SXSW Tuesday Night Wrap 03/15/11: RJD2, PS I Love You, Gold Panda, Surfer Blood

Following a day of packed interactive, legal panel discussions like “Data Customization and Privacy – Can they Coexist?” and “The Convergence of Traditional and Internet TV” it was time to jam:

First was an off-the-beaten-path-party hosted by fellow Virgin Mobile 25 brothers the BroBible at The Belmont. Got to hand it to them, dudes can throw a party… chilled shots from giant ice sculptures, models, celebrities… and great tunes. Chiddy Bang and Hoodie Allen fronted the bill but we were most psyched for the set from Columbus native producer RJD2. Ramble John Krohn owned the tables and worked the packed invite-only party as if it were his own. His smooth blend of eclectic beats made for a great atmosphere and set the mood for the night to come.

On the other-side of town and musical spectrum I hit up the Pitchfork Media Showcase at Emo’s. It was funny, the official “music” part of the festival had not even begun and there was already a line for badge holders. I figured, if there was any time to wait in lines at SXSW this year… why not make it on Tuesday night?

I may have missed the 3D presentation of a Deerhunter live performance, but the wait in line was worth it for Canadian noise-rock duo PS I Love You. The oddly imaged pairing of a more hip Jorge Garcia look alike and a drummer somewhere between a dark haired Larry Mullen Jr. and this guy worked better than most would think. Unlike what Surfer Blood would produce later in the evening on the same stage, these guys were rough in all of the right ways. Dynamic levels of overdrive on fantastically ragged guitar sounds combined with pounding rhythms and Paul Saulnier’s impulsive vocals to create pleasantly low-end rock and roll noise.

So you’re at SXSW, you’ve made it through the line and you’re about to enter the venue and start jamming. Nah, dude, not at Emo’s. Nah, man, there’s a SECOND line for the INDOOR stage. Bogus. While waiting in the second line, I chatted up some Aussies who advised on some cool new electro acts including Skrillex and Emalkay. Sick. Sporting a dark hoodie and what looked like one of those vintage High School sports shirts that Abercrombie has been taking the piss on for the last 10 years, UK producer Derwin Panda hit the Emo’s stage; and so the digital dance party began. Lush synth queues, almost shoegaze, “chillwave?”-influenced vibes, hip-hop beats. Smooth transitions were plenty with sounds bridging gaps between dubstep and chillwave. Gold Panda showed off an excellent currency in today’s electro, working flawlessly with simple yet manic builds and tasteful well-placed samples.

Back at the outdoor stage Surfer Blood had some sound issues… even losing audio for about 15 seconds at one point. Like pros though, they played through with their blend of feel good riff-based neo-surfer alternative. The band played very well together and the new material sounded promising. Minus weak live vocals these guys definitely delivered on the P-fork sound rather nicely. Familliar but still annoying enough to not be pleasant. They finished the set with “I’m Not ready” from their forthcoming release. CDQ.. we’re on the look out.

Reviewed by b3