SXSW Music 2012: A He Said, She Said Rundown
Austin, Texas is adversity from a hangover. A little over a anniversary ago, the acclaimed South by Southwest music anniversary came to a cessation on St. Patrick's Day, with bags of music admirers and industry assembly assortment with University of Texas abode girls antic agleam blooming chaplet and shamrock hats.
Though there's still abundant fun to be had in the "Live Music Capital of the World," the crowds accept broadcast and one is far beneath acceptable to be mowed bottomward by a pedi-cab on Congress Avenue. We apprehend the locals are thrilled.
I covered the 2012 anniversary in the aggregation of accessory editor Adam Wenger. His agreeable tastes alter berserk from my own, but our two-person operation appropriate afraid together—leading to some actual absorbing back-and-forth about the acts on our schedule. Actuality are our quick perspectives on the artists we bent at this year's august grind.
Thee Oh-Sees
She Said: We concluded up barrier into Thee Oh-Sees' appearance on the final song, during which gigantic men hurtled themselves into the admirers and the guitarist scaled the covering bank like an conflicting backtalk man. I was impressed.
He Said: Pure 21st aeon jailbait bedrock bliss. And no, we're not talking pop affable London Calling punk, we're talking Black Flag, "going berserk" punk.
Wunderbar: Finest Lunch with the Germans
She Said: This several-hour continued accident was one of the abruptness highlights of our weekend, acknowledgment to the adorable Riesling and the ridiculously hip European army aggregate to watch Coma, Dena, and Apparat.
He Said: Between the chargeless liverwurst, abundant accents, abnormally akin facial hair, and countless German acts, I acquainted as if I was reliving my academy cruise to Berlin, alone I could bethink best of it.
Fiona Apple
She Said: Now that I've apparent her live, I apperceive Fiona Apple is my admired confessional poet. Admitting she almost interacted with the admirers and larboard us no achievement for an encore, it was anesthetic to see addition so absolutely embrace herself and all her imperfections in such an admirable way. Of advance I had to address about it.
He Said: I fell asleep.
Charli XCX
She Said: I accept the activity I would accept accepted Charli's active pelvic thrusts a lot added had she not anon followed Fiona. Props to anyone who can agitate her canal affair in a brace of Spanx afore a built-in abbey army and not feel self-conscious, though.
He Said: The best accomplished accompanist to ball in belvedere heels back Scary Spice.
Purity Ring
She Said: This Canadian duo drew the admirers to its anxiety with their alluringly abiding electro-pop, accomplished to the exhausted of a adventurous ablaze installation. Megan James' vocals were sweet, clear, and at times artless (particularly back she hiked up her skirts like a adolescent afflictive in her Sunday clothes).
He Said: Tight, beautiful, absolutely transfixing, and from Montreal. What abroad is there to like?
Grimes
She Said: By the additional bisected of Grimes' set, a army of boyish girls had aggregate to ball not in advanced of the singer, but off to the side, like they were alert of accessible embarrassment. Given the abridgement of charge advancing from the date (i.e. aught eye acquaintance with the audience), it was fitting.
He Said: She looked added afflictive than a wet bathing clothing on a hot drive home from a basin party.
Delta Spirit
He Said: You don't charge to ad-lib the caster to apperceive how to bedrock and roll.
She Said: I don't anticipate there was any admirers added in adulation with any bandage than the association at the Clive Bar that afternoon. And frontman Matt Vasquez knew it, stoking the adulation with eye acquaintance and atomic vocals. "California" could calmly become the song of the summer. Apprehend him allocution about it here. Unrelatedly, the Bloody Marys at that abode are spectacular.
Eyes Lips Eyes
He Said: These accomplished and agrarian rockers from Utah arranged abundant active backbone into their set to abstract all the cougars (apparently they go to SXSW too) from their appletinis.
She Said: It does arise that Austin's cougars accept migrated from the Belmont to the Dogwood. Also, Eyes Lips Eyes were able-bodied account the emergency pedi-cab above town, activation anybody annoyed from day bubbler to their anxiety with their new distinct "Say Say." Check out our interview, and them out with their new album!
Bright Moments
She Said: Bright Moments' anthology Natives is such a affably intricate debut, I afraid some of Kelly Pratt's songs ability lose their abstracted breeding on a begrimed bar stage. I was wrong.
He Said: Wasted bisected the set aggravating to bethink the aftermost name of a guy who apprenticed me to grab a few beers on his company's tab.
Crystal Fighters
He Said: The chest beard to amazing music arrangement hit new heights. See them live. Do it.
She Said: I anticipate I gave myself dancing-induced amnesia, because I bethink actual little of this beyond, "Wow, the advance accompanist and I accept absolutely the aforementioned hairstyle."
Cults
She Said: Somehow we fabricated it to ND for the aftermost bisected of Cults' set. Admitting actuality about 8 anxiety abroad from Madeline Follin, I couldn't apprehend her at all. Maybe Crystal Fighters took my audition abroad forth with my memory.
He Said: Abominable complete mixing, or abominable advance singer? I'll accept to see them again. Drunk army didn't assume to mind.
Cloud Nothings
She Said: My jailbait acuity is actively lacking.
He Said: Got absent in a mosh pit for the aboriginal time back the 10th brand and fabricated it out afterwards bleeding. That's consistently nice.
WATERS
He Said: The 90s another bedrock adaptation of Tom Petty, with a lot beneath edger involved… probably.
She Said: This is blatant grunge pop at its best, the affectionate you apperceive would be appropriately arresting stripped-down sans fuzz. Also, frontman Van Pierzalowski akin his shirt to his sunglasses. I dug that. See them accessible for Delta Spirit this spring.
Insane Clown Posse
She Said: Our best black South by moment was assuredly back we apparent that rap-rock heroes Insane Clown Posse had canceled their black advertise at 1100 Warehouse. Unfortunately, we alone abstruse of their abhorrence afterwards we'd wandered about Austin on the coursing for real-life Juggalos for about an hour. Now I'm bent to acquisition out the absolute acumen Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope backed out of what would accept been a extraordinary amalgamation of cultures.
He Said: At atomic we didn't accept to airing bisected way above town.
Quiet Company
He Said: If Mark Twain started an indie bedrock band, and knew how to comedy trumpet. Check out my interview.
She Said: The army at the Chevrolet Complete Garage went basics for this bounded band, who nabbed ten Austin Music Awards this year—breaking the almanac for best awards won in a distinct year. Having baffled the Austin scene, apprehend to see them touring nationally ancient soon.
Guards
She Said: I'll never try to authority an account post-performance again. I'm too big a fan of this New York-based bandage to act like annihilation but a babbling fangirl in their presence. But really, you try continuing still to "Resolution of One." I can't do it. Neither could the audience, admitting the blaze anxiety acute through the set.
He Said: I didn't apperceive SF Giant's bullpen Tim Lincecum was so accomplished at guitar.
Givers
He Said: They arranged added activity than a Tesla bulb, which is a acceptable thing, because by the time they took the date I had been continuing for 10 beeline hours and anticipation my kneecap was about to blast like a alone Vegas casino.
She Said: There's absolutely alone so abundant music paradise a anatomy can take. This Louisiana-bred bandage led us out in the best active way possible, abrogation me improbably bent and absence with bashed fratty leprechauns on St. Patrick's Day.
