SXSW

SXSW Quick Reviews: The Brits – Sam Smith, Chloe Howl, Bipolar Underground, Eagulls, Casual Sex

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Ricky in South By Southwest | Leave a comment

I like British music, this is no lie. So when SXSW comes around, I usually get my fill of British music. Here is some quick hits on bands I saw.

Eagulls – One of the bright up and comers this year, Eagulls’s live show backs the swagger of their noisy yet strangely melodic rock. Lead singer George Mitchell already has the charisma and gravitas for a big star and the band and their music seemed primed for pretty big things.

Bipolar Sunshine – All the things seem like it’s in the right place. However, something about them seemed a bit too by the book. Lead singer Adio Marchant is about as smooth as it gets, but the tracks sound like every other popular indie pop schtick out there. There’s definitely a few songs that I can already see as big radio hits (ala Where Did The Love Go), but I feel like they are capable of more.

Chloe Howl – This red headed fireball might be England’s big hope this year for female stardom. Following on the heels of Charlie XCX, Marina and Ellie Goulding, Chloe Howl hoped to take advantage of the new crowd and launch her north american career. The music was good electro-tinged pop, but I found that she lacked the girl next door charm of Ellie, weirdness of Marina or the don’t really care attitude of Charlie XCX. Maybe she is still trying to find her niche.

Sam Smith – This guy has a fantastic voice and he will probably go places. His falsetto is outrageous and will be the envy of many karaoke singers for years to come Money on my Mind has been stuck in my head for days now after his show. If his debut record carries the strength of the tracks we know from him, this man will be onto many, many big things.

Casual Sex – Perhaps the most humorous band at SXSW, Scotland act Casual Sex showed a lot of fun attitude along with their 80’s inspired post-punk music. Lead singer Sam Smith had some well timed one liners in between songs and even put on lipstick during the set, much to the amusement of the crowd. I’m not sure how much their music will stick, but it was a fun time regardless

SXSW Review: Suzanne Vega, Central Presbyterian Church, March,15

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Gary in South By Southwest | Leave a comment

SXSW is no Montparnasse. Case in point: many of the people at SXSW, ourselves included at times. So it is refreshing to put up an intellectual Trojan horse, if only for an hour, amongst this bastion of commercialized revelry. And that’s what Suzanne Vega did at the Central Presbyterian.

With her newest effort, Tales From The Realm of the Queen of Pentacles, Vega is telling stories and reflections through her songs. Using hand gestures and body language to get her point across, her message was so smartly crafted that it’s hard to argue with. Either inspired by the setting or Vega’s perch in the pulpit wearing a magician’s hat, people around me actually seemed to be praying, appearing to be in deep thought during each song. It’s like she’s preaching from the lectern ala a professor about dress color, child abuse, war, people watching, amongst other intellectual pursuits.

It wasn’t a perfect concert – it was initially marred by sound issues, and then Vega herself ran into a vocal hiccup midway through a song. But her stage presence made it barely noticeable. She diffused the issues, taking time to introduce each number and set up the audience through humor. Predictably, she ended the set with “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner.” Since she is on tour promoting her new album, I would encourage y’all to go to a show. With class and style, it’s a world apart from what the current crop of artists represent.

SXSW Review: Cairn String Quartet, March 14, The Hideout

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Paul in South By Southwest | Leave a comment

Increasingly over the last few years, the question arises of how likely it is for a band to break out big at SXSW. With more and more acts crowding the landscape at the festival, one wonders how viable it is to make the trek to Austin. If you’re not already a heavily buzzed indie act, mega-popstar, or gimmicky joke band featuring a former child star, the chances of being noticed above all the other noise are iffy. That said, if you’ve got something special going for you and a bit of luck, there’s still a chance you’ll stand out and just may fare better than that guy who’s handing out CDs and flyers to promote his showcase slot at 11 am in the backyard of a chiropodist’s office. It’s quite possible that Scotland’s Cairn String Quartet might have that something special to help them stand out.

A quartet known for playing arrangements of songs by popular acts such as Daft Punk, CHVRCHES, and Franz Ferdinand, these four ladies from Glasgow appeared onstage wearing matching t-shirts emblazoned with the time and date of their showcase (a cute bit of self-promotion) and proceeded to wow the crowd with their setlist, which included a medley of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and Pharrell’s “Happy” as well as a song from some film they had seen on the plane ride over to Austin. They were not only very talented players, but kind of charming onstage. Sure, string quartets have been known to cover pop tunes before, but to see it performed live by skilled players is something else and besides, they’re definitely a sight better than some schmaltzy string quartet tribute to James Blunt or some horribleness. Definitely something a bit different and a nice respite from the craziness that is SXSW on a Friday.

SXSW Concert Review: Big Freedia

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Ricky in South By Southwest | Leave a comment

Possibly the top highlight of SXSW was Big Freedia. A rapper? from New Orleans, Big Freedia specialized in something called “bounce music” which is something I have never heard of or experienced.

Until Wednesday.

Taking the stage at Fader, Big Freedia and her dancers engaged the crowd in an epic party that really just blew our collective minds. If you ever wonder about how twerking became popular, you need not look further then Big Freedia.

I don’t even know what to say, the whole set consisted of Big Freedia rapping instructions over an extremely fast beat to her dancers, who depending on male or female, would either twerk their asses off or do some crazy pop and locks. The lyrics for Big Freedia pretty much go like this

“Get your ass up! Get Your ass up!”
“Ass everywhere Ass everywhere!”
“Go! Go! Go!”
“Hands on the floor! Hands on the floor!”
“Grab your ankles! Grab your ankles!”

To the casual observer, it might seem demeaning, but everyone was having a blast. At one point, Big Freedia invited people on stage to twerk, and there literally was a mass rush to go on stage to twerk. Not to be outdone, Big Freedia would twerk along with everyone as well. It was just so different..and so awesome. The fun factor for this show was through the roof, and the enthusiasm and energy from the on stage performers easily permeated through the crowd. There wasn’t a single soul who didn’t have their hands up whenever Big Freedia demanded it. Everyone was on board.

Just an epically good time.

Can’t miss show if Big Freedia strolls through your town.

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