Alex Chilton (1950-2010)
This year’s South by Southwest Music Conference was intended in part to celebrate the legacy of Big Star. The seminal Memphis power-pop band is the subject of a panel discussion, Saturday’s I Never Travel Far Without a Little Big Star, and is also scheduled to perform at Antone’s that night, both corresponding with the release of last year’s retrospective box set, Keep an Eye on the Sky. The collection’s title took on an entirely more meaningful connotation on Wednesday evening as news of the sudden, unexpected death of singer/guitarist Alex Chilton swept over the Festival.
“I don’t have a lot of particulars, but they kind of suspect that it was a heart attack,” confirmed Big Star co-founder Jody Stephens to The Commercial Appeal of Memphis.
Chilton, 59, got his start with teen R&B outfit the Box Tops (“The Letter”) before joining Big Star. After the infamous sessions for Sister Lovers/Third, he embarked on a wildly divisive and erratic solo career that included a stint with the Panther Burns. He moved to New Orleans in the early 1980s, shortly before alternative acts such as the Replacements and R.E.M. began hoisting his work up as a prime influence.
Big Star’s Andy Hummel told the Chronicle earlier this month that he had recently started visiting Chilton in New Orleans, while Stephens expressed interest in writing and recording together again. That sort of insight only underscores the magnitude of Chilton’s loss.
The painful truth is that an event of this stature has never occurred during SXSW, and its ripple effect will be felt in every possible direction. While there’s no official word yet as to the status of the showcase or corresponding panel, the city of Austin, in particular, is a close-knit community, one that treasures, celebrates, and mourns its musical heroes together. Rest assured, all eyes will be cast toward Big Star. (See “In Memoriam: Big Star Myths.”)
Oh, Inverted World
The best SXSW surprises are never actually surprises, but well-orchestrated events leaked with just enough time to spare. Broken Bells, the new collaboration between the Shins‘ James Mercer and beat scientist Danger Mouse, was the subject of the Conference’s first free Pop-Up Show, and despite the location (in this case, the lower level of the parking garage across from Stubb’s) being confirmed via Twitter only hours beforehand, the show still reached capacity with 30 minutes to spare. Broken Bells didn’t disappoint either. Backed by a quartet, Mercer and Danger Mouse strutted through their entire self-titled debut with GQ style and poise, stylistically meeting each other halfway in the moody, dense opener “The High Road” and falsetto-laced “Your Head Is on Fire,” both of which benefited from the built-in echo chamber. To stay posted on other SXSW tidbits and surprises, follow @OTRAustin.
Rockin’ Bones
Austin’s Woven Bones and yours truly initiated SXSW late Monday night at the same place: the 21st Street Co-op, a seedy sweatbox in UT’s West Campus that hosted 12 bands across two stages on its second floor, which threatened to cave in during Woven Bones’ graveyard grime. “This is some ghetto shit,” guitarist/singer Andy Burr surmised midway through the set. Apparently, only one of us had time to shower and change in time for our SX Studio session the following morning on the fourth floor of the Austin Convention Center (across from the Day Stage Cafe). “I actually fell asleep with my shoes on,” laughed Burr beforehand. “We’re leaving for tour on Sunday, so it’s going to be a while before these clothes come off.” Over the course of our 10-minute interview, plenty of which are taking place throughout the week and are open to registrants, Burr riffed on Matador‘s Red River compilation Casual Victim Pile; the trio’s upcoming Hozac debut, In and Out and Back Again; and the scarcity of their early singles (“I think I have like five under my bed”). The interview will be uploaded on the SXSW YouTube page in the coming days, while Woven Bones ushers in the Hardly Art showcase at the Galaxy Room tonight, 8:30pm.
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles‘ catalog is a universal language that knows no boundaries. That much was made clear yesterday at Jaime’s (802 Red River) for the start of the Beatles Complete on Ukulele festival, a mash-up marathon wherein each of the Fab Four’s 185 songs is translated through Hawaii’s favorite four-string instrument, helmed by organizer Roger Greenawalt with help from Liverpudlian Austin tribute specialists the Eggmen and an assortment of special guests. The highlight yesterday came courtesy of Iranian metal outfit Tarantist, whose bassist Arash Rahbary added some serious liquid groove to “Come Together” and a rare repeat rendition of “Revolution,” but there’s still a long way to go – 103 songs to be exact. Good thing they’re bringing in some ringers, including Drew Smith, Anya Marina, and Ben Kweller.
Free Money
SoundExchange, the nonprofit organization charged with collecting digital performance royalties on behalf of artists and copyright holders, is looking to give away close to $1 million in unclaimed royalties at SXSW. At a quick glance, OTR found more than 25 locals on the list of SXSW-related entities currently owed some change, including esteemed Austin labels Western Vinyl and Emperor Jones and personal band favorites White Denim, Amplified Heat, Golden Bear, Scott H. Biram, and neo-classicists Balmorhea, who delivered the equivalent of a candlelight service last night at Central Presbyterian Church. Registration to receive the royalties is free and can be done at booth No. 400 in the Austin Convention Center or at www.soundexchange.com.
Random Play
Mayor Lee Leffingwell‘s SXSW welcome party at City Hall turned into an impromptu tour of the new Austin City Limits studio at the Block 21 complex, which is tentatively scheduled to open in February 2011. The three-story, 2,500-capacity venue appears to be about half-finished (the majority of the structural elements are in place) and will be booked on off-nights by Live Nation. Tonight, back at trusty Studio 6A on the UT campus, Cheap Trick tapes the inaugural episode for Austin City Limits‘ 36th season, which will also include Steve Martin, Sarah Jarosz, and Spoon.
El Tule, which spices up Kenny Dorham’s Backyard at 8pm, has been commissioned to produce the soundtrack for Hippo Films latest, Aztec Warrior. Based on guitarist John Dell‘s plot description, the local Latin outfit has no shortage of material to work with: “It’s a Mexploitation/kung fu/barrio James Bond comedy featuring Jet Li.”
Shattered Records hosts a family showcase tribute to the label’s late founder Jay Reatard at Beerland (1-6:30pm), featuring Hunx & His Punx, Digital Leather, Cheap Time, and special guests from Matador Records, among others.
This article appears in March 19 • 2010.