One More SXSW Contributor

Greg in San Francisco writes in...

So when Ben mentioned off handedly to me that Darondo was playing on Friday afternoon at 4:15, I freaked out. The first person I called was Tim Broun, who took the amazing photo to the left. Tim and I had recently been talking about Darondo, as Darondo had played a show around last Christmas in San Francisco and it had totally flown under my radar. Darondo doesn't play much. He never did back in the day nor does he now. He lives out in the East Bay in a suburb and is retired and a bit amused, from what I've read, about the his recent resurgence. Anyway, I arrived at 4:12PM and his band was talking to the crowd getting us warmed up in the hot afternoon sun. I spotted Tim and walked over. Darondo came onstage and the band kicked into a song that I think was "How I Got Over" (though if someone does know, please correct me). Darondo proceeded to shimmy, shake, roll across the stage and generally act like he was about 20 years old. A friend of mine leaned towards me and said "he should be fronting the Rolling Stones" and I had to agree. After the song ended he spoke a bit about his own "legend" as it were. How he was just too fast for people in his own time because he was riding around in a Rolls Royce and had women all over him. Then he broke into "Legs." Again, he wasn't singing the high notes, but he sang with (and I hate to use this word) authenticity. I say that not because he was old, not because he was African American, but because he was truly authentic. It's a bit like the Supreme Court ruling on pornography, I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. And Darondo is it, no question. His band was good too, though not quite as dirty as his original recordings. On some of those songs I often wondered if they were 1st or 2nd takes that the producer just said "that's good enough". Not to say they're bad, but they're a bit loose & gritty sometimes, which I think lends to Darondo's vocals. But after "Legs" he sadly left the stage. The band announced a Saturday night gig, but I was leaving well beforehand so I missed it, though I did get a report that he played 5 songs Saturday night. This two song set was by far the best show I've seen at SxSW in years. I saw a few really good ones this year, but this stood head and shoulders above the rest. Do yourself a favor, if you ever get the chance to see Darondo, drop whatever you're doing and go. They don't make them like him anymore.

Oh and Ironworks; the pork ribs are fantastic, but my heart's with the brisket.

PS: Ben actually missed this 2 song set or he would be writing the review. None of us knew it would be only 2 songs and he was late getting there.

PPS: I have to agree too on Earl Greyhound. They got the looks, the chops &and the moves, but not the songs....yet. They remind of the Witnesses in that respect. But I do hope they get the songs, because if they did, I think they would kill.

SXSW: Day Three

We have a special guest writer (who shall remain anonymous) to capture night three far better than I can. By Friday night, my feet were killing me and I was starting to get grouchy. Seeing X made me feel a little better, but the lines to see MGMT had me more than a little annoyed. Our guest's tastes are more indie-centric than my own, but I like different viewpoints. And we agree about Ironworks BBQ - he loved the meat and I loved the pork ribs. God bless.

Friday Night was my big band night...

Began at Stubbs where I caught a bit of The Ting Tings for the third time while in Austin. They embody what SXSW is really all about for me. I had never heard of em before and I left the festival loving em. I thought they really held and then elevated the large crowd at Stubbs. "That's Not My Name" and "Great DJ" both sound like hits to me. Should appeal to those who claim to like M.I.A. (who I do really like) but would prefer something a bit more charming and tuneful.

Santogold was next at Stubbs and was one of those acts I didn't know too much about, but wanted to check out based purely on the buzz. Didn't do much for me. Even the two dancers bored me. Probably works better in headphones or in a club.

Inertia is a powerful force, so I stayed at Stubbs for MGMT. That album hadn't blown me away in my one listen, though I think "Time To Pretend" is the best single of the year. They really delivered live and I've since gone back to the CD with fresh ears. Struck me as a mix of Flaming Lips and Built To Spill, riding a wave of trippy guitar. Band looked and sounded big. "Time To Pretend" was strangely treated as a throwaway cut, as if they've already tired of the tune. Probably a good sign...

Next stop was supposed to be Nicole Atkins. I really like everything I've heard by her and my friend is the guitarist. They play all the time in NYC, yet I've never seem em live. That remains the case.

In one of those SXSW great drunken redirections, I was convinced to get see Vampire Weekend at Antones. My protestations that we'd never get in seemed to be confirmed by the huge line wrapped around the block. We were saved, however, by my friend who convinced the doorman that he worked for XL, even though the business card he flashed was for a totally different company. We were quickly ushered in and made our way to the side of the stage. As for the band? They were great. Way above most other bands I saw at SXSW. Great energy on-stage. Super tight. Crowd was into it and singing along. Actual hooks and memorably quirky rhythms. Is it Beatlemania? Not quite, but there's something to this band. Check em out.

We were already past Congress so we moved a few blocks further away from the 6th st/Red River center of the Festival to see The Knux. I work with the band, so I won't comment too much, other than to say that these guys have the personality, charisma and talent to win over hip-hop purists and the indie rock set.

Next we headed all the way back to Stubbs to see N.E.R.D. I was outvoted. That said, Pharrell can work a crowd. Most of the new stuff sounded like Gnarls Barkley and served as filler between the knucklehead "jump around" anthems that made em famous.

Other bands I saw:

Jay Reatard - Mostly because Tom Scharpling plays em all the time on his (mostly) call-in WFMU show. Unfortunately, I've never heard the tunes because I listen to the podcast and WFMU strips out the songs. Not at all what i expected, but fun. Reminded me of Nuclear Assault. That's a good thing.

Earl Greyhound - Zeppelinesque rock. Dug it. Don't remember a single song, so Ben may be correct.

No Age - Tripped out and atmospheric indie punk rock. Great show, even if the playing was pretty damn sloppy. I'll give em a pass tho, since it was 1pm and they looked like they've never seen the sun before. And, I think sloppiness is part of the charm.

Clipse - Solid. I think it's funny that these guys and Ghostface Killah are worshiped by indie kids who probably don't listen to any other hip-hop.

Darker My Love - Another group I work with, so I'll keep it brief. The Verve meets Surrealistic Pillow meets Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Kind of...

Yo La Tengo - A mellow, mainly acoustic show in the day outside a museum. Great. Easy to forget how good they are.

And most importantly: Ironworks BBQ. Get the combo plate. Thank me later. Also, the chopped beef sandwich they Stubbs sells at the venue is probably the best food to be found at any rock club or arena. Wash it down with a Shiner Bock or two.

SXSW: Day Two

I didn't see as many artists last night as I would have liked to. There were ridiculously long lines as several of the venues I wanted to get into. So it was a good night to have a some drinks with friends, walk down 6th street and take in the sights and sounds.

I did get to see Eli Reed & the True Loves, who played a fine set. The band has gotten better since I last saw them; tighter, more confident and increasingly self-assured. Eli has developed as a singer and the crowd at Club DeVille was genuinely into the show. But there's something missing - sex. A great (male) soul singer, black or white, has more than a bit of the seducer in them, and right now, Eli is way too nice. "Nice" and "soul" do not mix. A bit of the nasty would do this band good, and I'm willing to bet they've got it in them.

I've been anxious to see Alice Russell since last spring when I first heard her. So I when she began her set at the Elephant last night, I was excited. The show started slowly and I was beginning to have a feeling of buyer's remorse. But she gathered strength as the set went on and there were moments (albeit fewer than I was hoping for) when I was thinking, "She's got it." My biggest criticism of Alice would be that her songs, for the most part, are not a strong enough match for her very wonderful voice. They fall into what I call the "Giant Step trap"; vibey and cool but nothing to hang your hat on.

The relative lack of strength of Alice's songs became apparent when toward the end of the set she did her best song, "Hurry On Now," and the energy of the room immediately shifted. People started getting out of their seats to dance and it was just joyful in the club. She followed with a cover of a White Stripes song (I'm forgetting which one) and the joint erupted. When the band finished, the audience demanded an encore - and they got one.

One of the best things I saw all night was a band playing on the street. I didn't get their name, but they were doing absolutely nailing some folk and gospel songs.

Here's the scene on 6th Street:








More action to come.

SXSW 2008: Night One

It's a lot of fun to be be attending SXSW in a non-major label A&R capacity. It used to be that I'd have to attend some sort of "buzz show," which would usually consist of some pretty awful band. I don't have to do that anymore.

The unquestionable highlight for me last night was Salt & Samovar's set at Buffalo Billiards as part of the KCRW showcase. Passionate, intelligent and occasionally explosive rock that felt like an unholy mix of 60's garage punk as played by a group that wrote their dissertations on Tolstoy while listening to Music From Big Pink, band was undeniably great. David Moltz's lead guitar was very impressive; both jagged and highly melodic and the bands vocals and harmonies were stellar. The Brooklyn based band is definitely a one to watch and is deserving of the considerable amount of attention they're garnering.



Other bands:

The Ting Ting's: An enjoyable set by a two piece from Manchester. The kids in Williamsburg will eat them up.

Earl Greyhound: A band I like in concept far more than in execution. They sound great; great drummer, good guitarist and a fine lead vocalist. But there are no songs.

SXSW: They're Coming

Volunteers preparing registration goodie bags for incoming registrants for SXSW. The music portion of the conference begins today.