I never had much luck traveling. I've been home from Austin since Monday and yet my suitcase has yet to arrive. After many hours on the phone with Delta (the devil), the guaranteed times have been anything but guaranteed. It's almost laughable now, if it was not for my antibiotics that are in there that I so desperately need. My newly brunette (but always logical) roommate tells me you cannot become addicted to antibiotics, but I beg to differ. I have always defied science. And I need them. I don't want tonsillitis to come back for the ninth time. Sigh.
But I have not been sitting at home crying over spilt milk, or lost luggage. Instead, I've continued the craziness that was SXSW and hit up some more shows. On Tuesday, I caught the always loveable The Changes at Pianos. They actually were the last band I saw during SXSW, and the first one since I have been back. Imagine that! So for all you haters who think I only see three bands all the time, it's kinda true. I'm still okay with it.
The Changes premiered some brand spanking new songs which Nora and I immediately have fallen for. It's pretty incredible to see this band progress. They were pretty spectacular to begin with, but now their live shows are passionate, tight, and my favorite front man Darren Spitzer has officially broken out of his shell. Cannot wait to hear what these boys have in store for their second album.
After Pianos, Pat and I ran over to Mercury Lounge to check out one of my top 10 bands to see at SXSW, who I didn't actually manage to see. Good thing they stopped by NYC before heading home to the UK. I really didn't know what to expect from Fujiya & Miyagi. I liked what I had heard, and was intrigued enough to catch them live. The set they delivered was jam-packed of funky deliciousness, with no stopping from song to song. The entire room immediately got into this crazy groove, a feat I hadn't seen happen in Mercury Lounge for some time. Their songs, while all quite similar, were executed in fashion, precisely what I want when I see a band for the first time.
Speaking of seeing bands for the first time, I sure hope Mr. Jason Schwartzman and his new project Coconut Records goes on tour pretty damn soon. I got the album Nighttiming and I'm already a believer. It's one of those albums that is sad and sweet, with Schwartzman the ringleader in your mood. If he's happy, you'll be happy. But he can get a little dark sometimes, so watch yourself. All in all, not a perfect album by any means, but just as scatterbrained as I imagine Schwartzman is in real life. And that in itself is awfully charming.
You can listen to a couple songs on their myspace. Here are my two favorites.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The Changes @ Pianos | Fujiya & Miyagi @ Mercury | Band Of The Week: Coconut Records
Monday, March 12, 2007
SXSW Preview: Austin, Here I Come
Well here's the gods honest truth: nothing, no nothing, will stop me from heading down south for this year's SXSW. My deliciously disgusting tonsillitis has reappeared which means I'm probably going to have to get those suckers out, but not until after I've had my indie rock and taco fill. There are priorities at hand, I'll tell the doc. And roaming up and down Sixth Street for five days is one of them.
I'm going to admit that I'm totally not ready for this festival. The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind both personally and professionally, and while I've RSVP'd to every invite I've gotten, I have no idea where those invites, or parties, truly are. But that's okay. Last year I had an organized schedule that I followed diligently, and probably missed out on half the fun. This year I'm going to just wing it. Like Nora, there's a lists of bands/artists that I want to see, and as long as I end up seeing at least half of them, I'll be set. And plus, this is all about discovering your new favorite band, so if I happen to drunkenly wander into a show and confess my love -- all the better.
I'll do my best to update you throughout the week, but it may be tricky. I'm already trying to figure out how I'm going to balance getting news up on CMJ every day, while nursing the daily hangover with a Bloody Mary and a breakfast taco at the same time. This is going to be fun.
Bands/artists I'd like to see at this year's SXSW:
1. Amy Winehouse
I know, I know, she's canceled her shows, which means I want to see her all that much more. Never have I been in such awe over an artist, because frankly she doesn't give a shit about any one else and yet she still pulls it off. That's talent, people. I was really looking forward to seeing her train wreck of a live show and then maybe meeting up with her for a margarita, or 10. Sigh. Maybe next year.
2. Kristoffer Ragnstam
Basically? I wanna have his babies. He's Swedish and oh so dreamy, and plus his electropop has won over my heart almost instantly. You know me, I'm never one to turn away a boy who can manage his own beats while still looking good. So let's see if this guy can actually pull it off. Because right now, this is all in my dreams.
3. Peter Bjorn and John
I got shut out of their New York shows, so I'm going to use my handy-dandy badge to its full advantage and chase these boys around until I can see them play. Plus, I need to sing "Young Folks" out at its most loudest drunkest volume just once. Please don't let that wish come true. Please.
4. Birdmonster
I know. I've seen these guys a bazillion times, and they'll be in New York a week later. I'm aware of all of these things, but never will I pass up a chance to see this band live. And a little bird told me they have been working on some new songs, so come on. I gotta be the first New Yorker to experience those, right?
5. The Fratellis
As an Apple connoisseur, I can't get that frickin song out of my head. Good thing that the rest of the album is pretty quintessential Brit pop, just my cup of tea. I bet they are pretty fun live too, and well, I got shut out of this show too. Go figure.
6. Fujiya & Miyagi
From what I've listened to, I dig, and from what I keep hearing about, I should dig them a lot. This is what SXSW is all about. The make or break. And since I don't have to pay for each show separately, I'll give anyone a fair shot.
7. Office
I've still yet to see this Chicago band live, and it's killing me. Their album Q&A was a favorite last year, and I need to see them live. Please, someone make sure I do this. Because it didn't happen during CMJ, and I have only the alcohol to blame. Thank you.
8. Malajube
Again, I got shut out of this show in New York, so here I go. Nora is so excited to hear me sing French to all these songs. I've been practicing and I've almost gotten all the pronunciation down. Actually, not even close. But it's going to be a hoot to hear me try.
9. Lily Allen
I'm a huge huge Lily Allen fan, but I fear that all of her showcases are going to be so gosh darned packed that I'll never get in. Maybe if I explain to someone how often I listen to that album, so often so that I've got all of her songs memorized like the back of my hands, even to the point of mimicking her British cockney accent they'll understand. Maybe if I tell them I'm also British, and I could rock sneakers and a dress just as good as our girl. I need to get a British flag. So much to do.
10. Tally Hall
I might just throw out the entire list above and follow these tie-wearing boys around Austin the whole week. I'd be totally content with that.
If you are going to be down in Texas, let me know. I'm going to need all the help (and alcoholic medicine) I can get.
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