Unlike every other year where I photographed every band I saw, this year I took a different approach and only took images if something appealed. I must be almost maturing!!
All photos taken from where I viewed the act on stage this year. This is what it was like.
First Band of 2013, Argentine's Mompox. Poppy, lightweight, fun. A gentle start.
Check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Wz0b6Jg5A
Fort Lean, a band I found on Daytrotter. In a great sound stage Hype Hotel. One to watch.
This is Fort Lean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YSmsw4wsmU
This was their warning!!!
One from Seattle, My Goodness, a Chris McReynolds reco. Worth it. ( Punctuation may have been off there. I did not mean "My Goodness, a Chris McReynold reco" - instead it is a band from Seattle called My Goodness)
Best band I saw was Divine Fits. So good I went to see them twice.
Here is a video of the other performance I watched. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty06B9UPGmw
In my favourite tiny venue, here is Conveyor, a poppy version of Early Talking Heads.
Elle King, indie rocks very own Country & Western queen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFqZTcP9Yck
and she is Rob Schneider's daughter, Deuce Bigalow himself.
This psychedelic picture is of a psychedelic band, LA Snacks. Most memorable though is blurry Al, taking a rest and it was only Tuesday night!!
First band Wednesday in an empty room at Holy Mountain, turned out to be brilliant. Jamaican Queens.
I predict great things for them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8GZw07XoOQ
Foxygen were a riot on stage. Half Jarvis Cocker/Half Mick Jagger. The guy later had a meltdown on stage at another SXSW show and as a result their world tour was cancelled!!
This acoustic video gives you a taste of how that could have happened. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkejbYlpnxA
This wed afternoon was a typical run of great SXSW shows. Jamaican Queens, Foxygen, then this guy MarcDemarco. Wasted beyond all hope, his geetar rock sound was exceptional.
Listen here https://soundcloud.com/capturedtracks/mac-demarco-my-kind-of-woman
Some times you pass a little venue and hear a great noise. This is how I cam to being assaulted by the merciless wall of noise from Masarati.
go here to download their track The Elliminator.... http://nothingbuthopeandpassion.bandcamp.com/track/the-elliminator
Their album is fairly good. The venue was really good. The view was perfect and they dressed well. But The Allah Las did not cut it live for me. Which is a shame as some of my best photos were of them:(
He may look old enough to be your uncle. That is because he is. But bow before David Lowery, the genius behind one of the best punk/pop/ska/gypsy reel bands ever, Camper Van Beethoven.
They played this. https://soundcloud.com/pindaro666/11-camper-van-beethoven
One of my all time favourite bands and I had never seen them live. I got to say hello to the great one too.
There are always a host of great Scottish bands, obviously. My tip this year are Holy Esque.
Here is a sketchy recording of their great song Tear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw3XHYcGQdk
The best venue at SXSW is Esther's Follies, a comedy club. The sound is great and so is the view. Normally I go once just to enjoy the vibe. And teh G&Ts. Voted best by all The Burning Club who drink G&T. This time one of the best shows took place there. The Eastern Sea. Stunning.
Watch this ...all the way through http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEXZjnjaMX8
By now everyone know Alt-J, I guess. They managed to bring their odd but great sound to a live stage well.
4ontheFloor. Hill Billy Rockers. Lots of beer and more great looking middle aged tattooed and summer dressed women than any other show.
here is why. https://soundcloud.com/the4onthefloor/03workinmanzombie
Still a mystery to me why Family Of The Year are not huge. Saw them two years ago at SXSW too. Brilliant.
their new song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHeK0Cwr9sg
One of the busiest shows was Palma Violets. Mental. This photo summed up the atmosphere. Wild & Loud. https://soundcloud.com/brattwell-recordings/palma-violets-best-of-friends
Criminally only a handful of folk were at Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar Backyard to see Gabriel Sullivan and his band. From Howe Gelb's Giant Sand collective. Al coined the term, Tucson's Berut. They dazzled.
And here you see the rest of the entire crowd in middle of a fiddle solo....
Sorry cant find a decent link for sound. Just go buy it.
The Last Bison play Switzerland at Hotel Vegas in Austin!!
Watch this video. Best cover version I have heard for years....they do M83 on violins and banjo. Too good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCes8txEoJU
A trip around different types of venues.
Here Man Without Country play a pub with windows open to the street ( I am in the venue looking - the light at the back of stage is outside)
Here Small Black play in one of the common long narrow clubs of Austin.
Then back to outdoor yards for the second show of Gabriel Sullivan of the week.
Neil met the man himself.
Now last year there was some criticism of my blurry photos. I do not want you to think that I tried extra hard to avoid them this year.Here is my favourite photo. Boy & Kite giving it hell. Beautifully captured, I would say.
And again. Check them out - excellent. That is a female lead guitarist and singer, by the way.
Name of the week. Roadkill Ghost Choir.
The most boring looking band produced one of the liveliest shows.
go here to get a free song http://roadkillghostchoir.bandcamp.com
Friday ended in a blaze of wild live shows. After Roadkill GC, came The Giving Tree Band. Another one of those Hillybilly On Acid bands. Crazy live. Banjos were the in instrument of the week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASWHIp4fAlY
Nearly over. So we find a bench at the edge of teh stage to see King Tuff rock it owt!!
And don't forget.....
The night and week is over...
Till March 2014. Eve will join me this time. Can't wait.