SXSW 2008 Preview
To prep for the 2008 South By Southwest music festival in, I’m arming myself with an alphabetical list of the groups performing and an active Internet connection with the goal of listening to top tracks from as many bands as possible and offering my impressions here.
The reactions will be quick and dirty, reflecting my own musical taste and ignorance, but if they save me or anyone else from accidentally sitting through a performance of Hey, How’s Your News, then they will be worth it.
They are: a punk band from Los Angeles (or, in their words, Naughteyville)
Sounds like: A more-driven The Walkmen with some Ornette Coleman circus sounds thrown in
The tracks (MySpace)
Dead City/Waste Wilderness
A high, tropical guitar riffs above playful percussion and eager whelps from the singer.
Bear Face
A slightly dissonant lead guitar trades jumpy riffs with a droning rhythm foundation. The drums play with acceleration, speeding and up and slowing down to provide a satisfying musical rush.
The verdict: Fun stuff. They could inspire some dancing where they play, and it might be fun to be one of the fools flailing around.
They are: a country/bluegrass quartet—a fiddle, a cello, and two banjos—featuring Bela Fleck
Sounds like: A jazzier, rootsier Dixie Chicks
The tracks (Yahoo Music Engine)
Quick banjo arpeggios dance around the beat as Washburn pines for a lost lover. Subtle cello and fiddle drones ground the piece as the banjos skip along; the result is eminently hummable.Everybody Does It Now
Sounding like a track from the Red Onion Jazz Babies sessions, this one has Washburn is trying to channel Lil Hardin-Armstrong. The instruments hit a nice, steady jazz trot, with the fiddle roaming in and out of the melody.
The verdict: A good bluegrass revival group, one I’ve already seen live. I doubt I’ll make the trek to find them, but if they happen to be playing where I am, I’ll have another beer and tap my foot.
They are: DJ Salinger and Isochronal, a DJ duo from Los Angeles
Sounds like: Singing computers meet Pac Man
The tracks (MySpace):
Matter Made V
Beeps and synth samples rise and fall over an 80s drum sample. It’s the aural equivalent of running away with a race in F-Zero…you’re not even thinking about what you’re doing; you’re just in a zone.
The verdict: Not quite for me…more up the alley of people who like to dance and take drugs they’ve just bought from strangers.