San Francisco California | Basement Light Design

March 10, 2013July 15, 2013

SXSW 2013 Music

This year’s music portion of the annual Austin, Texas spring break festival takes place March 12 through 17. SXSW 2013 promises to impress, with scares from last year’s “unofficial” shows a forgotten memory (Ben Weasel’s poor behavior, and some stage gear falling on a patron).

As usual this blogmeister will be reporting mainly from the downtown and east side areas, riding his trusty blue bike. Like last year, joining him in the party shenanigans will be Dallas friend and artist, Joey Seeman. As ever, the focus of this article will be the cheapskate, non-wristband-exclusive showcases. On to the highlights…

Wednesday the 13th… The old Emo’s location will host Brooklyn 8-bit chippers Anamanaguchi (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World soundtrack), and tuff UK female quartet, Savages. Camper Van Beethoven and Robyn Hitchcock perform later in the afternoon. The show of the weekend has to be this one at Mohawk: Iggy & The Stooges, followed by reunited The Specials (sans Jerry Dammers), and finishes off with a set from Ghostface Killah ( ! )… Thursday the 14th… last year’s Thrasher stage at The Scoot Inn was a real treat, and this year promises to repeat. Stanford psych-rockers The Allah-Las, Mac DeMarco (Montréal jizz jazz), Merchandise (Tampa post punk), Bleached (LA sisters), King Tuff (Vermont bedroom popster), Chelsea Light Moving (Thurston Moore’s post Kim Gordon band), ending with Austin band The Black Angels (nice boys, but I predict a snoozefest). Pitchfork opens a venue for the Festival called 1100 Warehouse, taking up three blocks on East 5th Street. Top performers are California X (Amherst fun rock), Parquet Courts (Denton, TX), Youth Lagoon (aka Trevor Powers, indie rock bliss), Mikal Cronin (Ty Segall Band’s bass player), Mac DeMarco, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Portland lo-fi indie beats), and Toro y Moi (aka Chazwick Bundick on laptops). Slovenly Recordings hosts a showcase with some of its artists at the Legendary White Swan, with Acid Baby Jesus (Greece heavy psych), Hellshovel (Montréal psych pop), Shannon & The Clams (pop, with members of Hunx & His Punx), Useless Eaters (one-man project from Nashville’s Seth Sutton), Missing Monuments (ex-Exploding Heart King Louie’s razorpop on HoZac Records), Livids (Eric Davidson from New Bomb Turks/Brooklyn), New Coke (West Palm Beach lo-fi punk), Guantanamo Baywatch (Portland garage pop), and Subsonics (mixed gender Reno primitive lo-fi psych channeling Velvet Underground). Miami’s garage psych band Jacuzzi Boys open for The Besnard Lakes at Gypsy Lounge. Another Slovenly Recordings showcase, this time downtown at Barbarella, has Dinos Boys (Atlanta ’77 punk), Livids, Useless Eaters, Barreracudas (Atlanta pop), Hellshovel, Acid Baby Jesus, and A Giant Dog (Austin garage fronted by ubiquitous frontman Orville Bateman Neeley III of Bad Sports and OBN IIIs). Club Deville has Mac DeMarco, The Soft Moon (San Francisco post punk), and Cheatahs (London’s poppy answer to Sonic Youth). Hole in the Wall on The Drag has Slovenly artist Subsonics, The Woggles (Atlanta garage), and Peelander-Z (who are pals of Top Chef winner and Austinite, Paul Qui). Cherrywood Coffeehouse off Manor Road has a nice showcase of bands from all over America. New Coke, Dinos Boys, The Memories (Portland), The Brothers Gross (power pop), and more power pop with Sweet Tooth (Chicago). Cherrywood at night has The Memories (Portland), Warm Soda (former members of Bare Wires from Oakland), and Bad Indians (Ypsilanti garage). For more of a proper rock ‘n’ roll scene, head over to the Hotel Vegas/Volstead/Gypsy Lounge Compound. Thanks to local promoter and all-round good guy, Ben Tipton, there will be an incredible lineup. Check out The Go (from Detroit—Jack White was in this band), The Warlocks (LA psych rock), Thee Oh Sees (San Francisco garage punk), and The Soft Moon. Beerland has shows all day and night. If you can’t think of anything to do ( ! ), just go to Beerland. DO NOT MISS Destruction Unit (San Diego synth punk). Rounding out the bill are punk legends The Spits, and Denton’s Wiccans… Friday the 15th… Don’t skip this tight little show at The Side Bar. The Bad Lovers (Denton/Austin power pop), The Sour Notes (Austin indie rock), Kid Congo And The Pink Monkey Birds (playing new material soon to be released on In The Red Recordings), and Ringo Deathstarr (Austin). Right after, head over to The Jackalope to see Kid Congo again, with openers, an excellent Long Beach trio called Tijuana Panthers. Also downtown is The Stage on 6th. If you can get near it, you will see legendary mods The Zombies, Billy Bragg, and The 1975 (Manchester, England pop). The Hotel Vegas Compound wins again, with San Antonio’s Sons Of Hercules (these dudes rule!), New Coke, Pop Zeus and Hector’s Pets (both Brooklyn power pop), Rayon Beach (Austin synth noise), Feral Future (Austin hardcore), and King Louie’s Missing Monuments. Outside will be King Tuff. Trailer Space can always be counted upon for boozy, sweaty entertainment. Check out Tim Kerr and friends (parking lot set), Useless Eaters, Destruction Unit, and LENZ (Oakland pop punk). Waterloo Records continues blowing our minds with free music on its state-of-the-art parking lot stage. Seriously, it’s a legit venue. Frightened Rabbit start off, with Alt-J (UK experimental), Richard Thompson, Billy Bragg, and Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell. End of An Ear usually has reliable in-stores, and Goner Records’ Ex-Cult (Memphis/Ty Segall colleague) will be a highlight. Shout out to local gal and sterling person, New Mystery Girl, who plays a gig at G & S Lounge on the south side. The annual Roky Erickson Psychedelic Ice Cream Social includes Meat Puppets and Peelander-Z. It’s at Threadgill’s and is $10. Downtown bar The Ginger Man is usually in on the action, and they’ll have power poppers Shoes, plus The Besnard Lakes, The Woggles, The Split Squad, and The BlueBonnets (Kathy Valentine from The Go-Go’s). Outside stage at Jo’s Coffee will have Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys and North Mississippi Allstars. Cherrywood Coffeehouse continues its showcases with Acid Baby Jesus and Crooked Bangs, an Austin trio featuring two dynamic women, guitarist Samantha Wendel and Leda Celeste Ginestra, who sings in English and French. During the day, Beerland has Useless Eaters, Barreracudas, and Natural Child. At night, check out Destruction Unit, Ex-Cult, and Nobunny (duh Fullerton Ramones!)… Saturday the 16th… Here’s the best day at the Hotel Vegas Compound: Nobunny, The Spits, Pop Zeus, Useless Eaters, Détective (Los Angeles), Missing Monuments. At night, check out this eye-popping lineup: The Memories, FIDLAR, The Go, King Tuff, Natural Child, Burnt Ones (fuzzy San Francisco T.Rex-style glam), Jacuzzi Boys, The Coathangers (Atlanta girls), Missing Monuments, The Yolks (Chicago R&B/frat rock), Hector’s Pets, Barreracudas, Warm Soda, The Bad Lovers, Guantanamo Baywatch, and (catch breath)… Roky Erickson. I’ll state it again: Ben Tipton RULES!! Peelander-Fest returns to The Grackle with Austin’s Residual Kid and Peelander-Z. Bring your own chair for an outdoor showcase at Pedernales Lofts Pavilion (that’s right, it’s a condo complex). Jamaican ska legends The Skatalites perform with two original members: founder and sax player, Lester Sterling, and Trevor “Sparrow” Thompson on drums. They’ve also been touring with vocalist Doreen Shaffer. At night the Legendary White Swan will be kickin’ it hard, with The Go Wows (based in Austin, features members Eddy Best from Stiv Bators’ band, and Brendan “Wig” Kibble, formerly of Australia’s Bam Balams), The Woggles, Savage Pinks and The Flash Boys (both Austin), and Sons Of Hercules. The Mohawk will host a diverse night, including Balmorhea (an Austin six-piece instrumental group), The Thermals (Portland pop punk), Frightened Rabbit (Scotland), The Coup (Oakland hip-hop punk on Epitaph Records), and Telekinesis (sensitive indie rock). Early evening The Ginger Man has Chris Stamey (of The dB’s) and Ken Stringfellow (of The Posies). Playing several shows around the Festival are super group The Split Squad, who boast these heavyweights… check it out: Eddie Muñoz (Plimsouls), Clem Burke (Blondie drummer), Keith Streng (Fleshtones), rounded out by pro musicians Mike Giblin and Josh Kantor. They play Antone’s Records with local artists Eve & The Exiles and The Ugly Beats, The Liberty has Acid Baby Jesus. Trailer Space show features Dinos Boys and Burnt Skull. During the day Beerland has Austin’s excellent The Young and Merchandise. At night, Crooked Bangs, A Giant Dog, Useless Eaters, Destruction Unit, Thee Oh Sees, and the only SXSW appearance of Orville Bateman Neeley’s band, OBN IIIs… Sunday the 17th… If you’re not in a cheap beer coma and feel like partyin’, check out the 4th annual Uncle Doug’s Chili Dog Fest. Mostly Texas bands but goodies, like The Bad Lovers, Haçienda, The Golden Boys, The Ugly Beats, Coma In Algiers, Bobby Jealousy, and mixed gender bubblegummer’s Lola-Cola with Alfie Rabago on keys. When you’re tired of the sun, you can slip inside Beerland cuz they also offer a hangover special, with Acid Baby Jesus, Crooked Bangs, Guantanamo Baywatch, and Flesh Lights (always entertaining Austin band fronted by Max Vandever). Finally, at night, Congress Avenue’s The Continental Club will have a $20 show with True Believers (Austin hero Alejandro Escovedo) and Penetration, a ’77-era UK punk band that promises an appearance by Cheetah Chrome (on bass, no less).

But don’t just rely upon me… for the best, most complete, and up-to-date SXSW music listings, consult Dan Machold’s super tight Showlist Austin.

March 9, 2011July 15, 2013

SXSW 2011 festival

“But will they have free drinks?” That cry will be heard throughout Austin during the SXSW festival, from March 11 through 20. But of course we all have our different reasons for attending. Filmmakers, technology geeks, and live music enthusiasts alike can get their mojo on.

Wednesday through Saturday, the Austin Convention Center will house the 29th annual Flatstock poster show and the Texas Guitar Show. Flatstock has the latest in screen-printed poster designs, and promises to have a “portable” printer on-hand to show you how it’s done. Both shows are free to the public.

Interactive design firm Frog Design will host its annual SXSW kickoff party March 8. Industry peers will gather for a night of revelry and conversation.

And, oh, the music! I will be attending mostly day shows. Wednesday the 16th… Neo soul boys Fitz & The Tantrums will play a free show in the Waterloo Records parking lot. Texas’ own Bad Sports will play a day show at Trailer Space Records. Two interesting bands feature at Red River Street goth club Elysium: tough and tight garage rockers The Woggles, and Japanese punk crazies Peelander-Z. San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees will be at Spiderhouse on the drag. Draft beer emporium The Ginger Man will have three great Texas bands: Ugly Beats, Thunderchiefs, and Eve & the Exiles. On the east side, newly-opened pub The Grackle will host “Gracklefest”—four days of free shows. Do not miss Flesh Lights, an Austin trio led by that young bolt of lightning Max Vandever. Two more must-see Austin bands OBN IIIs and my soccer mate Alfonso’s band, Manikin, will be at Beerland. Thursday the 17h… Poet, survivor, lover Kacy Crowley will open for The Sour Notes at Betsy’s Bar downtown. Soul shouters Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears will dominate another free parking lot show at Waterloo, and then later at the Mohawk. I love the twee-ness that is The Carrots, and they’ll appear at the east side’s Baby Blue Studios. For $10 you can see former 13th Floor Elevators legend Roky Erickson and pals including Peter Buck from R.E.M. at Threadgills. For me a SXSW highlight will be UK band Pete And The Pirates at British pub Dog & Duck. On the same stage are The Minus Five, featuring former members of R.E.M. and The Dream Syndicate. Friday the 18th… Last year I spent some time on the beautiful grounds of the French Legation Museum. This year electroclash hell-raisers !!!, Cults, and tUnE-yArDs are my picks. The Shangri-la is a cherished east side neighborhood spot, and local boys done good The Hex Dispensers will be a good reason to stop by. Two festivals ago, I witnessed Gentlemen Jesse And His Men perform a scorching set in a record store parking lot. This time, the men will be outside at the Mohawk—not to be missed. South Congress Avenue shouldn’t be left out, and tiny outsider art gallery Yard Dog will somehow manage to find space for former X frontwoman Exene Cervenka to perform. Two excellent indie rock bands—Okkervil River, and Surfer Blood—perform at Flamingo Cantina. If you remember 1980s punk rockers ALL, their former singer is now fronting a band called Drag The River, and will be performing a few shows around town: at Hole in the Wall, Liberty, and Barbarella. Saturday the 19th… “Gracklefest” continues with Peelander-Z, 8-bit electro nerds Anamanaguchi, and my friends Cody, Zach, Nick, and Weston from Austin punk rockers Lost Controls. Rainey Street is fast becoming an alternative for dining and entertainment, and Okkervil River and Tapes ‘n Tapes will grace Lustre Pearl’s patio stage. Sunday the 20th… The last day of the festival goes out with a bang at the Side Bar. Flesh Lights, former Guided By Voices guitarist Doug Gillard, and two garage bands, Austin’s Ugly Beats and Pittsburgh’s Cynics will bring the house down.

For the most accurate, complete, and up-to-date SXSW music listings, I urge you to visit Showlist Austin.

September 27, 2010July 16, 2013

Unsuck-It.com

A team of graphic designers at San Francisco design studio Mule had had enough of obfuscating corporate jargon, and decided to demystify those annoying phrases, allusions and metaphors commonly heard by anyone working in a “cube farm” (Unsucked: an office containing many cubicles). Unsuck-It.com works like any online dictionary. Enter a phrase, such as “idea shower” (Unsucked: using your imagination), “dog’s breakfast” (mess), or “low-hanging fruit” (easy goal), and it is instantly “unsucked” in simple English.

If your phrase is not in the database, a “you define it” button appears allowing you to be the douchebag jargonist and provide your own definition, and of course, you must use it in a sentence. I searched for “paper tiger,” which is frequently abused by the tech industry. Alas, it was not in the database, so I unsucked it. It means, “something that appears threatening but is not,” or more commonly, “its bark is worse than its bite.” Used in a sentence: “Organizations often make investment decisions on the basis of tight budgets and business cases that are actually paper tigers.”

I urge you to share the Unsuck-It link with all your d-bag friends.