Showdown at Cedar Street - March 19, 2010

My second day in Austin presented me with plenty of sunshine, beautiful scenery and a overwhelming amount of epic events and free parties to choose from. Seriously the pure amount of jaw-dropping-amazing bands performing in the city is enough to give a music enthusiast like myself a panic attack. On this particular day in Texas my first destination was the FILTER Magazine SXSW Showcase entitled Showdown at Cedar Street, an event spanning three days of free BBQ and amazing live music. I was hitting day two of this event and by the line outside it was quite clear that word had gotten out about the massive music-gasm about to take place.

Admittance was first come first serve and while the line did go around the block the wait wasn't long and I was inside before the packed courtyard was at capacity. Those who made it late crowded along the fence outside the courtyard straining to get a glimpse inside as the first band began to set-up. The air was electric as everyone prepared themselves for one hell of a day full of live music. Seven amazing bands, in one place, back to back - it was clear to everyone this was the place to be that afternoon.

The first artist to take the stage was Nneka (pronounced 'Neck-uh'), a Nigerian-born singer with a bit of soul, hip-hop and reggae all mixed together with a splash of Bob Marly thrown in for good measure. I hadn't heard her music before, but after one song I was hooked. Cited as an artist with a "heart as big as her afro," Nneka has apparently been building buzz all over the country due to word of mouth and the intensity of her live performances. Since the release of her US debut album, Concrete Jungle, Nneka has made a lot of press including mentions in Rolling Stone, SPIN and being chosen as one of Beyond Race Magazine's 50 Emerging Artists. Her writing has also gained critical praise for covering issues such as capitalism, poverty and war in her home of Nigeria and Western Europe. As she puts it herself: "I do it in a sweet way - but I sing to speak the truth."


The UK rock trio Band of Skulls took the stage next with a powerful set from their amazing debut album, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey. If you haven't heard this album yet you are doing yourself a serious disservice as it is easily one of the best releases of 2009. With instant classic like "Fires," "Patterns" and the amazing ballad "Cold Fame" this album is a must have. While their name congers up images of a really bad black metal band trust me when I say they far from it. BOS is pure infectious rock-n-roll highlighted with bluesy guitar riffs, the great duel-vocal play of guitarist Russell Marsden and bassest Emma Richardson and the pounding punch of drummer Matt Heyward. Formed only two years ago BOS are on the verge of world wide stardom after a successful national tour as well as landing the track "Friends" on the Twilight - New Moon Soundtrack. I caught these guys in STL last year where they put on a scorching show so my expectations for this performance were really high. Of course BOS didn't disappoint as they attacked the audience for near 30-min with a wall of sound built by amazing vocals, infectious guitar riffs and an head pounding drum beat. It's scary to think this will end up being only #3 on my top 10 list of best performances that week, but the best - as they say - is yet to come.


The third band to grace the stage was none other than Delta Spirit, a San Diego based group with a mix of folk, soul and southern rock. A favorite on college radio stations, Lead singer Matthew Vasquez had the crowd swaying and singing along with the lyrics. "If you're feeling what I'm feeling, c'mon," Vasquez sang, "all you soul-serarching people, c'mon!" the crowd replied. The energy level in the audience spiked as the band bounced around the stage with smiles on their faces as they shuffled through several of their hit songs. Known for their catchy and contagious melodies, DS is often referred to as a "hybrid of rock and northern soul" creating a alt-country style that goes well with their spiritual-infused pop lyrics.

The music kept on flowing with The Temper Trap, an Australian outfit that has built insane amounts of buzz after landing on the 500 Days of Summer Soundtrack as well as the TV shows Greek and One Tree Hill. In fact you could actually see the girls in the crowd swoon as the first notes of "Sweet Disposition" began to dance on the air. The band went on to play many of their hits from their debut album, Conditions, including the pulsing base of "Resurrection" and the instrumental "Drums." Describing themselves as "soul-jazz exploration," Temper Trap is known for their atmospheric sound, grandiose guitar riffs and lead singer Dougie Mandagi's incredible vocal range. Comparisons to Coldplay and U2 are justly deserved as these Ausies put on one hell of a show.


Finally, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took the stage for a short set featuring some of their fan favorite hits as well as the title track "Beat The Devils Tattoo" from their new album. The guys were joined by Raveonettes' touring drummer Leah Shapiro who replaced Nick Jago in 2008. I'll be complete honest in that I had totally forgotten about Jango leaving and was a bit surprised and confused by the cute girl sitting behind the drums wearing thick black sunglasses. However, Shapiro has no problem keeping up with the boys and makes a great addition to the band dealing out the heavy beat that has come to characterized BRMC. The band sounded great but there was a sense of urgency in their set that felt rushed giving me the impression that the guys felt they had better places to be. I love BRMC but it was a strange transition from the enthusiastic smiling faces of Delta Spirit and Temper Trap to the relatively pissed off looking BRMC. Oh well, I suppose short and sweet is better than no performance at all.

At that point in the day I was physically and mentally exhausted and in need of food, water and a comfortable chair. After all there is only so much mind blowing music one can take in one gulp, and only so much standing in the sun you can do in seven hours. With regret I took my leave of FILTER Magazine in search of someplace to regroup and rehydrate. Little did I know that soon after my departure from Cedar Street Courtyard indie-rockers Local Natives and Dr. Dog both put on amazing shows clocking in at around 40-min each. Sa la vie.

Hole In The Wall - March 18, 2010

SXSW is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, every Spring the city of Austin is overrun with enough bands, performers and record labels to make you go cross-eyed. This year I took a drive down to Texas with a friend of mine to see what all the fuss was about and to just outright have a blast. The journey was tedious and the nights were long but in the end I had one of the best concert going experiences of my life. Over the course of three days I took in more shows than most people do in an entire year. From big cooperate sponsored event parties like FILTER Magazine's: Showdown at Cedar Street to small college parties at the 21st Street Co-Op. I wandered all over the city taking in as much music as I could without passing out or dying. Some days it was sunny and warm, others it was cold and wet, but all were amazing.

After driving through the night, and being up nearly 36 hours straight, I hit Austin around noon on Thursday. My first destination was a bar, appropriately named Hole In The Wall, where a dizzying tag-team music event was taking place. Bands were rotating sets on two stages, one in the front and one in the back. When I arrived the New Jersey band Makeout Party were on the back stage finishing up their set. Less than a minute after they were done the Austin natives Through The Trees were playing in the front room. The bands flipped in and out like this for the rest of the event, think speed dating only with music and you'll have the idea.


One thing to understand is despite the whiplash pace of bands setting up and tearing down the overall quality of music was amazing. Through The Trees took the stage with some hard rock riffs and heavy beats before the focus switched to the back room where the guitarist from Most Ghosts was doing a solo set full of reverberating, fuzzy guitar and cryptic whispered lyrics. Later the Austin foursome Salesman took the front stage with some mesmerizing alt-rock about ghosts, sex and UFOs. Frontman Devin James Fry's searing vocals perfectly compliment the alt-country guitar riffs and twisted lyrics. Their new album is called SKULL and I highly recommend checking it out, most of the songs are streaming on their myspace page.

The Deaf Ears took the back stage next with some catchy piano-pop full of heavy Beatles/Kinks influences. One of the most polished bands to perform at this particular event, The Deaf Ears came together from the broken pieces of Joel Mullins' previous band Tammany Hall Machine. THM was booking some good shows and building a decent amount of buzz in Austin before it abruptly fell apart. Instead of calling it quits Mullins picked up Scott Oliphant on drums along with former THM bandmates Mick southerland and Geoff Dupree to form The Deaf Ears. Walking the fine line between polished rock-pop and bar band rock, TDE blend stomping rhythms and lush piano with emotion heavy lyrics about relationships and drowning your sorrow in whiskey.


Obsolete Machines took the front stage next with their engaging brand of atmospheric, experimental rock. Armed with only two keyboards, one drum set and a mic, OM are just different enough to set them apart from the rest of the pack. And once they have your attention their moody brand of dark prog-rock will seep into your mind and swirl around in your head for weeks. Think Amnesiac-era Radiohead only darker. The band has plans in the works to leave Austin on a national tour sometime in the next year, so keep an eye out for them at a venue near you. Their 'new breed' of music may be to dark or orchestral for casual listeners, but if you open your mind and give it a chance you may find something you didn't know you were looking for.

I made it through several hours of great music and a few beers before sleep deprivation caught up with me and I was forced to either hit the sack or start hallucinating. While option number two seems fun in theory I had a big day of shows ahead of me so I decided to head to the hotel and pass-out for the remainder of the day. Walking down the streets in Austin I was surrounded by great music calling from almost every open door making the decision to walk away one of the most difficult of the entire trip.

There is video of several of the sets from Hole In The Wall up on YouTube for anyone who wishes to explore these bands further.