Category: unsorted

SXSW 2011 Day 2: Wu-Tang Clan, Prince Rama, Gary Wilson, B-Boys and Violins, more

Odd Future, because this is what a Wu show should look like. (Ian Witlen)

On the second day of SXSW, my true love gave to me, five-eights of Wu-Tang, two dirty hippies, and a freeeeak with a bag on his head. Day One was an absolutely ecstatic experience for me, but Day Two got me a lil bummed. First, in discovering how obnoxious Prince Rama apparently is live (despite being pretty swell on record). Second, in waiting no less than two hours to watch the Wu-Tang Clan perform to positively “meh” results. Three, in seeing a kid get hit by a car, then scamper wounded into the night on the bank of the Colorado River. It was his fault, but that didn’t keep the event from being a shocking collision with reality. But it wasn’t all bad:

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SXSW 2011 Day 1: Yuck, James Black, Freddie Gibbs, Baths, Big K.R.I.T., Gold Panda, more

James Blake at Stubb's BBQ (Kathryn Yu)

OMG. Am alive. Thx AUS. SXSW is over and most of its attendees escaped unscathed. Actually, most left with a little blood on their shoes (thanks to the amazing Odd Future, or that terrible fuckstick Ben Weasel), but most of us are better for it. We’re survivors, and our iPods shall forever be fatter and better curated thanks to the magnificent aurual deeds we witnessed in Austin. Catch up on what you missed, or relive it via my next few posts. The Spin team came and conquered. Here’s Day One, as seen by yours truly (and friends).

  • The Best and the Worst: Yuck, James Blake, Freddie Gibbs (shout out to Mexicans With Guns), Gold Panda, Baths, Grouplove, and Big K.R.I.T., with mini mentions of Matthewdavid and Tech N9ne.

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Tonight: Dublab’s Top Tape at Hyperion Tavern (Aural Standards Spinning Cassettes)

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The official Aural Standards cassette rig (click for full view).

It’s going down at the Hyperion Tavern in Silver Lake tonight. Dublab’s Top Tape monthly starts at 10 p.m., and the DJ (CJ?) list is strictly sign-up. All cassettes, all night. It’s usually a mix of East Side music-makers (folks like Sun Araw, Matthewdavid, Walter Gross, Speculator, Jon Wayne and, on occasion, Money Mark) and wannabes like me, spooling out the sludgy, time-warped jams for all to enjoy. Ever hear “Kiss From a Rose” on Promethazine? Try it.

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Review: Meet Chikita Violenta, Mexico City’s Answer to Broken Social Scene

Alternate album art for "TRE3S" by Chikita Violenta

“On its third album overall and first for Toronto’s Arts And Crafts label, Mexico City quartet Chikita Violenta recalls what was so initially alluring about Broken Social Scene: TRE3S is filled with heavily affected, panoramically epic lo-fi pop. Vocals swoon, guitars climb over one another messily, drums fade in and out of the picture, pastoral bridges abound, and catchiness prevails …”

Read the rest via the A.V. Club.

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My First Time at the Smell, with Mount Eerie

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Mount Eerie (Phil Elverum, Microphones) filled my head with fog.

Alert: confessional time. (Isn’t that what blogs are for? No, silly, that’s what they were for in the early aughts.) The A.V. Club is, um, blessed with a very, er, active readership. Check out the comments sections on my reviews for a glimpse into their troll-like wonderful ways. They also get to ask us questions, which is really great, and a recent query sent us flipping back through our memories to find one of our “best shared cultural experiences.” Lots of great answers over here.

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Feature: Iron & Wine’s World Gets Bigger with ‘Kiss Each Other Clean’ (L.A. Times)

Watch out, Sam! (Piper Ferguson)

As the acclaimed Iron & Wine tour picks up overseas tomorrow, I thought it’d be a good time to share this little nugget. Had the sincere pleasure of interviewing the estimable Mr. Sam Beam, a.k.a. Iron & Wine, on the following subjects: his excellent new album Kiss Each Other Clean, ’70s L.A. radio, his five lovely daughters, “Jamaican stuff” (not what you’re thinking) and his mind meld with producer Brian Deck.

Read the article at the L.A. Times.

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Review: Bristol’s Malachai Explores Ugly Side

Their album art is horrid, so here's a scary press shot.

Malachai is too easily overlooked. This Bristol duo has got a lot to offer music aficionados, if only they’d stop saddling their pretty interesting records with pretty awful cover art. We’ve spared you that here, in the interest of hoping you might give this review a read.

Here’s an excerpt: “In a way, it’s as if The Beta Band was reborn with straight faces and a love for Portishead.”

I mean, that sounds interesting, right? Check it out via the A.V. Club.

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Help Funny Or Die Bros Make a Mind-Fuck of a Movie Called ‘The Nowhere’ (Daybyday Prod.)

Art by Will Carsola of Daybyday Productions

The super talented duo of Dave Stewart and Will Carsola, collectively Daybyday Productions, are working on making their first feature film, “an absurd satire of human psychology” dubbed The Nowhere. You will laugh your balls off, as well as cry your ovaries out. It’s just that kind of a movie. The thing is, they need some help making it happen, and they’ve set up a page to make the process surprisingly painless. Check it out here. It’s better than donating blood! If you aren’t familiar with these dudes, check ’em out on Funny or Die.

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Live: Biffy Clyro Meets Author Danielewski in L.A.

Biffy Clyro and Mark Danielewski bond over "Only Revolutions."

The good folks of Spin put together this unique event in L.A. last week benefiting the incredible Homeboy Industries. It’s part of a live series called Liner Notes, that has accomplished some pretty impressive stuff thus far. Old Bay Area homies Dredg actually got to perform with Salman Rushdie in New York back in 2009.  Now that Spin contributor and event organizer Emily Zemler is calling L.A. home, we hope to see more of these.

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