Proper Journalism

Finally one of the pieces I did about last week's SXSW has been completed and posted, well it's really the only thing I did on my own. There were a lot of bands to cover, and about three people actually trying to cover them amidst the chaos, me being one of them.

So first off, here's my interview with the coolest band to fly under the radar last year, Alamo Race Track (posted today on The Tripwire). I met them at a Seattle's Best Coffee shop that turned out to be closed on a Saturday (whaa?). Despite that tragic misstep on my part, they were some of the coolest guys and were great about letting me interview them. I want to move to Holland.

On The Steps Of A Closed Coffee Shop with Alamo Race Track

Next, here's some links to what all went down at the Levis/FADER Fort that I worked at ...

Tripwire Acoustic Sessions - This will keep getting updated as the weeks go on, we had a boatload of artists come in and record stripped down versions of their best tracks. It was awesome.
Photo Recap #1 - Some photos taken throughout the days, photos taken by myself, Chip Adams and Erin Chandler.
The Stills @ The Fort - A piece I wrote and photos I took from The Stills' set ... I can't wait for their new album this summer.
Langhorne Slim @ The Fort - Another piece on the band, Langhorne Slim, great hippy, folk-rock.
Lou Reed Tribute Gallery - There was a massive tribute to the work of Lou Reed at the Fort this year. I was lucky enough to be front and center to snap pics of the two hour ordeal. This is just a smattering, I am trying to get ahold of the rest of them that I took. I was a foot away from the man himself! Not to mention Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth, people) took a stage dive right ontop of me and my camera (ouch).
Photo Recap of day two - Snapped a few from Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong.
Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong - More info in a piece about them.
Photo Recap of day one - Snapped a few from the Chikita Violenta set.
Chikita Violenta - More info in a piece about them.

So I think that's about it really... there's much more that went on at the Fort than what I've linked to... for more of it check this update page out. It was pretty insane.

The Queen of Shiva wore falsies.

Looks Like There's A Storm A-Brewin'

Hey everone, my good friend Quinn has a blog now... I never thought I'd see the day.

I've known Quinn since my Sophomore year in High School, the guy is a whirling ball of crazy. And if you don't watch out, he'll Batman yer ass for sure!

Quinn works for C3 Presents, they are probably the best concert promotions/artist management/all around music afficianados in the biz, winning concert promoter of the year awards left and right. That said, he's got some awesome access to bands and locales and has decided to use that to give us all random interviews with some pretty cool people (he's already sat down with Mason Jennings and What Made Milwaukee Famous @ SXSW, as well as a little snippet of The Black Keys live).

Here's a little intro into what and who Quinnstorm is all about ... then head on over to Quinnstorm yourself.

I am trying my best to get everything together to give you all a little recap of SXSW from myself. A lot was seen and a lot was taken care of and a lot was photographed. Gimme A Break.

Who, and Why Would Anyone Do That... Ever?

Last night I had the great opportunity to get a further glimpse into the inspirational and maddening genius of Gogol Bordello front man, Eugene Hütz. Thanks in large part to The Alamo Drafthouse, a buddy of mine and I headed to the Ritz Downtown to check out this week's installment of "Music Mondays" (okay so I may have inadvertently lifted that title) - The Pied Piper of Hützovina.

The film is a documentary by Czech filmmaker Pavla Fleischer (cine./assistant dir. on the apparently haunting doc Blues by the Beach) and follows what started out as a project to reunite her and Hütz and to rekindle a flame that once burned between them. After actually reuniting it was painfully apparent that this was not the film that would be made. Instead, Hütz's vision took to the forefront as he guided Fleischer on a trip through the slums of East Europe/Siberia. Hütz's goal - reunite with his own heritage via Gypsy music.

Having lived in a small part of Kiev for the beginning of his life and them emigrating to the United States, it was great fun and very touching to see him head back home and try to find where he came from. Along the way he meets his hero (Sasha Kolpakov), is told by a very influential Romany Gypsy artist that his music is destructive, and attempts to connect the dots between different clans of Gypsies while experiencing their culture firsthand through music, using the time to cultivate his own understanding of the culture and how it relates to his art.

It was insightful and, like I said, inspirational. Hütz is very comfortable in front of the camera (if you'll remember his debut in Everything Is Illuminated) and he's very funny.

Hütz was even there to introduce the film to us all (Gogol was playing a show down the street at Stubbs later that night), and to hear what he had to say firsthand about the film was great. Unfortunately, Fleischer I don't think was there, but to see Eugene firsthand in his random neo-gypsy duds was perfect enough for us all.

I'd love to recommend this film to anyone who enjoys music and the idea of reconnecting with something you've only a vague notion of, to anyone who feels a slight connection to another part of the world and has always had the indescribable urge to flesh out exactly why.

The Pied Piper of Hützovina is out now on DVD. You can buy or rent it from the site.

Oh, My Stars and Garters!

I was checking my regular websites this morning when I came upon a perfect piece of info for a Monday morning (besides Music Mondays, of course). Ain't It Cool News tells us that... There's a Ricky Gervais film in the works... Written and directed by him with Matt Robinson.

This is great news. The premise will undoubtedly follow in line with Gervais' past satirical work (especially of note, that last episode of Extras... amazing).

Basic premise: It is a world where lying has never happened, everyone in the history of time has told the truth and has no concept of what a lie is... until Gervais accidentally invents it.

Going to be Gold.

Here's Gervais' new blog for the film, This Side of the Truth. Follow it.

Hitting the Fan

This week is about to get crazy. My normal work schedule is fairly laid back, nothing too stressful, which is what I really love about it. Not to toot my own horn here (gross?) but I am consistently one of the most laid back people I know. Nothing really ruffles my feathers. This is a trait I like. It does get a little drab sometimes though, which is why I love to have a few times out of the year when I put myself in stressful situations, partly to keep my senses up and partly to see how well I handle it. That time of the year has once again come and it's time to test my stress reflexes at this year's SXSW Music Fest.

There's plenty of resources to fill you in on what exactly the SXSW experience is, so I'll let you help yourself on your own time if you don't know anything about it. What I will say is this, it's going to be a lot of music crammed into four days and my ears will be subjected to some great stuff, and some very bad stuff. I will look upon it all with wide eyes as urban hipsters with skinny jeans intermingle with industry hobknobbers and famous musicians. Last year was awesome as I met Aziz Ansari, the guys from Youth Group, a couple of the comedians that used to be bit players on Conan, Har Mar Superstar, the guys from White Rabbits, Brian Posehn, and others, not to mention all the hottie band chicks everywhere (I'm looking at you The Pipettes).

This year will no doubt be as entertaining as I help cover the event going down at the FADER/Levi's party (called The Fort). If you're around, and I know you, let me know and I'll try to help you get in. Here's the recently released schedule of events... courtesy of The Tripwire.

WEDNESDAY 03.12.08
1:30 - 1:55 - The Mae Shi
2:15 - 2:40 - The Whip
3:00 - 3:25 - Jeremy Jay
3:45 - 4:10 - The Kills
4:30 - 4:55 - The Ruby Suns
LEVI'S 501 HAPPY HOUR
5:15 - 5:40 - Chikita Violenta
6:00 - 6:25 - Does It Offend You, Yeah?
6:45 - 7:15 - Yacht
DJS: Price Klasson, Rezound and Pandemoniom Jones (Caps n' Jones)

THURSDAY 03.13.08
1:30 - 1:45 - Ben's Brother (acoustic)
2:00 - 2:25 - The Ting Tings
2:45 - 3:10 - Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong
3:30 - 3:55 - Grand Ole Party
4:15 - 4:40 - Birdmonster
LEVI'S 501 HAPPY HOUR
5:00 - 5:25 - Saul Williams
5:45 - 7:00 - Lou Reed Tribute (feat. What Laura Says Thinks, And Feels, Paper Route, Oh No! Oh My!, Ezra Furman, Joseph Arthur, Dr. Dog, Mark Zokelek, Yo La Tengo, My Morning Jacket, Moby, Thurston Moore & The New Wave Bandits)
7:30 - 8:30 - N.E.R.D.
DJS: Queen Majesty, Tittsworth and Dave Nada and the Fluo Kids

FRIDAY 03.14.08 (Curated by thetripwire.com)
1:00 - 1:25 - The Knux
1:45 - 2:10 - The Fashion
2:30 - 2:55 - The Lemonheads
3:15 - 3:40 - These New Puritans
4:00 - 4:25 - Langhorne Slim
4:45 - 5:10 - Fanfarlo
RAY BAN HAPPY HOUR W/ PUNK IS DEAD BOOK SIGNING
5:30 - 5:55 - Working For A Nuclear Free City
6:15 - 6:40 - The Stills
7:00 - 7:30 - Duffy
DJS: Fourcolourzack and Pretty Titty, Ghislain Porier, Disjokke and Bjorn Torske

SATURDAY 03.15.08
1:30 - 1:55 - Dri
2:15 - 2:40 - David Banner
3:00 - 3:25 - Lykke Li
3:45 - 4:10 - Hood Headlinaz
4:30 - 4:55 - Telepathe
LEVI'S 501 HAPPY HOUR
5:15 - 5:40 - BLK JKS
6:00 - 6:25 - Santogold
6:45 - 7:15 - Spankrock
7:35 - 8:20 - 2 Live Crew
DJS: Bloody Beetroots and the Fools Gold DJs, A-Track, LA Riots, Nick Catchdubs, Jokers of the Scene & Friends


Damn that's a lot of stuff. I also just found out that I'll get a chance to interview my favorite band from '07... Alamo Race Track. I've featured them on a couple Music Mondays. They're from Amsterdam and never come to the States. I'm getting giddy. Alright, now on to preparation. Adieu.

Black Cab Sessions

Damn these guys have a good idea. I've checked their site out a few times. They've got some good artists and interesting takes on some songs you know and love. The St. Vincent take on "Dig A Pony" is gorgeous. And The Tripwire has pointed out that Austin's beloved Spoon have recently filmed a take on their sublime, "I Summon You."

I've always gotten a weird vibe from front man Britt Daniel, I've seen him around clubs in town a lot and he's always seemed like one of the creepiest people, chilling out in the shadows of bars, smoking a cigarette, dressed in black and watching crowds of people. I said hi to him once and he sort of curled his upper lip as if some odious stench were singeing his nose hairs. But you have to hand it to him this... he writes some catchy tunes. Really catchy. Almost too catchy. He's like a modern day Buddy Holly.

Anywho, here's the Black Cab Sessions: Chapter 31: Spoon