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BEST BANDS AT SXSW

Rebecca                                                       Clint

3. grave babes/mikal cronin                 3. habibi
2. twerps                                                      2. blue jungle
1. strange boys                                          1. destruction unit

Sean                                                             Phillip

3. puffy areolas                                         3. grave babies/coasting
2. the spits                                                  2. destruction unit
1. destruction unit                                    1. twerps

SXSW REPORT LAST DAY

Hangovers. Tattoos. Bands. Cold winds. Apathy. Ativan. Sleep.

SXSW REPORT DAY 5

We played at cheer up charlies, outside, wind blowing, it was a blast! thank you to everyone who was there, happy birthday natalie!

Now I have to say that these posts reflect mostly my (phillip) perspective, being the cat writing them, I mean were not spending all of our waking hours together, going to exactly the same shows, even digging the same shows. okay that’s that.

Second best band that we saw, destruction unit. so loud fast gloomy doom. All of us that were there were very into it. Useless eaters were really good too.

Being very paranoid about not being able to get into the gories/spits show we headed over to trailer space to catch a shuttle to emos (which is pretty far from the center of the action). Bands play all day everyday at trailer space, back to back, not exaggerating I bet a hundred bands have played so far. So while we were waiting puffy ariolas played and sean loved them. guy was beaming.

We showed up at emos and met up with all of our friends all in the grass under trees. laughs and jokes and hugs and kisses and good old steve dancing and drinking and making us all happy to be alive and under the same blue and green.

I have to say it was insane to see the in the red showcase in a 1500 person capacity venue. kind of surreal.

Thee oh sees again. love em but we decided that it would be harder NOT to see them. what I mean is that they must play three shows a day all week. you would have to make an effort not to see them by accident.

The sound in these places is more often than not very poor and you’ve got bands that built their status playing parties and record stores and WAY smaller venues. I’m not going to mention the bands that were shit. The spits were not shit. The jury is split on the gories. But c’mon they are obviously a legendary band in those circles and it was amazing to see them even though it wasn’t a house party in detroit in 1994.

Afterwards it was us and dead ghosts and ketamines and fungi girls and white mystery and a handful of other cool cats doing the things that cats do late at night. 

All in all probably the best day yet!

SXSW REPORT DAY 4

We played an incredibly rushed set at headhunters. Felixs guitar broke so he borrowed some cats flying V. Imagine johnny marr playing a flying V. Imagine a chinese jay reatard.

Immediately after our set we split to get clint to his manic attracts show. CMRTYZ warehouse party, lots of beers and sunshine. Dead ghosts, yes… but the real gem was seeing/meeting coasting. They did a charming cover of a look blue turn purple song. Real good stuff. I bought all of their releases.  

Some of us stayed behind to campfire but most of us went grocery shopping and prepared a BIG family dinner for all of our friends. 

We got full and lazy and showed up far to late for the JMC show. The line up went around the block and there was absolutely no way we were going get in. MAXIMUM DRAG.

Thank gawd for the Twerps! These aussies released a total sleeper album last year. Why haven’t you heard this band!? Guys, seriously… Total flying nun-esque garage pop. Adorable. If I can champion any band its these guys. I’m in love with jules fingers, the best guitar lines. The singer Martin, just dreamy. Total band crush.

SXSW REPORT DAY 3

Reinforcements have arrived with more en route. This darn house is filling up.

Sean and I went record shopping. Best finds Showbiz & AG, Deux, Wax Museums, the Triffids, Plastics.

We saw Wymond play the sacred bones showcase but afterwards factions splintered.

Most of us left to see Audacity, who sounded great, I was distracted by the guy standing in front of me that was licking cheetos grime from his filthy mitts. And who is this ape-like pensioner drinking a beer with two hands?

 Back to the sacred bones case where the Men lived up to their name. Apologies to the poseurs. I’d like to transplant some of these tuff guys into the Cromags/Fear audience earlier this afternoon. THAT was truly a violent sight.

SXSW REPORT DAY 2

Looking for fresh produce we found ourselves willfully lost. We ordered chicken salad sandwiches which may or may not have contributed to an evening of sour belly.

After being turned away from daniel johnson/built to spill (presumably for acting too Canadian) we ended up at grave babies/white fence/ohhcees. Grave babies were brilliant and white fence were fantastic and dwyer was dwyer and petey was petey and brigid was brigid. Danny gave me a 7” which made me kiss him in my mind.

Someone called joe chip had a blast and ended up in half life. Someone called dave lunch shaved his head and was mistaken for a violent offender.

I need to wash my hands.

SXSW REPORT DAY 1

We are staying at a house with four cats and a handful of strays hanging out. I named one of the strays “sweet n tender holligan” get it? Youtube that mother.

It’s very humid here. it feels and smells like being in the part of aquarium that has all the lizards.

The owner of this house has a massive collection of soul CDs. We have been listening to Joe Tex - the love you save may be your own - on repeat.