The Set List

SXSW Finale: The Sun Has Gone to Bed And So Must I

One item I did not have a chance to slip in. A performer was near the end of set and when she was told one, she started talking about her last number of the night. The person holding up the single finger corrected her, shouting "one minute." She regrouped, walked to the step ladder at the side of the stage, reached  back into musical theater history and started singing "the sun has gone to bed and so must I" from  "The Sound of Music's" "So Long, Farewell" as she lowered herself down the steps.
The sun has set on yet another festival and here's a rundown of our coverage.
Overall, the 22nd edition of South By Southwest was a success thanks to a lack of overly hyped bands and an abundance of acts making music on their own terms.   
Day Four was a spin through international sounds.
Day Three found winners in Kate Walsh and Billy Bragg and impressive sets from Duffy, Lykke Li and Laura Marling.
Day Two's revelation: Some bands attract audiences who actually know the music and the charm of Jens Lekman.
Day One was old-timer's day: Daryl Hall, Joe Ely, Daniel Lanois and Van Morrison.
A photo gallery is here
Notes on parties: New West Records, Guitartown and the Ponderosa Stomp.
When all was said and done:
INTERVIEWS: 18, 16 of which are on video
PERFORMANCES: 36
HOURS LISTENING TO LIVE MUSIC: 35
SPEECHES ATTENDED: 1
PANELS: 0
REGRETS: Not taking the RMAT trivia test; missing the Lou Reed tribute; having to pass on the Rolling Stones movie in IMAX;
FAVORITES: Talking residential architectural styles in the Northeast with Daryl Hall;  Billy Bragg's  "Old Clash Fan Fight Song"; everything about My Brightest Diamond in conversation and performance; Torchy's trashy trailer park tacos; Kate Walsh's "Tonight"; four days of never hearing the word "ringtone"; Van Morrison singing about drinking wine; the elk at Jezebel restaurant; the remarkable interplay between the members of Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet; a big band playing on a rooftop around 6 p.m., a glorious brass sound cascading over 2nd Street and masking uneventful hard rock from several blocks away 

SXSW Day 4: The Brilliance of DeVotchKa

If bands at SXSW were ranked like college basketball teams, DeVotchKa would be a contender for No. 1.
The Denver-based punk-gypsy outfit plays with confidence, speed and finesse. They compose fearlessly. And they organically create a sound that comes into its own "A Mad and Faithful Telling," which Anti- will release Tuesday.
Forty-minute set Saturday afternoon was performed stripped down without the string quartet that will accompany the band on a European tour in April followed by a monthlong U.S. trek that begins April 26 at Coachella. Personally, this was the triumph of the festival.
The ultimate fusion band, they bounce frenetically between eastern Europe traditions, disco beats and the sounds of spaghetti Westerns; the singing is full-throated and romantic; the blend of guitar,  violin, trumpets and sousaphone astonishingly well meshed.
It could be filed under "world music" but that cuts short its ambitiousness and applicability in the rock 'n' roll realm. What they do is seamless, and just hours after seeing them display a brilliant melange, I happened to catch an example of the blend not quite working properly with Lobi Traore and Joep Pelt.
Traore is a brilliant guitarist from Mali who makes largely acoustic records on his own. Pelt, also a guitarist but from Amsterdam, has partnered with Traore over the last several years to provide a forum for the dance music he plays at home. The blending of the two does not come together so organically and there's little sign of their years working together. Pelt lacks the grace and warmth of Traore and has placed himself as an equal, with does not work in a convincing fashion.
Prior to them taking the stage, kora player Boubacar Diebate played a lengthy and engrossing set backed by electric guitar, upright bass and saxophone. Diebate, a native of Senegal who now lives in Boulder, Colo., arrived in Austin with no band and created the ensemble during his stay in town. The saxophonist, a new Austin arrival from Detroit named Joshua Thompson, met Diebate the day before the gig; no one was quite sure about the bassist's surname; and the guitarist, whose fulltime job is as bassist in Traore's band, became part of Diebate's ensemble and hour before showtime. Whatever criticisms I had about certain Western bass lines working better than others were tossed out soon after the show, a unique blending of skills and styles that existed for one night only.
The Saturday tally:
HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 12:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m./8 p.m.-midnight
PERFORMERS SEEN: 11
ACTS INTERVIEWED: One
ACTS UNFORTUNATELY MISSED: She and Him, Jim James, the Ting Tings, Santogold, Joe Ely, R.E.M., a Lou Reed tribute, Why?, Wooden Shjips, Ryan Bingham, Vinicio Capossela, Black Mountain, Freddie Stevenson, Duke Spirit, Fellice Brothers
 

SXSW Day 3: Kate Walsh, Billy Bragg and a Perfect Song

A real rarity arose Friday, and in a sea of hyperbole, it almost feels like I am feeding right into the machine.But after catching  two performances by Kate Walsh, I am convinced she has penned a perfect song in "Tonight."
Perfection, it's all in the eye of the beholder, but to me, this is a case of a song constructed and performed in a way that feels unchangeable. What she has to say, how she says it and the manner in which just a bare acoustic guitar backs her are unimpeachable; there's no need for addition or subtraction.
Like Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," another perfect song, "Tonight" relies on emotional honesty that displays a range and instrumentation that provides a subplot while complementing the lyrics.
Walsh, a 24-year-old from Brighton, England, whose U.S. debut "Tim's House" has been released by Verve Forecast, wrote "Tonight" about one-night stands. As she expresses an acceptance of her situation, she finger-picks in a higher register, a hint that inside there's fear and tears. Her guitar strumming builds - heavy breathing and a rapid heartbeat? - and she enters with a verse of resignation before rising to a moment of exultation.
The song calms down and a feeling of recrimination arises, turning the song's ultimate point to human need and the emotional gap created by romantic indifference. It's a powerful piece and a marvelous accomplishment for a young writer whose musical vocabulary is just beginning to develop. For more critical analysis of the day's shows, go here.
Elsewhere on Friday:
HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; 3 p.m.-1 a.m.
PERFORMERS SEEN: 16
ACTS INTERVIEWED: One
BEST SETS: My Brightest Diamond at Central Presbyterian Church; Laura Marling at Ninety Proof Lounge
BILLY BRAGG TO THE RESCUE: Amid performances of songs from his new Anti- album "Mr. Love & Justice," the fabled Brit storyteller-protest singer urged a gathering of music managers to put up a fight for the future."The real enemy of people wanting to make a better world is cynicism. ... I have been doing this for 25 years. When I raised a glass (at my 50th birthday party last year) I was grateful that I had been able to do what I dreamed of doing. Everything else is icing. (The focus) needs to be on the kids with their first contractual opportunity. Their careers are the ones on the line. (They play music) for people with 30,000 songs on their computers and they're not bandits or thieves. Engage withs world and on their terms. Stand up for this. The public doesn't care about rock stars but they do care about kids. Overcome cynicism. It's down to us." With that he launched into the glorious "I Keep Faith."
ARTISTS AS FANS: Part of the fun of SXSW is seeing established acts enjoying others. Mick Jones of the Clash and Carbon/Silicon, for example, has been spotted on the street sharing cigarettes and stories with young musicians and Friday he and current bandmate Tony James took in Duffy's set at the Fader/Levi's party. My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden asked her audience during a midnight show what acts people had seen and liked. She received a single response: Lightspeed Champion.
COOL INSTRUMENTS OF THE DAY: Worden's enriching set included her playing the kalimba - and African thumb piano - backed by her string quartet. The duo Ladyfingers uses guitar and an open-backed six-sting banjo, an instrument from the 1930s that found favor for a short while with jazz guitarists of the day.
   

 

SXSW Day Two: Grading Crowd Noise

Every venue on Thursday had its fair share of interesting audience response, which seemed directly proportional to audience preparedness.
Local trio the Evangelicals were greeted initially with caution and Jens Lekman and Bon Iver found attentive and appreciative crowds. But it was Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers that were greeted with over-the-top enthusiasm, a spirit that remained throughout their 35 minutes at the Thirsty Nickel.
Playing music rooted in the work of the Band and filtered in a way that makes one wonder if a lighter version of the Counting Crows is commercially viable, it makes perfect sense that this act would appeal to a post-collegiate crowd in Texas.
Au contraire. Kellogg detailed seven years of submitting applications to SXSW only to be rejected six times. Last year they received a thumbs up, but the band was forced to stay home in Massachusetts due to bad weather. Thursday was not only their first show at SXSW, it was their first show in Austin.
Kellogg half jokingly referred to the Sixers as a "buzz band," using finger quotes, on the heels of positive reception for last year's album "Glassjaw."
HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
PERFORMERS SEEN: Eight
ACTS INTERVIEWED: Eight
BEST SET: Jens Lekman at Emo's
CRAZIEST MEDLEY OF COVERS: Stephen Kellogg uses as a conceit, the music that might have been playing while audience members were conceived and delivers the marathon number decade by decade. I think I have them all - "That's Amore" / "Great Balls of Fire" / "Age of Aquarius" / ""Always on My Mind" / "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" / "Physical" / "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" / "Pour Some Sugar on Me" / "Hero" (That last one has him speculating about underage drinkers.
TV PARTY: Mick Jones and Tony James of Carbon/Silicon - or more rightfully the Clash and Gen X, respectively, are huge HBO fans. Both say "The Sopranos" and "Deadwood" are their favorite shows; James is more keen on "Entourage" than Jones" and both were thrilled by the "Extras" Christmas special. 
JOHN ZORN NAME-CHECKS: Lou Reed, My Brightest Diamond
L.A. BAND TO CHECK OUT UPON RETURNING: Bodies of Water
WORST BAR SERVICE: El Rio
More observations on music and parties.

Lou Reed Figures History is On His Side

Hal Wilner interviewed Lou Reed for SXSW’s keynote address and Reed, maybe because of the early hour, was typically irascible.

He talked about his music being misunderstood, problems with music critics and the industry in general, the horrible sound quality of MP3s and the manner in which the world’s problems that informed “Berlin” in 1973 are occurring in the 21st century.

“Berlin” was staged for five concerts in Brooklyn -- “not in L.A., the music business town,” Reed pointed out -- and filmed by Julian Schnabel. It was shown Tuesday and will head to Europe for more screenings before returning to the U.S. in the summer.

“It’s emotional music,” Reed said after a performance clip of “Men of Good Fortune” was screened for the packed house.

“In 1973, a lot of the songs dealt with things, some of which is going on now. I don’t know if people relate to it.

“It’s based on Othello and Desdemona. It’s about intense jealousy and in that sense it’s romantic. Everyone has experience jealousy. I though people could relate to it easily and not be offended. To dislike this because of the subject matter is narrow-minded.”

Reed offered thoughts about a variety of subjects.

ON SONGWRITING: “I don’t know if I know how to do it. If I did I would have written ‘Son of Wild Side’ and would now have a Caribbean island.”

ON PUNK: We made city music. We said no R&B licks, no blues licks because we can’t do that. Aggressive steel street action -- that’s punk. Now it exists and it will last forever.

ON CREATING MUSIC: “What I have going for me is instinct. Thinking won’t get me to where I want to go. Instinct makes the music. “

ON TECHNOLOGY : "MP3s have very bad sound. If you find out you like good sound you have to go out and get a good unit to play over. If the guy making the record likes good sound, the price goes up.
People have to have higher standards. Some might say ‘that’s elitist.’ You can get any song you want in the world. If you don’t care about good sound, none of this matters for a second.
“If no one cares, it will stay the same. Technology is talking us backwards, making it easier to make things worse.”

YOUNG BANDS HE ENJOYS: Dr. Dog, Melt-Banana, Holy Fuck, Joan as Police Woman.
“I look to a young group for energy. They all have energy.”

‘BERLIN’ PART II: “(Filming) ‘Berlin’ was not an audition. But I think about doing ‘Magic and Loss’ or ‘Street Hassle’, putting together songs (that share a similar) milieu. I dream on.”

SXSW Day One, By The Numbers

It was a bit of old timer’s day on Wednesday’s opening of the 22^nd edition of SXSW. Long-time visitors were wondering how they might having to set up at Stubb’s three or four hours early to catch R.E.M.; Daryl Hall opened DirecTV’s Convention Center club; and chit-chat nearly always got around to the quality of Van Morrison’s performance on Tuesday.

For this reviewer, here was the breakdown.

HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 4 p.m. to midnight

PERFORMERS SEEN: Seven

ACTS INTERVIEWED: Eight

TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Lubbock native and longtime Austinite Joe Ely is working on a documentary on C.B. Stubblefield, the barbecue cook from Ely’s hometown of Lubbock, Texas, whose Stubb’s Barbecue is a staple of the Austin music scene. Ely started in October and has been rounding up footage and blues performers to record for the indie documentary, which he figures should ready for screenings this time next year.

DARYL HALL’S SET LIST:You Make My Dreams / Everything Your Heart Desires / Cab Driver / Can’t Stop Dreaming / Someone Like You / It’s Uncanny / Maneater / Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood / Sara Smile / Kiss is on My List

ONLY IN AUSTIN MOMENT: Jimmie Dale Gilmore and his son Colin waiting outside a restaurant for his daughter and grandkids.

BEVERAGES CONSUMED BESIDES BEER AND COFFEE: 2005 Marchesi di Gresy Langhe Nebbiolo; one Diet Coke

MEALS EATEN WITH SILVERWARE: 0

SXSW Attendees: Get Out Your Calendars and Pencils

The showcase shedule has been posted. Jessica Hoop sounds like a good way to start the fest.

Van Morrison Looks Forward, Lemonheads Look Back at SXSW

Van Morrison and the Lemonheads will be making their first ever appearances at South By Southwest.
SXSW has booked Morrison for a  March 12 show at the La Zona Rosa to preview songs from his next Lost Highway release "Keep It Simple" (out April 1).
The Lemonheads will perform "It's A Shame About Ray" in its entirety the same night at Emo's Annex. Performance is in celebration of Rhino's March 25 release of "collector's edition" of the 1992 album.On the tour that accompanied the album's release, the shows were remarkably short.

Billy Bragg Leads U.K. Charge At SXSW

Billy Bragg, who delivered some great performances two years ago at SXSW, will return to Austin to perform at a showcase party being thrown by the Anti- label in partnership with  the Utne Reader. Showcase takes place March 13 at the Cedar Street Courtyard and will include performances by Anti- artists Devotchka, Bragg, the Weakerthans, Man Man, Tim Fite and Islands.
Bragg will be performing songs from his first album in six years, "Mr. Love and Justice" which will be released April 22. Record includes perfs from Ian McLagan and Robert Wyatt.
Beyond Bragg, there is a litany of U.K. events in the daylight.
 
Wednesday, 3-6 p.m.at Latitude 30 (512 San Jacinto Blvd)
Belfast Nashville Sister City
Foy Vance, Beth Nielsen-Chapman, Brian Houston, Stephanie Dosen, Eilidh, Patterson, Justin Townes Earle.

Thursday,  Noon-3 p.m.at Brush Square
Scouting for Girls, the Rascals

Thursday, 3-6 p.m.at Latitude 30 (512 San Jacinto Blvd)
New Music from Wales
Christopher Rees, Victorian English Gentleman's Club, plus some special guests TBC

Friday, noon-2:30 p.m.at Latitude 30 (512 San Jacinto Blvd)
New Music from Northern Ireland Party
The Answer, Oppenheimer, Driving By Night, In Case Of Fire

Friday, 3-6 p.m.at Latitude 30 (512 San Jacinto Blvd)
Showcasing Scotland
Sons & Daughters, Frightened Rabbit, Dykeenies, Make Model, Jyrojets, Our Lunar Activities

Saturday, Noon at Mean Eyed Cat  (1621 W. 5th St.)
Bootleg BBQ presented by British Underground and Mojo
Liz Green, Johnny Flynn and the Susssex Wit, Laura Marling, F**k Buttons, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, The Felice Brothers, Kitty Daisy and Lewis

Saturday, 3-6 p.m.at Latitude 30 (512 San Jacinto Blvd)
Liverpool Sound City
The Wombats, The Rascals, The Sonic Hearts, The Whip, John Smith

SXSW By The Numbers

SXSW has released the first list of acts that will be playing the festival in Austin. While it's impossible to know who we'll actually be able to see, it is a fun time-waster to break it down according to the numbers. Austin360 goes the extra mile and includes a website link for every band.
AUSTIN ACTS IN THE FEST: 154
LOS ANGELES ACTS: 96
ACTS FROM NYC'S FIVE BOROUGHS: 168
OF THE 168, NUMBER FROM STATEN ISLAND: 1
3 FAVORITE NAMES: Grim Skunk, Ravens & Chimes, Screamin' Cyn Cyn & The Pons
BANDS WITH THE WORD BLACK IN THE TITLE: 26
NUMBER OF ACTS ALREADY SEEN: 51 or so
86 bands I'd be interested in seeing are after the jump

SXSW Fights For the Right To Block Parties

SXSW organizers have spent nearly a year reasserting itself as the primary party  in Austin the week prior to St. Patrick's Day, declaring that the  companies  sponsoring  daytime events with free beer and significant acts need to slide into the back seat.
The Austin American-Statesman's 360 blog is letting Roland  Swenson tell his side of the story in a series of email Q&A's.
Swenson says corporately sponsored parties only book headliners and that trend will most likely put SXSW out of business. "These corporations are using our name, our work, our reputation and our event to further their own business goals at our expense, and never acknowledge they are doing so. ...  We’ve watched huge events like ours collapse when they had once seemed invulnerable. Nothing in those cities has successfully replaced the events that collapsed. Despite what some people seem to think, artists and music fans from around the world won’t continue to flock."
Speaking of festivals, the Daily Swarm has captured NME's Super Tuesday version of a rock 'n' roll DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN.

SXSW's Sweet Soul Salvation: Darondo

Van Morrison wants no part of a crowded Sixth Street, badges or barbecue, choosing to perform in Austin a day before the SXSW music fest starts to get under way.
After announcing some big names that will be making it to the festival, SXSW organizers have started to announce details of the fest's bread-and-butter, the label showcases, the re-discoveries and the international acts making their way tot he States, often for the first time.
Twenty-five years ago, San Francisco soul singer Darondo dropped out after releasing some compelling singles that combined a Curtis Mayfield-falsetto, the reverb of "What's Goin' On" and a Memphis beat, opening for James Brown and tooling around the Bay Area in a Rolls Royce. The label Luv n Haight/Ubiquity has resissued Darondo's work from the 1970s and in December he made his first appearance in ages. Ubiquity will also be bringing Ohmega Watts, Brownout, DJ Pari and DJ Chicken George.
Brit rapper Dizzee Rascal will perform alongside El-P and Del the Funkee Homosapien. Jammer and The Newham Generals, hot acts on London’s grime music scene, will also be performing.
Other international hip-hop and pop acts include South Africa’s Tumi, Brazil's  Marcelo D-2 and Planet Hemp, Norway's Lars Vaular, Montreal’s Giselle Numba 1 and Mala Rodriguez from Barcelona.
Avant/experimental German label Tomlab will team with the hip-hop deconstructionist crew Anticon.
unsuspecting public. Label's showcase includes Taipei-New York duo Misha,  psychedelic folk rockers Thee Oh Sees, Hey Willpower and No Kids.
Others booked include Sally Shapiro, the Acorn, Laura Barrett, Cadence Weapon, the Russian Futurists, and the Cansecos.

Dolly Does Austin

Dolly Parton will perform March 14 at the newly refurbished Austin City Music Hall as part of SXSW. BMI is partnering with SXSW on the show.
Parton's first mainstream country album in nearly two decades, "Backwoods Barbie," will be released  Feb. 26 on her new label, Dolly Records. First single is “Better Get To Livin’.”
Austin show is at the end of her U.S. string of dates that start Feb. 28 in Minneapolis. She heads to Europe in June and plans to return to the States for a fall-early winter tour.

Black Crowes Wear 'Warpaint' Across Country

SXSW has released its first official list of acts performing at the Austin, Texas, festival.
For an unknown reason, they did not include the Black Crowes, who will perform new and old material March 15 at Stubbs. (They'll play their new album "Warpaint" at seven U.S. shows in March).
Bands booked for the March 12-16 fest are:
R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Mala Rodriguez, Bun B, Black Keys, Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, Nortec, Barbara Mason, Uffie, Pato Banton, My Brightest Diamond, Vampire Weekend, Ralph "Soul" Jackson, DeVotchka, My Brightest Diamond, Panda, Robyn, MGMT, Tech N9ne and Sia.
UPDATE: Joe Ely will perform with accordionist Joel Guzman on March 13. The two are promoting "Live Cactus," which will be released on his own Rack 'Em Records on March 11.