One of the best things about SXSW is that you can just walk down a street and your ears can bring you to something you’ve never heard before. In preparing some post-festival coverage I recalled one of those bands that drew me in. If you’re a fan of Noel Gallagher and his guitar playing, then you can’t resist listening to this. Lydia Des Dolles lead vocals add a fresh compliment to the British sound. Into it.
Sweet Jane – Close Your Eyes (Single Version)Rating: 8.3
This smoothed out stunner from Glasgow’s Koreless has been on repeat all day here. Koreless cooks up a perfect blend of beats that still hit, beats that can still sync with your own internal rhythms, but also have a quality of atmosphere that is transportive, that takes you elsewhere, vibes you out, cleanses your head.
Koreless – Maria via XLR8RKoreless: (Myspace) (Soundcloud) (Facebook)
Rating: 8.2
Soul music. We got to catch Quadron at SXSW on Friday. Mindblown. Coco’s voice is the sort of shit you write love poetry about, or dedicate statuary to. Well here’s our dedication.
Quadron – Average Fruit (fLako Remix)Quadron: (Myspace) (Facebook)
fLako: (Soundcloud) (Facebook)
Rating: 8.2
Soulful piano, warm synths, that buttery smooth feel good boom boom bap. Yeah we can totally rock to this. XV grabs Push for this remix to “Awesome”. Two of our fav rappers doing it linking up on the same track. Winner!
XV – Awesome (Remix) (Feat. Pusha T)Rating: 8.1
So real talk. We’re totally wrecked from SXSW. We’ve prob never walked so much in our lives. (We got around. Venue to Venue. You name it we covered it.) That said, we’ve got some (more) dope SXSW coverage upcoming this week. Anyway, Pusha’s heavily anticipated Fear of God mixtape dropped today, and fuck, it’s been worth the wait. Push kills every single track. Look out for features from Kanye, Pharrell, and Kevin Cossom. This track, “I Still Wanna”, which features Ricky Rosay and newcomer Ab Liva hits pretty hard. Stick this one in your truck and bang it.
Pusha T – I Still Wanna (Feat. Rick Ross & Ab Liva)Pusha T: (Twitter) (Official) (Facebook)
Rating: 8.0
Jeremy Messersmith @ The Ale House
Jeremy Messersmith was a treat. “Tatooine” is a gem that made our top 50 list last year and we couldn’t wait to have the experience live. Pleasantly surprised. Jeremy’s set proved more quirky than expected. Concluding with “Violets”, his band helped carry a sound reminiscent of The Turtles and other late 60’s West Coast bands. Messersmith has talent and just seems to radiate longevity.
Jeremy Messersmith – Tatooine
Sweet Jane @ B.D. Riley’s
One of the best things about SXSW is that you can just walk down a street and your ears can bring you to something you’ve never heard before. In preparing some post-festival coverage, I recalled one of those bands that drew me in. If you’re a fan of Noel Gallagher (like we are) and his guitar playing (guilty again), you won’t be able to resist listening to Sweet Jane. Lydia Des Dolles lead vocals add a fresh compliment to a fantastic British sound. Into it.
Sweet Jane – Close Your Eyes (Single Version)
Black Milk @ Billboard Bungalow
The line was around the block on E 6th street during peak freak hour Saturday night. Passing through three layers of security was necessary to enter Billboard Bungalow (patdowns included) I felt like I was going upstairs to see Obama. Black Milk is a pro. His killer on stage presence gets the crowd moving and into it. This man loves to perform. The live band was an….interesting touch. The sound was cool, the band was unique but somehow came off a bit flat, amateurish. The drums were set up in an odd, “less than traditional way”. The keys didn’t seem to be working. The bass was lose. It felt pretty backyard. “Dead Medley” was a highlight. Black Milk, the MC (minus his band), proved worthy of a long performance career, Common-style
Black Milk – Overdose
Curren$y @ Billboard Bungalow
Curren$y enters late and totally high. He’s completely non-chalant as he commands the stage. Basically the opposite of what we just saw from Black Milk. The stage show went something as follows: he first came out, then a second MC joined him, then like four 19 year old looking dudes came up on stage to stand behind him, and they were stoned. As is Spitta’s M.O., the raps were smooth and the track were short. His rambles between tracks were actually pretty tight. As he did a solid job hyping the crowd between songs.
Curren$y – Address (Feat. Stalley)
Eliza Doolittle @ Cedar Street Courtyard
Earlier in the day, deep in the underbelly of Austin, we crossed paths with our girl Eliza Doolittle. One look at the b3sci posse, and at least one member of our crew got prob the hottest demand of the weekend, “Take off Your Skinny Jeans! You!” We were caught. Eliza had us. Of course, what to do when an adorable British girls calls at you to remove yer trousers, well never tell. But we did make it back over to Cedar Street, pants and all, to catch Eliza’s Saturday night set. We’ll drop this in again, just once more, to be, you know, official about it. Eliza Doolittle is adorable. And that sort of defined her set. “Money Box” was sunshine-y, feel good, glad in all the right places. Part of Eliza’s charm is her ability to connect. She could be looking into the audience at a 90 degree angle to you, or at her band, or up into space, and still all the while, you feel like she’s singing to you and only you. “I want to go back to a time when I was young. No not when I was 16 or something like that. No, I’m talking really young. I want to go back to when I was three.” And you stand there, as she smiles at you delivering that line, and you’re like, “Yeah, Eliza, that sounds like a pretty nice idea.”
Eliza’s secret weapon is her band. Her bassist, playing a stand up double bass, was ridiculously good. Her drummer, likely more at home in a different genre of music, was ace. The energy in the rhythm section, pitch perfect harmonies, and wisely placed guitar/uke make for a great stripped down feel good vibe. Eliza’s songs are uptempo, kinetic and they move with her. Where does an artist like Eliza go from here? How will she manage in the states? Can she be as big as Adele.. Lily Allen, Kate Nash? Take note.
Eliza Doolittle – Skinny GenesTy Segall @ Mohawk
If you love what made Grunge great, big guitar sound, rock and roll attitude. In the year 2K11, Ty Segall is about as close you can get. The packed house for Ty was brimming with all sorts of arrogant attitude. Like it came with admission. Segall and his youthful angst-driven bandmates delivered their sound heavy and intense, reminiscent of live Nirvana. Ty Seagall is prob a bit of an acquired taste, an acquired taste we just so happen to love. Long live the 90’s.
Ty Segall – Standing at the StationFuneral Party @ Cedar Street Courtyard
Just when I thought I’d had enough; so many bands, so much music, so much that it started become noise; I still trudged back to the Cedar Street Courtyard, I had one last band to see, east Los Angeles act Funeral Party. The Steve Madden/Grooveshark Party had nearly emptied out. The few sticking around were mainly press congregated near the front of the stage with large cameras. The band brought with them to the stage a lot of energy, maybe the most energy- packed performance I’d seen all SXSW. A guitarist flying there, a bassist there. The guitarist’s acrobatics at one point caused him to trip, causing frontman Chad to wisely state ” Steve Madden shoes look great, but they still need a few days to break in.” This was the sort of band Victory Records should have signed 5 years ago, Funeral Party have a great new alternative sound, with great songs and great arrangements. The band’s live chops were obvious and when lead vocalist Chad Elliott is in key they are borderline unstoppable. During the breakdown of “NYC Sound Goes To LA…” a lyrical cameo from “Champagne Supernova” found it’s place “how many special people change, how many lives were living strange”. Where were you while we were getting high? This guys are that kind of band. Camera flashes were plenty and the venue had nearly filled back up by end of set. Funeral Party definitely helped wrap SXSW on a high. Take notes, rock and rollers, this band plays like they have nothing to prove, it’s real. They don’t give a fuck about what else is happening in indie rock or alternative music or anything like that, and really, why should they?
Funeral Party – Carwars
Death From Above 1979 @ Beauty Bar
Your Miranda Rights are all that you got. Pretty much. As you’ve likely heard by now there was a riot at Death From Above’s reunion gig @ Beauty Bar. Being there in that moment. There’s a feeling, a certain sensation at your insides (not that $7 burrito we grabbed on the street on the way over) that experience when you were among a crowd that’s beginning to lose control. And there, there’s a feeling like anything can happen. The next bit of your life, those events, are not quite in your control anymore. The show, itself, was terribly handled by the venue. The location of the line was not clear, where the line started and ended was not clear, whether anyone was actually getting in was not clear. A definite vacuum of information existed. (Riot criteria 1). What is Beauty Bar? Beauty Bar is a venue that maybe holds 200 people. It’s essentially a piece of a larger asphalt lot with a tent on top of it. “In line” or probably more appropriately mobbed about there venue there were maybe 600-800 people “on the outside”. A large throng of people in a tight space (Riot criteria 2).
The band starts. Immediately, (and obviously any chance of getting in the venue dashed) the crowd turns violent. Beers fly, stones, garbage they fly too. Someone throws a chair. The chainlink fence that divdes the outside from the inside is under siege. The kids are intent in bringing it down. They shake, they climb, they kick. The fence lasts maybe 10 minutes. It’s down. By this time the venue has circled several bouncers to where the fence once stood. They’re holding the crowd back now. They’re the final bit of defense between the current situation and total mayhem (the latter quickly becoming more and more the former). Then suddenly, the fence is boosted back up. The kids are trying to help. They’re trying to keep some bit of order. The overall crowd, though, grows angrier. The fence is almost now in a state of volley. Bouncers to Crowd. Crowd to Bouncers. Mace sprays from the venue. The mob is pushed back. Time for us to check the fuck out with mounted riot police, arrests, and all that reality TV stuff pending. It was certainly one hell of moment.
p.s. The band was awesome. Seeing Jesse and Sebastien on stage together performing DFA 79 songs fucking ruled.
Death From Above 1979 – Romantic RightsCatch all of b3sci’s SXSW 2011 coverage HERE
Photography by Genevieve Sheehan
Theophilus London @ Mohawk
Theophilus London packed the downstairs room of the Mohawk as part of the Mog/Lexus Party. Theo did an A+ job at engaging not only a kinetic swath of fans but a room, perhaps not so familiar with his music. “Flying Overseas”, “Why Even Try”, “Strange Love”, all the best examples of his unique Electro Hip Hop, hyped the crowd. His brief 30 minute set flew by, with multiple instances of girls-in-attendance brought on stage, numerous hilarious back-and-forths with the audience, and a few indie celeb-in-the-crowd shouts (TVOTR’s Dave Sitek, for one).
Theophilus London – Oops! (Tweet Cover)
Scars on 45 @ Brush Street Park
On our way to catch The Republic Tigers and Joy Formidable at the Chop Shop/Atlantic day showcase we caught the tail end of Scars on 45’s set. On point as they were with their set at Hotel Cafe in LA a month or so earlier, the band played with a hunger and energy that caught me off guard. We were into it. And it seemed that energy set the tone for the following two acts.
Scars on 45 – Loudest Alarm
The Republic Tigers @ Brush Street Park
Having caught The Republic Tigers last with Travis at the Wiltern in LA, we were impressed with their presence. A much more comfortable and confident band than remembered. Previewing material from their forthcoming “No Land’s Man” EP, we believed their songs and style of up-tempo and listener-friendly indie rock and roll. A few songs had a unmistakable Chop Shop tint to them, primed for mainstream TV.
The Republic Tigers – Buildings and Mountains
Joy Formidable @ Brush Street Park
Joy Formidable were one of the most talked about bands of SXSW. Again it proves what a great live show, star quality and some serious work can do for a band. The UK based, female fronted trio, plays with a profound intensity and passion. Their sound has an aggressive character to it, as one would expect from any rock trio, but when complimented with Ritzy Bryan’s vocals and a slick performance quality both confident and intense, the band is a force to be reckoned with. Pending hit songs, these guys have, dare we say, Muse-type potential. (Oh we just did.)
Joy Formidable – I Don’t Want to See You Like This
Oberhofer @ Virgin Mobile Live House
Virgin Mobile Live Host Abbey Braden was rightfully psyched to watch Oberhofer rock a bass and glock during their exclusive acoustic VML House session during SXSW. Their sound is fresh and evolving with a clear direction. Hear the session here.
Oberhofer – Away From You
Little Dragon @ Cedar Street Courtyard
Yukimi’s dances moves are adorable. Well, they’re less like moves and more like poses. Stop motion. Hold the frame. Hit all the angles. Make the next pose. Yukimi’s moves were adorable. The band’s performance was really not. The band seemed tired, bored, disinterested. The venue (Cedar Street Courtyard) was wrong. It’s outdoor stage doesn’t work for a band so dependent on atmosphere. Yukimi’s voice got lost. Much of the cool ambient synth work that make the band’s songs got lost too. Machine Dreams highlights like “Blinking Pigs” and “Feather” both never really worked. The crowd, too, seemed, at times, disinterested. The band did run through a new song or two. Showing off a sound that seemed to be more spread out, more engaged in space. Almost a more deep electro kind of sound. The songs centered on repetition of a few simple rhythmic figures with Yukimi’s vocal acting more as a frame to the rhythm than as the carrier of a tune. The new songs seemed to work better for the band in the outdoor setting. The band also seemed more interested. Little Dragon’s Cedar Street performance was not the worst thing we saw at SXSW but it certainly was a disappointment. We still you guys though! And the next gig in Boston or LA, we’ll still be there! We got you!
Little Dragon – Twice (Freddie Joachim Remix)
Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger @ Elysium
Ghost of a Saber Tooth tiger unfortunately lived up to expectations. I hoped that we would experience glimpses of Sean’s 2006 solo record, Friendly Fire, but instead we got a heavy dosage of maybe the Lennon family’s worst enemy… love. Kemp Muhl just doesn’t hold ground with a Lennon. Really, how many do?
Granted Sean said that the extra stage musician had one day to learn the entire set… it became increasingly clear that that may have been true for the entire band. Just Sean and his guitar would have sufficed. But then again, we wouldn’t be stretching the truth to say that we’d hoped to catch maybe a glimpse of Yoko Ono (also performing on that night’s bill) on stage with her son. In any event, the crowd was treated to large doses of Lennon wit. Sean got jokes. That’s genuine wit, folks, in the blood.
The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger – Jardin du LuxembourgCatch all of b3sci’s SXSW 2011 coverage HERE
Photography contributed by Genevieve Sheehan
Football @ Beerland
Football are officially our favorite suprise of SXSW 2011. On our way to the Virgin Mobile Live House we saw some dude that resembled a short haired Dave Grohl rocking the fuck out on the roof of Beerland. The band played below, and their sound was as raw as anything we saw at SXSW. But the sound seemed strangely familiar…. Tons of people started to gather from the streets. We got close as well. One blood stained white telecaster, Two hand drawn white t-shirts with a sharpie…Could it be? Is it? YES! Holy shit this was our dude from AV/Murder! These guys are perhaps responsible for one of the sickest sets I have ever seen. I knew I should have bought one of those damn shirts! Dudes if you’re reading this, hook us up with some custom b3sci threads! Football are fucking sick, if you like music that makes your head want to explode from just sheer brutal awesomeness, then take notice.
AV/Murder – Glossy MagsTrouble Andrew @ Virgin Mobile Live House:
Trouble Andrew at moments seems like a sound that would have emerged from LA’s Sunset Strip if it were still relevant to music nowadays. Jeez. How many bands have we heard in LA trying do what these guys do so well? Trevor Andrew’s unique blend of raw alternative underground rock is fucking awesome. It has a hip hop sensibility, it has punk sensibility, it has commercial radio sensibility. Songs pending, these Brooklyn natives could end up everywhere. There live show is definitely an experience worth having, and after opening for the likes of Fishbone, Yelawolf, Wu Tang, and Erykah Badu during SXSW this year, they are definitely off to a right start.
Trouble Andrew – Bang Bang
Quadron @ Malverde
Everybody’s fav Danish soul duo, Quadron, played a breezy enjoyable set to Malverde’s 4th floor open-air stage. This was our first catching the duo live and suffice to say our girl Coco and our man Robin did not disappoint. Coco’s sweet sultry tones, Robin’s smooth instrumentals, Quadron’s super cool R&B-influenced pop. The prime factors were all on point during the performance. We loved Coco’s engaging yet semi-shy interactions with the crowd. “I love Texas.” “We’ve got some CDs for sale after the show. I’d love for you to buy one. Maybe I can give you a hug. I love selling.” Too cute. The set primarily consisted of songs from the band’s debut, “Buster Keaton”, “Average Fruit”, and set closer “Slippin'” were among the highlights. Malverde’s open-air 4th floor stage seemed to fit the band. It was that sort of deepest twilight, fading to night time in the day. The city glowed, buzzed behind them. The setting framed Quadron’s music perfectly. We hurriedly left Malverde in dead sprint cross town for TOKiMONSTA @ Mohawk. But we left totally pleased but what we had heard. We love Quadron!
Quadron – Slippin’
TOKiMONSTA @ Mohawk
Post-crosstown hustle we slipped into the door at Mohawk just in time to catch most of TOKiMONSTA’s set. We heard hip hop classics laced up with varying heavinesses of electrobeats. Method Man’s “How High” over a pulsing synth driven rhythm. “Forgot About Dre” blended with multi-tracked hi-hats. TOKi was flawless. She seemed to be having a great time. With every sort of sound manipulation, she would smile. Kind of like, “Yeah, This Rules!” It was great. We got down. Everyone else in the place got down. It was sick. And………..Silence. One of TOKi’s sound inputs fried and the set was finished. Bogus. Still, what we saw ruled. And we’ll take what we did see as a sick preview of what a full TOKi show might be like.
TOKiMONSTA – Almost Free
Obits @ Red 7
Obits are pioneering veterans. They blow many of today’s kids clear out of the water. Playing some of the best vintage gear we’ve seen, the band ripped through some serious time rock portal straight from Red 7 to CBGB’S (see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnYy2x00zHU). Get Obits a time machine and put them on a bill opening for Television. What happens?
Obits – Two Headed Coin
Little Comets @ Latitude 30
Little Comets are a new talented group emerging from the UK. They fall into a space that seems to bridge today’s indie and brit-pop pockets. Sure, it seems like a likely space but who else has made a real significant impact there? Other than the “labeling” obstacle these kids have, there is some song craftsmanship in their favor. Unlike some young bands, their abundance of intricate arrangements and melodies work and contribute to an overall sound that’s definitely got us hooked and psyched to hear what’s more.
Little Comets – Isles
Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band @ Cedar Street Courtyard
“Heartaches and Pain”, not just Charles Bradley’s opening song but really his life. A man of obviously tremendous talent, the sexagenerian never got the breaks or the right situation to fully realize his potential as a musician. Backed by the great Menahan Street Band, Charles Bradley entered the stage at Cedar Street Courtyard to sing out the first few notes of that song. And WOW! Unbelievable! His voice! It’s really really something! We knew we were to be witness to something really special. And it seemed Charles felt the same way, this was a great moment in his life. A true realization of a lifelong dream (as cliche’ as it sounds, in his case it’s absolutely true). Mr. Bradley had tears in his eyes during that first song and well into the set. It was just an extraordinary moment. One of the coolest concert moments, I’ve certainly ever witnessed. Anyway, back to his voice. Holy shit! Bradley’s vocal ability is off the meter. Like his records are great and he sounds terrific on them. But to hear him live, like that, it’s truly something; akin to hearing the performance of one of the great soul legends. Really. He’s that good. To hear/see him emote on tracks like “Lovin’ You, Baby” and “Why Is It So Hard”, it really gives you goosebumps. It’s the expression of profound emotional pain and depth at its most visceral and immediate level, it doesn’t get much more real than that. “The World Is Going Up In Flames”, when you hear it you believe him, like you wanna grab a bucket or a firehose or something to help put it out. You’re that moved. Charles Bradley’s set at Cedar Street was no doubt one of our favs at SXSW, if not our absolute favorite. At one point during the set, Bradley looked down at his leg to see that he had been pretty severely bleeding from his knee; the blood collected in a not so small pool of blood at his feet. “Are you alright?”, you could hear his sax player motion over to him. “Oh shit.”, said Bradley. And with that he continued.
Charles Bradley – The World Is Going Up in Flames
Wye Oak @ The Parish
In our opinion Wye Oak are one of the best bands going. If you like dynamic music and beautiful melodies how can you not love this Baltimore duo? Well their label, Merge Records, certainly loves them. Catching the later half of their official Merge showcase at the Parish, Wye Oak returned some serious love to their friends at the label. It was a lovefest. Wye Oak loves their label. No shit. Debuting material from the forthcoming release Civilian, the duo seemed reallllllly into it; positively beaming, energetic; suggesting, not only that they couldn’t wait to perform the material, that they couldn’t wait to just hear it! That’s when you know a band is proud of their music!
Wye Oak – Take It In
Bombay Bicycle Club @ Latitude 30
We could tell from our Q&A with them before their set, that BBC are introverted artistic types. We, of course, mean that in the greatest way possible. These kids were able to evolve from local band to music career in their adolescence. They are supremely talented, music is their life and that shines through. We expect many great records to come from these guys. The band Followed up their early electric guitar heavy material with a largely acoustic record, last year’s Flaws. We were intrigued at what some of their new, post-Flaws, material might sound like. The answer we got was material that was somewhere in between, definitely a sound less raw than Flaws but a bit more produced and refined, like their debut. A few gems, which we’ll certainly now be anticipating on the band’s forthcoming third album, definitely stood out. Guitar and synth-layers flowed through the impressive set of about a dozen songs, and as always the bass tone was hot, especially unique and great. BBC are completely independent and seemingly less concerned with what’s happening with their peers. The band have set course to a sound that is developing more and more into something that’s wholly their own.
Bombay Bicycle Club – Magnet
Catch all of b3sci’s SXSW 2011 coverage HERE
Photography by Genevieve Sheehan
Jamie Woon @ ND’s:
Mr. Woon brought his neo-neo-soul (or post-dubstep, whatevs) to ND’s on Thursday Night for a set at the Windish Agency House. We’re big fans of Jamie’s music and made it a priority to catch him live at SXSW (Even if it meant walking 2+ miles to get down to ND’s). So what did it sound like? Jamie Woon live is kind of like being in a really cool elevator or in the lobby of an ultra-chic hotel. The music kind of takes on this smooth jazz-esque quality at times, layers of atmospheric keys and synths tangled up with Jamie’s soulful but quiet vocal. The sound, itself, fit the performance quality of its creator, totally cool and soulful but also shy and unassuming. Jamie’s band of 2 electronic musicians and 1 live drummer did well to support the production heavy songs in a non-studio setting. Set closer and single “Lady Luck”, with its pulsing synth rhythms and syncopated beats was the far and away set highlight. As the maybe 3/4’s full room all seemed to not only know the song but really got down on it, head bobbing, finger snapping, toe tapping.
Jamie Woon – Lady Luck (Al Fresco)
White Mystery @ Headhunters:
Chicago’s rock princess Alex White, continues her streak of killer projects with White Mystery. If you love straight forward and shameless rock and roll, then this band should make your list. Their only “official” set of SXSW this year was at Headhunter’s and it runs in the top 3 for most balls-to-the-wall performances we caught all trip! Into it.
White Mystery – Ye Olde Stone
Jamie XX @ Virgin Mobile Live House:
Kickin’ it with our peeps at the Virgin Mobile Live House, we ran into none other than Jamie XX! That’s kinda cool. Then we discovered he’d be spinning a private DJ set in the living room of the VML House in the next 20 minutes. Fucking sick! The vibe was intense. With maybe 30 people packed in the room, Jamie XX flowed out a spaghetti-western intro to some classics including Biggie, and mixed it all up with some fresh ideas. It was surreal. We got down.
Rui Da Silva – Touch Me (Jamie XX Remix)
Moby @ Karma Lounge:
Moby was 100% dance party at Karma Lounge. It was a bit a surprise, as he was billed to have an “ambient DJ set”, but from the onset it was wall-to-wall body moving beats. Spinning a set most firmly rooted in his classics and beats heavy early material, Moby stayed clear away from his more cinematic and recent compositions. No matter the style of this set Moby can owns its musical spectrum. Thursday night was club night.
Moby – A Seated Night
Donnis @ La Zona Rosa:
We rolled over to La Zona Rosa for the Atlantic Showcase, an all-star lineup that included Janelle Monae, B.o.B., Lupe Fiasco, Wiz Khalifa and Atlanta MC Donnis. We were able to catch maybe 3 songs or so of his set. We noticed right away Donnis’ ability to hype the crowd, keep them entertained, keep them engaged in his performance regardless of how much or how little of his material the audience actually knew. There were fans though, a sizable portion of the crowd knew his material and knew it well enough sling it back, line for line.
Donnis – Lightning (feat. Colin Munroe)(Prod. by Count Justice + Needlz + Calvo Da Gr8)
B.o.B. @ La Zona Rosa:
In between Donnis and what we thought would be Wiz Khalifa, (official set schedule, y’all!) a recent signee to Atlantic singer-songwriter Jeffrey Jocelyn was inexplicably trotted out in front of the La Zona Rosa crowd of hip hop heads. Mr. Jocelyn did a sort of Adult Contemporary-style ballad (Think Matt Nathanson or Jason Mraz) and did it alright, but you had to feel for the guy, NO ONE was listening. Bollocks on the A&R that green lighted that move! Anyway, as Jocelyn left the stage, post his one song stand, he left with “B.o.B. is up next.” We were like, “OK, dude was prob misinformed/nervous, or maybe… our man had inside info cause he and B.o.B. really are tight.” (Jeffrey Jocelyn was introduced as “B.o.B.’s friend”.)
Sure enough, B.o.B. was introduced and from the first bar of song 1 – it was on. Verse 1. Verse 2. It was serious. It was clear the bar was being raised. B.o.B. was killing it. Seeing B.o.B. live most definitely gave us a levelled up appreciation of him as a rapper. Bobby Ray has otherworldly type skills on the mic. His rapid fire rhymes, his delivery, but also his sense of melody and dynamics. “Beast Mode”, a standout from his recent No Genre mixtape, was shredded. “Don’t Let Me Fall” took on a lyrical depth live that was unexpected. “Nothin’ On You”, B.o.B.’s Summer 2010 megahit, was cut short mid-song by the MC, “You can hear this shit all the time on the radio. What do y’all want to hear.” The crowd went bananas. He had them. That sentiment was a bit of theme for the show though, B.o.B. went hardest, seemed most interested in his less-pop material, his older mixtape material. The Atlanta MC closed the set with “Airplanes” with the crowd playing Hayley Williams, shouting back each hook with an increasing volume and intensity. B.o.B’s set was great. From the lyricism, to the songwriting, and now to the live show, dude has most definitely earned everything he’s attained so far. Win.
B.o.B. – Airplanes (Feat. Hayley Williams)
Wiz Khalifa @ La Zona Rosa:
Wiz Khalifa loves to smoke weed. If you learned anything from his approx. 40-45 minute La Zona Rosa set you had opportunity, after opportunity, after opportunity to let that be it. The Taylor Gang rolled up nice; Wiz + a dozen or so of his boys. Immediately, Wiz was on the hustle, and this would be consistent throughout the set, “Rolling Papers, March 29. Y’all gonna get Rolling Papers March 29th, right?” Hip Hop is a hustle. Wiz has had to hustle for years to get to this point. It just seemed a bit weird/surreal for an artist of his stature to be hocking the LP with such frequency, in between songs, during songs, during other rapper’s features, shit was gonna get sold. Wiz previewed quite a few tracks off the new record and, being real, the songs just aren’t that strong. The rhymes don’t hit as hard, the beats aren’t as good or varied. One of Wiz’s greatest strengths, which made this set pretty enjoyable, is just the sheer variety in his music. Midwestern style, West Coast, Southern, East Coast style, Wiz sort of marries them all. But this new shit? It sounds like the radio, but in a bad way. Hackneyed attempts to make Wiz sound “relevant”, when what made him Wiz Khalifa, major league rapper, was him and his weirdness and his weed smoking, but mostly his weirdness.
Anyway, the set was solid. “That Good”, Wiz’s recent collaboration with Snoop, ripped. “Mezmorized” was sick. Wiz even dropped in a brief tribute to Nate Dogg rhyming over “Xxplosive” and “Regulate”. Despite being high as fuck (there’s that weed thing again), Wiz came off with great energy and managed to smoothly switch the gears up post-B.o.B.’s lightning fast set. “Now I’m gonna play everybody’s favorite song.” “Black and Yellow” wrapped up the set. The Billboard #1 was a highlight. EVERYBODY knew it. Tons of fun.
Wiz Khalifa – I Choose You
James Vincent McMorrow @ Friends:
We wrapped up our St. Patrick’s Day proper at Friends’ bar. b3sci fav James Vincent McMorrow was there closing the ‘Music from Ireland’ showcase. The room was maybe half-full. A crowd of, perhaps, 75 fans stayed up late to catch the Dublin singer-songwriter. They weren’t disappointed. The beautiful “Breaking Hearts” opened the set. We’re immediately taken with the live slide guitar. It sounds phenomenal. The band sounds great. “This is the latest I’ve ever sang.”, said McMorrow as the set passed the 1:30 mark. “If I Had a Boat” was stunning. Hearing McMorrow and co. hit those harmonies live is just remarkable. The coos, and cries, the melismas remind of Jeff Buckley or even Thom Yorke. The sound situation on stage is not good. The band’s battling all sorts of onstage monitor issues. The band, McMorrow still sound crazy good. James McMorrow is a total artist. He has to do this. Music is what he has to do. “From the Woods” is gorgeous, hushed, the sweet melodies soothe our weary trekked-every-which-way-across-Austin bones. The set finishes as quietly as it started. McMorrow apologizes for the sound quality, his voice (!) and walks off stage.
James Vincent McMorrow – If I Had a BoatCatch all of b3sci’s SXSW 2011 coverage HERE
Contributed by Alex Sheehan
Photography contributed by Genevieve Sheehan
We arrived during Cults set, and caught a band often too overlooked on last year’s ‘best of’ lists. But not by everybody, “Go Outside” was recently re-released through Columbia. Judging by their set, and if we were gamblers (and a gentleman never tells), we’d bet pretty handsomely that you’ll be seeing a lot more action from Cults in 2011.
Cults – Go Outside
The Vaccines set was full of energy, fast-paced, and over before you knew what had happened. It says a lot when a band with a set full of short-running songs can so captivate their public (their first single runs only 1:24 long). With catchy hooks and melodies on songs like “Blow Up” and “If You Wanna”, they impressed a courtyard of eager listeners. “Wreckin’ Bar” killed. “Post Break Up Sex” had us popping around. The set was kinetic and fun. Pay attention, kids, cause The Vaccines are definitely a band to watch out for in 2011. And stay tuned for an exclusive b3sci interview with the band backstage after their set. And yes, the interview is about 50% talk about penises. C’mon what did you expect?
The Vaccines – Norgaard
Foster The People again played to make some noise. That’s sick set #2 we’d caught from them. 2-0, boys. Read about sick set #1 here.
If you know b3sci then you know that we are BIG fans of Raphael Saadiq, so suffice to say we were pretty excited to see his set next. We’d missed him at Stubb’s the night prior but left the performance at Cedar Street impressed nonetheless. Strongly rooted in jazz, blues, and R&B, Saadiq gave a performance that was funky and full of soul, mixing influences from greats like Chuck Berry and James Brown. Saadiq’s band was great. Consisting of a drummer, a bassist, two guitarists, a keyboardist, and two excellent backup singers, the Saadiq band provided a proper foundation for his sound. The pocket was tight, the harmonies were on point, and the vibe was right. Material wise, we heard a collection of new tracks from Saadiq’s forthcoming studio album, Stone Rollin’. What we heard was really really good. More of that 70’s soul inspired sound we’ve heard in singles “Good Man” and “Radio” with big beats and huge hooks.
Raphael Saadiq – Good ManCatch all of b3sci’s SXSW 2011 coverage HERE
Photography contributed by Genevieve Sheehan
Contributed by Bruce Rave
When the tribal rhythms of Lykke Li’s “Get Some” hit the internet last fall, it became a fave track for me but I wondered what kind of depth we’d get on her second album. Good news! While there’s nothing else that has the same feel, Lykke has shown she can deliver from different directions. “Youth Has No Pain” is the opener. It has a garage feel complete with a 60’s organ sound. Check it out here:
Lykke Li – Youth Knows No PainCatch Bruce on Moheak Radio Fridays 1-3pm PST
Rating: 8.3
Contributed by Christopher Gedos
Pulsating backbeat, haunting synths. The beginnings to any great electro track. Indecipherable lyrics either about death or hooking up in the discotheque. This track is so fly I can even forgive the wholly insensitive name Christian AIDS or the equally unoriginal track title, “Stay Positive”. They and indie dopplegangers WU LYF are holding down the Manchester scene in the year 2011. Keep thine ear low to the ground.
Christian AIDS – Stay PositiveChristian AIDS: (Bandcamp)
Rating: 8.01
