Austin Sound Check

Austin twee pop band Pompeii appeared on the JB & Sandy Morning Show during SXSW to perform their song Rabbit Ears. Providing a rare glimpse behind the scenes of a live radio broadcast, two members of Pompeii represented the band in-studio for the acoustic performance.
Before they began playing, vocalist Dean Stafford and guitarist Erik Johnson answered some questions, including what it’s like to be a local musician during SXSW. (Hint: our city literally seems to explode).
Overall, I have to say I like Rabbit Ears. It’s a perfect relaxing song for those days when you just want to sit back and …read more

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Last week I brought you exclusive ACL lineup leaks, including Pearl Jam and Mos Def. A source who wishes to remain anonymous has confirmed additional bands to Austin Sound Check, including The B-52s, Sonic Youth, John Legend and Thievery Corporation.
These four artists each bring something different to the Austin City Limits stage. I’m excited to see that ACL is including a well-rounded list of both new and old favorites.
The entire list of rumored performers is below. Who excites you most from this list? Are there any other bands you think Austin City Limits should book for the 2009 festival?
Rumored ACL …read more

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It seems that the SXSW hangover is finally over, as some of Austin’s best locals are playing this week. The lone roadshow recommendation is SoCal dub rockers Slightly Stoopid who always electrify the crowd at Stubb’s. They’ve also played ACL numerous times, but as you’ll read later this week in my interview with drummer RyMo, Slightly Stoopid will not be returning to ACL this year.
Full recommendations are below for your perusal. Who are you planning to see in Austin this week?
Thursday, April 2nd
Tribella @ Mohawk
New Wave inspired Indie Pop from an all female trio whose sound is reminiscent of Liz …read more

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A reliable source who wishes to remain anonymous has confirmed to Austin Sound Check that Mos Def will perform at this year’s Austin City Limits Festival.
Mos Def first gained notoriety with the group Urban Thermo Dynamics and later went on to form Black Star with fellow rapper Talib Kweli. Mos Def is noted for his socially and politically themed lyrics. He was one of the first to speak out in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Also a well known actor, Mos Def has appeared in such critically acclaimed films as Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Italian Job and …read more

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…And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead has released their second studio diary. Taken from the band’s Century of Self recording sessions from right here in Austin, the diary is narrated by frontman Conrad Keely.
It’s interesting to hear Keely’s observations on life in Austin, especially now that he splits his time between Texas and New York. Keely also expresses frustration with his voice and his struggle to complete lyrics. The diary includes some fantastic still shots of Keely, Jason Reece and the rest of the band in the studio.
Be sure to check out Trail of Dead’s first …read more

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The Calm Blue Sea is performing a vert special one-night only show at the Alamo Drafthouse this Sunday, March 29th. The band has composed an original score inspired by Fritz Lang’s film Siegfried and will play with the film as a backdrop.
This unique event promises to be a memorable one, at the intersection of two creative mediums. Siegfried was released in 1924 and is often listed as an influence for modern fantasy films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Complete with dragons, dwarves and treasure, the black and white film should yield incredibly inspired music from The Calm Blue …read more

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The lineup for year’s Grind Series has been announced. Featuring Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Black & White Years and The Riverboat Gamblers, this looks to be another exciting year for the all-things-alt. festival. Advance tickets are now on sale for $10 here.
Featuring wakeboarding and skateboarding demonstrations alongside the music, The Grind Series is a unique all ages event.  It takes place outdoors, at MLK and Congress this year, across the street from the Bob Bullock Museum. Visit The Grind Series website for more information, including the full band lineup.
Now in it’s fourth year, the festival has featured past performers like …read more

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M. Cho and friends from poprockcandymountain on Vimeo.
Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls, Margaret Cho and Girl in a Coma all sat down for an interview during SXSW to talk about their collaboration on Cho’s upcoming album.
Palmer also has a solo album out and is currently touring in support of that effort. Girl in a Coma shares details on their June 2nd release, Trio B.C. The group even discusses current trends in music promotion including Facebook and Twitter.
On a Girl in a Coma sidenote, has anybody been keeping up with their arrests in Houston over the weekend? Based on this …read more

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The Black & White Years – SXSW Interview & PerformanceMusic Video Codes at www.roxwel.com
The Black & White Years had arguably the best SXSW of any band, local or otherwise. They won five Austin Music Awards, including Best New Band, Best Rock Band, Best Song (Power to Change), Best Bass Player (John Aldridge) and Producer of the Year (Jerry Harrison).
The band also played a multitude of showcases during SXSW and were interviewed by Toby Ryan of 101X. Check out the video above, including live performance footage.

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“Wanting people to listen, you can’t just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you’ll notice you’ve got their strict attention.”
Going into SXSW 2009, Detroit rapper Invincible was one of the artists I was most excited to see. The quote above, from Kevin Spacey as John Doe in Seven, is a sample used in her song Sledgehammer! and really sums up how I feel about this year’s SXSW music festival. Over four days of music, including thirty-five different performances, most of the musicians I saw could use more sledgehammer in their …read more

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