SXSW ‘09 Recap (Day 2)

chrisrorie — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:11:12 +0000

THURSDAY 3/19: Andrew Bird (Stubbs)

Andrew Bird at Stubbs, Austin TX 3/19
(photo credit Christopher Schmitt)

Andrew Bird’s talent was apparent during his Thursday night showcase at Stubbs, even as monitor problems plagued the band throughout the entire set. They handled it well and delivered a fine show - no small feat, considering the complex and hugely pitch-reliant string compositions Bird is known for. The fact that the tech problems were unnoticeable at times is a testament to his band’s musical abilities. I’m looking forward to checking Bird out again soon, in better conditions, because I love his new album Noble Beast - especially the instrumental interplay of “Anonanimal”:
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Andrew Bird - Anonanimal

SXSW ‘09 Recap (Day 1)

chrisrorie — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:04:12 +0000

WEDNESDAY 3/18: Rolo Tomassi (Cannibal Cheerleader), Past Lives and These Arms Are Snakes (Red Eyed Fly)

I was let down by Rolo Tomassi at the Cannibal Cheerleader day party in East Austin. I hadn’t heard them before, but positive reviews compared them to Mars Volta. Turns out they’re strong instrumentalists who are immature songwriters and performers. Normally I’m a fan of frenetic music, but they had absolutely no song structure at all. Add the seriously contrived dancing on top and I was rolling my eyes by the 2nd song…but I do understand the appeal of badass young bands with crazy technique. I’d check out Fall of Troy instead - they earned their hype with Doppelganger.

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Past Lives at Red Eyed Fly, Austin TX 3/18

I was pleasantly surprised as I approached the Red Eyed Fly on Wednesday evening. I was gearing up for the raucous These Arms Are Snakes show I’ve come to expect, when I recognized two Indian dudes on stage setting up with openers Past Lives. As I struggled to place them, one of two vocalists for the Blood Brothers took the stage, and I realized they were his cohorts from the Seattle post-hardcore band. I liked them a lot as a kid. Their instrumentation was just cool enough to make up for the squeels of two overly dramatic vocalists (Cecilia and the Silhouette Saloon is a good example):
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Blood Brothers - Cecilia and the Silhouette Saloon
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Past Lives has retained much of the dynamic that I originally liked about the Blood Brothers, but they’ve become more mature. Their work is less chaotic and more fluid than BB, allowing time for the music to develop a trance-like intensity that ebbs and flows. Blood Brothers’ squeely-ass vocals served as a backdrop for teen angst, but Past Lives feels more mature - subdued and amplified in all the right places. I’ll be listening to them for a while (their debut EP is called Strange Symmetry).

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These Arms Are Snakes at Red Eyed Fly, Austin TX 3/18

I was absolutely blown away by These Arms Are Snakes tonight. Frontman Steve Snere is just an absolute Performer, an eye-catching Nascar accident waiting to happen. In the course of the 1.5 hr set he jumped, climbed, and writhed his way through the equipment and crowd while barking distorted shouts and melodies. At times his performance channeled Johnny Depp’s Keith Richards mixed with Hunter S. Thompson. This sounds like it’d be contrived, but it rang pretty genuine against the chemically-fueled paranoia that their best songs evoke (see “Subtle Body” below).

I saw a lot of good bands at SXSW ‘09, but These Arms Are Snakes planted a high bar on the first night that wasn’t beaten this year. I can’t say enough good things about these guys.

These Arms Are Snakes - Subtle Body

Music Is A Habit

SXSW ‘09 Recap (Day 2)

SXSW ‘09 Recap (Day 1)