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.

The Aggrolites

They are: a ska band from Los Angeles.

Sounds like: The Stylistics meet the Godfather of Soul

The Tracks (MySpace)

Lucky Streak
The track kicks off with a burst of chatter, evoking a live show/party—before kicking into a funky groove. It’s a lot of fun, with call-and-response lyrics and light guitar and organ solos.

Dirty Reggae
A 60s-style organ sounds to announce the track, then descends into a quick reggae/ska beat. The voice on top of the groove channels James Brown, with shouts and growls about “getting funky tonight.”

The verdict: The band does a good job of channeling some respectable influences—it would be fun to see how well they can do it live.

Priscilla Ahn

They are: a singer-songwriter

Sounds like: Jewel

The Tracks (MySpace)

Dream
Ahn features a strong, gentle voice over a fingerpicked guitar. The lyrics are a little oversweet, though—“I dreamed I could fly from/the highest swing I dreamed”—and the string arrangements that show up later extend the saccharine feel.

Are We Different
This track has a more defined beat, with downstroke guitar strums and a kit providing light percussion. The vocals are still sweet, but more leading, in a summertime road song kind of way.

The verdict: Not quite for me. I could see my little sister humming along.

The Airborne Toxic Event

They are: a rock band from Los Angeles

Sounds like: The Strokes meet Bruce Springsteen via Ted Leo

The Tracks (Sonicbids.com)

Does This Mean You’re Moving On?
Staccato guitar phrases trade space with high-hat heavy drums and the lead singer’s world-weary monotone. The song’s feeling of inevitability reflects back to its title.

Wishing Well
There’s some heft to this one, as a thick guitar periodically crashes down on the wash of organ and drums driving it. The vocals sound desperate, but the music retains the promise of driving away.

The verdict: There’s a lot of skill and punch behind the music, but the flatness of the singing makes it a little difficult to embrace. Ted Leo seems like a good comparison; for me, he evokes the same mixed response. Still, I listened to everything twice, and it could fun to see how much muscle they put behind it live.