HOME: MARCH 10, 2006: MUSIC: SATURDAY SXSW PICKS AND SLEEPERS
SXSW Saturday Picks & Sleepers
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PICKS
All showcases subject to change
CALVIN OWENS BLUES ORCHESTRA1pm, Town Lake Stage @ Auditorium Shores This prolific Houston trumpeter/arranger/bandleader was a session musician at fabled Duke/Peacock Records, has toured extensively with B.B. King as musician/arranger, has won several esteemed Living Blues awards, and has long led this full-blown blues orchestra. Owens' latest self-produced Orchestra album, I Ain't Gonna Be Yo' Dog No Mo', is reason enough to check out one of the few remaining regional blues juggernauts. – Jay Trachtenberg
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BEAUSOLEIL AVEC MICHAEL DOUCET2pm, Town Lake Stage @ Auditorium Shores Since forming in 1975, the Grammy award-winning BeauSoleil has earned its reputation as the pre-eminent band playing Cajun music. Fronted by multi-instrumentalist Michael Doucet, who was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the NEA in 2005, the Lafayette-based sextet blends zydeco, New Orleans jazz, Tex-Mex, country, blues, and more into an irresistible sound that's moved feet worldwide. – Jim Caligiuri
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BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO3pm, Town Lake Stage @ Auditorium Shores Lafayette, La.'s multi-instrumentalist Buckwheat Zydeco was a prodigy at 4, ultimately backing Joe Tex and Gatemouth Brown. Since forming his own band three decades ago, it's been all gravy: gracing stages with Eric Clapton, performing at the Olympics, winning Grammys, etc. In addition to more zydeco boogie, his new Jackpot! (Tomorrow Recordings) demonstrates Buckwheat's deft hand on the Hammond B-3 organ. – David Lynch
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DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND4pm, Town Lake Stage @ Auditorium Shores For more than three decades the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has galvanized the storied Storyville brass band tradition with jazz, funk, and intrepid collaborations (Dizzy Gillespie, David Bowie, Modest Mouse). In 2004, Ropeadope released the 10th album by the Big Easy octet – trumpets, trombone, saxes, sousaphone, snare, and bass drum – the stunning, all-spiritual Funeral for a Friend, for founding member Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen. – David Lynch
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IVAN NEVILLE'S DUMPSTAPHUNK5pm, Town Lake Stage @ Auditorium Shores Serving up the sweet 'n' greasy funk that made New Orleans famous, Ivan Neville – son of crooner Aaron – and his Crescent City quintet shake the rafters and your ass. Compendia released 2003's Scrape, featuring Keith Richards, Michael Brecker, Bonnie Raitt, George Duke, and Leo Nocentelli. The real deal, y'all. – David Lynch
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NEW ORLEANS SOCIAL CLUB6pm, Town Lake Stage @ Auditorium Shores In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a group of Crescent City musicians dubbed themselves the New Orleans Social Club and celebrated their city's indomitable spirit by recording Sing Me Back Home (Sony BMG). A tribute to NOLA, it includes members of the Meters and Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Marcia Ball, Dr. John, Henry Butler, the Subdudes, and many more. – Jim Caligiuri
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ALLEN TOUSSAINT7pm, Town Lake Stage @ Auditorium Shores The quintessential New Orleans pianist graces River City with much more than his tutelage as a protégé of Professor Longhair. Beyond penning Crescent City standards "Java" and "Southern Nights," Toussaint may be best known for producing Lee Dorsey, the Meters, and LaBelle. A legend. – Robert Gabriel
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LZ LOVE7pm, Central Presbyterian Church LZ Love may be new to Austin, relatively speaking, but she's an old hand at spreading the gospel. And rhythm & blues. And jazz. And just about anything the ex-Bay area resident chooses to wrap her remarkably rich and soulful voice around. Love's credentials include singing backup for Motown queen Mary Wells and late disco queen Sylvester. My Higher Ground is her latest. – Margaret Moser
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DRESSY BESSY7:30pm, Habana Calle 6 Patio Ultra-vivid Denver pop quartet Dressy Bessy curbs the twee and ups the sass factor on their 2005 LP, Electrified (Transdreamer). Like a schoolteacher after one too many whiskey sours, Tammy Ealom's trademark hyper-sweet vocals are now imbued with a patina of throaty suggestion that's not entirely safe for Saturday morning. – Greg Beets
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PALM SCHOOL CHOIR7:45pm, Redrum This group of schoolchildren from Austin's Palm School is more than just a choir. They back up their sweet, tender harmonies with their own band and accomplished musical performances that placed them in the Austin Music Awards Top 10 several years running. With a repertoire from classical to contemporary, Palm School Choir is one of those delights of SXSW. – Margaret Moser
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SIA8pm, Parish Last summer, when everyone was dying on the series finale of Six Feet Under, we sobbed ourselves into oblivion accompanied by Sia's gorgeous, expansive "Breathe Me." The Australian chanteuse released her sophomore album, Colour the Small One (Astralwerks), a thing of fragile beauty, sensuous and searching. – Melanie Haupt
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WEARY BOYS8pm, Continental Club Originally from NorCal, the Weary Boys have become one of Austin's most beloved acts for their unrestrained performances of acoustic-based country music. Their latest, Holy Ghost Power, a collection of both traditional and original gospel tunes, was a departure of sorts with clear harmonies and subtle spirituality, yet with the rough edges still visible. – Jim Caligiuri
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DJ LOGIC8pm, Oslo Forget hip-hop. If you're ready to accept turntablism as an art, then don't miss 34-year-old Bronx native Jason Kibler, aka DJ Logic, an un-beat-able artiste. Having worked with string-string masters like John Scofield and Vernon Reid, with whom he formed the Yohimbe Brothers, and a host of jam bands, Logic's forthcoming release, Zen of Logic (Ropeadope), aims for ethereal heights. – Dan Oko
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SWEARING AT MOTORISTS8:15pm, Emo's Annex "Are we having lots of fun now, baby?" is the question Ohio duo Swearing at Motorists poses on "You Will Not Die Tonight (Probably)" from last year's Last Night Becomes This Morning (Secretly Canadian). The answer is yes and no: The disc deals with the vagaries of indie-rock stardom. – Dan Oko
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FACELESS WEREWOLVES
8:50pm, Lava Lounge Patio Did you want the Yeah Yeah Yeah's debut to be dirtier, the sort of thing that made parents nervous? Denton-to-Austin trio Faceless Werewolves play garage rock like they are trying to shake the thing from its foundations. It's the Detroit Cobras with a little more rawk in the howl. Bass? They don't need no stinkin' bass. – Michael Bertin
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MAGNETA LANE9pm, Buffalo Billiards Three gorgeous women who dance with daggers and break plates, Toronto's Magneta Lane is the younger generation's reaction to slick, eyeliner mall rock. Not as angry as Sleater-Kinney, Magneta Lane's sophomore release, Dancing With Daggers (Paper Bag), is just the right amount of grit and priss to garner attention from their indie rock elders. – Darcie Stevens
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SPEECH9pm, Club One 15 Fourteen years removed from Arrested Development's explosion onto the boho-rap scene, Speech touched the sky with '05's The Vagabond (Bluhammock), straddling classic Southern soul as if it were a rocket to the heavens. The Atlanta mainstay remains on the positive tip. – Robert Gabriel
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WANDA JACKSON9pm, Continental Club The first lady of rockabilly returns to SXSW on the heels of I Remember Elvis (Cleopatra). Jackson toured with and dated Elvis in the mid-Fifties, so her jumpin' tributes of "Too Much" and "Heartbreak Hotel" pack authoritative weight. Having Blondie drummer Clem Burke on board doesn't hurt. In person, the Oklahoma-bred Jackson still growls out "Let's Have a Party" and "Fujiyama Mama" with conviction. – Greg Beets
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SYBRIS9:20pm, Austin Music Hall Chicago's Sybris describe themselves as art rock, Eighties heavy metal, and folk. Or picture an indie rock Ekova/Cocteau Twins mix, with added Muffs angst. The quartet's psychedelic pop is fashioned from serious sonic wizardry and the angular, melodic vocal flights of Angela Mullenhour. Their strong eponymous debut was recently released by Flameshovel Records. – David Lynch
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DJ MUGGS9:30pm, Flamingo Cantina Kicking off an illustrious career as a rap producer in '88 with beats provided for 7A3's Coolin' in Cali, DJ Muggs soared to even greater heights during the early Nineties as the creative force driving classic LPs by Cypress Hill, House of Pain, and Funkdoobiest. The one-time West Coast DMC champion returned to form in '05 with Wu-Tang Clan's GZA on Grandmasters (Angeles). – Robert Gabriel
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OLLABELLE10pm, Central Presbyterian Church Birthed in NYC's East Village in the immediate wake of 9/11, this collective of divergent musicians draws its inspiration from the rich traditional of rural American roots music – folk, gospel, bluegrass, and blues. 2004's eponymous, T-Bone Burnett-produced debut on DMZ/Columbia garnered rave reviews. – Jay Trachtenberg
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GUY FORSYTH10pm, Bourbon Rocks Part midway hawker, part one-man band, Austin's Guy Forsyth is also a founding member of the vaudevillian Asylum Street Spankers, with whom he's been playing once again. Accompanied by his own quartet, Forsyth delivers a hot plate of blues-based new rock, well-documented on last year's local favorite Love Songs: For and Against (Small & Nimble). – David Lynch
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TOM FREUND10pm, Copa Originally from New York, Tom Freund now hangs his hat in Venice, Calif. Critically acclaimed for his diverse, inventive songwriting, his latest disc is Sweet Affection (Surf Road), a collection of new songs and live recordings that feature Victoria Williams. – Jim Caligiuri
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TERRI HENDRIX WITH LLOYD MAINES10pm, Pecan St. Ale House Maybe all you need to know about Terri Hendrix is that the best sideman in Central Texas has produced and worked with her for nearly a decade. Her songs may be breezier, but they're as heartfelt as those of the distinctly Texan singer-songwriters – the Guy Clarks, the Robert Earl Keens. – Michael Bertin
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LISA GERMANO10pm, Eternal Lisa Germano is a singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who follows her own crooked path. Touring and recording with the likes of John Mellencamp, Indigo Girls, Iggy Pop, and Giant Sand, her solo work remains imaginative and seductive. The L.A.-based Germano is set to release her seventh collection of songs, In the Maybe World (Young God), this summer. – Jim Caligiuri
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CHRISTOPHER O'RILEY10pm, Elephant Room Radiohead playing in Austin's basement jazzatorium? A few songs anyway. In the nimble hands of this L.A. pianist, 2003's True Love Waits and '05's Hold Me to This proved that Yorke & Co.'s reinvention and subsequent deconstruction of modern rock were every bit as revolutionary as we all thought. Now he's on to Home to Oblivion: An Elliott Smith Tribute. Xoxoxo. – Raoul Hernandez
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ABERFELDY10pm, Karma Lounge This magical Edinburgh quintet utilizes everything from traditional fiddle-work, keyboards, and the requisite guitar and percussion, then overlay spunky, sexy male-female harmonies to create a bittersweet poke at love gone good, bad, but never indifferent. Last year's debut Young Forever (Rough Trade) was the soundtrack to much sweaty summer lovin' and is soon to be followed up by an as-yet-unchristened sophomore crush. – Marc Savlov
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THE ESSEX GREEN10pm, Antone's It's been a long time since the Essex Green's sophomore release, The Long Goodbye (Merge), came out in 2003. Who knows what the Brooklyn quintet, which specializes in lovely, nicely turned chamber indie-pop, has been up to since then? Look for the group's latest, Cannibal Sea, on Merge this spring. – Melanie Haupt
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THE STILLS10pm, La Zona Rosa When your breakthrough rains down crystalline guitar pop in the key of Britain, 1980, success will school you. Montreal's Stills survived 2003's Logic Will Break Your Heart (Vice), but just barely. Without Feathers, due late spring, doesn't produce another "Lola Stars and Stripes," or "Still in Love Song," but its earnest complexity doesn't want to. "It Takes Time" comes closest, perhaps, and live, Feathers will fly. – Raoul Hernandez
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THE JOGGERS10pm, Maggie Mae's This Portland quartet sneaked onto the scene back into 2003 with Solid Guild (Startime), a collection that was a little bit Pavement and a whole lot of attitude. They followed that up with last year's With a Cape and a Cane. Rather than regurgitating Nineties college-rock sounds, the Joggers have taken a more angular, post-punk approach. – Melanie Haupt
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THE DATSUNS10pm, Emo's Main Not even Zeppelin's John Paul Jones helming their second V2 disc, Outta Site/Outta Mind (2004), could alter the fact that conquering America from New Zealand is no day at the zoo unless you're Peter Jackson. No. 3's currently being assembled, so expect new material, hope for "Blacken My Thumb" and "Freeze Sucker," and duck when the two-guitar foursome goes off like Thin Lizzy. – Raoul Hernandez
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NERVOUS EXITS10pm, Velvet Spade We love some Motown. Although Austin fivepiece the Nervous Exits are more garage than street, singer John Yaklin howls from the gut, and the guys all know the electric slide. A heavily anticipated debut LP is on the way from ATX's Super Secret Records. Dirty, sweaty, and tastes great with Lone Star. – Darcie Stevens
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HOT CHIP10pm, Parish If the sparse, minimalist electro-beats of UK retrograde darlings Hot Chip don't get you, their dangerously punning lyrics and song titles ("Crap Kraft Dinner") surely will. It's as if Kraftwerk had moved to Detroit circa Computer World and set up shop next to Derrick May and Steve Wozniak. – Marc Savlov
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PINK MOUNTAINTOPS10:15pm, Emo's Annex Stephen McBean's apex is his Axis of Evol (Jagjaguwar). Seems he needed a mellower outlet than his other rock band, Black Mountain. The quietly strange Vancouver songwriter does hell, drag queens, and drugs with a measure of apathy that is understandable and distressing. – Darcie Stevens
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THE D-MADNESS PROJECT10:15pm, Cedar Street Courtyard With one hand and foot, Austin's D-Madness keeps rhythm, while his other hand programs a keyboard loop of his drum combos. The busy octopus/man then grabs a bass guitar to fill in his break with a heartbeat of its own accord. Smiling into the mic, D's melodic words elicit young children running about a schoolyard. The entire soul-funk package rolled into one visually-impaired genius, D-Madness is the truth. – Robert Gabriel
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COCO SOLID10:45pm, Caribbean Lights Can you be political, satirical, sexual, and still not bore the crap out of people? Jessica "Coco" Hansell and Ben "Erik Ultimate" Buchanan rap to a cheeseball Eighties techno bootybeat, so while 2005's Denim & Leather might come off like Princess Superstar or Peaches, it's far more clever and has a cheeky exuberance that most hip-hop of any flavor lacks. This shit is cool. – Michael Bertin
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THE LYNNE ARRIALE TRIO11pm, Elephant Room Critics worldwide have raved about this supremely talented, Florida-based jazz pianist/composer. Possessing a stunning, Bill Evans-influenced lyricism, Arriale and her trio, with veterans Jay Anderson (bass) and Steve Davis (drums), are celebrating their 10th anniversary together with the release of their ninth album, Come Together (Motema Music). – Jay Trachtenberg
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ANDRE WILLIAMS11pm, Continental Club Andre Williams is a dirty old man. In fact, he's proud of it. The author of such underground funk classics as "Bacon Fat" and "Jailbait" hit the skids in the Eighties but mounted a comeback the following decade, teaming up with relative youngsters like Jon Spencer and the Sadies. – Michael Bertin
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LYLE LOVETT11pm, Stubb's He's an Aggie. He's divorced. That's as far as a smear campaign against Lyle Lovett is going to get. Lovett's slowly but inevitably approaching Willie-like status here in Texas, even if his appeal is more Cabernet than Lone Star. – Michael Bertin
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THE GRASSY KNOLL BOYS11pm, B.D. Riley's Led by guitarist/vocalist Will Walden and featuring the hot Dobro style of David Hamburger, Austin's Grassy Knoll Boys are a trad-bluegrass quintet who perform a mix of edgy old-time Americana. They've recently been in Nashville working with famed producer Bil VornDick on a follow-up to their splendid debut, Buckeyed Rabbit (Genuine). – Jim Caligiuri
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GARLAND JEFFREYS11pm, Bourbon Rocks In the late Seventies, NYC's Garland Jeffreys was considered a street-smart contemporary of Lou Reed and Bruce Springsteen with radio hits like "Wild in the Streets" and "Ghost Writer." Although he's been out of the public eye since the early Nineties, Jeffreys' I'm Alive, a 14-track career overview with three new songs, is due this summer. – Jim Caligiuri
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SUPERCHUNK11pm, Antone's 2001 saw the band's last proper studio album, Here's to Shutting Up (Merge), and there's been no official word from the band on new material since. But, c'mon, it's Superchunk. They might still be the indiest of the indies. Start a band. Start a label. Put other cool bands on it. All while making perfect pogo punk. Still hyper enough to get it done. – Michael Bertin
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THE DEATHRAY DAVIES11pm, Buffalo Billiards Are the Kinks suddenly getting their influential due, or is it just that anything worth listening to these days comes from folks who wore down the vinyl grooves on their copies of Muswell Hillbillies? Dallas' Deathray Davies make the retro sound crescent fresh. Or if you have no knowledge of anything pre-1988, think Superdrag with swagger. – Michael Bertin
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THE JESSICA FLETCHERS11pm, Blender Bar @ the Ritz Norway's Jessica Fletchers sound like they walked straight off the set of Shindig into a time machine, dialed up 1.21 gigawatts of energy, and landed in Aughties. Really, if someone sneaked cuts from 2005's Less Sophistication (Rainbow Quartz) onto your Nuggets box set, you'd have absolutely no sonic cause to doubt its fitness there. – Michael Bertin
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MILLION DOLLAR MARXISTS11pm, Beerland Like the Dictators: hard, fast, lots of distortion. The angry Canadians dish out the disses on their latest, Give It a Name (Gearhead Records), and what they lack in originality they more than make up for live. – Michael Bertin
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THE RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS11pm, Emo's Main Austin/Denton's Riverboat Gamblers don't command the stage as much as assault it, Motor City style. The quintet's anarchic flailings resemble the Dwarves, but the Gamblers are tighter, and they don't quit after 20 minutes. Their third album, To the Confusion of Our Enemies (Volcom), is due in April, and gamers can now hear them on Tony Hawk's Wasteland. – Greg Beets
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RADIO 411pm, Parish If the Clash had been a disco band? Maybe. Radio 4 isn't indie, and isn't punk. It's got rhythm, but also jagged guitars. Heck, you can dance to it. You should dance to it. The Brooklyn band's follow-up to Stealing of a Nation (Astralwerks) is due out in May. – Michael Bertin
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BE YOUR OWN PET11pm, Fox and Hound It was almost creepy how much tongue wagging and frothy lathering were done in the press over these Nashville teens last year. Be Your Own Pet's under-18 chops cop to bands like T. Rex and Television, with singer Jemina Pearl's adrenal-punk vocals recalling some riot grrl gunk. Last year's self-titled shook the silverware off the tables at Waffle House, but not in a methed-up way. – Audra Schroeder
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TOWERS OF LONDON11pm, La Zona Rosa Completely oblivious to any music released after 1988, brit quintet Towers of London engendered the most unpleasant, if not accurate, bit of journalism ever typed: they "thrust Guns n' Roses' cock rock into Johnny Rotten's mouth and make him swallow." (Thanks, Village Voice. Can I shower now?) Comparing 2005's How Rude She Was (TVT) with the Darkness will only encourage them. – Christopher Gray
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CEPHALIC CARNAGE12mid, Room 710 Since 1992, Denver, Colo.'s Cephalic Carnage has built up shred cred in the metal world for their technically flecked, grindy, existential metal, which swims in sticky deep green smoke. Last year's Anomalies offered a hot batch of nouveau metal. – David Lynch
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THE BELLRAYS12mid, Continental Club This Riverside, Calif.-bred quartet kicks out the jams, and they never do it easy. Singer Lisa Kekaula maintains Patton-like command of the stage as the other BellRays unleash homicidal sonic assault. 2005's Red, White & Black (Alternative Tentacles) proclaimed "Maximum Rock n' Soul," which the BellRays always deliver live. – Greg Beets
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KID CONGO AND THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS12mid, Velvet Spade Kid Congo Powers and his Pink Monkey Birds drum up all shades of twisted hoochie-koo rock. That's no surprise to anyone familiar with the New Yorker's work as a founding member of the Gun Club, his stint with Nick Cave, his killer guitar work with the Cramps, and the wild panoply of other acts he's started. His latest recording is last year's Solo Cholo. – Margaret Moser
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SHE WANTS REVENGE12mid, Fox & Hound This L.A. dance-rock duo could probably get along just fine without all the Interpol Jr. cracks, but when you're as enthralled of Joy Division as Justin Warfield and Adam Bravin, it's bound to come up. Their single "Tear You Apart" is sweeping across XM Radio like a brush fire, making this year's self-titled Geffen debut the must-have coaster for the black-eyeliner set. – Christopher Gray
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GHANDAIA12mid, Creekside @ Capitol Place Ghandaia (Gahn-die-ah) formed in Austin in 1999 and now has nine members, sometimes more on stage. These global groovers use many tools to create their conscious, carnivalesque sound: hand drums and horns, amps and acoustics, lyrics in Spanish, Portuguese, and English wrapped in Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, reggae, and funk styles. The collective is currently working on the follow-up to 2004's Uno (Xochipilli). – David Lynch
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THE MEAT PURVEYORS12mid, Copa "I'd Rather Be Your Enemy" and "Cold Hard Rain" highlight the Meat Purveyor's best platter, 2004's Pain by Numbers (Bloodshot). While not measurably different from three previous LPs, the breakneck mandolin, thumping bass, smartass singing, and hyper strumming from Austin's premier punk-grass quartet brewed up an all-too-potent moonshine. Intrepid onstage covers include ABBA, Ratt, the Velvet Underground, and Bill Monroe. – David Lynch
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SCOTT MILLER AND THE COMMONWEALTH12mid, Opal Divine's Long ago, Knoxville's Scott Miller was a V-Roy. As a solo artist, his discs are equally witty, literate, and rockin', particularly the highly praised Thus Always to Tyrants (Sugar Hill) in 2001. Miller's intense songwriting reflects his love for the South, and with that in mind, his new Citation (Sugar Hill) was recorded in Memphis with Jim Dickinson. – Jim Caligiuri
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SUSAN COWSILL12mid, Bourbon Rocks 2005-2006 are turning out to be as cruel as they are kind to singer-songwriter Susan Cowsill, blessing her with critically acclaimed CD Just Believe It (Blue Corn Music) and taking their toll on the terrible loss of Hurricane Katrina and two brothers. Cowsill's musical roots are deep and sweetly heartfelt, going back to her days in her family's Patridge-like pop band, and staying true over the years with bands like the Continental Drifters. Hang in there sister. – Margaret Moser
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LUKE DOUCET12mid, 18th Floor @ Capitol Place A nice combination of Waitsian songwriting and alt.country twang, Toronto's Luke Doucet calls himself "country verité," but really he's just a great songwriter. February's Broken (and Other Rogue States) (Six Shooter) is a dose of understanding strum and pretty pop interspersed with great and witty lyrics. – Darcie Stevens
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OKKERVIL RIVER12:15am, Emo's Annex Okkervil River issued one of 2005's best reviewed LPs, Black Sheep Boy (Jagjaguwar), making them one of Austin's true breakthrough bands. Led by songwriter Will Sheff, the fourpiece manages literate, melodic, and mysteriously charming while creating country dreamscapes. – Jim Caligiuri
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DAVID BAZAN12:45am, Emo's Jr. It's been nearly two years since Pedro the Lion's gorgeous, near-perfect Achilles Heel (Jade Tree) hit shelves. Since then, Seattle frontman David Bazan has devoted time to his all-synthesizer side project Headphones and has just gotten off the road with the Undertow Orchestra, a live, four-way musical conversation featuring Bazan, Mark Eitzel, Vic Chesnutt, and Will Johnson. – Melanie Haupt
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NICKNACK1am, Oslo Whether backing drummer Brannen Temple and trumpeter Ephraim Owens with turntable cuts by way of the Blaze jazz ensemble or providing tools for DJs in the form of his Soundcraftsman vinyl series (Crowd Control Records), Austin's NickNack keeps it precise. His latest venture casts him as producer of 50 hip-hop-oriented instrumentals as he scores the forthcoming film Slam Planet: War of Words. DJ Tats supports. – Robert Gabriel
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SCREWED UP CLICK1am, Back Room Running down a line of undeniable Houston rap classics, the lyrical progeny of the late DJ Screw sport Big Pokey's collaboration with Paul Wall "Sittin' Sidewayz," Trae's "Swang," Hawk's "You Already Know," and ESG's "Getchya Hands Up." Mix in added rapping talents Lil Keke and Lil' O for good measure and the Back Room might as well put promethazine cocktails on their bar menu. – Robert Gabriel
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TWO HIGH STRING BAND1am, B.D. Riley's Now a trio, the Two High String Band has a sturdy yet earthy sound, combining stellar acoustic picking with fine song-craft. They've wowed audiences from Rockygrass to Merlefest with only two guitars, one mandolin, and three voices. Two High's second disc, Moonshine Boogie (Blue Corn Music), has just hit the streets. – Jim Caligiuri
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JIMMY LAFAVE BAND1am, Pecan St. Ale House An integral part of the Austin roots-rock scene since transplanting from Oklahoma two decades ago, singer-songwriter and guitarist LaFave has culled a loyal following. His current Blue Nightfall (Red House) mixes heartfelt love songs with rockin' odes to the open road. He's also one of Bob Dylan's finest interpreters. – Jay Trachtenberg
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ELF POWER1am, Hideout Seminal Elephant 6 outfit Elf Power sees itself rising from the rubble of a movement, reconstituted with a lineup that includes a mix of longtime members and two new players from other Elephant 6 bands. The Athens, Ga., quintet's most recent release, 2004's Walking With the Beggar Boys (Orange Twin), retains their playfulness and a dash of experimentalism. – Melanie Haupt
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THE HIGH DIALS1am, Blender Bar @ the Ritz With 2005's sophomore-slump-busting War of the Wakening Phantoms (Rainbow Quartz), this modern-day psychedelic pop quartet from Montreal recalls the epic storybook qualities of Britpop classics like the Zombies' Odyssey & Oracle and XTC's Skylarking. Pure pop tunes like "Strandhill Sands" and "Sick With the Old Fire" succeed independently of their mind-expanding accoutrements. – Greg Beets
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THE CHARLATANS1am, Exodus Once notable participants in the early-Nineties Madchester movement, the Charlatans UK took a back seat to the popularity of their musical brethren the Stone Roses. Of course, that outfit self-destructed, and the Charlatans remain. Simpatico drops next month on Sanctuary Records. – Melanie Haupt
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THE REAL HEROES1am, Latitude 30 Armed with a sackful of touchstones like Cheap Trick and David Bowie, Austin's Real Heroes blast off on pure-pop-with-a-capital-P. Together with their quick wit and good looks, the quintet is the full package. The Real Heroes' hook-laden 2004 album, Greetings From Russia (Rec Center), got its second wind via distribution at Target stores nationwide last year. A follow-up is in the works. – Greg Beets
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DASH RIP ROCK1am, Opal Divine's Last year's Alternative Tentacles release, Re-Cyclone, was a potent reminder that neither time nor changing labels can wither the Louisiana trio's rip-roaring rock & roll. DRR are the kings of depraved swamp rock with a heavy dose of humor. In this SXSW anniversary year, it's worth noting this was one of the bands that gave the conference unmitigated cool in its baby days. – Margaret Moser
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WACO BROTHERS1am, Bourbon Rocks Former/current members of the Mekons, KMFDM, Graham Parker's band, Dollar Store, and Jesus Jones use punk-pushed country to deliver biting commentary on all that's fucked up. One of the biggest acts on Chicago's insurgent cowboy imprint Bloodshot, the sextet released their eighth full-length, Freedom and Weep, last year. – David Lynch
SLEEPERS
All showcases subject to change
CATFISH HAVEN7:30pm, Emo's Annex Ignoring the audacity of the redneck moniker – the trailer park vocalist George Hunter grew up in – Catfish Haven takes Southern rock & soul to the city. The Chicago trio's new release, Please Come Back (Secretly Canadian), is Hunter's response to the Kings of Leon and Motown. – Darcie Stevens
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TWO HOOTS AND A HOLLER8pm, Opal Divine's For nigh on 20 years, this award-winning trio from Austin has been cross-breeding roots-rock with a little hillbilly gas and bluesy fuel. Last year's Songs Our Vinyl Taught Us was an unabashed valentine to record players and 45s, the spiritual home of the estimable local institution. Expect a little vocal levitation when frontman Rick Broussard gets going. – Margaret Moser
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MOONLIGHT TOWERS8pm, Karma Lounge Named for the local landmarks, Austin's Moonlight Towers is a straight-up insomnia- and alcohol-fueled rock & roll band. James Stevens' gruff southern voice over Jacob Schulze's "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" riffage is anathema to indie hipsterdom. Last year's Like You Were Never There (Spinster) was the quartet's second. – Michael Bertin
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THE DEATHS8pm, Nuno's Upstairs Fargo transplants to Minneapolis, the Deaths could petition for a spot in the Elephant 6 collective. 2005 debut Choir Invisible (GoJohnnyGo) runs the gamut of Sixties influences, from the obscure (Beau Brummels, Troggs) to the more omnipresent (Bowie). The psychedelia never gets too far out of control that it can't be wrapped up in a three-minute pop song. – Michael Bertin
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MAGIC SURPRISE8pm, Blender Balcony @ the Ritz Magic Surprise answers the question: How does a lap steel sound with a MIDI rig? Answer: damn straight. One of the bright spots rising last year from Austin's fertile pop scene, this quartet successfully brings together acoustic strumming and danceable beats. Debut Personal Computer features literate lyrics with street-wise rhythms. – David Lynch
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JOHN WATTS8pm, Zero Degrees Fischer-Z vocalist Watts has been called "Billy Bragg turned up to 11," but we like to think of him as being more Tiny Tim dialed down to 9.5. "We are all porn queens," sings Watts on the title track of his self-released debut, Real Life Is Good Enough, a bracing, excitable medley of lovelorn, smarty-pants lyricism, and churning guitars. – Marc Savlov
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CERYS MATTHEWS8pm, B.D. Riley's After roughly a decade at the vocal helm of the Welsh band Catatonia (think Darling Buds or Letters to Cleo), Matthews split and moved to Nashville. There, with the help of Bucky Baxter (Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams), she cut the folksy Cockahoop. – Michael Bertin
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SUPERSTAR DJS FEAT. DJ SPINNER T8pm, Club One 15 Austinites Spinner T, Rodney, Crop Diggie, and Mista Ed form a collective of turntablists out to save an artform gradually becoming obsolete in the wake of digital upgrades. Their bimonthly Sqratch Karnival events attract all sorts of visiting throwback talent as the Superstar DJs provide the forum for any given record maven to show off their table manners and techniques. – Robert Gabriel
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BUSY SIGNALS8pm, Jackalope Anything moving this fast usually has a stewardess on it. And if you have the attention span of a 6-year-old on Ritalin or a 26-year-old on meth, these 90-second slices of punk rock are for you. With a couple of 7-inches on Douchemaster, the only thing missing is Joey Ramone counting off "1-2-3-4." – Michael Bertin
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WE8pm, Emo's Main The best part about the Norwegian band's Web site name (WeRock.org) isn't the "rock." It's the ".org." Like this shit isn't for the money, it's for the community. You'd be deaf to miss the Jimmy Page influence, but there's a little more speed and a lot more cock in the rock. The quartet's last full release was 2004's Smugglers (Nun). – Michael Bertin
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TSK TSK8pm, Velvet Spade If Xray Spex screecher Poly Styrene replaced Nick Cave in the Birthday Party, they might've sounded like Tsk Tsk. The charismatic, art-damaged punk quintet from Los Angeles exudes the lurid kick of a cryptic mash note found at the bus stop. – Greg Beets
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DECODER RING8pm, Red 7 It's hard to figure out whether Decoder Ring might be better for the build up or the come down. Spacey, ethereal, lush, ambient, all of the standard terms apply. The Sydneysiders are creating interesting sonic textures, and their latest Fractions (No Records) sustains an efficiency and tension only the Brian Enos and Tangerine Dreams achieve when playing with the same aesthetics. – Michael Bertin
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NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD8:15pm, Emo's Jr. This might be your father's hardcore. Eschewing the more mainstream punk elements, New Mexican Disaster Squad goes straight for waving the black flag (or issuing a minor threat). It seems a logical reaction to growing up in the shadow of the Mouse around Orlando. The band's third album, Don't Believe (Jade Tree), hits the shelves in early May. – Michael Bertin
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BEDROOM WALLS8:30pm, Habana Calle 6 Patio Opening an album with a song called "In Anticipation of Your Suicide" might mark a band for life, but when you're L.A. quartet Bedroom Walls, it's more of a promise. Sophomore release All Good Dreamers Pass This Way (Baria) is due in May. – Darcie Stevens
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CADENCE WEAPON8:30pm, Caribbean Lights "Old school/new school need to know this": 19-year-old Rollie Pemperton is ready to roll out. The journalist/producer/rapper's sly mix of beats and samples plow him to the top of the heap with debut Breaking Kayfabe (Upper Class). Don't expect the Edmonton, Alberta rhymer to disappear anytime soon. Someone lock Cadence and Austin's D-Madness in a room together. – Darcie Stevens
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HUMBERT9pm, Blender Balcony @ the Ritz Hialeah, Fla., hasn't always been known for its burgeoning indie rock scene, more for its horse gambling and dilapidated warehouses. But Humbert is clearing the way with the anthemic sounds of their latest, Plant the Trees Closer Together (Sportatorium). The South Florida quartet produces polished indie pop gems, meaty hooks, and sonic goodness from the "High Prairie." – Audra Schroeder
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MORNINGWOOD9pm, La Zona Rosa NYC's Morningwood have arrived to save rock & roll from itself, and not a moment too soon. Their eponymous EMI debut is like a blast of fresh air straight out of CBGB's hallowed restroom. It's a little bit Runaways, a lotta bit Big Apple attitude. "Take Off Your Clothes" is the perfect summation, baby. – Marc Savlov
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KING STRAGGLER 9pm, Bourbon Rocks This SoCal quartet is popular on their home turf for many reasons, not the least of which is their meaty sound. That guitarist John Hawkes stars on HBO's Deadwood is merely a plus; he played in Austin in Meat Joy decades before Swearengen uttered his first "cocksucker." Teamed with fellow actor Rodney Eastman and guitarist Brentley Gore, King Straggler's self-titled CD is rife with tongue-in-cheek roots-rock. – Margaret Moser
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BIRDY NAM NAM9:30pm, Oslo 2002 DMC World TEAM Champions, France's Birdy Nam Nam – four DJs – make music entirely from spinning turntables (ignoring the fact that someone else recorded what's on the vinyl on those turntables). The range on last year's debut goes from funk to trip-hop to jazz. Bonus points for the Peter Sellers reference in the name. – Michael Bertin
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FOLLOW THE TRAIN10pm, Nuno's Upstairs Louisville's Follow the Train says its okay to like pop. They're chorus-y, but not too wet. Dynamic in amplitude, but composed. The best late-Eighties melodies with next year's rhythms. REM from Kentucky. The quartet's debut LP, A Breath of Sigh, will be birthed by San Diego's Darla Records this month. – David Lynch
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CLOROX GIRLS
10pm, Emo's IV Portland's Clorox Girls aren't girls, and they won't keep your whites looking their whitest. False advertising aside, the trio's 2005 Kurt Bloch-produced album, This Dimension (Smart Guy), is a loaded raygun of bouncy, no-future punk rock. It's not hard to imagine the Clorox Girls playing alongside the Dickies or the Angry Samoans in L.A. circa 1981. – Greg Beets
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BOYSKOUT10:30pm, Lava Lounge Patio San Francisco-based Boyskout serves up icy-tart pop tunes hinting at early-Eighties sci-fi dystopia with their synth flourishes and eerie hooks. Formed in 2001 by vocalist/guitarist Leslie Satterfield, the quartet's tilt toward New Wave revivalism has since spilled over into compelling music videos for "Back to Bed" and "Jesse James," both superlative cuts from their acclaimed 2004 debut, School of Etiquette (Alive). – Greg Beets
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MICAH P. HINSON10:45pm, Emo's Jr. Although not particularly well-known in Texas, Abilene-bred 21st-century troubadour Micah P. Hinson has generated reams of critical acclaim in the UK. Recorded with fellow Tex-pats the Earlies in 2004, Micah P. Hinson and the Gospel of Progress (Storybook) is a forlorn, twang-laden soul crush that vaguely resembles a Lone Star version of Leonard Cohen. Its follow-up will be on Jade Tree. – Greg Beets
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BLUE AEROPLANES11pm, Karma Lounge The Blue Aeroplanes is an artsy rock group from Bristol, England, who has drawn comparisons to the Velvet Underground because of their eclectic style and poetic sensibilities of group leader Gerard Langley. They've just re-released their masterpiece from 1990, Swagger (EMI), as a 2-CD deluxe version while also announcing a new album, Altitude (EMI), due in the spring. – Jim Caligiuri
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DESOL11pm, Spiros Patio Worthy practitioners in the Church of Santana, New Jersey's deSoL showed big in Austin recently, throwing down fine sets at last year's SXSW and Austin City Limits Music Festival. Curb released the Latin sevenpiece's eponymous debut last year as well, and their onstage conviction has earned them spots on Lollapalooza and with Los Lonely Boys, Widespread Panic, and REM in Mexico City. – David Lynch
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THE LONGCUT11pm, Exodus Manchester's the Longcut owe more than a pint to the early-nineties shoegazing of Ride and the rhythmic poundings of the Catherine Wheel. Their hallmark, "A Quiet Life," off their eponymous Deltasonic debut EP is anything but, full of swirling guitars and fierce, staccato percussion. – Marc Savlov
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LIONS11pm, Red Eyed Fly We do love the rock in Austin. Local fourpiece Lions plays relentless, heavy rock & roll. You know the type: long hair, tight jeans, attitude. Hot-off-the-presses is debut EP, Lions: Volume 1. – Darcie Stevens
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CHANNEL 311pm, Emo's IV It's 26 years on, but this blistering SoCal punk quartet, whose classic tracks "I've Got a Gun" and "Manzanar" remain hardcore staples, are back in action. With a new release on the horizon, the former Austin tour fixtures (and pals of the late, lamented Big Boys) remain more incendiary than a white phosphorus Twinkie, but just as fun. – Marc Savlov
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ELLEGARDEN11pm, Elysium Tokyo-based quartet Ellegarden play juiced-up SoCal pop-punk like they grew up in the smoggy shadow of the 405. Loud, emotive, and radio-ready like Blink-182 and Sum 41, their fourth album, Riot on the Grill (Denko Secca), sold over 200,000 copies in Japan alone. – Greg Beets
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KEV BROWN11pm, Flamingo Cantina Parallels between Landover, Md.'s Kev Brown and Pete Rock traverse traditional boom-bap productions peppered with jazz samples and self-styled rhymes. As Kev puts it, "I learn from the greats," so '05's I Do What I Do (Up Above) showcases source material most apt to be filtered and reassembled into fresh forms of hip-hop perfection. – Robert Gabriel
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HAPPY FLOWERS11:20pm, Lava Lounge Patio Either you'll like the deranged humor and train-wreck noise of the Happy Flowers, or you'll gag. Charlottesville duo Mr. Horribly-Charred-Infant (John Beers) and Mr. Anus (Charlie Kramer) have been MIA since 1995's Lasterday I Was Been Bad. If you missed the first time they tried working out childhood trauma through college radio, you can now find out on which pole you sit. – Michael Bertin
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MOKA ONLY11:30pm, Caribbean Lights Vancouver's Moka Only operates from a modus operandi that steers his rap engine into dense forests of British Columbian bliss. The founding member of Swollen Members creates The Desired Effect (EMI) as a solo artist whose spacious self-production enhances his breezy lyricism. Dubbing himself the Durable Mammal, Moka rakes in Canadian accolades along with collaborators k-os and MF Doom. – Robert Gabriel
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SUPERNATURAL11:45pm, Flamingo Cantina Freestyle rap connoisseur Supernatural carries the reputation of an MC who fares better in a live setting than in the studio. His latest album, S.P.I.T. (Up Above), postulates that "Spiritual Poetry Ignites Thought" over beats produced by DJ Muggs, Vitamin D, and Jake One. – Robert Gabriel
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CAYTO12mid, Karma Lounge Scotland's Cayto have just released ÁBlunderbuss!, their first LP, which was funded, in part, by the Scottish Arts Council. Thankfully, the quartet's mystifyingly eclectic sound – delicate pianos overlaid with frontman Paul Henry's arcing, soulful lyrics, and bound together with ELO-finessed guitars – feels like a DIY gobsmack right in the eye of the Man. It's "Stupendium!" – Marc Savlov
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THE TALK12mid, Nuno's Upstairs Oh-five was a break-out year for these Charlotte, N.C., pop-rockers. Their single "N.Y.L.A.," off The Sinners of Daughters, was featured on The OC. Currently touring as a fourpiece, the Talk owes as much to Cheap Trick as it does to the latest batch of British Invaders. – Dan Oko
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THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS12mid, Blender Bar @ the Ritz The Black Keys get chained to Jesus and possibly Mary as well. Or maybe some proto-Sub Pop band takes a psychelicious Sixties detour. Either way, this Aussie fivepiece makes a SXSW return after a scalding set in '05 and its first proper LP due out later this year on Rainbow Quartz. – Michael Bertin
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THE APPLICATORS12mid, Emo's IV Austin's Applicators inject uncommon passion and pathos into the oft-rote confines of modern-day pop-punk. Taking vocal cues from Poly Styrene and Kathleen Hanna, vocalist Sabrina Applicator rages from the heart as her bandmates jam up jelly tight. Second album I Know the Truth leans popward and flirts with New Wave devices without abandoning punk's sneering essence. – Greg Beets
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CHOPS12mid, Oslo A former backpack rapper and producer from Philadelphia's Mountain Brothers, CHOPS has undergone a transformation of his image into that of a Dirty South mixtape king based out of Houston. Along with the aid of Paul Wall, CHOPS dropped It's Going Down in '05, which went on to be named "Best Mixtape of the Year" at the Southern Entertainment Awards. His latest effort is titled National Champs. – Robert Gabriel
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MOJOE12:45am, Cedar Street Courtyard As Beyoncé's father backs plans to reissue '03's classic.ghetto.soul, San Antonio's MoJoe anticipates widening their reach. With ties to both the Alamo City and New Orleans, the Sabine Boys Tre and Easy Lee are dynamic rappers/singers/poets who front a backwater funk band raised on sizable helpings of James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Roy Ayers, and Maze. – Robert Gabriel
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THE BATS12:45am, Habana Calle 6 Patio Formed in 1982, the Bats are perhaps the definitive New Zealand jangle rock band. Led by ex-Clean bassist Robert Scott, the quartet disbanded in 1995 but reappeared in 2003. Last year the Kiwi rockers released At the National Grid (Magic Marker), lauded as one of their best efforts for its diverse sound and uplifting melodies. – Jim Caligiuri
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THE SPITS12:50am, Jackalope This geekward leaning synth-punk quartet from Seattle is all about the spaz factor. Though deeply grounded in the Johnny Ramone School of Buzzsaw Guitar, there's no pretense of cool in the Spits' take. Their pageantry-infused live sets are raging spectacles of mutation. – Greg Beets
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DIE! DIE! DIE!1am, Lava Lounge Patio You'd lose all indie street cred if you missed the Shellac/Albini influence in this New Zealand punk outfit, but the trio also hints at Minor Threat and Joy Division. The self-titled debut, released last fall on Capital, is loud and fast. Best song title: "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Mikey." – Michael Bertin
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THE SUNDRESSES1am, Velvet Spade Patio Bassist/trombonist Makenzie Place, guitarist/drummer/vox Brad Schnittger, and guitarist/drummer/vox Jeremy Springer draw from their 2003 debut, The Only Tourist in Town (Hooray! Records), for their third consecutive SXSW appearance. The Cincinnati-based trio's careening rock has opened for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Unsane, the Heartless Bastards, and Six Parts Seven, and features midset guitarist and drummer switching. – David Lynch
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SUPAGROUP1am, Continental Club Alaskan brothers Chris and Benji Lee lead this New Orleans quartet (add bassist Leif Robinson Swift and drummer Michael Brueggen) in Seventies cock 'n' roll, replete with AC/DC amplitude and Zep swagger. Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney) produced 2001's Rock & Roll Tried to Ruin My Life, and last year's Rules (Foodchain) continued the beer bong, roach-clipped party. – David Lynch
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BLACK MOSES1am, Blender Balcony @ the Ritz Hey, Young Heart Attack, you've got company. UK quartet Black Moses could (and doubtless will) give Austin's premier retro-rockers a run for their Jamesons and roach clips. On their Rootbag Records debut, they kick up a Royal Stink that'd knock heaven's door to splinters. – Marc Savlov
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THE PINK SWORDS1am, Beerland Austin's Red River strip is fertile breeding ground for Dead Boys-flavored trash rock. With 2003's One Night High, the Pink Swords solidified a leading role in this realm. Now signed to Gearhead, the Swords' latest, Shut Up and Take It, fits that label's hammer-down aesthetic perfectly. – Greg Beets
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THE EFFIGIES1am, Emo's IV The original sound of Chi-town punk, the Eff's '83 EP We're Da Machine blew minds and speakers with equal abandon. Follow-up career comp Remains Nonviewable summed up the short, sharp shock of this legendary outfit, complete with buzzsaw guitars and a take-zero-prisoners panache that continues to this day. – Marc Savlov
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THE MAGNOLIAS1am, Karma Lounge While history relegates the Magnolias as also-rans of Minneapolis circa 1988, for a time they were every bit as central to the scene as the more famous brethren. They cut a couple of LPs for Twin\\>Tone but never got the recognition of the Mats or Soul Asylum. They reunite for a SXSW gig on the heels of last year's Better Late Than Never, a collection of demos and outtakes. – Michael Bertin
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MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO.1:15am, Emo's Annex Jason Molina has put out nearly a score of retro roots-rock records over the last decade, most prominently as Songs: Ohia and more recently as Magnolia Electric Co. This year, he's going for the trifecta: a Magnolia album, a solo LP, and a collaboration with Camper man David Lowery. The latest Magnolia outing, Nashville Moon (Secretly Canadian), was tracked with Steve Albini at the knobs. – Michael Bertin
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