting, but I thought I would be much happier watching Midlake. As John Grant’s beefy, tenor voice filled the Central Presbyterian Church, I changed my mind. How could I not listen to someone who lists “Chinese pop, Japanese classical music, and regional Mexican” as his genre? Formerly of the Czars, Grant mentioned that he had almost given up on music, until he met Midlake. A few songs in, I realized that I had heard him before – in Marz, where he sang about a grocery store near his hometown. The format of the set was simple – Grant would rotate between the piano, guitar and vocal, while the rest of Midlake handles the nitty-gritty.
I was surprised that the church, a block down from FOX News (I am serious), would be the setting for this concert… or any concert at all. Sure they hosted Menomena! just before this set. Yet if it isn’t clear by now, John Grant is anything but a conformist. Imagine reciting these words at the altar:
I hope I didn’t destroy your celebration
Or your Bar Mitzvah, birthday party or your Christmas
You tell me that my life is based upon a lie
I casually mention that I pissed in your coffee
I hope you know that all I want from you is sex
To be with someone that looks smashing in athletic wear
Who’s gonna be the one to save me from myself?
You’d better bring a stun gun and perhaps a crowbar
I really don’t know who the fuck you think you are
Can I please see your license and your registration?
Now cast that onto a sky-piercing chorus sung at 100 db – Queen of Denmark was indeed impressive to hear (catch this session on youtube for an idea). A Presbyterian church was also the perfect setting for these bitter confessions. I think it approaches Adia in evoking emotions. The effect was clear – I think more movement would have been detected if this was a Sunday worship. I had to stop taking photos 1-2 songs into the set, because everyone else gave me the evil eye when they were disturbed by the camera shutter. Where Dreams Go To Die is another, similarly moving ballade that they performed this night. Grant’s voice carried substance, was never shrill nor thin, and it seemed to flow effortlessly from him. It may be the benches, but this was the only SXSW concert where I saw a standing ovation from the audience. Now I understand why Midlake was perfectly willing to play the second fiddle. I would go and see this guy live again in a foot-tap.
