Entries Tagged With: chromeo

SXSW: The Random Picture Post

At 01:18pm Mar 17, 2008

These snaps were just too hot not to post.


photo by Jaime Lees
PHOTO: Dead Confederate
WHEN: Wednesday, March 12, 11p.m.
WHERE: Stubb's BBQ, big outside stage
NOTE: This band opened for R.E.M. (Athens represent) and might have been the best surprise of the festival. Read our coverage here.


photo by Jaime Lees
PHOTO: AA Bondy
WHEN: Thursday, March 13, about 9:30p.m.
WHERE: The gorgeous poolside rooftop stage of a heavily sponsored free party.
NOTE: This was one of 12 AA Bondy shows in a 3 day time span in Austin.


photo by Jaime Lees
PHOTO: downtown Austin, TX, view from the AA Bondy rooftop show
WHEN: Thursday, March 13, late night
WHERE: at 3rd Street and Guadalupe looking East
NOTE: There should be more rooftop shows. Always.


photo by Jaime Lees
PHOTO: Autolux's Eugene Goreshter
WHEN: Friday, March 14, afternoon
WHERE: Red Eyed Fly backyard venue
NOTE: Goreshter's amazing vocals on Autolux albums? Not studio magic. Dude actually sings like that.


photo by Jaime Lees
PHOTO: J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, solo show
WHEN: Saturday, March 15, mid-afternoon
WHERE: Garden Party (read: gorgeous yard), the French Legation Museum
NOTE: J Mascis is a God among men (who just happens to use a baby pink Razr as his preferred cellular device.)


photo by Jaime Lees
PHOTO: Thurston Moore and the New Wave Bandits
WHEN: Saturday, March 15, afternoon, slot after J Mascis
WHERE: East Austin, French Legation Museum
NOTE: Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore stole the show with his expansive talent and boyish charm. Read our coverage here.


PHOTO: The Breeders
WHEN: Saturday, March 15, about 9p.m.
WHERE: Waterloo Park, north of downtown, 2nd stage
NOTE: Two Deals are always better than one. Read our coverage here.


photo by Jaime Lees
PHOTO: Kid Sister at the Fool's Gold Showcase
WHEN: Saturday, March 15, 1a.m. (after Flosstradamus, before Chromeo)
WHERE: Volume nightclub, next to the Emo's on 6th Street
NOTE: Kid Sister claimed she was crunk but she still held down her raps with a little help from brother Josh "J2K" Young (of super-fly duo Flosstradamus) as back up.
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SXSW: The Aftermath and the Comedown

At 01:59pm Mar 16, 2008

So, I'm sitting here in the Austin airport (flight delayed) after having spotty Internet access (read: none) for the past few days in the hotel. I have a ton of videos and pictures to post in the next few days (I threw down for a hottt camera), but until then, here are some other observations besides what we've already posted:

Simian Mobile Disco
(photo by Annie Zaleski)


*Simian Mobile Disco. The U.K. act headlined Mess with Texas vs. the Breeders yesterday night, and they absolutely blew the Deal sisters away. Vertical light displays in red, white and multicolors (reminiscent of Daft Punk) matched the duo's rave-y techno-pop, which they mixed in perfect discotheque ebbs and swells. "It's the Beat" especially created a groove -- and kept it.

*No Age. I'm in love with the LA duo's upcoming Sub Pop debut, Nouns; it's like Wire meets the Jesus and Mary Chain. But its set yesterday at Mess with Texas was rather awful. What's nuanced, primal and charming on record came off as a screeching, off-key racket live. Was it the outdoor festival setting -- I get the feeling they would be much better in a small, contained room -- or simply show fatigue (the band played an insane amount of shows)? Not sure, but I was disappointed.

*Chromeo. Also disappointing last night were these guys, headlining at Volume. While technically proficient and polished, the Vocoder-laden b-boy '80s funk/disco was just...boring. Perhaps this was because they were too polished and let their shtick (i.e., covering the Outfield's "Your Love" in brief and adding a snippet of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" -- the ultimate cheap ploy at the end of a bar night) dominate. I'm not entirely sure how the set managed to be just meh, considering it was 1 a.m. and I was a few drinks into the night at this point, but I was completely underwhelmed.

*Sons & Daughters. These charming Scots have improved mightily since I saw them opening for Franz Ferdinand years ago. Now much more confident, the group's distillation of American rockabilly and country (it even covered Johnny Cash, with a bit of the Stooges thrown in for good measure) and Britpop was high-energy and totally mesmerizing at an outdoor garden party thrown by Press Here Publicity. The new record This Gift was recorded by Suede's Bernard Butler, and the '90s melodic-rock nods came through loud and clear ("Gilt Complex"). Bonus points for singer Adele Bethel's totally bitching gold lame boots, which I coveted.

*Thurston Moore and the New Wave Bandits. Sonic Youth's Moore was in a jovial mood at the same garden party, cheerfully announcing drummer Steve Shelley as being "from the Crucifucks" (and not, you know, Sonic Youth) and introducing the band's name as "Bromance" -- and then expounded on the concept of "dude love." Aw. His set of solo material was also awe-inspiring; of course his distinctive guitar style made the set seem like a mini-Sonic Youth set, but with contributions from Come's Chris Brokaw and others onstage, the material sprang to life in its own distinctive way.

-- Annie Zaleski
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