SXSW 2011 Preview: James Blake

Well y'all, today is officially March, which means I OFFICIALLY begin the Bloggy SXSW preview posts. Now, for those of you who have never been to SXSW before I can tell you that this site will not give you all of the information you need. Even for a veteran like myself South By can be quite overwhelming and you couldn't possibly see every showcase, artist, film, event that you would like to see so just throw that idea out the window right now. My goal, is simply to highlight an artist a post, each day of March leading up to the beginning of SXSW Music. That isn't to say that I will, necessarily achieve this goal but that is my intent. I'm starting things out with, what I would consider, an obvious and popular choice for an artist to highlight, James Blake.


James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream video via YouTube

Going into SXSW 2011 I can already tell you that James Blake will be one of the most talked about and divisive artists of the festival. This U.K. dance producer/D.J. has been building buzz for months now. He released a series of EP's, high-profile remixes and now a full-length LP and with each release the buzz has grown louder. He has already been tapped by the taste-makers over at Pitchfork as an artist on the rise, which means he'll be playing some of the most popular showcases and day parties of the festival.

According to his Myspace page James Blake is only playing three events at SXSW thus far but I have a really hard time believing that to be true. In fact, I know that a week or two ago he was listed as a performer at the, always popular, Fader Fort on the Saturday of SXSW. I'm assuming the folks over at Fader requested he remove that listing as it sort of spoils the surprise. I, also, wouldn't be surprised to see him listed as a performer at one of the other most popular free events like One Night in Austin with Perez Hilton or possibly the party sponsored by Red Bull. I haven't heard if C3 and Playboy will be teaming up as they have in year's past but that party would be an excellent fit for him if it occurs.


James Blake - Limit to Your Love (Feist cover) video via YouTube

As of March 1st, 2011 these are the dates/places that you can catch James Blake at SXSW, at least according to his MySpace page and the official SXSW website:

Wednesday March 16th, 9:30pm at Stubb's you can catch James at the Time Out North America showcase, which will be headlined by Duran Duran

Thursday March 17th (technically Friday the 18th), at 1:00am you can catch him at the Central Presbyterian Church where he is headlining the Pitchfork showcase. I expect this will be the hardest set to get into, so if you want to be there arrive early!

Friday March 18th, James Blake performs at 5:30pm at the French Legation Museum. It's not listed on MySpace but this is traditionally the site of a free day party, so for you unofficial festival goers this will, likely, be your first shot to catch JB gratis. If you click the above link for the museum you will see that this is, indeed, a free party and the full-lineup is listed as well.

Saturday March 19th, at 7:30pm is when it WAS listed that Blake was performing at the Fader Fort. As of this moment, that information is merely speculative but I have a strong inclination that it is correct.


James Blake - A Case of You (Live) (Joni Mitchell cover) video via YouTube

As I mentioned at the start of this post, don't rely on me for all of your SXSW information. Think of me more like a highlighter. Follow me on Twitter to stay more a tune to what I'm up to and feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Show List Austin and Do512 are GREAT resources for unofficial stuff though.

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Mardi Gras on Red River

Alright y'all, I'm giving you an 8 day heads-up on this event so you have time to plan. Now, when I say plan I'm talking plan a ride, plan your meals, plan your kids and plan your wife 'cause we plannin' errybody down at Stubb's Saturday March 5th! Our friends over at Knuckle Rumbler are joining forces with Proper Entertainment to bring a fun and unique Mardi Gras experience to Austin. We're talking music, Crawfish, Carribean food and even the folks from Frank will be on hand. The music will fill both the inside and outside stages for 14 hours of craziness starting at noon. Tickets for all of this madness are $10 if you buy them now but starting Monday February 28th the price goes up to $12 and if you procrastinate until the day of the event you'll be paying $15. So, I suggest you click that link now if you want to get your creole on next Saturday. Budos Band will be headlining but, like I said, there will be 14 hours worth of music ranging from DJ's, to live bands with all variations of New Orleans music in the mix. I've got the full line-up posted after the jump. Oh, and this event is ALL AGES so you can bring that under-age girl you're dating. Yeah, I got your number (and so does Chris Hansen).


Budos Band - Unbroken, Unshaven video via YouTube


Here's the full musical line-up for Mardi Gras on Red River happening next Saturday, March 5th at Stubb's:

Budos Band
Soul Track Mind
Austin Knights Brass Band
Akina Adderly & The Vintage Playboys
Bus Stop Stallions
Fresh Millions
Whitman
KP & The Boom Boom
D Madness
Graham Wilkinson
Interstellar Transmissions
Free Sound
Gobi
Tavana
Much Love
Me, You & Dave
DJ Orion
DJ Chorizo Funk

So, there you have it folks, Austin's own version of Mardi Gras next Saturday taking over both stages at Stubb's with booze, beeds, food and music. Bring your friends and family all ages are welcome, in face kids under 10 get in for free! Oh, and don't forget the sooner you get Tickets the less expensive they'll be.

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Marnie Stern at the Mohawk Tonight!

As February starts to wind-down and March approaches it's hard to focus on anything other than SXSW but guess what y'all? There are still good shows happening in town before Austin is invaded by indie-rock! For instance, there are still tickets available for tonight's Marnie Stern show at the Mohawk. The tickets will set you back a cool $10 but Lone Stars are cheap once you're in the door. Marnie and co. go on at midnight so if you have to work tonight you can probably still catch her set. For those of you who've complained that there aren't any kick-ass female rockers any more clearly haven't been paying attention.


Marnie Stern - Transformer video via YouTube


Taking the 11pm set time, right before Marnie Stern tonight, will be Tera Melos. This Sacramento 3-piece is known for having an eclectic style borrowing bits and pieces from many genres of music to create their own blend of "experimental rock". In other words, their music is hard to dance to and this band is probably more clever than your mustache is so be prepared to be humbled by their musicianship.


Tera Melos - The Skin Surf video via YouTube

Starting things off tonight will be Zorch a band who claims to play, "Electronic Space-Jazz". To which, I respond, "Finally! An electronic space-jazz band that isn't pretentious!"


Zorch - Art Vandelay video via YouTube

Doors open at 9p tonight, music starts at 10p. Also, if you haven't tried Tabbed Out yet it's a good way to circumvent the Mohawk's $10 minimum credit card charge. You're welcome.

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Sebadoh and Quasi at Emo's

You kids and your lo-fi, garage-rock owe a lot to Sebadoh. Lou Barlow and co. were writing indie-rock on 4-tracks before that Wavves punk was even born! Lucky for those of us in Austin, we have the chance to pay tribute to Sebadoh not (just) by forming a shitty band ripping-off their sound but (also) by purchasing a $15 ticket to their show at Emo's tomorrow night. The band has re-united and is touring in support of the recent reissues of some of their most classic albums. Most, or all, of these reissues have, not only, been remastered but also offer lots of bonus tracks, exclusives and rarities. So, if you're a vinyl nut or you still purchase compact discs (what's that?) make sure you bring enough cash to shell out at the merch table tomorrow. Also, if you're thinking you might want to check this show out but you're not really sure, just buy a ticket now before they're all gone. Trust me, you want to check this show out.


Sebadoh - Flame video via YouTube

Speaking of classic-indie/lo-fi rockers who all these damn kids owe their careers to, the legendary Quasi will be splitting the bill with Sebadoh tomorrow night. Even though Quasi will be taking the stage before Sebadoh I hesitate to call them the "opening-act". That honor belongs to local band, and Bloggy-favs, TV Torso.


Quasi - Repulsion video via YouTube

I'm not trying to tell y'all how to live, HOWEVER, if I were you I would wear earplugs tomorrow night. Even though the show will be on the outside stage this show promises to be loud. If you forget your earplugs and wish you had some, Emo's DOES sell them at a low-cost. If you consider yourself a fan of music and want to hear it for the rest of your life then you should save your hearing while you have it. While I'm getting all motherly, don't effing drink and drive. I know drunk driving is some kind of a widely-accepted bloodsport here in Austin but that ain't cool yo! I mean, what if you ran over Miss Paws? Do you want to see me cry?!?! Gawd!

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Tapes 'n Tapes w/Oberhofer

There are always lots of great shows going on in Austin, especially on a Friday night. Tomorrow night is no exception, you can bring your Mom to see Glady Knight sans Pips for around $200/pair of tix if you want. Personally, I'd rather listen to her old records so I won't be disappointed and broke. In lieu of a Pipless Gladys, you should probably head on over to Emo's for a killer indie-rock show. Remember Tapes 'n Tapes? They had that album called The Loon that you really liked? Well guess what? They are still around and they're still making some great, jangly, catchy, indie-rock music. Their latest LP is called Outside and I, for one, am a fan. Tickets for tomorrow night's show are still available and will cost you a cool, $14.


Tapes 'n Tapes - Freak Out video via YouTube

Speaking of catchy, jangly, indie-rock, make sure you arrive in time to catch Oberhofer. You may not know that name at this moment but they have some fantastically written tunes that will make you wish you could sing along to them. I mean, how can you argue with a band who's 7" record is called o0O0o0O0o and they categorize it as "Coincidance Pop"? SOLD!

You can download some MP3's free and legal of Oberhofer's songs, Petz and Away Frm U. I'd also recommend you check out their session recorded over at the Daytrotter studios. You're welcome.

Starting things off tomorrow night on Emo's outside stage will be local band, Monahans. I feel like they fit perfectly on this bill as their sound lends itself well to whatever genre-less genre Tapes 'n Tapes and Oberhofer belong in. I don't have any MP3's for you but I do have this year-old video, which should give you a feel for what they're like.


Monahans - It's Enough to Leave You video via YouTube

Also, be sure to check out Monahans Satellite Set taped on the former Austin City Limits stage.

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Ultra8201 Turns 5!

Generally, turning 5 implies a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's, maybe some Dora the Explorer shit but in Austin we do things a little differently. When our friends over at Ultra8201 turn 5 tomorrow, we'll be getting drunk off our asses and dancing like no one is watching. Although, in reality, everyone will be watching because we'll be so drunk and foolish looking, oh and everyone who has ever had a blog or twitter account in Austin will be at Malverde, so chances are there will be evidence later. Now, I know that the Robyn show is going on tomorrow night too but Malverde is, literally, right next door so you have no excuse for not stopping by after you get your Swedish-pop fix.

The DJ's from Learning Secrets will be providing the tunes, as they do every Thursday night at Malverde and the sexy, hipster bartenders will be providing the drinks (not for free). It's up to you to provide your presence, your swagger and your complete and utter focus on making a fool of yourself.


Chuck E. Cheese - Happy Birthday video via YouTube

This video really has nothing to do with Ultra8201's birthday but I can't NOT include something from Robyn in this post. I just can't y'all!


Robyn - Hang With Me video via YouTube

Happy Birthday Ultra8201!!!!

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Wiretree with Future Clouds at Stubb's

Holy cow! Local power-pop band Wiretree is playing Stubb's amphitheater!?! Actually, that's a lie y'all. Wiretree will be playing Stubb's inside stage tonight but that doesn't mean they won't be playing the amphitheater someday. Their music is straight-ahead, accessible pop-rock that your little brother, your mom and yourself could, would and will enjoy if you give them the chance. They have already taped a Satellite Set at the KLRU studio and they've been creating buzz amongst the local media for awhile now. Tickets for tonight's show will only set you back $7 and as of the writing of this post they are still available. I will warn you though, drinks are crazy expensive at Stubb's so plan accordingly. Also, the smell of the BBQ is amazingly awesome so don't arrive broke, hungry or completely sober.


Wiretree - Days Gone By video via YouTube


Before Wiretree take to the stage tonight you should get there in time to catch Future Clouds and Radar. They have been making waves on the national indie-scene since 2007 but just haven't quite caught fire for some reason. I hate to lump them into the same vague category as Wiretree calling them "power-pop" but really what artist sticks to a genre these days? I think those labels are more useful to the dinosaurs of rock radio, not that you could really hear any local band on any local radio but you get the idea. Doors for tonight's show open at 8p, you can expect Wiretree's set around 11p and Future Clouds, roughly, an hour earlier. Don't forget, it's a Friday night so parking is going to suck and if you're going to get drunk, for the love of all this is holy take the bus or a cab! Have fun out there kids.


Future Clouds and Radar - Dr. No video via YouTube

The above video is, roughly, three years old but I wanted to post it because I love the visuals. The animation was done by, Nickelodeon animator, Keith Graves. This one is, slightly, more recent.


Future Clouds and Radar - The Epcot View video via YouTube

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Knuckle Rumbler Party at the Ghost Room

Well kids, word on the street is those adorable and industrious little interns over at Knuckle Rumbler put tonight's Ghost Room show together without any help from Mom and Dad. As someone who has NO idea how something like that is done I just want to pinch their little cheeks and tell 'em how proud I am of them. In lieu of the pinching and hugging I've decided helping to promote might be more useful. Although, I'm not gonna lie, I still might have to pinch some rosy little cheeks and I don't mean their faces y'all!

Anywho, all of the bands tonight are local and/or have local ties so consider this a sort of best of the best according to the KR interns. Shapes Have Fangs will be headlining tonight and will let you know how Garage-Surf-Indie-Rock is done in the middle of Texas (for those of you who were wondering).


Shapes Have Fangs - Rattle and Confuse Me video via YouTube


Rayon Beach will also be playing a set tonight. If you like your garage-rock to be raucous and soaked in reverb and irony then you're going to love Rayon Beach. Fun fact about Rayon, it is produced from naturally occurring polymers, it is neither a truly synthetic fiber nor a natural fiber; it is a semi-synthetic. Fun fact about the beach, it's sandy or rocky depending on where you are.


Rayon Beach - Memory Teeth video via YouTube

Even though Eets Feats and The Daze play first and second, respectively, you'll still want to be there in time for their sets. For one, they are quality bands and for another there's alleged to be some gratis booze that is first come first served. Specifically the first 100 people through the door will receive a free adult beverage, most likely of the Lone Star Beer variety, which is certainly nothing to scoff at.


Eets Feats - Beach Dayze video via YouTube

So, basically, the long and short of tonight's show is for $5 you get 4+ hours of live music, the chance to get gratis beer, you can have your photo taken by a professional (or two) and even win tickets to other Knuckle Rumbler events. All of this without setting foot on 6th Street OR Red River! You gotta love that right?


The Daze - We Look Like We're in High School video via YouTube

For the record, that song title for The Daze is totally me editorializing I don't know the proper title for that tune.

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Bloggy Chats with Tristen

I had such a great time chatting with Tristen before her set at the Mohawk last night. For those of you who are loyal readers you know that I don't, normally, do interviews. Partly because I'm too lazy to transcribe interviews and partly because I don't like the formality of the, promote your record, tell me things you've told 100 people already format. However, I am SUCH a fan of Tristen's Charlatans at the Garden Gate that I decide I needed to hang out and chat with her. We talked for a half hour in the Mohawk's green room and I tried to narrow down that chattiness into a read-able interview. Although, you have to understand that I'm just the type of person that it literally becomes a chat, which is hard to transcribe. If I continue doing interviews I vow to have 10 questions that have 2 sentence answers, which I could ask anyone so that I can spend the rest of the time chatting. You can find the full interview after the jump.


Tristen - Special Kind of Fear video via YouTube


I noticed you produced this newest album with a little help, have you always done that?
No, the record that I put out before was me at home recording by myself. When I moved to Nashville I didn’t have anybody to help me, so I just got basic recording equipment and started to learn how to record. But, for years I’ve been leading a band and I had worked closely with people to make records and co-produced all the other stuff earlier than that so I was used to it.

Well the production sounds amazing considering it’s a self-produced record.
Well there’s a few things involved in that. The first thing is that I had been recording demos of songs for so long that I, sort of, came into Nashville already knowing to trust my instincts on a lot of things. Then, I’d been recording by myself for so long, over a year, lots of songs, that when it came time to actually make a record with Jeremy Ferguson he was really covering more of the technical aspects of it. Which, is a part of sound production, obviously, but as far as the arrangement, and the musical ideas and getting the players together that was me and so that was more where more my production came in and writing a lot of the melodies and the string arrangement and all that stuff.

What was the thing that made you decide to do music professionally?
I think it was I had to choose at that point, when I graduated college. I had to choose to either, pretty much, give-up trying, I had half-assed it for so long that I was like, you know, I understood at that point that I wasn’t going to be able to half-ass it and keep going. It was like, I had to choose ‘cause my other option was to go to grad-school and do social-sciences research and all that stuff, which I find very interesting as well but I just decided that, you know, I was young and I wanted to move somewhere and that I could write songs pretty easily; I sort of had a knack for it. I mean I never had a problem finishing writing a song when I wanted to write a song it was more like me putting all of that focus in one thing.

Did any of the 15 songs you wrote between the ages of 14 and 20 survive? Are there any you still perform?
Hell no! HELL no! They are vaulted, they are far away and I hope nobody ever hears them. It’s like bringing out your high school yearbook.

Do you find the Nashville scene competitive or collaborative? I noticed that one of the songs on your record you co-wrote with Caitlin Rose.
Yeah, we wrote a few songs together. I wrote a song on her record. We’ve co-written a few songs together and we ended up using those songs. There’s this whole culture of co-writing that happens in the publishing world and I’m kind of a part of that. But, I think as far as co-writing goes for me, I was really into it if I liked the person as a songwriter already. So, if I met somebody that, you know, I felt like they’re really awesome we should try writing together that happened very rarely. I’ve only written with three people since I moved to Nashville.

Are you part of Nashville’s songwriting, publishing machine?
Absolutely not.

Would you like to be?
No way.

You don’t want to write a song for Reba?
Oh God, if Reba wanted a song that would be a totally different story. But I’m not going to get in the machine to write the songs because the machine is very homogenized, it’s watered down, it’s very specific what they want you to write and usually you’re writing with shittier writers than you are. So, you’re like, ‘Hey, yeah, you’re established and you make a lot of money, you had all these cuts, great resume. Now, let me write this song for you and you can get half the credit.’ It’s very political, I’ve known people who’ve done it and I never got into it because I was always so busy writing and recording my own material.

Tell me about the artwork for the LP.
Julia Martin. Julia Martin is amazing by the way, you just have to check her out separately. Look up Julia Martin and look online she has a lot of paintings but she’s, in general, just completely amazing, totally unique, she does a lot of creepy people. I mean, I’m really doing a bad description of it but it’s really amazing. I met her, and fell in love with her, and her brother was my drummer for awhile. So, I said, ‘Here’s my record can you do a painting?’ And she listened to the record and painted the cover and I loved it. Everybody’s like, ‘Is that you?’ I’m like, ‘No’. It’s just a cherub, it’s a little nymphet, I don’t know if you’ve ever read Lolita but it’s like a little, creepy nymphet.

The album has a lot about love and loss and seems really personal. Is it personal? Or is it imagination?
I think it’s all those things. I think it’s personal and then at the same time, I really like analyzing people and situations and things and so that all plays into it. I’m a communication, and relationships, family-communication all that, that’s like my major in college so I’m really interested in how people relate to each other, archetypes. I’ve been on a real archetypes kick, where I’ve been writing songs that are, like, about certain kinds of types of people. I’ve been on that kick for awhile, so some of those songs made it on this record and some are in-limbo. We’re going to make a record this summer. We recorded, like, 25 songs and we narrowed it down [to 11]. Some, never even made it to be called finished and then some were finished that I just didn’t think fit or there was something off, so they never made it. It was supposed to be 10 songs but people really liked BABY DRUGS, I was gonna cut that song.


Tristen - Matchstick Murder video via YouTube

Do you have a specific genre or wheel-house that you would put your music in?
No, I say neo-traditionalist-pop because my friend, Patrick, described it that way one time and I thought that’s cool.

I suppose I just want to call it Americana or alt-country simply because you’re based in Nashville.
Yeah, and people want to do that but it’s really not a country record and I think after you hear my next record you’ll really realize it’s not. There’s some country tinges in there, I’ve been listening to a lot of country music since I moved to Nashville but it’s not really country music. We’re beyond genres at this point. There’s nothing new really happening in music. There’s no new messages, just new messengers. I’m really genre-less as far as what I focus on. I like good songs, I like them in all genres and I listen to a lot of different kinds of music. I don’t listen to a lot of modern music but I’m obsessed with the new BEACH HOUSE record. We’ve listened to that record five times on this tour.

If you missed Tristen at the 'Hawk last night, fear-not! She'll be returning to our fair city for SXSW and she'll be touring this whole freakin' country throughout the year. Keep an eye on here F*c*book page to stay apprised of all of her latest happening.

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Tristen and Smith Westerns (Separately)

Don't get me wrong, I love that Austin has so many choices for great music on any given night but I hate when there are two artists I really want to see playing at separate venues on the same night. Such is the case tonight. I am a new fan of, Nashville artist, Tristen, but ever since I first heard her LP, Charlatans at the Garden Gate I have been listening to it on repeat. To me it's the perfect blend of Americana, alt-country and indie-pop. Her voice is unique and infectious and the melodies just make you want to sing a long. She'll be back in Austin during SXSW but I am excited to have the chance to see her on the Mohawk's inside stage tonight. The intimacy of the space should suit her sound perfectly. If you'd like to join me tickets will set you back $9 and Tristen goes on at 11pm.


Tristen - Avalanche video via YouTube


Meanwhile a little further south of the 'Hawk on Red River the Smith Westerns will be taking the stage at Emo's inside. The last time I caught them here in town they were opening for Girls at the Parish and they really impressed me. On that tour they were supporting their debut, self-titled LP, which had great songwriting but less-than-great production values. On their latest LP, Dye it Blonde they have enlisted the production help of Chris Coady, whom you might know from his work with Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Beach House. Their songwriting has also matured. Their music is still jangly and makes me want to have an indie-rock Beach Blanket Bingo party but the subject matter has matured and the musicality has become more textured as well. Tickets for Smith Westerns at Emo's will set you back $10 and I'm hoping they don't go on until midnight so I can catch both shows.


Smith Westerns - Weekend video via YouTube

If you are only attending the Emo's show you might be interested in, the much buzzed-about, Yuck who go on around 11pm. Personally I haven't been impressed with what I've heard from Yuck and I think their name is terrible HOWEVER I've often had my mind changed when I see a band perform live. Unfortunately Yuck won't have the chance to change my mind tonight as I'll be at the Mohawk for Tristen at 11pm. Luckily, like Tristen, Yuck will be back in Austin for SXSW and I expect they'll be playing a billion day parties.


Yuck - Holing Out video via YouTube

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