Austin Sound Check

“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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Bands Watched : 9  (running total : 17)
Tragically Bad Bands Seen : 2
Beers Consumed : 2
Celebrity Sightings : 1
SXSW Thursday kicked off early in the afternoon, at the NPR Music for the Right Brain showcase at the Parish.
I’d originally gotten to The Parish early to get a good spot for K’naan’s first set of the day, but in the process got to see two good bands previously unknown to me. Blind Pilot played a rousing set of classic downtempo Americana, complete with a banjo, standup bass, trumpet and even a xylophone. The female backup vocals paired perfectly with frontman Israel …read more

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