VOTE NOW IN THE AUSTIN MUSIC POLL

Playback

Neil Young premieres his director’s cut of Human Highway at SXSW, while Graham Reynolds brings Marfa to the Festival

by Kevin Curtin

Metal

RUNNERS-UP: Eagle Claw, The Sword, Brown Sabbath, Broken Teeth, Nekrist, Snake Skin Prison, Fear Control, The Well, Immortal Guardian

by Chronicle Staff

Album Art

RUNNERS-UP: Unidentified Artist for Sam Pace & the Gilded Grit, Rapture; Mishka Westell, for Golden Dawn Arkestra EP; Grace Park for Grace Park & the Deer; Wim Delvoye for Churchwood, Trickgnosis

by Chronicle Staff

New Club

RUNNERS-UP: Vulcan Gas Company, Dozen Street, Cheer Up Charlies, Indian Roller, Sweetwater, The Highball, Radio Coffee & Beer, Hard Luck Lounge

by Chronicle Staff

None of the Above

RUNNERS-UP: Calliope Musicals, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Seu Jacinto, Yuma, Steady Legend, Transcontinental Trip, A Is Red, The Sideways Grimace, Boss Street Brass Band

by Chronicle Staff

Ongoing Music Residency

RUNNERS-UP: Motown Monday, the Highball; Durawa, Strange Brew; James McMurtry, Continental Club; Bob Schneider, Saxon Pub; Toni Price, Continental Club; David Grissom, Saxon Pub; Tameca Jones, Continental Club Gallery; Jon Dee Graham, Continental Club; The Resentments, Saxon Pub

by Chronicle Staff

Band of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: Gina Chavez, Spoon, Ian McLagan, Church on Monday, Roxy Roca, Jitterbug Vipers, Migrant Kids, Dawn & Hawkes, Quiet Company

by Chronicle Staff

Punk

RUNNERS-UP: Residual Kid, The Bulemics, Dead Strangers, Blxpltn, Rebel Flesh, Beat Dolls, A Giant Dog, Riverboat Gamblers, The Hickoids

by Chronicle Staff

Outside Austin City Limits Club

RUNNERS-UP: The Roost; Poodie’s, Spicewood; Triple Crown, San Marcos; Luckenbach Dance Hall, Luckenbach; Nutty Brown Cafe; The Bugle Boy, La Grange; The Backyard; Hanover’s, Pflugerville; Giddy Ups

by Chronicle Staff

Best New Band

RUNNERS-UP: The Nightowls, Dawn & Hawkes, Ulrich Ellison and Tribe, Buhu, Sweet Spirit, Wonderbitch, Wrenfro, Casual Strangers, Spanish Gold

by Chronicle Staff

Rock

RUNNERS-UP: Spoon, Bubble Puppy, The Bluebonnets, Residual Kid, Amplified Heat, Ian McLagan & the Bump Band, Migrants Kids, Ulrich Ellison and Tribe, Vallejo

by Chronicle Staff

Best Venue to Play

RUNNERS-UP: Mohawk, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Continental Club, Saxon Pub, Empire Control Room, Vulcan Gas Company, ABGB, Cheer Up Charlies, Stubb’s

by Chronicle Staff

Poster

RUNNERS-UP: Chepo Peña; Guy Juke: Alejandro Escovedo, Moody Theater; Mishka Westell: Patty Griffin, Moody Theater; Billie K Buck: Of Montreal; Evan Bozarth: Airship; Jim Franklin; Gary Dorsey: All ATX Invasion, Moody Theater; Unidentified Artist: Bob Schneider & the Moonlight Orchestra, Valentine’s Day, ACL Live at the Moody Theater; Unidentified Artist: South Austin Moonlighters, Saxon Pub

by Chronicle Staff

Musician of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: Shakey Graves, Ian McLagan, Gary Clark Jr., Elias Haslanger, Redd Volkaert, Eliza Gilkyson, Patricia Vonne, Bob Schneider, Dale Watson

by Chronicle Staff

U18

RUNNERS-UP: Tiarra Girls, Annie & Kate, Peterson Brothers, 24-7, Painted Redstarts, Room 24, Charlie Belle, Skyline, Anthropos Arts

by Chronicle Staff

Club Lighting

RUNNERS-UP: Empire Control Room, Parish, The Roost, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Ilios, Strange Brew, Cheer Up Charlies, The Highball, Emo’s

by Chronicle Staff

Producer

RUNNERS-UP: Omar Vallejo, Ray Sr., Tim Gerron, Chris “Frenchie” Smith, Erik Wofford, Adrian Quesada, Jim Eno, Michael Ramos, Cisco Ryder

by Chronicle Staff

Album of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: And the War Came, Shakey Graves; United States, Ian McLagan & the Bump Band; They Want My Soul, Spoon; The Nocturne Diaries, Eliza Gilkyson; Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath; Live at the Gallery, Church on Monday; Live, Gary Clark Jr.; Whisper of the Moon, Erin Ivey & Tosca String Quartet; Good as Gold, the Nightowls

by Chronicle Staff

World Music

RUNNERS-UP: Atash, Naga Valli, Son de Rey, Morena Soul, Rattletree Marimba, Gina Chavez, Paula Maya, Austin Samba School, Golden Dawn Arkestra

by Chronicle Staff

Club Sound

RUNNERS-UP: Vulcan Gas Company, The Roost, Parish, Saxon Pub, Mohawk, Cactus Cafe, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Continental Club, Emo’s

by Chronicle Staff

Radio Personality

RUNNERS-UP: John Aielli, KUTX; Dudley & Bob, KLBJ; Michael Crockett, KUTX; Laurie Gallardo, KUTX; Mike Buck, Sun Radio; Kevin Connor, Sun Radio; David Arnsberger, Sun Radio; Chuck Loesch, 101X; John E. Dee, KUTX

by Chronicle Staff

Song of the Year

RUNNERS-UP: “Dearly Departed,” Shakey Graves; “Love Letter,” Ian McLagan & the Bump Band; “Inside Out,” Spoon; “Soul Thing,” Hard Proof Afrobeat; “Dark Mile,” Patricia Vonne; “Canvas of Me,” Migrant Kids; “Ice Cream Samurai,” Sam Pace & the Gilded Grit; “Brand New Day,” Ruthie Foster; “Austin, Texas,” Super Smash Bros.

by Chronicle Staff

Bass

RUNNERS-UP: Kenneth Null, Gina Chavez; Ronn Roberts, the Eggmen; Bruce Hughes; Elliot Morgan, RAS; Francie Meaux Jeaux; Matt Parmenter, Quiet Company; Chris Maresh; Sabine Ellison, Tribe; Andrew Molever, Moonlight Social

by Chronicle Staff

Radio Program

RUNNERS-UP: Jason & Deb, 101X; Eklektikos, John Aielli, KUTX; Dudley and Bob with Matt, KLBJ; Blue Monday, Mike Buck, Sun Radio; No Control, Chuck Loesch, 101X; Horizontes, Michael Crockett, KUTX; A Hill Country Saturday, Kevin Connor, Sun Radio; Next Big Thing, Andy Langer, KGSR; Texas Radio Live, David Arnsberger, Sun Radio

by Chronicle Staff

The Luv Doc: The End Times

Dear Luv Doc, I read that this year McDonald’s is an official sponsor of SXSW. Is this a sign of the end times? Is Austin about to be consumed in a lake of fire? – McLovinit McLovinit, it’s pretty clear that you’re not from around here. Austin is already consumed in a lake of fire…

by The Luv Doc

Drums

RUNNERS-UP: Brannen Temple; Sammy Foster, Gina Chavez; David Fore; Don Harvey; Alejandro Vallejo; Masumi Jones; Alex Marrero; Frosty; Dony Wynn

by Chronicle Staff

Instrument Repair

RUNNERS-UP: South Austin Music; Austin Vintage Guitars; Violins, Etc.; Lauren Ellis; Musical Exchange; Switched On; Blackerby Violin Shop; Sam Bass Music; Tom Oatley

by Chronicle Staff

Blues/Soul/Funk

RUNNERS-UP: The Nightowls, Peterson Brothers, Roxy Roca, Brownout, Gary Clark Jr., Eric Tessmer Band, Tameca Jones, Soul Track Mind, Sam Pace & the Gilded Grit

by Chronicle Staff

Female Vocals

RUNNERS-UP: Gina Chavez, Tameca Jones, Emily Gimble, Eliza Gilkyson, Carolyn Wonderland, Cella Blue, Ghislaine Jean, Sabrina Ellis, Erin Ivey

by Chronicle Staff

Live Music Booker

RUNNERS-UP: Kacy Crowley, Strange Brew; Transmission Events; Graham Williams, Transmission Events; Marcus Lawyer, Transmission Events; Mike Boudreau, Red Eyed Fly; Anthony Stevenson, Come and Take It Productions; James Taylor, Holy Mountain; Travis Newman, Parish; Howdy Darrell, White Horse

by Chronicle Staff

Record Store

RUNNERS-UP: End of an Ear, Antone’s Record Shop, Breakaway Records, Trailer Space Records, Encore Records, Friends of Sound, Piranha Records, Superfly’s Lone Star Music Emporium, Half Price Books

by Chronicle Staff

Country/Bluegrass

RUNNERS-UP: Whiskey Shivers, Dale Watson & His Lonestars, Moonlight Social, Them Duqaines, Kendall Beard & Whiskey Rebellion, Wood & Wire, Milkdrive, The Derailers, Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis

by Chronicle Staff

Guitar

RUNNERS-UP: David Grissom, Gary Clark Jr., Eric Tessmer, Slim Richey, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Robert LaRoche, Denny Freeman, Eve Monsees, Ulrich Ellison

by Chronicle Staff

Recording Studio

RUNNERS-UP: 512 Studios, Gerron Music, Cacophony Recorders, The Bubble, Ohm, Orb Recording Studios, Bismeaux, The Congress House Studio, Jackrabbit Soundshack

by Chronicle Staff

The Gunman

Sean Penn stars as a regretful ex-mercenary in this international game of cat and mouse

by Steve Davis

Cover Band

RUNNERS-UP: The Eggmen, Brown Sabbath, Encore, Magnifico, Skyrocket, The Sideways Grimace, Think Lizzy, The Pictures, Hear

by Chronicle Staff

Horns

RUNNERS-UP: Elias Haslanger, Hard Proof Afrobeat, Jeff Lofton, Fresh 2 Def Horns, Roxy Roca, Michael Romero, Boss Street Horns, Oliver Steck, Jon Blondell

by Chronicle Staff

Live Music Venue

RUNNERS-UP: Mohawk, Continental Club, Saxon Pub, The Roost, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Empire Control Room, Vulcan Gas Company, Stubb’s, White Horse

by Chronicle Staff

Specialty Instrument Store

RUNNERS-UP: Fiddler’s Green, Switched On, Tommy’s Drum Shop, Strait Music Co., Austin Vintage Guitars, South Austin Music, Blackerby Violin Shop, Guitar Resurrection, Westbank String Shop

by Chronicle Staff

EDM/Dance

RUNNERS-UP: Scorpio Rising, Texas Microphone Massacre, Holiday Mountain, Roger Sellers, Dead Love Club, Toddy B, Rize, Beatchaser, Corduroi

by Chronicle Staff

Keys

RUNNERS-UP: A.J. Vincent; Emily Gimble; Brad Johnston, Gina Chavez; Jonathan Deas, RAS; Tom Burgess; Dave Madden; Darrell Commander, Ulrich Ellison and Tribe; Zack Morgan; Alex Hartley, O Conqueror

by Chronicle Staff

Local Label

RUNNERS-UP: VMG, Modern Outsider, Punctum, 12XU, Saustex, Capitol City, Chicken Ranch, Lounge Side, Playing in Traffic

by Chronicle Staff

Red Army

Doc presents the Russian team members’ views of their stunning defeat by the U.S. during the 1980 Olympics

by Marc Savlov

Folk

RUNNERS-UP: Dawn & Hawkes, Madisons, Shakey Graves, Wild Child, Sons of Santos, Grace Park & the Deer, Water & Rust, East Cameron Folkcore, Ruby Jane

by Chronicle Staff

Male Vocals

RUNNERS-UP: AJ Vallejo, Shakey Graves, Bob Schneider, Jonny Gray, Alex Marrero, John Pointer, Nakia, Dale Watson, Ian McLagan

by Chronicle Staff

Hip-Hop/Rap

RUNNERS-UP: Magna Carda, Super Smash Bros., Ray Sr, MC Overlord, The Track Athletes, Jon the Revalaytor, Tee Double, Zeale, Phranchyze

by Chronicle Staff

Misc. Instrument

RUNNERS-UP: Beatbox, John Pointer; Steel guitar, Cindy Cashdollar; Musical saw, Guy Forsyth; Theremin, Yvonne Lambert; Banjo, Westen Borghesi, White Ghost Shivers; Cavaquinho, Frank Almendra; Percussion, Jerry Ronquillo, Gina Chavez; Xylosynth, Craig Finkelstein, Calliope Musicals; Mandolin, Kym Warner

by Chronicle Staff

Music Store

RUNNERS-UP: South Austin Music, Austin Vintage Guitars, Guitar Center, Tommy’s Drum Shop, Switched On, Rock n Roll Rentals, Musical Exchange, Blackerby Violin Shop, Street-Legal Guitars

by Chronicle Staff

Jazz

RUNNERS-UP: White Ghost Shivers, Jitterbug Vipers, Ephraim Owens, The Vintage 15, Jeff Lofton, Black Red Black, Hot Texas Swing Band, Thrift Set Orchestra, Brannen Temple

by Chronicle Staff

Songwriter

RUNNERS-UP: Gina Chavez, Dawn & Hawkes, Bob Schneider, Shakey Graves, Taylor Muse, Patricia Vonne, James McMurtry, Jonny Gray, AJ Vallejo

by Chronicle Staff

Latin

RUNNERS-UP: Son de Rey, Brownout, Vallejo, Jonas Alvarez, Grupo Fantasma, Conjunto Los Pinkys, Latin at Heart, Del Castillo, Morena Soul

by Chronicle Staff

Strings

RUNNERS-UP: Will Taylor, violin; Ruby Jane, violin; Haydn Vitera, violin; Diana Burgess, cello, Mother Falcon; Curtis Thomas, violin, White Ghost Shivers, Them Duqaines; Erik Hokkanen, violin; Phil Davidson, violin, Invincible Czars; Cody Braun, violin, Reckless Kelly; Kurt Baumer, violin, Dale Watson & His Lonestars

by Chronicle Staff

Music Writer

RUNNERS-UP: Neil Ferguson, Michael Corcoran, Peter Blackstock, Doug Freeman, Margaret Moser, Greg Beets, Jennifer Stark, Jim Caligiuri, Chase Hoffberger

by Chronicle Staff

Wednesday Showcases

FACE: The Music of Pakistan 8pm, Victorian Room at the Driskill With a diverse lineup befitting a diverse nation, SXSW’s first-ever showcase of music from Pakistan promises to be illuminating. The showcase is sponsored by the Islamabad-based Foundation for Arts Culture and Education (FACE), a U.S. State Department-funded organization countering violent fundamentalism with cultural exchange.…

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2015 Records

TV On The Radio Seeds (Harvest) Seeds stands mainly as a work of catharsis, a genuine labor of love for bassist/keyboardist Gerard Smith, who died of lung cancer at age 36. More complex are the simmers and rages, the highs and lows of release, letting go of a comrade and bandmate. In normal TV on…

by Kahron Spearman

SXSW 2015 Records

Rae Sremmurd Sremmlife (Interscope) Closest comparison might be the Backstreet Boys. The two teen brothers from Mississippi who make up Rae Sremmurd couldn’t be more cuddly. Bandanas, Kanye denim, standing five-feet-five-inches and maybe 100 pounds soaking wet; you’ll crush on them if you grew up on narcotized Southern rap. They broke out last year on…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2015 Records

Houndmouth Little Neon Limelight (Rough Trade) Hollering and stomping in full harmonies, Houndmouth’s sophomore effort proves the New Albany, Ind., quartet has progressed well beyond most of the new Americana rock and pop pack. Synthesizing the best elements of Dawes’ Laurel Canyon rock, Alabama Shakes’ soulful swagger, and even the sing-along exuberance of bands like…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2015 Records

Swervedriver I Wasn’t Born to Lose You (Cobraside) Swervedriver divided its Nineties career in half, with two LPs of roaring, overwhelming shoegaze, and two of kinder, gentler guitar pop. For its comeback, the Oxford, UK, outfit serves both masters. I Wasn’t Born to Lose You, the group’s first album in 17 years, starts atop the…

by Michael Toland

SXSW 2015 Records

Mick Jenkins The Water[s] Unafraid of outward perception, or overuse of concept, Mick Jenkins whets the appetite for what’s to come on the big stage he’s destined for. The Water[s] dives into the individual ills and issues of just being alive and affected by the streets of Chicago. On “Drink More” and “Martyrs,” the Huntsville-born…

by Kahron Spearman

Texas Me

New Doug Sahm documentary and SXSW all-star concert resurrects Austin’s cosmic groover

by Margaret Moser

Quote of the Week

“[They should] get help somewhere.” – Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, author of open carry bill SB 17, in response to those who fear seeing others openly armed with handguns in public places.

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2015 Records

Father Young Hot Ebony Father comes from the same generation of Atlanta rappers that’s given us Young Thug and iLoveMakonnen. Meaning he’s of a lineage of weirdos currently turning hip-hop on its head. Father produces everything on his Young Hot Ebony mixtape, bringing the world to a slurring, wormy halt. Marquee song, “Look at Wrist”…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2015 Records

Silk Rhodes (Stones Throw) On their self-titled debut, producer Michael Collins and falsetto-freakin’ singer Sasha Desree travel down a smooth if winding road, pedaling stripped-down funk and throwback boogie grooves. The origins of Silk Rhodes are alleged to have begun with recordings made on a desert sojourn in the back of a Honda CRV while…

by Thomas Fawcett

Headlines

No formal City Council meeting this week – the next is scheduled for March 26, work session March 24 – although committees have begun holding meetings, and presumably soon Council will have to deal with the fallout of the not yet finalized Zucker Report and the reorganization of the Planning and Development Review Department, to…

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2015 Records

Laura Marling Short Movie (Ribbon Music) Laura Marling’s rise as British folk heroine was rapid and well-earned, with three of her first four albums garnering Mercury Prize nominations. Creative burnout then set in as the 25-year-old songwriter moved to L.A., but she re-emerges with some of the darkest, most exploratory material of her career. “I’m…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2015 Records

The Blind Shake Breakfast of Failures (Goner) The prolific Blind Shake eschews such weak-minded concepts as time off. Sixth LP Breakfast of Failures follows hot on the heels of the Minneapolis trio’s collaboration with John Reis of Rocket From the Crypt, and the band has mini LP Fly Right on deck as well. Based on…

by Michael Toland

Measuring the ‘Miracle’

The “Snapshot” on Texas children is from the most recently available figures in the annual “Texas Kids Count,” a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the U.S., funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (www.forabettertexas.org/kidscount.html). (The Center for Public Policy Priorities is the home of the Texas Kids Count Project.) All…

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2015 Records

Carl Barat & the Jackals Let It Reign (Grand Jury Music) Odd for Carl Barat, after famously returning last year to the Libertines – his Aughties London band with Pete Doherty that made electric guitars and shambolic/romantic/literary garage-punk cool in Britannia for a time – to forge ahead with the band he formed pre-reunion from…

by Tim Stegall

SXSW 2015 Records

The Pop Group Citizen Zombie (Freaks R Us) Liberated by the Sex Pistols, some late-Seventies Brits felt three-chord punk was too limiting. They became post-punk, generally the most pissed-off dance music you heard, with an odd cerebral bent and an even further turn to leftist politics. Announced with 1979’s gorgeous single “She’s Beyond Good and…

by Tim Stegall

SXSW 2015 Records

Ho99o9 Mutant Freax EP An artsy collision of nightmare rap and scum punk that suggests horrorcore pioneers Gravediggaz cracking open the coffin of shock rocker GG Allin. Mutant Freax, the debut EP from L.A.-based, Jersey-bred duo Ho99o9 (pronounced “horror”), awakens with midnight murder raps over warped sub-bass farts on “The Blue Nigga From Hellboy,” gravel-voiced…

by Kevin Curtin

SXSW 2015 Records

Viet Cong (Jagjaguwar) A dearth of scuzzy indie-rock bands scoring Spin covers not five years ago? That explains the groundswell around Calgary post-punkers Viet Cong. In the offing: defining swaths of analog and industrial grime (“March of Progress”), plus danceable, robotic groove (“Bunker Buster”), and the 11-minute “Death” with all the motorik desiccation you could…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2015 Records

Ryan Bingham Fear and Saturday Night (Axster Bingham) If 2012’s Tomorrow­land forced Ryan Bing­ham to reckon with his past in confronting the death of his parents, dropping his band and major label, and largely eschewing the success of his hit Grammy and Oscar-winning “The Weary Kind,” then the L.A.-based songwriter’s fifth LP finds him focused…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2015 Records

J. Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive (Columbia) In the vein of Drake’s heady Nothing Was the Same, North Carolina spitter J. Cole takes a long, cold look in the mirror on December’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Third studio LP since 2011, its intro serves as a heart-melting MC dalliance, leading into the jazz-infused eulogy “January…

by Nina Hernandez

Thursday Interview

Wyclef Jean 12mid, Gatsby Wyclef Jean remembers hearing Swedish DJ Avicii’s electronic hijacking of Aloe Blacc’s “Wake Me Up” for the first time on the road in Europe. “Originally, I’m like a jazz major, like in high school I studied a lot of jazz. I love bluegrass and everything,” admits the rapper from his cell…

by Nina Hernandez

SXSW 2015 Records

Lydia Ainsworth Right From Real (Arbutus) Canadian Lydia Ainsworth studied at both McGill University and New York University, where she completed a graduate program in 2012. She composed film scores initially, but found inspiration in singing her own arrangements. Those experiments culminate in debut Right From Real, an avant, unclassifiable work of R&B filtered through…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2015 Records

Theesatisfaction EarthEE (Sub Pop) THEEsatisfaction cultivates a garden of heady, laid-back grooves, but sophomore LP EarthEE is anything but easy listening. The Seattle duo of singer Catherine Harris-White (Cat) and rapper Stasia Irons (Stas) belong in the long lineage of Afro-futurists like Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra, Octavia Butler, and Erykah Badu. EarthEE sounds like an…

by Thomas Fawcett

SXSW 2015 Records

Happyness Weird Little Birthday (Bar None) This isn’t some obscure 20th anniversary reissue, but such assumptions are only natural. Sounding like they haven’t combed their hair in days, Happyness juxtaposes the shambolic indie rock of Pavement with tweaked snatches of lo-fi eccentricity that deeply betray the trio’s south London pedigree. A fair number of memorable…

by Greg Beets

SXSW 2015 Records

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah Sour Soul (Lex Records) While Wu-Tang Clan will reportedly wait 88 years to release its most recent album, Ghostface Killah just keeps pushing product. Three months removed from a collaboration with Brooklyn soul outfit the Revelations (36 Seasons) and less than two years from a co-production with Adrian Younge (Twelve Reason…

by Thomas Fawcett

SXSW 2015 Records

The Dodos Individ (Polyvinyl) Within seconds of winding, melodic interplay between Meric Long’s guitar and Logan Kroeber’s anthem-ready drumming, there’s zero doubt you’re back in the sphere of San Francisco duo the Dodos. Sixth album in a decade, Individ proves that a winning formula rarely faulters. “Competition” reverts to the primitivism of 2008’s Visiter, stripped…

by Abby Johnston

SXSW 2015 Records

Will Butler Policy (Merge) Can’t be easy holding court in Arcade Fire. You’ve got brother Win Butler’s visionary aspirations, right next to Régine Chassagne’s hurdy-gurdy dramatics, and hugely opinionated guys like James Murphy behind the boards. There’s not always room to breath, so Will Butler took this window between albums to issue his very own…

by Luke Winkie

SXSW 2015 Records

Your Old Droog Ukrainian Brooklynite Your Old Droog delivers more of the current resurgence of the golden era of rap (1986-93). The Coney Island MC pulls nostalgia from the deeper cuts and albums of the early Nineties, those behind Nas, Wu-Tang, and Notorious B.I.G. His lyrics and production beat rougher around the edges. The 25-year-old…

by Chronicle Staff

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

On March 12, 1951, two completely different comic strips premiered in the U.S. and England with the same name: Dennis the Menace. Lyndon B. Johnson used to fix cars. Water absorbs microwaves better than ice. That’s because in ice, the water molecules are locked together in a crystal structure by hydrogen bonds. Therefore, it is…

by Mr. Smarty Pants

SXSW 2015 Records

Von Hertzen Brothers New Day Rising (Spinefarm) Music runs deep in Finland’s Von Hertzen clan. Mikko, Kie, and Jonne have years in the biz separately before convening in 2000, and their dad and uncle played in bands going back to the Sixties. Having already conquered the charts back home, the familial rockers set their sights…

by Michael Toland

SXSW 2015 Records

Public Service Broadcasting The Race for Space (Test Card Recordings) No wonder Public Service Broadcasting finds favor with the NPR set. News geeks who play along with the Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! podcast are duty-bound to be intrigued by a London duo that reappropriates actualities from the British Film Institute archive for musical ends.…

by Greg Beets

SXSW 2015 Records

Steve Earle & The Dukes Terraplane (New West) Primarily known for his unpolished brand of country rock, Steve Earle remains a Renaissance man. From a passable attempt at bluegrass to penning an imaginative novel featuring Hank Williams’ ghost, the Central Texas-reared rambler follows his muse wherever it travels. Terraplane, Earle’s blues LP, might separate the…

by Jim Caligiuri

Oops!

In last week’s interview with Chris Kluwe (“On Sides,” March 13), we failed to credit Tony Nelson as the photographer of the accompanying image. The Chronicle regrets the error.

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2015 Records

Courtney Barnett Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom + Pop) Behind her first two EPs, Courtney’s Barnett’s deadpan delivery and verbosely sprawling verses unleashed ennui that hit just the right tone for a bored generation. Yet the Australian songwriter’s furious shredding guitar, accentuated by the Drones’ Dan Luscombe, pushed the…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2015 Records

Bros. Landreth Let It Lie (Slate Creek) The Bros. Landreth’s sturdy Americana recalls acts like the Avett Brothers and Austin’s Band of Heathens. Except the Winnipeg, Manitoba, quartet fronted by David and Joey Landreth offers very little distinction in their pleasant sibling harmonies and Black Crowes echoes in the riffing “I Am the Fool.” They…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2015 Records

Ray Wylie Hubbard The Ruffian’s Misfortune (Bordello) Ray Wylie Hubbard might be bulletproof. At the age of 68 and with the release of his 16th album, the Texas outlaw can do what he wants, and The Ruffian’s Misfortune serves as proof. Still, one must wonder what a younger RWH would say about a song as…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2015 Records

Mandolin Orange This Side of Jordan (Yep Roc) North Carolina drifters Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz met on inauguration night six years ago. The former, a gangly mandolin picker and red-hot lyricist, and the latter, a willowy fiddle player, burn bright on their first LP for Yep Roc. Whether crooning keen-eyed social commentary (lonesome opener…

by Nina Hernandez

Playback

Late SXSW Creative Director Brent Grulke memorialized, and other Thursday SXSW tips

by Kevin Curtin

SXSW 2015 Records

Lolawolf Calm Down (Innit Recordings) Led by Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet spawn Zoe, NYC’s Lolawolf veers tenaciously from its 26-year-old frontwoman’s paternal pedigree; whereas her father’s Let Love Rule was soulful, and Are You Gonna Go My Way uninhibitedly raw, the electro-pop trio’s self-produced debut LP arrives on synthesized beats and production tweaks. The…

by Neph Basedow

SXSW 2015 Records

Brandi Carlile The Firewatcher’s Daughter (ATO) Brandi Carlile seems determined to defy expectations. Following stints with producers Rick Rubin and T Bone Burnett, she took the reigns herself for her fourth LP, 2012’s Bear Creek. On the Seattle songwriter’s fifth studio disc, she jumps from major label to powerful indie ATO, and cuts an album…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2015 Records

Gang of Four What Happens Next (Metropolis Records) Gang of One, some have snickered upon hearing that singer Jon King has departed, leaving guitarist Andy Gill the sole founding member in the Gang of Four. Question is: After the remarkable reinvigoration of the band’s Marxist funk in the new millennium via 2011’s Content, can Gill…

by Tim Stegall

SXSW 2015 Records

Ruby the Hatchet Valley of the Snake (Tee Pee) Inevitable that a new permutation of music becomes a trend. The strain of occult doom rearing its horned head in heavy rock and metal for several years now shows no sign of fading, and thank Lucifer for that. Exhibit A: Ruby the Hatchet. The Philadelphia quartet…

by Michael Toland

Saturday Interview

John Trudell 12mid, St. David’s Historic Sanctuary Though his reputation remains that of a government-antagonizing Native American activist – having occupied Alcatraz Island, burned flags on the FBI Headquarters steps, and served as chairman for the American Indian Movement – John Trudell no longer wears the political activist jacket. He feels more real in the…

by Kevin Curtin

SXSW 2015 Records

John Moreland High on Tulsa Heat (Old Omens) Between John Fullbright, Parker Millsap, and John Moreland, Oklahoma figures prominently in any discussion of which state is seeding today’s best singer-songwriters. At 29, Moreland’s older than the other two, but he’s also arguably the most talented. High on Tulsa Heat, his third CD, finds the bearded…

by Jim Caligiuri

SXSW 2015 Records

Ryley Walker Primrose Green (Dead Oceans) Ryley Walker garnered attention around Chicago as a young experimental guitarist behind several cassette-only releases that hearkened John Fahey before Tompkins Square finally issued his formal debut last year with All Kinds of You. Whereas that LP dove into pastoral patches of British folk à la John Martyn and…

by Doug Freeman

SXSW 2015 Records

Deerhoof La Isla Bonita (Polyvinyl) After 20 years, San Francisco fourpiece Deerhoof remains a wild card. All one can realistically expect from its bizarre noise-pop is that it will turn on itself at any second. The strongest tracks on 13th disc La Isla Bonita stand as testament to the dartboard style of see-what-sticks that Deerhoof…

by Abby Johnston

SXSW 2015 Records

Juliana Hatfield Three Whatever, My Love (American Laundromat) Juliana Hatfield once tried smoking cigarettes to toughen her voice. Twenty-two years on, the former Blake Babies leader stays true to form. February’s Whatever, My Love thus continues where the reunited trio halted, after its sole output, 1993’s Become What You Are. Still, the bassist, a dozen…

by Neph Basedow

Soccer Watch

The Austin Aztex finished their preseason last Saturday on a high note, thumping the defending NASL champion San Antonio Scorpions, 4-1 – behind two goals each from midfielders Guaraci and Brendan King – to take first blood in the much-anticipated Hill Country Derby rivalry. Now comes the real test: In just over a week, the…

by Nick Barbaro

SXSW 2015 Records

All Them Witches At the Garage Nashville quartet All Them Witches, purveyors of sludgy blues psych since 2012, migrate their perpetual cloud of smoke to Winston-Salem’s Garage for essentially one 51-minute-long riff. The first of six tracks ripped from 2014’s sophomore effort Lightning at the Door, “Mountain” finds guitarist Ben McLeod on an absolute tear,…

by Nina Hernandez

SXSW 2015 Records

Tuxedo (Stones Throw) Dam Funk has started to rub off on his Stones Throw labelmates. Soul man Mayer Hawthorne and A-list hip-hop producer Jake One team up as Tuxedo, a disco-boogie and Jheri curl funk project that’s catnip for DJs. Nearly every track will fill a dance floor – club or wedding – even if…

by Thomas Fawcett

SXSW 2015 Records

Panda Elliot Forastera (Panda Elliot) Cultivating sophomore effort Forastera’s inflamed riffs, airy vox, and mutating synth, Argentine rocker Panda Elliot establishes herself as lady of these woods. A nimble acoustic opening to “Aire” starts off deliberately misleading, almost immediately launching into a drag race between percussionist Javier Tommasi’s whirring synth and Diego Marchionatti’s punishing guitar.…

by Nina Hernandez

Saturday Showcases

SXAméricas 6pm, Auditorium Shores In keeping with the recent tradition of curating free shows largely by and for the Latino community, the sounds of Mexico and Colombia waft over Auditorium Shores on Saturday night. Mexico City DJ/producer Camilo Lara crafts some of Latin America’s most daring music under the banner of Mexican Institute of Sound,…

by Chronicle Staff

SXSW 2015 Records

Alvvays (Polyvinyl) An inherent penchant for pop, thanks in part to frontwoman Molly Rankin’s father – a member of Canadian sibling folkies the Rankin Family – the eponymous debut LP from the Toronto pop quintet belies the group’s relative inexperience. Her voice, deadpan yet strong, unloads enviably unabashed lyrics, the entreaty of lead-off single “Archie,…

by Neph Basedow

SXSW 2015 Records

Gal Pals Velvet Rut (PaperCup Music) In the video for Gal Pals’ 2013 single, “For Our Sake,” guitarist Lauren Mikus and drummer Jillian Talley are seen snorting Lik-M-Aid. Consider that a perfect televisual approximation of the ex-Austin duo’s swirl of bubblegum beat-punk and Sixties girl group sensibilities. Imagine the Shangri-Las remade by Burger Records. Now…

by Greg Beets

SXSW 2015 Records

Avid Dancer 1st Bath (Grand Jury) Secret formula for winning the indie-pop wars? How about cloistering in a strict religious household during childhood before joining the Marines and becoming a drumline champion? Jacob Summers now records as Avid Dancer and proves mostly true in delivering the breezy, fuzz-toned goods on his LP debut. If not…

by Greg Beets

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