I need a favor from the Aussie, European and well, all Ledgies

[Livia]

What I like to call "spring break for the music industry" is happening next week in my fair city of Austin, Texas - the South by Southwest Music Conference. I would really appreciate it if you guys could take a gander at the (very long, sorry) list of bands and let me know if there are any "must sees." Gerald and Tommer, you are both excused from this task, since you have already graciously provided your input. Thanks in advance!!

SXSW (http://www.sxsw.com/music/showcases/pages/A.html)

Unfortunately, you can't sort the list by cities the bands are from - but you can do a search for a specific band.

:wavey:

[dissention]

I've never heard of any of these bands. :eek: :laugh:

[Livia]

I've never heard of any of these bands.

That's part of the purpose for the conference - giving relatively unknown bands major exposure to industry peeps. If you do a venue search, look at Stubb's, the Austin Music Hall and La Zona Rosa. These are larger venues that usually have more well-known acts (The B-52's, Liz Phair, Joan Jett, Los Lobos, Camper Van Beethoven, etc.)

:wavey:

[hayley]

Livia, I'm not sure what you like (besides FM ;-) )

Some of the bigger ones to check out, if you weren't already planning it-

Patty Griffin (she's at Stubb's!)
Peter Salett
Kacy Crowley
Bottle Rockets
Calexico

I also HIGHLY recommend Devendra Banhart and the Autumn Defense... David Cross is also doing a show, which if you haven't ever seen him live... he's so goddamned funny.

Another one I would RUN to is the FRANZ FERDINAND showcase. They're huge in the UK, and they're going to blow up here in May, when their album's being released in the US.

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Originally posted by hayley
Another one I would RUN to is the FRANZ FERDINAND showcase. They're huge in the UK, and they're going to blow up here in May, when their album's being released in the US.

Huge in the UK? I've never heard of them! I'm very out of the loop

Pip

[CarneVaca]

Dude, you gotta catch Camper. The song "Tusk" is still part of their set. Also, Camper's sister band, Cracker is playing. Check them out.

Go see Marah and Iron & Wine as well.

[strandinthewind]

Cracker is really good and I am not really even into their style of music :cool:

[hayley]

Originally posted by Gypsy-Rhiannon
Huge in the UK? I've never heard of them! I'm very out of the loop

Pip

They're from Glasgow. They had a #3 in the UK with the song "Take Me Out"... they're huge in the same way The Strokes became huge here. They're really flipping good.

[Livia]

Thanks, Hayley! Isn't Calexico the band that did the "Even Stevie Nicks" song? I do like Patty Griffin and Kacy Crowley, but they're considered "local" and I try to make a point of not seeing any local bands, or anyone else I can see anytime. I try to see bands from outside the US, as much as I can. However, many of my friends are playing showcases, and I like to be there to support them, if I can.

My list so far (you can see how challenging and crazy this can be, with so many acts playing 45-minute sets at the same time).

WEDNESDAY, 3/17

Austin Music Awards – Music Hall – Los Lonely Boys play last at 10:40
The Von Bondies – Stubb’s – 10
Joan Jett – Stubb’s – 12:30
Ozomatli – Exodus - 1
The Fags – The Vibe - 1

THURSDAY, 3/18

Cake – Music Hall – 10
Subdudes – Antone’s – 10
B-52’s – Stubb’s – 11
Little Richard – Music Hall – 11
Marah – Cont. Club – 11 (Gerald and Carne's recommendation)
Vallejo – Hard Rock Cafe – 12
Franz Ferdinand (Glasgow) – Buffalo Billiards – 12 (Hayley’s recommendation – next big thing from the UK)
Junior Senior (Denmark - funky, Tommer recommended them) - Stubb’s-12:30
Hardcore Superstar (Sweden) – BD Riley’s – 1
Reckless Kelly - Antones’s - 1

FRIDAY, 3/19

David Cross (comedy) – Emo’s – 10
BoDeans – Music Hall – 11
Vallejo – Hard Rock Cafe - 12
Big Star – Music Hall – 12:30
Calexico – Exodus - 1

SATURDAY, 3/20

Mojo Nixon’s Last Show – Cont. Club – 5
Maverick’s – Stubb’s - 9
Girls’ Japan Nite – Elysium – The Noodles (9), Petty Booka (10), Bleach (11)
Los Lobos – Stubb’s- 12
Cracker-La Zona Rosa – 11:50
Camper Van Beethoven – La Zona Rosa – 12:50
Delgados (Glasgow) – Friends- 1
Rock Four (Tel Aviv) – Pecan St. Ale House – 1
Bottle Rockets – Opal Divine’s - 1

[strandinthewind]

Should I send you some Aspirin now for the day after all of these shows :laugh:

Have a great time!!!!!!!

Also, even thought they are a little older, the B-52's are just great. They play Atlanta just about every year and the show is fab. Will Cindy Wilson (the big blonde - "TIIIINNNN ROOOOOOF RUSTED) be there. She stopped touring with them for a while.

[Livia]

LOL - I always take off work the mornings of Thurs and Friday. I've already stocked up on ibuprofen. I ADORE the B-52's - I'm really gonna try to see them this year - they played last year, but I missed 'em. I saw them about 8 years ago. Too much fun!!

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by strandinthewind
Cracker is really good and I am not really even into their style of music :cool:

Jason, I knew you could be redeemed! Praise the law!

Have you seen them live? Best damn live show since Lindsey's 1993 tour.

[strandinthewind]

No - I have never seen them live. I think they played the Midtoen Music Fest here in Atlanta awhile ago, and I usually try to go to that event every year. It sounds alot like the thing Livia is going to in that it is a bunch of bands at different times. So, I may have heard them then and not known it, as I could have been at the booths then, etc.

[strandinthewind]

I did, however, see Cake there one year and they were very good as well.

[CarneVaca]

Livia, that looks like a damn good list.

So Camper is warming up for Cracker. What that means is a very short interval between bands because they won't have to change any equipment. Really these days Cracker is David Lowery on vocals and rhythm guitar, Johnny Hickman on guitar, Victor Krummenacher on bass, Frank Funaro on drums (this guy is fantastic, watch him closely!) and Kenny Margolis on keys.

Camper is David, Frank Victor, Jonathan Segal on fiddle and Greg Lisher on guitar.

By the way, Johnny is a tremendous guitarist in his own right. You wouldn't know it listening to him, but he actually was trained as a Latin music guitar player. You can pick up hints of that occasionally. There's also a lot of twangy influence on all these guys.

[GardenStateGirlie]

-Cake (anyone who writes a song and includes the lyrics "sheep go to heaven...goats go to hell... is ace in my book...I love their music)

-Camper Van Beethoven (i'm obsessed with his take on the Tusk album. Perhaps you have to be a certain type of person to enjoy it but It just kicks ass)

- Flogging Molly (i have a few friends who've seen them numerous times so i started listening...they ROCK... definately catch them)

-Juliana Hatfield

-Abra Moore

-Ozomatli (if you've ever seen Never Been Kissed, this is the band featured on the stage when Drew Barrymore eats the brownie in the club...they're pretty damn cool)

-Pete Yorn

I also noticed Minnie Driver and Julie Delpy are going to be there. I didn't know Julie Delpy sings but that could be cool.

Damn...I wanna go with you...this sounds like it'll be awesome :nod:

[BellaDonnaGypsy]

Here are some that are gaining ground in the alternative scene over here. These are for the most part somewhat established although not household names.

- British Sea Power
- The Cooper Temple Clause
- The Delgados
- Dizzee Rascal
- Franz Ferdinand (personal recommendation)
- Junior Senior (personal recommendation)
- Million Dead
- Snow Patrol
- The Sounds
- The Thrills
- Glenn Tilbrook (person recommendation, used to be in Squeeze)

I might have missed a few, but I don't have time to read through the whole lot in detail. It is nice to see a lot of good British bands being represented there though.

Laura.

[hayley]

Yep, that's Calexico... Also glad you're seeing Junior Senior!! Their disc rarely leaves my changer.

I also recommend The Sounds & The Thrills. Los Lonely Boys are really fun live, too- nice guys.

Cracker's doing a theatre tour right now with Camper "opening" for them. I didn't realize they were bringing it to SXSW too.

I wish I could make SXSW this year.

[Livia]

Los Lonely Boys are really fun live, too- nice guys.

The first time I saw them a couple years ago, they BLEW ME AWAY! And since Willie Nelson "discovered them," they've been on an incredible ride. They will pick up some Austin Music Awards, this year, no doubt, since they're headlining. And they are hilarious boys - they all do impressions!

The Thrills have been getting tons of airplay here, that "One Horse Town" song. It's so strange, the rhythm changes, but I do like them.