SXSW Picks & Sleepers
Saturday
Fri., March 17, 2006
SATURDAY SLEEPERS
All showcases subject to change
CATFISH HAVEN
7:30pm, 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 StevensMOONLIGHT TOWERS
8pm, 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 BertinTHE DEATHS
8pm, 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 BertinCERYS MATTHEWS
8pm, 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 BertinBUSY SIGNALS
8pm, 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 BertinTWO HOOTS AND A HOLLER
8pm, 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 MoserMAGIC SURPRISE
8pm, 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 LynchJOHN WATTS
8pm, 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 SavlovSUPERSTAR DJS FEAT. DJ SPINNER T
8pm, 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 GabrielWE
8pm, 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 BertinTSK TSK
8pm, 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 BeetsDECODER RING
8pm, 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 BertinNEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD
8:15pm, 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 BertinBEDROOM WALLS
8:30pm, 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 StevensCADENCE WEAPON
8:30pm, 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 StevensHUMBERT
9pm, 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 SchroederMORNINGWOOD
9pm, 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 SavlovKING 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 MoserBIRDY NAM NAM
9:30pm, 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 BertinFOLLOW THE TRAIN
10pm, 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
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
BOYSKOUT
10:30pm, 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
MICAH P. HINSON
10:45pm, 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 BeetsBLUE AEROPLANES
11pm, 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 CaligiuriDESOL
11pm, 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 LynchTHE LONGCUT
11pm, 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 SavlovLIONS
11pm, 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 StevensCHANNEL 3
11pm, 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 SavlovELLEGARDEN
11pm, 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 BeetsKEV BROWN
11pm, 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 GabrielHAPPY FLOWERS
11:20pm, 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 BertinMOKA ONLY
11:30pm, 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