SXSW 2006: Friday

Black Lipstick at Bella Blue Boutique

I hadn't actually seen these guys before and I have to say they totally rocked out. I had heard some of the Octopus Project remix album of their stuff a long time ago and honestly have to say I wasn't too impressed with it. Their performance was lively and the songs were very engaging. I also thought it was totally cool that they have a chick drummer. She was really good, too, although there were a few instances during a song where I kind of had the feeling she was making up the drumline as she went along. I don't know how else to explain it. I liked it, though- I felt like it worked.

During the finale of the performance, the band was joined by Josh Lambert and Toto Miranda of the Octopus Project and so they had like 6 guys with guitars all playing together, facing away from the audience and everytime they hit the end of the chord progression everybody leaned backwards to look at the crowd upside-down. It was pretty funny. I have to give them full marks for being goofy. I think what made it even funnier was that they kept on doing this like 50 times. You kept thinking, ok, this is the grand finale! Then they did it again. Then you're like "Ok, surely these guys are getting sick to their stomachs by now from leaning over like that." Then they did it again! and again! etc, etc. I got a kick out of it.

I bought one of their cds so I may be able to blog more about them once I get to listen to it and refresh my memory about their sound.


Palaxy Tracks at Bella Blue

I think I saw this band once before and I liked their kind of tripped-out space-rock sound. But for some reason I just couldn't get into them this time. I got bored and went into the boutique to look at cute girly stuff and drank a beer.


The Octopus Project at Bella Blue

I had shown up so late that I thought I would only get there in time to see these guys (who were, after all, the main reason for my going to the show at all), but the show was runnign about an hour and a half behind. I thought they sounded as awesome as ever, even being outside like that were the acoustics weren't exactly perfect. There was a fence behind them that probably helped. Everybody in the band seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

The band was augmented by the inclusion of a new guitarist, namely the dude from Palaxy Tracks, Brandon (I got less lazy and actually looked up his name on the web site). Josh's bass licks were as potent as ever, and Toto looked at several moments like his arms were actulaly going to fly off of his body while he played drums.

I've noticed at the last several OctoProj shows I've been to that Yvonne has really gone to town on the theremin. I've only been listening to the band for about 2 and a half years now (since I first arrived in Austin) so I can't say for sure, but it seems to me like her ability on the instrument has vastly increased. On no individual song is this more evident than on "Rorol", a cut off their debut album, Identification Parade. It's clear even from listening to the recorded version that her technical prowess has increased, since she's playing more complicated phrasing and, based on my impressions of the song, her accuracy has increased. Of course, seeing her play is a sight to behold.

They played one new song that I hadn't heard before, while I was waiting in line for the bathroom (unfortunately, the one beer made its presence known and I just couldn't wait until the end of the show...) The girl behind me in line and I agreed that the new song, which is rather upbeat and catchy, made a good "bathroom-dance" song.

They finished the set with a cover of a song I didn't recognize. It paled in comparison to the quality of their originals.


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We were all too lame and tired to go out and see their midnight show that night, so we went home and watched a movie instead.

SXSW- Thursday

Experimental Aircraft at LaunchPad studios

On Thursday, this is the only show I managed to see. I had plans to see other shows, but for various reasons none of those other plans panned out.

Ex-Air played 1 or 2 new songs that I really liked. The guy that does some vocals kind of entertains me. He sounded like he wanted to be a circa-1980s English punk singer or something. I never realized before how good Ex-Air's bassist is. I wish I would have blogged this right after it happened, when my memory of the performance was more up-to-date.

Most of the band members sounded good, but I'm sorry to say that I've never heard Rachel Goldstar's vocals sound so off. She actually sounded really flat to me at quite a few points. I kept wondering if her monitor wasn't working or something. After singing "Symphony," (probably my favorite Experimental Aircraft song) she even said that she totally had botched it. I seriously think she was just off that day, or maybe the monitor wasn't loud enough. I know she is capable of singing much better.

Later on that night we couldn't get in to see Flogging Molly so everybody came over to my place and we hung out for a coupla hours, drank a few beers, eventually watched Napoleon Dynamite.

SXSW 2006: Wednesday

Well Wednesday got off to a really good start for me. I have decided to avoid the crowds this year and go to as many free shows as possible. I'm going to try to get more into blogging again; I've been to a lot of shows and stuff but just haven't felt super inspired.

Day Show: End of an Ear record store on S. First

Rachel Goldstar

Unforunately I couldn't sneak out of work until 3, so I missed the beginning of her show. What I saw impressed me as much as ever, though. Her solo work sounds very much akin to the sounds I've heard from her band, Experimental Aircraft. Playing with a girl bassist whom I'd never seen before (sorry, I forgot her name) and Cheapos-record-store guy Carlos on drums, Rachel produced standing waves of harmonic resonance, with layer upon layer of distortion produced with the aid of a 12-string electirc, at least one acoustic guitar, some kinda old-school synth keyboard and and her sweet-sounding vocals on top.

Tunng

Some weird band I'd never heard of from the UK, consisting of at least 6 people (somehow they all fit into that little corner of the record store) came in and produced a weird mix of folk and techno-tronic sounds that reminded me of Broken Social Scene only more melodic and less annohying. Although they were still a little bit annoying. A lot of weird percussion instruments were used, including fruity twinkling sounds that kind of made me think of that song "Age of Aquarius" or something along those lines and this weird crashing sound effect that Octopus Projec t (aka the Best Band from Austin, EVER) uses on one of their songs. Overall, fairly entertaining.

My Education

My second-favorite band from Austin delivered. They only played 3 songs, (of course, each song is like 6-12 mins) but it was 3 songs worth of pure sonic enthrallment. The drummer seemed more keyed-up than ever to me. I don't even know what else to say. I am pretty sure I recognized all of the songs, even though I actually haven't listened to these guys in quite a while. I'm sure if their "real" SXSW performance lived up to the standard they set at this day show, they are probably going to gain in popularity this year. -Which actually kind of sucks, for us the fans.


SXSW: Hurts to Purr at Caribbean Lights (KUT Songwriter showcase)

I had never heard of this club before, but we finally found it over on 6th street next to Emo's. Going inside it was immediately apparent that this is not the crowd I typically see at shows. Considering that the showcase was hosted by public Radio, I guess that makes sense =)

Lead singer and pianist Liz Pappademos was barely recognizable with her newly-shorn locks (well I'm assuming it was a recent change, anyways, since I saw her perform only like a month ago or something and her hair was shoulder-length-ish). Her drummer (I think his name is Jason or Jeremy? something like that) was really good, but I was disappointed to see that the bassist wasn't there. It looks like, sadly, Hurts to Purr is really already over. Which is really sad becasue they made one really good record, ya know? And Liz is off to California to start anew, so maybe we'll hear from her again.

Liz's ballad about the earthquake she experienced as a child in San Francisco was especially poignant in light of her impending departure. Her voice really shone on "I didn't Mean it" (the opening track off their eponymous album), and the song they opened up the set with, "at 6 months" (well actually i'm just assuming that's the title because i'm too lazy to look it up) was especially catchy and engaging. I was really quite impressed with the drummer and can only hope to see him around town playing with another band, perhaps. Good drummers are always in high demand.

My favorite moment in the set, though, was when Liz made the unwise move of opening it up for requests (they had more time than she'd planned for). Naturally I loudly requested my favoriate song off the cd, "House" (only I asked for it wrong because I did'nt know the real title... what can i say? I know all the lyrics, i just never look at the cd case). That song is just too frickin' awesome. I was intrigued to hear how it would sound with only piano, drums and vocals, and I wasn't disappointed. The set was closed out with a rousing rendition of Paula Abdul's "Straight UP now tell me" (ok, once again i'm too, too lazy to look up the real title. but all of us 20-something hipsters remember that song).

Wow, you know times are changing when early-nineties kitsch becomes hip.

*sigh* I wish I could have seen Hurts to Purr when all 3 band members were still part of it. Ah well. Nevertheless the show was totally worthwhile and I'm sad that Liz is leaving Austin. Her piano skills are unstoppable.

Well, that's my commentary thus far. More to follow.

Octopus Project cd release @ Emo's, Sat Feb 5th, 2005

So, after declining to mention at least half a dozen shows, I'm trying to get back on track for the rest of 2005...

part 1- the scene

We arrived at Emo's around 10:30 and I was amazed to see the place festively decorated with streamers and fabric in assorted colors- white, pink and green. Most of the nasty pictures on the walls had been covered with strips of cloth with black-and-white montages containing images of Octopus Projects' friends and family. Twinkle lights abounded, creating a cheerful ambience. The place was fairly packed out when we arrived, and it got progressively more crowded as the night wore on.

I glimpsed band members Josh Lambert and Toto Miranda, and went over to verify they truly had copies of their cd this time (their sophomore release has been long in coming, having been promised to Octopus fans as long ago as their March 2004 SXSW performance). They reassured me that indeed, the cd was available and in mass quantities. Josh also mentioned that it included my favorite song of theirs, "Hold the Ladder." I was surprised they had even recognized me, (considering how different my current haircut is since last time I saw them) much less remembered what my favorite song was. I really like to see it when bands take an interest in their fans like that. It just proved again that in addition to being great musicians, the members of Octopus Project are just all-around nice folks.


part 2- AM Syndicate:

We had missed the first band, Bring Back the Guns, so the first group we heard was the 7-piece local act AM Syndicate. I regret to report that, despite putting in an admirable effort, their performance was one of the worst I've seen in Austin. I had high hopes at first when they seemed poised to deliver some hard-hitting space rock- the opening drumbeats promised better things that didn't come. The vocals were muffled and betrayed lack of good singing technique. The overall sound was muddy, muddy, muddy. The sax just didn't fit in at all- I got the feeling it was added in as an afterthought, for no reason at all.

The violin actually made me feel bad. I could tell that the melody the girl was playing would have worked, had it been in the same key the rest of the band was playing. Now, I don't consider my ear to be especially sensitive. Often I check my guitar with an electronic tuner to make sure it's really in-tune. But it was obvious to me that the violin was just horribly, irrevokably off. I hated being so critical, because I have a feeling the girl playing it wasn't a horrible violinist, but the fact is it made me cringe continually until their set was over. My ears sighed in relief that the set was fairly short.


part 3- Horse + Donkey

We were sitting to the side of the stage during this act, taking a break, and I never got a good look at the whole band, but I think there were just 3 of them- a guitarist/singer, bassist and freaky-awesome drummer. They played some decent music that I would consider straight-up punk. The lead singer was so skinny it was frightening. I kept expecting him to keel over from malnutrition. He more screamed than sang, but it worked with their music. I was surprised how good it sounded from where we were sitting. I was glad I had earplugs, since the drummer alone was crazy loud. He was also REALLY good. They were a high-energy act that I would definitely see again, although I have no particular interest in hearing a recording of their stuff.


part 4- The Octopus Project returns

The band came in the door toting tons of pink, white, green, black, and yellow balloons which they handed out to excited fans. Kyle snagged me a black balloon (to match my outfit) which I tied around my wrist. Kyle was also holding a bag of balloons inflated with air, which he was instructed to disperse during the first song. We had gotten up to front & center, but a few overzealous fellow fans pushed their way in front of us for much of the show.

As usual, the band took like 20 minutes to set up their stuff. It felt like forever. This dude from Bring Back the Guns kept yelling at them to hurry up and play music, which seemed especially obnoxious to me considering that he tours with them, so he of all people should know that they ALWAYS take forever to set up their stuff.

The band had truly gone all-out. Josh, Toto and frequent guest guitarist Eric, were garbed in gray suits and ties. The ever-elegant Yvonne Lambert, slender as a gazelle, was decked out in a sequined mini-dress and sparkly eye shadow. Her hair was as sleek and perfectly bell-shaped as usual. They brought up more stage decorations that I'd ever seen them use, all themed to match the new album cover (as we would later discover).

When the band leapt into their first song, we were in for a surprise when Toto (I think he did it?) hit the lights and we saw tons of twinkle lights blaze through from behind the pink backdrop. Cascades of gold glitter showered off of Toto's drums and scattered around on the green covering under their feet.

The audience participation was as great as I've seen at any of their shows. Just about everybody I saw clapped along with the intro to "Righteous Bird and Ape." We also clapped along with "The Way Things Are" (both of the aforementioned songs being on their first album, Identification Parade). The show was also more crowded than any other Octopus Project performance I've attended, with the possible exception of last year's SXSW appearance. I haven't been to any concert where more energy radiated out of the crowd, and I think the band reflected it back in their performance. The band members were all smiles as they tore through one great rendition after another.

Highlights of the show included some of my favorite songs, like "The Adjustor", "Exit Counselor" (which I believe they opened with), and of course a slightly different rendering of "Hold the Ladder." I've never heard them play that song the same way twice. I had expected them to play "What they Found" but they didn't, which would have been disappointing if all their other songs weren't so good as well. As usual, watching Yvonne play the theremin on "Rorol" was a spell-binding experience. The crowd was also treated to a rare "deep cut" when they played the first song they had ever written.

As they closed out with "Music is Happiness" (one of their best songs I've heard so far), there was a shared feeling of regret that they weren't allowed to play any more that night. In fact, the staff of Emo's began insulting the crowd to make us leave. I rushed back to the Merch stand as quickly as possible to get ahold of the new cd.

This was certainly one of the most high-energy Octopus Project shows I've attended, and definitely the best show I've ever seen indoors at Emo's. The only downside was the level of crowding. It's the typical fan's dilemma- you want to see your favorite band succeed, but at the same time you're loathe to have to share them with a ton of other people. I hope their lower-profile shows will continue to feature the intimate, less-crowded atmosphere usually experienced at most Octopus Project concerts.


Part 5- bonus cd review

Octopus Project's sophomore release, One Ten Hundred Thousand Million, was well worth the wait. Delivering stellar versions of songs we've come to know and love at their live shows, such as "Music is Happiness," "Exit Counselor," and "Hold the Ladder," the album also features several songs that are likely unfamiliar even to many fans. I particularly appreciated the laid-back sampling on "Responsible Stu," which is a song I hadn't heard before. The recording of "Hold the Ladder" features the addition of violins, which gives it a more orchestral, if somewhat less frantic sound than it has at their live shows.

Any Octo fan should run out and buy this album immediately. For newcomers to the band, I recommend attending one of their performances before hearing the cd, since you'll get a lot more out of it that way. In my opinion, this record is probably even better than their first, Identification Parade, although it's a close call. They also put some effort into the liner notes this time, which was nice to see and gives me hope that they're doing well monetarily. The cd case also included a small booklet entitled "All the Champs that Ever Lived" (I would imagine only the first 500 copies will include it, since mine was numbered out of 500), which offered a perplexing glimpse into the psyche of a band which seems only to offer more mysteries, the more you get to know them. If anyone out there has any theories on what this bizarre piece of writing is really about, feel free to drop me a line.

My Education at Emo's, December 1, 2004

(NOTE: I started this post on Dec 12, 2004 but just didn't get around to finishing it)

When we walked into Emo's around 12:30am, fearing we would have already missed the beginning of their set, six members of My Education were still fiddling around on stage, setting up equipment and checking over their gear. At least ten or fifteen minutes later, they were still at it, the violist (? is that the word for a viola-player?) delicately testing his strings, the guitarist setting up one pedal after another. Between the six of them, they must have had at least 20 different boxes up on stage with them; an impressive number for a group that only plays six songs in a set. (Mind you- each of those six songs tends toward 10 minutes in length).

The keyboardist commanded the stage, at least giving the appearance of leading the band. With his wild hair and glasses, he had a bit of a mad scientist look about him as he fervently played the keys, laying out the introduction to most of the songs played that night.

The band started off on a strong note, delivering a sound that struck a delicate balance somewhere between sonic chaos and eloquent ephemera.

(NOTE here's where I finish in Feb)
They played a number of songs that were unfamiliar to me. My overall recollection of the show, looking back on it about 2 months later, was that it was a good show, but not their best. I kind of had the feeling that they were producing some music very similar to another Austin group, the Alpha Rhythm, only not quite as well. I'm not sure if it was the performance itself, or if I just didn't find the material as compelling as what I usually hear them play.

At any rate, I hope the group is still together and that I'll get to hear them again soon in Austin.

Juliana Sheffield @ the Parish, Oct 22

I can't believe I forgot to post an entry about this show I went to last Friday night. Suggested by my friend Kelly, whose terse text message invited me to hear jazz music at "jazz on 6th upstairs," I was immediately excited when I recognized the venue as the Parish, my favorite music venue in Austin. We arrived a little after nine and noticed with pleasure that the place has become non-smoking (or at least it was during that show).

I had never heard of the singer, but was impressed with her soulful voice and tough-to-categorize music. Although most of the tunes definitely flirt around the edges of pop, there is a definite jazz accent and some of the trippier songs leaned in the direction of Mazzy Star. Overall, the entire mood of the music is very dark, even on the poppier songs.

Juliana herself is raven-haired, beautiful and ridiculously skinny. Her stage presence easily commanded the attention of the room. With her was a band she said flew in from L.A. to help her out. I don't think they are the group she normally plays with. They all did a good job of both supporting her, and occasionally jamming out. The one thing lacking was a lead guitarist. The keyboardist played guitar-like leads, but it wasn't the same as having an actual guitar, especially in a live performance.

At the very end of the set, they played a song from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. I didn't actually recognize the song (probably because I blocked that movie from my memory- I think it traumatized me as a child), but it was incredibly cool. Sheer energy filled the room with an electric feeling that only develops at live performances where there is a synergy between the musicians and the audience. It was so amazing that the three in my group who had ridden together, en masse at the end of the performance, immediately trouped to the back of the room to buy a cd. Although I'd liked what I'd heard, I had no intention of buying the cd until I heard that last song. The cd, entitled Persephonics, is released under the band name of Maimou. Although I'm not too crazy about the first song, which is maybe a little too r & b-ish for my taste, overall when I listen to it I really enjoy reliving some of my favorite parts of her live show, including such songs as "Exit Wounds" and a coupla other songs that I can't remember the names of. I can't seem to find a track listing on-line, either, weirdly (I don't have the cd with me right now). I'll try to update this post later with more details, but in the meantime, I strongly recommend this girl. In addition to being a very talented performer and song-writer, she seems really nice, too.

Since there's apparently going to be a remake of the Willy Wonka movie (starring Jonny Depp), and they've submitted their version of that song for it, I wouldn't be surprised if we see more of Juliana and her group in the future.

The Pixies @ Stubb's, Wed, Oct 20

Although Stubb's BBQ was recently acclaimed by readers of the Austin Chronicle as Best Live Music Venue for 2004, I must admit I have never been especially fond of the place. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that last year after the Dashboard Confessional show there, my ears rang for three whole days. (Not so much due to the music itself, but more owing to the hordes of screaming teenage girls.) I've been a lot more open to the idea of wearing ear plugs, since that day...

The fact of the matter is, until Wednesday night, I had never been to a show at Stubb's where I was particularly impressed with the sound quality. I've stood in a variety of different locations around the outdoor amphitheater, but it seems no matter where I've listened, the music has always sounded sort of, well, muddy, for lack of a better word. Not so at the Pixie's concert this week.

I did in fact wear earplugs for most of the show (the whole Dashboard experience majorly freaked me out- being a musician myself I try to avoid incurring permanent hearing damage), which kind of cut out the high end unfortunately, but even with them in it still sounded good. The few times I took them out briefly I was satisfied with the audio quality at the show. I can't say as much for the air quality, since the sold-out show was totally packed with people, and it was a very hot and humid Austin night.

Gripes about external conditions aside, the event itself was an enjoyable experience. We arrived early enough to hear probably half the songs played by the opening band, the Thrills. Similar to other "throwback" bands with names that all sound like "The <something>s," I got the impression that the Thrills were capable of putting on a better show than they did. Like, maybe if it wasn't 95 degrees at 98% humidity, and if half the band members hadn't been wearing long sleeved shirts, they might have had a better time of it. The lead singer had a really charming way of thanking the audience at the end of every single song they played. It probably would have been tiresome if he hadn't sounded so sincere, every time.

I recall their music as mostly upbeat, punchy pop with a dark, smoothly vintage finish, a la The Strokes, but perhaps a bit more refined, along the lines of Elefant. In all honesty, it didn't really stand out to me. Maybe it was too vanilla, or maybe it was just the heat. I had the feeling, though, that they were capable of more.

After about six different various guitar techs and roadies in Pixies shirts had been shuffling around on the stage for about half an hour, the anticipation was mounting. The band strolled onto stage in what seemed a jovial mood (which seems kind of strange when you consider that the Pixies' music probably wouldn't be described as "jovial") and started off strong with "Bone Machine."

I don't know all of their songs so I can't say for sure, but the set they played sounded fairly identical to what they played at ACL Fest last month. Of course, the scene was much more up-close and personal. The crowd, a comfortable mixture of goth-punk-wannabe-teens, hipster 20-somethings and (slightly older) diehard original Pixies fans was energetic despite the heat. This is only the second time I've seen them, so I can't say how the show compared with performances from their earlier days. I couldn't find a reason to complain, though. They plowed through one song after another, then, just when the crowd might have been getting a little listless, re-energized the entire scene with a rousing rendition of "Where is my mind?", during which even the most jaded hipster in the audience felt compelled to join in the background chorus of "wwoooooooooh."

Other highlights to me included bassist Kim Deal's vocals on "Gigantic," and the energy level of "Here Comes Your Man." They saved "Debaser" until close to the end of the set, which lasted for probably close to two hours. No need to fear feeling jipped after a Pixies concert; after "Where is my mind" it felt almost like a complete second set of music. I was actually surprised by how long they played. Well, maybe it just felt like a long time because it was so hot. I was really glad I didn't pass out.

When at last we stumbled out, exhausted and dusty, sweat-streaked and hungry, we felt no regret for going to the show. After we were seated at Magnolia Cafe (on South Congress... and might I add, one of my favorite restaurants in Austin), the waitress asked us wistfully if we had just come out of the Pixies show. "Yeah, it was great!" we accidentally blurted, then noticed her downtrodden expression.

"I mean, it was a total bummer..." I amended. "You didn't miss anything at all..."

My gig at La Tazza Fresca

So last Saturday, October 15, I played at a cute little cafe called La Tazza Fresca (located between campus and Hyde Park, at Guadelupe and 37th), for the first time. A girl named Denise Kotrla played at 9, so I caught most of her set, arriving around 9:15 or so. Her stuff was emotionally-driven like mine is, but more country-ish sounding. She had a really nice voice.

I started playing a few minutes after 10. Thankfully, my friend Emma arrived a few minutes earlier with her guitar, for me to borrow. Unfortunately, due to some technical difficulties with strings, my guitar had become unplayable earlier that afternoon. I had feared playing an unfamiliar guitar might throw me off, but much to my surprise it didn't seem to bother me at all.

My voice was kind of rough that day (I'm not sure if it's allergies or I'm fighting something off or what) and during the first three or four songs, it had a very raspy, kind of Janis Joplin-esque sound to it. Emma and some of my other friends said they liked it, but I was pretty worried. In some ways, I like the way it sounds when my voice is rough like that, but the big problem is that it's much harder to control. Also the higher notes are more difficult to hit. Maybe if I had some kind of vocal training I could learn to work with it better. At any rate, I was relieved when my normal voice returned about 20 minutes into the set.

I plowed through a fairly large set of my original songs in a surprisingly short time. I think I finished playing by around 11:40. There was a pretty good-sized group of people, most of whom i knew. I was really happy with the turnout. Everybody seemed to be having a good time. I had planned to play 3 cover songs during the entire set- like, I thought whenever I felt like I was losing the crowd's attention, I would play a familiar song to draw them back in. It wasn't necessary, though. I did play "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star, but only because I was in the mood for it. I was really pleased with how much the group seemed to be into my music. Some of them even sang along when I played "Stupid Pennsylvania," although Joel (predictably) pretended to be from Pennsylvania when I asked if anybody was.

I was a little disappointed in the lack of any kind of response from the management, considering how many people I brought in, but I still would say La Tazza Fresca is a good place for any singer/song-writer to make an Austin appearance, as long as you don't mind not getting paid. (A tip bucket is made available by the cafe, so if you want to ask for tips you certainly can. I didn't ask for anything, but I still made a few bucks.) They have a decent P.A. system for your use, and it's a very charming venue, patronized mainly by a mixture of students and professionals. Overall, I had a great time playing and I felt like the entire episode was a success, despite the initial setbacks. I hope my audience had as enjoyable a time as I did.