SXSW 2010: The highlights (and a playlist)
The four-day beast of a music conference wrapped up on Sunday in Austin. I managed to see most of the bands on my wish list, even if Saturday night's showcases were made a bit uncomfortable by the unexpected cold snap. [Note to self: Keep jacket in car at all times from this point on.]
I've taken many approaches to South by Southwest in my five years of covering it. I've done the frantic dash to see an ungodly number of partial sets. I've hit party after party until my feet were shredded. One year I even went to day panels. Ha! But this time around, I focused on a handful of must-see acts every day, and tried to leave room for the element of surprise.
There's no right or wrong way to tackle this thing. But the result of the quality-over-quantity plan was that I came back to Big D humming several new (and new-ish) favorite songs. Check out the playlist below to hear some of those tunes, and read on for my thoughts on the SXSW acts behind them.
1. The Ruby Suns -- This New Zealand trio falls somewhere between Vampire Weekend and Animal Collective when it comes to musical influences. "Cranberry," from the new album Fight Softly, is the perfect example of the way these guys mix whimsical samples and melodies together with dance-worthy African rhythms. The song marked the point in the Ruby Suns' showcase when they overcame their initial sound issues and truly connected with the crowd.
2. Memory Tapes -- With only a drummer behind him, some minimal canned sounds and his electric guitar, Davye Hawk took a strangely organic live approach to the chillwave-meets-disco tunes of his album Seek Magic. But it worked like a charm. By the end of his set, the Cedar Street Courtyard was packed with dancing fans. Great show from beginning to end.
3. Dum Dum Girls -- I liked that this LA all-girl band didn't try to sound too polished live. Their brand of surf-rock, with nice drawn-out harmonies, is loose and raw by design.
4. Sarah Jaffe -- A fleshed out backing band has helped this gifted Denton singer add more oomph to her live show (if that was possible). But you can also credit some of the newfound power to the songs on the forthcoming album Suburban Nature. Jaffe's controlled delivery and concise lyrics on the single "Vulnerable" made it a highlight of her stunning showcase in the St. David's chapel.
5. Lissie -- This singer, like Jaffe, benefited from the acoustics at St. David's. "Little Lovin'" had been stuck in my head since I'd heard it on KXT a few weeks back, so it was the perfect way to close the set.
6. The Low Anthem -- This Rhode Island orchestral folk act's show was one of my top three at SXSW, not just because the band's singing and playing was intense and compelling, but because the lyrics of "This ... House" absolutely slayed me.
7. Jakob Dylan -- With help from producer T-Bone Burnett and singers Neko Case and Kelly Hogan on the upcoming album Women and Country, the son of Bob tries out a twangier sound and succeeds. His chemistry with Case and Hogan builds throughout "They've Trapped Us Boys," which starts out low-key and gradually turns into a Grand-Ol'-Opry-style toe-tapper.
8. Dawes -- For most of this LA band's set, I enjoyed the alt-country tunes but felt they were a little unoriginal. But when the guys closed with "When My Time Comes," I was reminded of their ability to write a goosebump-inducing chorus and deliver it with gusto. Warning: Earworm.
9. Telegraph Canyon -- The seven-piece Fort Worth band managed to squeeze into a very small stage space at the Ale House, and the intimate setting complemented the urgency and emotion of the music. Frontman Chris Johnson was on fire, physically shaking as he sang certain lyrics. I chose "Safe on the Outside" for this list because hearing it there, in my Saturday-night weakness, damn near made me cry.
10. The Soft Pack -- Everybody saw or wanted to see this band at SXSW, and for good reason. Indie rock doesn't get tighter or more satisfying.
11. Broken Bells -- I'd already been OD'ing on the debut record from this project featuring the Shins' James Mercer and Danger Mouse. So I was actually pleased when they (with some extra band members) played perfectly faithful versions of most of the songs at their Stubb's showcase. "Vaporize" becomes sublime at the end, there.
12. Metric -- Speaking of perfect pop songs, Emily Haines' vocal on this one is the sonic equivalent of a sugar rush. You can't deny it. The crowd at Stubb's certainly couldn't. You should've heard the screams and smelled the ... odors.
13. She and Him -- Nothing earth-shaking coming from Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, but this cute, retro-tastic tune had the crowd at Rachael Ray's day party swooning. And it helped me forget about that dreadful cotton commercial.
14. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings -- I see this old-soul-revival group every chance I get, partly because of singer Jones' onstage energy and partly because her band does the James-Brown-style revue thing so authentically. So glad this tune and its corresponding album are on the way. I've worn out the old stuff.
15. Mayer Hawthorne -- This blue-eyed soulster has some work to do when it comes to showmanship. His awkward humor and hipster-hop getup at the Austin Music Hall showcase seemed affected. But it's hard to deny his smooth vocal stylings. "I Wish That It Would Rain" sounds like an old dusty-but-goodie record. All it's missing are the pops and crackles.
16. The Watson Twins -- Yes, I made a 'Shining' joke in my tweet about this show at Central Presbyterian Church. But all creepiness faded away when the twins (who once backed up Jenny Lewis on an album) performed their slinky new single.
17. The Rocket Summer -- Grapevine native Bryce Avary has quite the following, as evidenced at a packed Alternative Press free party at Emo's. Avary thanked the all-ages crowd for its longtime support by crowd-surfing, bringing his mic to the back of the house to sing a song, and releasing confetti near the end of his set. All fun concert tricks aside, this guy shows an increasingly mature songwriting talent on the new album Of Men and Angels. I admire the pop sheen of current single "Hills and Valleys," but "Walls" is Avary at his soulful best.
P.S. -- Read over four days of ridiculous SXSW tweets here. I've never sent so many texts in my life. Thank the lord for unlimited data plans.



