 Atari Teenage Riot |
represented by 90-some-odd international acts playing South by Southwest; and
this is your Baedecker. It’s rife with reference points (other band names) to
clue you in because, hey, you’re an American, you know, the people who can’t be
bothered with learning how to spot their own country on a world atlas (hint:
Canada borders us to the north) much less worry about other lands.
So why should you go see these bands? Because, in all likelihood, they ain’t
coming back. Some of them anyway; Lolita No. 18 and the Pugs have made the trek
all the way from Tokyo again, but can you count on this? Probably not.
Besides, where’s your sense of adventure? Where’s that devil-may-care spirit,
that throw-caution-to-the-wind proclivity you used to treasure? The choice is
yours, you can plant yourself at Emo’s and stand next to the A&R types from
L.A and N.Y. who are busy ignoring the bands, or you can see music from around
the world, dammit.
And, what about the international visitors, don’t you think they’d appreciate
the attention? Groups you’ve never heard of from countries you’re never going
to visit play to full houses. They return home and rave in their local press
about the great people in Austin, Texas. It’s a P.R. bonanza for the city.
Tourism booms. People come to town from all over the world. Oh, wait. Austin is
already getting crowded. On second thought don’t go see any of the bands lest
you ruin this city.
WEDNESDAY
PURE (Vancouver, B.C.): Flaming Lips. Cracker. Smashing Pumpkins. Their albumGeneration Six-Pack is loaded with hooks o’plenty and a variety of other
noises; surprising, really, that it ever came out, seeing as the band made
complete assholes of themselves in front of the label reps from Mammoth and got
signed anyway. Guess this type of music needs attitude. (Liberty Lunch,
Midnight)
WHO NEEDS AMERICAN BANDS?
… AT MAGGIE MAE’S
THRUSH HERMIT (Halifax, Nova Scotia): One press clipping calls the guys in
Thrush Hermit humble, but they’re quoted in another publication saying, “We’re
shit-hot players right now, and we can wail.” Ego aside, their Elektra debut,
Sweet Homewrecker, displays alternative grooves from when alternative
was actually an alternative. (9pm)
GOUGE (London, U.K.): Once again, shame on England. This time for hoarding the
goods — sending over Elastica, and keeping Gouge under wraps. Gouge has all
their grunge, but more stylistic range and better perspective (“don’t drown/we
love you”). (10pm)
COOPER (The Hague, Netherlands): Dutch version of the Doughboys. Cooper’s got
the same punk riffs and the same vocal harmonies. Well, maybe they’ve got a
smattering of Dick Manitoba in the guitar and the vocals sound a tad more like
Andy Partridge, and they do cover Blondie. Maybe it’s not like the Doughboys at
all. (11pm)
SUPERMODEL (Egham, U.K.): The Afgan Whigs crossed with an even lower-fi
Slanted and Enchanted-era Pavement, only instead of (Greg Dulli’s)
pro-sexuality it’s proletariat. (Midnight)
CANADA BORDERS US ON THE NORTH
… AT MAGGIE MAE’S WEST
MARY JANE LAMOND (Halifax, Nova Scotia): In her press photo Lamond looks like
the Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan. That’s where comparisons end. Even though
Lamond sings in Gaelic, she’s Canadian. And while the Irish popstress shoves
her ideology down the listener’s throat, who knows what Lamond is singing? It’s
in Gaelic. But it is gorgeous. (9pm)
MELANIE DOANE (Toronto, Ontario): Doane was Michelle Phillips (sang her vocal
parts anyway) for the Mamas & Papas reunion/recreation tour from a few
years back. Don’t let that dissuade you, though. Doane is a multi-instrument
talent (violin, mandolin, guitar) and with her luscious, breathy voice she
could make VH-1 watching a blameless activity. (10pm)
DAMHNAIT DOYLE (St. John’s, Newfoundland): Damhnait (pronounced: dav-ven-net)
Doyle got signed after being overheard singing at work. She was working for a
record distributor so it wasn’t completely an astronomically improbable fluke,
but it makes a nice story anyway. She’s another young Canadian, but she isn’t
screaming obscenities. Doyle’s more Jane Siberry or Sarah McLachlan. They’re
both Canadians, aren’t they? (11pm)
RON SEXSMITH (Toronto, Ontario): When Sexsmith’s Interscope debut came out
almost two years ago it received universally near orgasmic press. His songs
were simple yet courageous, and the production by Mitchell Froom (Elvis
Costello, Los Lobos, Richard Thompson) was understated yet rich. What happened?
Not much yet, but almost two years later Sexsmith’s record is still lodged in
my disc player. (Midnight)
GLUELEG (Toronto, Ontario): It may be more germane to give instruments instead
of influences as references points here. Glueleg has a sax player, someone on
Chapman stick — that ten-stringed guitar-bass hybrid made famous by King
Crimson’s Tony Levin — and a drummer, who does some metal scrapping
(� la Einsturzende Neubauten). They’ve got some of those regular
instruments, too. (1am)
THURSDAY
 Sto Zvirat |
and a very distinctive voice — like a Leonard Cohen after a healthy dose of
vocal training. (Continental Club, 9pm)
STO ZVIRAT (Prague, Czech Republic): It’s pronounced Stow Zvee-rhot and their
first U.S release is called Druha Brada (it means Double Chin). The
music? Czech ska, but Sto Zvirat must have spent its formative years rehearsing
in Joe’s Garage. (Ruta Maya, 10pm)
EXIT (Dublin, Ireland): Three brothers from Dublin (David, Judah, and
Jon Merriman) and a couple of their friends make up Exit. Less than two years
old, the pop/rock band is another in the long line of Next Big Things.
(Maggie Mae’s, 9pm)
LINDA MCRAE (Vancouver, B.C.): See, if you stop taking your Prozac and
nurture just a tiny bit of your depression with whiskey, then you’ve got
material. If you don’t even out the highs and the lows, you can use them both
in tiny little singer-songwriter (with a touch of country) vignettes.
(Maggie Mae’s West, 11pm)
UZ JSME DOMA (Prague, Czech Republic): Uz Jsme Doma (pronounced Oozh
smah-DOM-a, and meaning “Now we’re at home”) cause a little genre shock. The
Czech quintet, clad in surgical scrubs with little houses drawn on them (get
it?), played a maddening, captivating set at SXSW last year that left the small
crowd drooling. It’s frenzied John Zorn deconstructionist saxophone melodies
and meta-ska rhthyms played with the precision of Flap. Unbelievable stuff.
(Ruta Maya, Midnight)
NIKKA COSTA (Sydney, Australia): At the age of eight, this young lady opened
for the Police. Now at 23, Costa’s an Alanis with soul and a different kind of
angst. Instead of taking on some boy who dumped her for someone who won’t give
head during a movie, she goes after Jaques Chirac. The Black Crowes on a good
night’s rest back her up on her fifth and most recent, Butterfly Rocket — no, not the actual Black Crowes, silly. (Bob Popular’s Headliners
Upstairs, 12:30am)
TREBLE CHARGER (Toronto, Ontario): The band’s comparisons range from Teenage
Fanclub to AC/DC to R.E.M; Treble Charger lists among its favorite indies
fellow Canadian SXSW-ers the New Grand, Pluto, and Thrush Hermit (who are
actually no longer indie). (Babe’s, 1am)
THE HENRYS (Toronto, Ontario): That sound you hear coming from the north is
actually the islands. It’s called a kona and it’s a rare Hawaiian slide
guitar. No Don Ho though, the Henrys are more of a jazz quartet with a subtle
David Lindley sound, or as kona man Rooke calls it, “roots improv
Hawaiian groove music.” Grow a goatee, wear a lei. (Elephant Room,
1am)
OASIS IS SHITE
… AT ATOMIC CAFE NIGHTCLUB
BABY CHAOS (Glasgow, Scotland): Baby Chaos is everything tiresome about music.
They steal from everybody. They sound like everybody. They say the F-word a
lot. They also overcome all of those handicaps. It may be what everyone else is
playing — pop-punk-rock with lots of melodies and stuff — but it’s done with
a little more blistering intensity. (9pm)
COTTONMOUTH (London, U.K.): Snap. Crackle. Pop. Jangle jangle jangle
jangle. Wait, hit the distortion box. That’s better. Vocal harmonies. Short
guitar lead coming up. Verse chorus. Verse chorus. Add an introspective line.
“Sometimes too much knowledge is a curse.” Another song? Okay, how ’bout
something noisier this time? There’s some dissonance for you. Ten bucks some
critic raves and calls these Camden (England, not Jersey) lads the next
something-or-other. (10pm)
SLOAN (Halifax, Nova Scotia): Sloan almost faded into oblivion after being
crushed by major label expectations. Glowing reviews for their two DGC
releases, Smeared and Twice Removed, were incongruous with the
sales figures. Eventually the band broke up or took a hiatus or something.
Although it’s got an indie sound, last year’s “reunion” album, One Chord to
Another, is much bouncier than the heavy melody of Smeared.
(11pm)
THE BOO RADLEYS (London, U.K.): If Oasis didn’t work so hard at being pompous
they could be the next Boo Radleys. Wait, maybe if the Boo Radleys spent some
time shagging groupies and learning obnoxious self-promotion they could be the
next Oasis. The London band’s fifth album, C’mon Kids, is loaded with a
harder-edged kind of Brit-stuff and isn’t nearly as stolen — I mean, as
derivative as Oasis. (Midnight)
TIGER (London, U.K): This band’s bound packet of press clippings is thicker
than my Master’s thesis (that’s not a joke). Tiger plays ebullient D.I.Y.
Brit-product with a constant guitar buzz. (1am)
 Gus Gus |
AND SYDNEY… AT BOB POPULAR
EMPIRION (Essex, U.K.): “Giving them drugs. Taking their lives away.” So goes
the vocal sample on Empirion’s “Narcotic Influence,” an apparent club smash.
Brits with synths, sequencers, and other techno gizmos. Somebody give Adrian
Zmed a call, I’ve got Dance Fever. (9pm)
BABY FOX (London, U.K.): This trio originally hooked up in the London warehouse
scene where they were putting on shows of film loops. As musicians, it’s total
dub-filled trip-pop. Portishead and Primal Scream. Electric blues spliced into
a spacey vibe with reggae syncopation underneath the mix. Girlfriend Christine
Ann Leach has the sexy voice. Play the debut, A Normal Family,
when your rave winds down and you’re ready to chill. (10pm)
THE EGG (Oxford, U.K.): Hey, deejay! Give us a beat. Forget the bass. Don’t
need to liquefy our internal organs. We want the dance, but we also want the
trance. That’s it, rhythm with a bit of psychedelia. Nicely done. Ovum and out,
babe. (11pm)
LEONARD, NANCI, AND GOOD MIKE…
AT BOB POPULAR’S HEADLINERS ROOM
DOUGLAS SEPTEMBER (Toronto, Ontario): September is a young singer-songwriter
out in support of the “folk-poetry” on his debut record, Crows. A
plethora of reviewers have likened his lyrical stylings to some run-of the-mill
people. Maybe you’ve heard of them: Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. (9pm)
CORI BREWSTER (Edmonton, Alberta): Canadian Cori Brewster should fit right into
Central Texas. She’s a self-described singer-songwriter and she’s got a
decidedly country flair. Brewster even covers Lone Stars Nanci Griffith and Guy
Clark on her independently released CD, One More Mountain.
(9:30pm)
JASON FEDDY (London, U.K.): David Gray and good Mike Scott come to mind
listening to Jason Feddy’s demos. (11:30pm)
YOU CAN’T HANDLE ATR,
BUT HOW ‘BOUT THE PIXIES OR JUDYS…
AT THE
ELECTRIC LOUNGE
BEN LEE (Sydney, Australia): Simplistic but witty acoustical pop songs. Info is
scarce, but Ben Lee’s Australian and is also in a rock band called Noise
Addict. He recorded this little gem of an album called Grandpaw Would in
Chicago, featuring a bunch of people who only have first names, except Liz
Phair who sings back-up on “Away With the Pixies.” (10pm)
BIS (Glasgow, Scotland): Remember the Judys? Bis is a raunchier version of them
with gradeschool go-go back up singers. There’s some Julie Brown (the Earth
Girls Are Easy one, not the Downtown one) in the female vocals and, with
songs like “Kill Your Boyfriend” and “This Is Fake D.I.Y.,” there’s some of her
lampoon in the attitude as well. (11pm)
ATARI TEENAGE RIOT (Berlin, Germany): You want Atari Teenage Riot? You can’t
handle Atari Teenage Riot. The Berlin trio is intense, nay, jackhammer,
playing what’s either digitized thrash or dance music for the criminally
insane. ATR has all the subtlety of an Ayn Rand novel. Very Euro. Very
Sprockets — provided Dieter is a nihilistic cyber punk. Makes your double
espresso seem like Kool-Aid. Oh yeah! (Midnight)
DIGITAL HARDCORE (Berlin, Germany): Featuring deejays from the aforementioned
Atari Teenage Riot — and perhaps a few guests — you probably can’t handle
this either. (1am)
 Spring Heel Jack |
… AT EMO’S & EMO’S JR.
TENGOKU JACK (Yokohama, Japan): “Ah-so, Let’s go! Ah-so, Let’s go!” Okay, it’s
not entirely the Tengoku Jack Bop. The band has a bit of hardcore attitude,
punk speed, glam metal pomp, and art-rock circumstance, but that first riff is
all Ramones. (Emo’s, 9pm)
FLUFFY (London, U.K.): Four glowing goddessettes schooled only in the
essentials of punk — the way it was, not the way it is. Front(wonder)woman
Amanda Rootes paints vivid vignettes with “Color of Her Eyes” sexuality.
Overdrive the guitar. Beat the shit out of your drums. Definitely not nice
girls. (Emo’s, 1am)
THE NEW GRAND (London, Ontario): Superchunk melodic punk with some occasional
Weezeresque out-of-key vocals. These guys are a charmingly juvenile bunch of
Canadians. Their ambitions? “Eventually we hope to have separate tour buses,
really complicated riders, and an onstage rotisserie.” Live long and Rock Star
guys. (Emo’s Jr., 9pm)
SHALLOW, NORTH DAKOTA (Hamilton, Ontario): Serenades for the apocalypse?
Shallow’s just a bunch of nice kids making cute little songs. You know, like
the Melvins and Killdozer. Auto Body Crusher, the debut, is total AmRep
fodder. (Emo’s Jr., 10pm)
WORLD MUSIC CHALLENGE
… AT THE TEXAS UNION BALLROOM
A FILETA (Corsica, France): If only somebody could’ve gotten some Corsican band
whose music incorporates elements of European folk, Mediterranean rhythms, and
even a little monastic chant in the vocal parts. Maybe a nine-piece outfit
capable of elegantly blending all of those styles. Why, here they are.
(9pm)
DUO ZIKR (St. Petersburg, Russia): This is for those of you who like a
challenge. The duo of Olga Tkachenko and Igor Silin perform what is almost
atonal, a-melodic vocal improvisation. The result is something very unique,
which combines the “elements of freedom and formality to be found in everything
from Asian sacred chant to contemporary free jazz.” (10pm)
SHAI NO SHAI (Montpellier, France): Sha� No Sha�, a trio from the
south of France, is centered around Olga Helm’s vocals and consists of an
acoustic guitar, violin, and bass. The ethnique, the mod, and the traditional
clash in the music, and the content purports to be pretty heady. Then again,
listening to Sha� No Sha� isn’t nearly as burdensome as reading Sein
und Zeit. (11pm)
YAT-KHA (Kyzyl, Tuva): Yat Kha draws its name from a Mongolian
instrument. The four-piece from Tuva in southern Siberia uses both an
indigenous singing style — khoomei throat singing, which is very deep
and guttural — and instruments to produce other-worldy noises. On Yenishi
Punk‘s closing track, “Kargyram,” a 10-minute long a cappella number, throat signer Albert Kuvezin manipulates his voice to produces an
unreal sound that’s human buzzsaw and theremin. (Midnight)
NETHERWORLD MUSIC…
AT THE TROPICAL ISLE
THE PRODIGAL SONS (Amsterdam, Netherlands): Now that Victoria Williams has
become the Yoko Ono of the Twin Cities, you may have to go Dutch to get your
fix. The Prodigal Sons’ recent You Still Think is very Midwest for a
bunch of guys from Amsterdam. (9pm)
MIZPAH (Nieuwegein, Netherlands): Mizpah is a Hebrew term which translates,
more or less, as “may good fortune be with you wherever you are.” The
seven-piece Dutch band plays folk influenced rock that’s drawn comparisons to
the Walkabouts, the Levellers, and even Fairport Convention. (10pm)
BEESWAMP (Amsterdam, Netherlands): This is the Ugly Americans with a couple of
females out front, oh, and they’re from Amsterdam, not here in town. The album,
Sweet Sticky Stuff (you should read the press kit, talk about taking the
“bee” theme a little too far), was produced by Liam Sternberg, who worked with
the Bangles. (11pm)
CORDS (Deventer, Netherlands): You’ll begin to detect a trend coming from the
Continent, and the Netherlands in particular: female singers. Cords have one
too. Simone Holsbeek is her name and she’s got some pretty fierce pipes on her.
But even when Johnette Napolitano’s evil twin fronts your band, if you really
want to nail people between the eyes you better be as well schooled in the
fundamentals of Tommy Iommi as you are in those of Bob Mould.
(Midnight)
THE STRANGLERS (Bath, U.K): No press kit, no music. Where’s my Trouser
Press guide when I need it? No word on who’s in the band these days or
whether these seminal U.K. punkers still dwell in the dark recesses of their
beloved dirges, but, hey, when did you ever think you’d get to see the
Stranglers again? (1am)
FRIDAY
GUITAR WOLF (Tokyo, Japan): Japanese guitarist who loves American punk rock,but apparently isn’t very good at playing it, which is fascinatingly
inconsistent. Isn’t the hallmark of punk that it’s kind of shitty to begin
with? Guitar Wolf has a recent Matador release, and the live show is supposed
to be a scream, or howl as the case may be (okay, that was uncalled for).
(Liberty Lunch, 8pm)
PLUTO (Toronto, Ontario): Why, it’s the band from the chainstore! Canadian
four-piece Pluto would be the reincarnation of the Buzzcocks if the Buzzcocks
hadn’t already reincarnated themselves. (Alamo Drafthouse, 9pm)
JPP (Kaustinen, Finland): Ya down with JPP? (Sorry, couldn’t help it). Actually
Finnish folk music, which this is, could be the genre antipode of hip-hop. At
the risk of sounding like a Beavisonian moron, this is cool. The harmonies here
are much more concordant than in traditional Celtic music, and there’s
something spellbinding about the tightly wound melodies of this
Finnish-flavored Kronos Quartet. (La Zona Rosa, 9pm)
SUPERGRASS (Oxford, U.K): Of all the British bands to make some noise in the
last few years, Supergrass is probably the least contrived. The band turns the
whole sex drugs and rock & roll trip into an innocuous little indulgence.
Given the elapsed time since the first record, Supergrass ought to be
showcasing material off a follow up to I Should Coco. (Stubb’s,
10pm)
TAKADJA (Longueuil, Quebec): Takadja’s band members come from West African
nations Senegal and Guinea, as well as the non-West African nation of Canada.
The band’s self-titled record won a JUNO in 1996 for best global album.
Takadja’s shows are as much visual as they are aural, consisting not only of
intricate African melodies and beats but also vibrant and elaborate traditional
dress and dance. (Speakeasy, 11pm)
BETTIE SERVERT (Amsterdam, Netherlands): Dutch popsters making a return trip as
part of the Matador showcase. The band’s third record, Dust Bunnies,
hits the shelves in March just after SXSW. Singer Carol Van Dijk still makes
copious use of that singing pattern where her voice makes large jumps in pitch
and intensity between any given syllables. (Liberty Lunch, 11pm)
EVERYBODY DANCE NOW…
AT BOB POPULAR
PERFUME TREE (Vancouver, B.C.): The sopranos in the Buddhist temple’s choir get
a drum machine and go dreaming. Get your ambient fix in a new way.
(10pm)
SPRING HEEL JACK (London, U.K): Too polished and ambient for the London
mainstream jungle scene, Spring Heel Jack loads up their breakbeats with jazz
horns, symphonic harps, and decadent amounts of bass. The duo of Ashley Wales
and John Coxan have also done some remix work with the likes of Everything But
the Girl and Tortoise. (Midnight)
GUS GUS (Reykjavik, Iceland): See, this is the kind of press kit info that’s
useful: In Reykjavik the “sex is free and the natives drink like crazy.” Call
my travel agent. While I’m there, I’ll check out GUS GUS (German for cous
cous) — all nine members. It’s ambient, it’s techno, it’s melodic, it’s on
4AD. More skinny on Iceland? “Busty blondes, the lowest crime rate in the
world,” and according to the Icelandic press clippings, “Sinna sem hafa
p� scrst�ku.” Yes! (1am)
 dEUS |
AT THE ELECTRIC LOUNGE
COAX (Kent, U.K.): You’d think with all the Brit-pop out there that you’d have
identifiable sub-classes of it within the genre by now. No such luck. Then
again, maybe in England they can’t tell the difference between Son Volt and
Marilyn Manson. Anyway Coax has a few more grating guitar riffs than the
average group of lovely lads. (9pm)
CATATONIA (Cardiff, U.K.): Catatonia has earned a few Bjork comparisons, but
singer Cerys Matthews never degenerates into unnatural, atonal squawking, and
the band never strays too far from palatable pop. The Welsh band’s single
“You’ve Got a Lot to Answer For” is a deadringer for the Darling Buds’ “Crystal
Clear.” Apparently the band is the source of controversy in its homeland for
singing in English instead of Welsh. Matthews brushes off the criticism though,
as she possesses the insolence of a young Chrissie Hynde, and, according to
nearly every press clipping, a world-class ability to drink. Great combination.
(10pm)
BLINKER THE STAR (Pembroke, Ontario): Blinker the Star’s Jordon Zadorozny is
the next Kurt Cobain. That’s not an assertion of either the quality or power of
his band. He’s the man doing the stand-in duties behind the next Hole album.
What about Blinker? It’s got some Sonic Youth, some Cure, and yes, some Nirvana
in it. It’s an odd melange, but the band consistently pulls it off on its album
A Bourgeois Kitten.
(Midnight)
I SAID, TO THE NORTH…
AT MAGGIE MAE’S
PETER JEFFERIES (Taranaki, New Zealand): Is it really that VU, or is it that
Jefferies’ voice is so reminiscent of John Cale’s? Jefferies, SXSW ’97’s lone
Kiwi, who’s made two records for Ajax and is now on Trance Syndicate imprint
Emperor Jones, writes minimalist songs that are desolate and haunting, yet
courageous and challenging. (9pm)
CRYBABY (Toronto, Ontario): We steal all of their hockey teams, so how do our
neighbors to the north retaliate? They send us Shania Twain. If they give us
Crybaby, however, we’ll give ’em the Winnipeg Jets and the Quebec Nordiques
back. Singer Rae Billing has a slow, sinking voice and delivery that could put
Toni Price and Kelly Willis out of work; the band makes a reference to its
affinity for the Austin scene in just about every interview. No need to wait
another year for Lucinda’s next album when you can pick up Crybaby’s debut,
Paintings, today. (10pm)
UNIVERSAL HONEY (Toronto, Ontario): “We just write what we like and hope it
does well,” says Universal Honey singer Leslie Stanwyck. How delightfully
unambitious. Nobody here is out to save the world, just make fat guitar hooks
with a little �lan, or maybe it’s panache. Be careful, though, Stanwyk’s
voice could land you on Santa’s naughty list. (11pm)
MATTHEW GOOD BAND (Vancouver, B.C.): There’s a lot of Live and it’s better than
Better Than Ezra, but that’s pretty much the territory in which this Canadian
four-piece camps out.
(Midnight)
LOST & PROFOUND (Toronto, Ontario): The husband and wife duo of Terry
Tompkins and Lisa Bordeaux features the latter’s singing, which manages to
combine the slash and burn of PJ Harvey with the textbook theatricality of Judy
Garland (her two favorite singers). The pair’s third release, Love’s Sweet
Messenger, blends murky folk with aggressive pop. (1am)
BEST REGGAE BAND EVER: THE CLASH…
AT SCHOLZ BEER GARTEN
STERLING MOSS (London, U.K): Sterling Moss’ raunchy but melodic music might
have something to do with the band’s being born in the pit that is the borough
of Lewisham. Then again, it sounds more Seattle than English shithole.
(9pm)
COMET GAIN (Oxford, U.K.): And I thought Americans were paranoid conspiracy
theorists. So Sarah sings and it’s a fun Sesame Street ditty (as if Big
Bird would ever sing depresso-punk). Then, David sings and it’s like the Clash
covering those same Sesame Street ditties. “Say Yes! to
International Socialism.” (10pm)
BIM SHERMAN (London, U.K): For 15 years Bim Sherman was the man behind On-U
Sound. Last summer he put out Miracle, one of the most inventive reggae
albums in years. What many have called Jamaican blues is Sherman’s attempt to
inject some originality into reggae. The soothing beats and unbelievable voice
get percussion help from Talvin Singh (Massive Attack). (1am)
JAPAN SHOULD COCCO…
AT TROPICAL ISLE
HUSKING BEE (Yokohama, Japan): So which Minneapolis trio whose guitarist used
to live in Austin does this band’s name remind you of? I d� believe the
similarity goes well beyond the name. (9pm)
COCCO (Okinawa, Japan): Cocco is a 20-year-old Okinawan, but you’d never guess
that by listening to her sing. Well, you might guess it if you listen to one of
the songs she sings in Japanese. Otherwise, she sounds deceptively mature and
very “Western.” Cocco’s lyrics are rich with a very nurturing and emotional
aesthetic, and while her music is very mainstream, it’s impeccably produced.
(10pm)
LOLITA NO. 18 (Tokyo, Japan): Hey, we all made the “thank yous” in the linear
notes of Lolita No. 18’s Sister Run Naked CD. They give a nod to the
“Flamingo Cantina, Hole in the Wall, Maggie Mae’s, KVRX,” and “People in Austin
Texas.” That’s us. There was quite a line for this Japanese pop-punk band at
Maggie Mae’s last year, so get there early. (11pm)
THE MAD CAPSULE MARKET’S (Tokyo, Japan): Remember when the Chili Peppers were
good? Back ’round the Uplift Mofo Party Plan maybe? Take that, give it a
little more in-yo-face guitar edge, and intensify exponentially. That’s Tokyo’s
The Mad Capsule Market’s. (Midnight)
PUGS (Tokyo, Japan): “If Zappa was genetically spliced with Bjork and hooked up
to an LSD drip, it might sound like this.” Theatrical avant-surf for skaters,
metal heads, and side-show freaks (me). Pugs almost corners the originality
market. (1am)
SATURDAY
DAYTONA (Vancouver, B.C.): The second album, Sustain, from Vancouver’sDaytona is part Jane’s Addiction and part My Bloody Valentine performed with
the genial frenzy of the Supersuckers sans the trailer park image. The vocal
pairing of Colin Cleaver and Jenny Lundgren pull off a better Perry Farrell
than Farrell can pull off anymore. Not as fast as Earnhardt but just as much
thunder. (Hole in the Wall, 9pm)
MASHA BIJLSMA BAND (Netherlands): This could be the most alternative band at
SXSW this year. You don’t get much further from the mainstream than scat
singing. Bijlsma’s debut record, Winds of Change, is full of standards
like “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and Monk’s “I Mean You,” as well as
original jazz compositions by her band members. (Elephant Room, 10pm)
THE MINSTRELS (Vancouver, B.C.): According to bassist George Christian, “Coming
from where we come from [Quebec City], the only way to get out was to either
play hockey, become a politician, or play in a band.” I guess the guys were
better at surf-lounge-abilly-a-go-go and British invasion harmonies than at
slipping one through the five hole past the goalie. (Hole in the Wall,
10pm)
OH SUSANNA (Vancouver, B.C.): Susanna Ungerleider was once described as “Hank
Williams Sr. with tits.” Yeah, right. Who isn’t Hank Williams these days? This
time it may be true. Her songs have the unadulterated pain and the visceral
purity that can turn spare country into something hauntingly beautiful. (Bob
Popular, 10:30pm)
DRIVING BLIND (Montreal, Quebec): Two vocal forces at work here. Seal and Keb
Mo’. It’s AAA soul with just an occasional hint of gospel. Strange things afoot
on the self-titled debut: a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Hypnotized,” and, no
kidding, a Rik Emmet sighting. (Cactus Cafe, 11pm)
THE SMUGGLERS (Vancouver, B.C.): Young Fresh Fellows with a little more garage
punk. Presidents of the United States of America with a little more garage
punk. The Smugglers’ motto: “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.” The
debut’s lead off track: “To Serve, Protect and Entertain.” (Emo’s Jr.,
11pm)
DIANCANDOR (Nyon, Switzerland): The Lunachicks at 78rpm with all sorts of neat
little sonic twists in it like carousel melodies, Eddie Van Halen finger
tapping, etc. Think of a Veruca Salt that actually learned to play its
instruments before going on stage and without the star posturing either (maybe
a little snarl instead). Is rocking out supposed to be this fun? (Tropical
Isle, Midnight)
ROCHE (Dublin, Ireland): If you dug Jeff Buckley’s Grace, you’re going
to dig singer-songwriter Roche, especially if you thought Grace needed a
little more guitar punch. (Bob Popular’s Headliner’s Upstairs, 1am)
AGE OF ELECTRIC (Vancouver, B.C.): AOE is two sets of brothers. Siblings Ryan
and Kurt Dahle are also two-thirds of Limblifter. AOE originally started out as
a Top 40 cover band playing weddings and the like. Ah, to be young and dumb
again. There are few traces of past indiscretions left in the band’s sound,
unless they were playing Zep’s “How Many More Times” at the reception.
(Tropical Isle, 1am)
GRATUITOUS PAUL HOGAN SLAM HERE…
AT MAGGIE MAE’S
GLIDE (Sydney, Australia): Glide includes some less-than-flattering reviews in
its press kit. Who promotes themselves with indifferent press? Eventually that
may make these guys endearing. No antics, just good volatile pop. Singer
William Arthur keeps mentioning an affinity for Buffalo Tom and it’s evident on
the band’s CD, Disappear Here. (9pm)
REGURGITATOR (Brisbane, Australia): Here’s the blatant allusion to The
Player portion of the show: The Beastie Boys meet Urge Overkill, Urban
Dance Squad meets Sergio Leone, Dag Nasty meets Liz Phair, the Butthole Surfers
meet Mongo Jerry, Phish meets Rage Against the Machine. It’s all that and more.
(10pm)
DREAM POPPIES (Brisbane, Australia): “I think we’re not just another guitar pop
band… we combine two really different elements. One is quite a heavy guitar
sound. And the other is the sweetest, sweetest vocals as only [singer and
guitarist] Jo can sing them.” That’s Tracey Kirk’s description of Australia’s
Dream Poppies. She can’t be wrong. She’s in the band. (11pm)
EVEN (Melbourne, Australia): Apparently, Even’s debut, Less Is More, was
one of the most anticipated releases around Melbourne recently. Influences?
Let’s see. There’s a song called “Dear Morris” that begins with essentially an
electrified “Dear Prudence” melody, then kicks in with the first lyric being,
“It’s a new day rising.” You catch that? (Midnight)
RICAINE (Melbourne, Australia): Regarding the band’s music, Ricaine’s bio says
“call it anything the hell you want, except punk.” No need to be so
hostile, but we’ll call it Bitch Magnet’s third album. Ricaine’s offers lots of
ennui; their latest is titled Regret Is an Inevitable Consequence of
Life. Lots of ear bleeding stop-start frenzy. (1am)
IS ALL GOOD…
AT MAGGIE MAE’S WEST
LA GUSANA CIEGA (Mexico City, Mexico): LGC is a Mexican trio that put out its
first disc almost two years ago, and said this about it in rather eloquent
English, “The CD is called Merlina and has 14 songs (is good!).” Can’t
think of any reason not to trust these guys and their spirited
south-of-the-border pop (is good!). (9pm)
PLUM (Finland): Plum’s song “Feed Me Judy” sounds like the X-Files theme
with a dance beat and some bitchin’ guitars. That’s pretty much the story with
this Finnish band: pop songs with groovy dance beats and the occasional shred.
(10pm)
WARM JETS (London, U.K): Finally, an English band with ordinary people in it.
No, their clothes aren’t so deliberately fashionable or unfashionable that it
becomes worth talking about in the British press. The music is not derivative,
it’s not engineered to be outlandish, it’s a little spacey, but it’s not
grating. Wow, if the Warm Jets were any more regular, they would be down right
fascinating. (11pm)
DEUS (Brussels, Belgium): Everything comes to mind, and everybody who’s written
on dEUS have used just about everybody to describe them. Mercury Rev with some
Beach Boys and Beatles? Maybe. It’s more outlandish occasionally, but sometimes
all I hear is the chicka-chicka-chicka rhythms from all of those bands raised
on the strum of the Velvets. You know, those bands you love like Luna and the
Feelies. (Midnight)
ARNO (Brussels, Belgium): Remember that story about the first time Roger
McGuinn heard Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and he thought someone had stolen one
of his songs? Wait ’til Tom Waits here’s this. According to his publicists,
Arno is “poised to take America by storm,” and he “attracts women like honey.”
SXSW could be your first chance to experience “the lure and the mystery of
Arno, the contemporary European rock hero.” (1am)
[All showcases are subject to change, so please doublecheck all times,
locations, and venues]
This article appears in March 7 • 1997 and March 7 • 1997 (Cover).