SXSW Spotlight: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

If you're looking for some fuzzy, catchy pop that will cheer you up, look no further than The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The foursome from New York took their name from an unpublished children's story that a friend of singer Kip Berman wrote of the same title.

Their music style reminds me of the late eighties/early nineties and brings me back to the good old days of being a kid. If you delve more into their lyrics, you realize it's not all happy and they actually have an edge to their music, which somehow makes it even better.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Come Saturday (mp3)

They recently just played a gig in New York with Trail of Dead and Brooklyn Vegan was there to snap pictures. The band's SXSW itinerary includes TEN shows, making it almost impossible to not see them this year in Austin. Don't miss them, you'll regret it later.

[Purchase their debut, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart]

SXSW Tour Dates:

03/18 - Austin, TX @ Red 7 :: Terrorbird/Force Field Party (4:35pm)

03/18 - Austin, TX @ Ms. Bea's :: Todd P + NY Noise Showcase (9:00pm)

03/19 - Austin, TX @ Radio Room :: Paste/Brooklyn Vegan Party (1pm)

03/19 - Austin, TX @ Malverde :: IAMSOUND & 'Sup Magazine Party (3:45pm)

03/19 - Austin, TX @ Opal Divine's :: Green Label Sound Showcase (10pm)

03/20 - Austin, TX @ Emo's Jr. :: Pitchfork Windish Austin Bash (2pm)

03/20 - Austin, TX @ Fader Fort (3:45pm)

03/20 - Austin, TX @ 1204 Salina St. :: ATJ Unofficial House Party (6:30pm)

03/20 - Austin, TX @ Emo's Jr. :: Slumberland & Cake Shop Showcase (11pm)

03/21 - Austin, TX @ Waterloo Records :: Instore (1pm)

Check out all of our other 2009 SXSW Spotlights here. Also, find the rest of their 2009 tour dates here.

[The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Myspace]

[The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Official Site]

[SXSW Official Music Site]

(Photo cred: Kendra Elise and Pavla Kopecna)

SXSW Spotlight: Kuroma

Kuroma is a band more people should be writing about in the near future. Our good buddy Aaron introduced us to them a few weeks back and w've been digging them ever since.

Kuroma is a project of Hank Sullivant, a former member of The Whigs and one-time touring guitarist of MGMT. While a member of The Whigs, Sullivant recorded a number of trippy, psychedelic-influenced demos, including a number of tracks that would ultimately find their way onto the Kuroma release Paris. After leaving MGMT just after last year's SXSW he resumed focus on Kuroma, now officially comprising of drummer Ben DuPriest (formerly of The Pendletons) and bassist Nick Robbins (ex-Velveteen Pink).

Kuroma - Alexander Martin (mp3)

They don't have a Myspace (on purpose) but they do believe in having an official site, which has eight songs up on it. I personally like "Searching For A Sheep" and "I Was A Rat".

Check out the video "In New York, Everything is Tropical"

SXSW Tour Dates:

3/19 - Austin, TX @ Opal Divine's :: Green Label Sound Official SXSW Showcase (8:45PM)

3/20 - Austin, TX @ Austin Convention Center :: SESAC Day Stage Cafe (3:30PM)

3/20 - Austin, TX @ Ace's Lounge :: NME Official SXSW Showcase (8:00PM)

Additional national tour dates can be found here.

[Kuroma Official Site]

[Kuroma Youtube]

SXSW Spotlight : White Lies

UK buzz band White Lies are exalted in their homeland and are fast catching steam on U.S. soil, too.  Just yesterday the young lads made their cover debut on influential UK publication, NME , as the new face of the dark indie movement permeating from across the pond.  The trio are relentlessly touring Europe at the moment, will kick off the U.S. leg of their tour at SXSW and are also confirmed to perform at this year’s Coachella. (see dates below) The first single To Lose My Life makes its U.S. premiere March 17.  

Check out the new title track remix from Filthy Dukes, who rework their catchy hooks and ominous tones to create a melancholy electronic masterpiece.

 “To Lose My Life” (Filthy Dukes rmx) 

We also have the song, "Death" for you to check out as well.

White Lies - Death (mp3)

US Tour Dates

March

3/20 SXSW

3/21 SXSW

3/25 Philadelphia, PA- First Unitarian Church    

3/26 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom                      

3/27 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom                

3/28 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club             

3/30 Montreal, QC - Les Saints             

3/31 Toronto, ONT - Lee's Palace       

April

4/1 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig   

4/2 Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio

4/3 Chicago, IL - Double Door                   

4/4 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club   

4/7 Seattle, WA - Neumo's                   

4/8 Vancouver, BC - Richard's on Richards      

4/9 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge               

4/11 San Francisco, CA - Slims  

4/17 Indio, CA - Coachella                  

Chairlift announce SXSW Dates

One of the acts we are excited to see at this years SXSW is Chairlift. I didn't run out and buy an iPod Nano when their track Bruises was featured as the song in that campaign but it was still nice to see them getting the "Apple" treatment. The band will be touring with everyone this year but most importantly (at least to us) is the announcement of SXSW showcases. You can check out a full list of tour dates at their official site and check out their recent Daytrotter session.

Chairlift at SXSW

3/19 :: Red 7

3/19 :: Club 1808

3/20 :: Urban Outfitters

**SXSW Spotlight** What Laura Says Thinks And Feels

Seems Vampire Weekend isn't the only band who doesn't care about the oxford comma. What Laura Says Thinks and Feels (sans comma) are a five-piece band from Tempe, Arizona. They share a love for the Beach Boys' mid 60's Pet Sounds and Smile era, which you can definetely hear in their vocal harmonies.

The group came together in 2006 when Danny Godbold and James Mulhern, who had begun recording as a duo for a few years, met up with percussionist/ukulele player Jacob Woolsey and the former rhythm section of Tempe band the Expatriates, drummer Greg Muller and Mitch Freedom, who grew up together in Michigan. The guys aren't a simple guitar, bass, and drums outfit, but five multi-instrumentalists who incorporate keyboards, the ukulele, multilayered harmonies, and a multitude of found objects in drummer Woolsey's percussion station. Talk about being experimental, Woolsey has gone from bells and tambourine to a one-man jar/coffee can/egg shaker/clave contraption in which no household object is safe.

So who is the “laura” of the group’s name? The band doesn’t really have an answer — there is no specific “laura,” so the band isn’t able to explain what “she” says, thinks or feels. They'd like to think there’s a little laura in everybody.

What Laura Says Thinks and Feels released a self-titled album last year which can purchase on iTunes here. They will be playing multiple shows (listed down below) throughout SXSW this year. They already have songs written for their second album, so I'm assuming we'll get to hear some of those tracks at their live shows. Jeff Ambrose from Openroadimagery has some great pictures of the band here. Special thanks to my friend Tony for introducing to me to this band.

• What Laura Says Thinks and Feels-July 23(mp3)
• What Laura Says Thinks and Feels-Illustrated Manual(mp3)
• What Laura Says Thinks and Feels-Wish I Could Fly(mp3)

SXSW Tourdates:

Wednesday, March 12th - Leafy Green Party @ Corner of 6th and Lamar [Solar Stage] No RSVP's necessary. FREE outdoor show (2pm)

Wednesday, March 12th - Lou Reed Berlin After Party @ Pangaea (409 Colorado at W. 4th St.) Free beer and music! [RSVP Here] (5:10pm)

Thursday, March 13th - Fader Party @ 204 E. 4th Street [RSVP Here] **Not on the flyer at top of the post**

Friday, March 14th- UG Militia/Bachelor Pad SXSW Brunch @ Maggie Mae's (323 E. 6th St.)[RSVP Here] Free tex-mex brunch, sangria and music! (12:30pm)

Saturday, March 15th - TusconScene.com/A Fine Tooth Day Party @ Sonny's Vintage (2928 Guadalupe St.) [3pm, all ages] [RSVP Here]

Saturday, March 15th -Official SXSW Showcase @ Creekside EMC at Hilton Garden Inn (500 N IH 35) [9pm]

**SXSW Spotlight** Adele

Meet Adele, a jazzy singer who is about as soulful as you're gonna find these days. The English import is only 19 and is already making big waves in her home country. Her album, 19, entered the charts at #1 in England and the British press has even dubbed her "the new Amy Winehouse". 19 is about heartache and “all the crap a typical 19-year-old goes through,” she says. The song, "Chasing Pavements" is about splitting up with her ex and having her heart broken for the first time. She says: “That song is about should I give up or should I just keep trying to run after you when there’s nothing there? She even does a Bob Dylan cover, "Make You Feel My Love". I have a mp3 of her cover of The Strokes down below.

Her influences include Etta James, Dusty Springfield, Billie Holiday. Discovering Etta James was an accident for her. She explains: “I was 13 or 14 and trying to be cool, so I hung out in the Classics section of HMV. Only I wasn’t really cool at the time as I was pretending to be into Slipknot, Korn and Papa Roach. So there I was in my dog collar and baggy jeans and I saw this CD in the bargain bin. I’d only picked up the CD as I wanted to show my hairdresser the picture so she could do my hair the same".

“Then one day I was clearing out my room and I found it and put it on. When I heard the song Fool That I Am, everything changed for me. I never wanted to be a singer until I heard that".

• Cold Shoulder-mp3
• Hometown Glory-mp3
• Daydreamer-mp3
• Last Nite-mp3 (Strokes Cover)

Tourdates: (Hopefully more dates for Austin will be announced)

Mar 13 - NPR SXSW Music Party @ The Parish, Austin, TX (Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer, Bon Iver, Adele, Shout Out Louds, Jens Lekman)[Info Here]

Mar 18 - Joe's Pub New York

Mar 20 - Hotel Cafe L.A

"Chasing Pavements"

[Myspace] Adele

**SXSW Spotlight** Devotchka

Nobodies perfect. I'd like to think I could hold my own when discussing music. I do have to say that I missed the boat on Devotchka, only up until about a few months ago. I've seen their name mentioned in many blogs and magazines, yet I was still oblivious to their music. They played ACL last year, without a thought from me to check them out. They've been around since 2000 and even scored the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack (nine of the fourteen songs are theirs).

If there is a band I have to see at SXSW, it's Devotchka. I absolutely love their sound, it's so original. Their Wiki page describes them as, "fusing Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, and Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots". Based in Denver, Colorado, the quartet is made up of Nick Urata, who sings and plays theremin, guitar, bouzouki, piano, and trumpet; Tom Hagerman, who plays violin, accordion, and piano; Jeanie Schroder, who sings and plays sousaphone and double bass; and Shawn King, who plays percussion and trumpet. All sorts of crazy instruments I've never even heard of, but man do they sound beautiful.

Originally a backing band for burlesque shows, in their early years Devotchka also toured with fetish model Dita von Teese. Numerous nationwide tours in support of self released records earned the band an underground following. Their song "How It Ends" was featured on the trailer for the film Everything Is Illuminated, introducing the band to a widening audience. Their performance at the 2006 Bonnaroo music festival was considered a breakout event. I guess everyone knew who they were except for me. If you don't know who Devotchka is either, give them a listen and be prepared to love this band.

Devotchka recently finished work on their newest studio album, A Mad and Faithful Telling, and is currently scheduled for release on March 18, 2008 via Anti-Records.

• How It Ends-mp3 (I love this song)


• You Love Me-mp3


• Venus In Furs-mp3 (Velvet Underground cover)


• Tranlisterator-mp3 (on A Mad and Faithful Telling)


• Undone-mp3 (on A Mad and Faithful Telling)

SXSW Tourdates:

March 13 - Anti/Utne Reader SXSW Showcase @ Cedar Street Courtyard, 12am

March 14 - Antone's (5th and Colorado) @ 12am

March 15 - Filter Magazine Showdown @ Cedar Street Courtyard, 3pm [RSVP] (it's free)

Filter Magazine SXSW Day Shows @ Cedar Street

The Filter Magazine SXSW day shows were just announced! It's all going down at Cedar Street Courtyard in Austin, Texas. There will be three days of fun, BBQ, and great music during SXSW! Seriously I had the best time at this party last year (good friends, probably too many cocktails, and some awesome music). It's free so all you have to do is send an email. To RSVP for the shows, email rsvp@filtermmm.com

Thursday, March 13th

Robyn - 5:00 PM

Be Your Own Pet - 4:00 PM

The Duke Spirit - 3:15 PM

Low vs. Diamond - 2:30 PM

Everest - 1:45 PM

The Republic Tigers - 1:00 PM

Two Sheds - Noon

Friday, March 14th

special guest - 5:00 PM

Lightspeed Champion - 4:00 PM

The Wombats - 3:00 PM (**SXSW Spotlight**)

The Pigeon Detectives - 2:15 PM

Los Campesinos - 1:30 PM

Shout Out Louds - 12:45 PM

Born Ruffians - Noon

Saturday, March 15th

special guest - 6:00 PM

Sea Wolf - 5:00 PM

Grand Archives - 4:00 PM (**SXSW Spotlight**)

Devotchka - 3:00 PM (**SXSW Spotlight**)

Castledoor - 2:15 PM

Switches - 1:30 PM

Longwave - 12:45

Gran Ronde - Noon

**SXSW Spotlight** The Parisians

As per The Parisians myspace, since all the websites written about them were in French:

It’s been three years since The Parisians formed: these four guys have been regarded as the precursors of the French indie-rock scene and have represented an important part of it themselves. Beyond doubt they partly owe this to The Libertines whom they met in Paris and who were thrilled by The Parisians’ songwriting. They made their mark by countless wild and chaotic shows in every club in Paris. The word spread and ever since the band has contributed to the emergence of a young and unprecedented rock scene in France. Further shows in the UK, all over France, Germany and Switzerland along with the likes of The Paddingtons, The Libertines, Soundtrack Of Our Lives, BRMC and Mystery Jets and they soon attracted the attention of the media (NME, Nylon, ARTE, Vogue UK).

They have some early demos on their myspace. Their new songs are quite catchy, I really like their sound. They just released a four-song EP, Alesia (which you can listen to here or buy on amazon here). I also have a song down below for you.

• Why Choose One Side-mp3

SXSW Tourdates:

Friday, March 14 - Maggie Mae's Rooftop (The Parisians, The Fashion, Beat Union, Lykke Li, The Whip, Scouting For Girls)**The Parisians play at 8pm**

Sunday, March 16 - Bonus Tracks Records Showcases @ TBA

[Myspace] The Parisians

**SXSW Spotlight** Portugal. The Man

I had a great time when I first saw Portugal. The Man play San Antonio in 2006. The three-piece band is from Wasilla, Alaska. Musically, Portugal. The Man's style is one of variation. Their style is both rooted in the indie and experimental genre, but their songs also contain elements of soul, blues, and folk music. At times, the band chooses to utilize drum machines and/or synth loops to anchor their songs, while at other times, the band chooses to use the more conventional guitar, bass, and acoustic drum configuration that is characteristic of rock music. The band also utilizes keyboards in much of its music. In addition to their instrumentals, John Baldwin Gourley's distinctly higher-pitched vocals add to Portugal. The Man's unique sound. Lyrically, Gourley provides the band with abstract and/or enigmatic lyrics that rely heavily on imagery. Gourley's verses are usually delivered in the first person singular or plural.

The band's name is based on the idea of David Bowie's "bigger than life" fame. They wanted the band to have a bigger than life feel but didn't want to name it after one of their members. "A country is a group of people," guitar player and vocalist John Gourley explains. "With Portugal, it just ended up being the first country that came to mind. The band's name is Portugal. The period is stating that and The Man states that it's just one person." The name has more personal meaning as well. Portugal. The Man was also going to be the name of a book that Gourley had planned to write about his father and his many adventures.

Portugal. The Man plan on self-releasing a new cd this year. They will taking to the stage here in Austin for SXSW. They have been known to add a few people to their lineup for their live shows, should be a good time.

• Sugar Cinammon-mp3
• AKA M80 The Wolf-mp3
• Shade-mp3
• My Mind-mp3 (awesome song)
• Telling Tellers Tell Me-mp3

SXSW Tourdates:

March 11th - Sixth Street Showdown
(White Denim, Portugal The Man, The Last Vegas, The Hard Lessons, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Catfish Haven, Scissors For Lefty, Thee Emergency) at Emo's [outside stage]

March 13th - Emo's Jr. (8pm)

March 13th - Pure Volume Presents (Breathe Carolina (3am), Portugal the Man (2am), The Photo Atlas (1am), Band Marino (midnight), DJ Lounge (8pm-midnight) at the PureVolume Ranch (2nd St. next to the convention center, RSVP here)

March 14th - Suburban Homes day party
Jon Snodgrass (of Drag the River), Two Cow Garage, Playing Favorites, Joey Cape (acoustic), Teenage Bottlerocket, Scott Reynolds and the Steaming Beast, Limbeck, Portugal the Man, Ghost Buffalo, Jr. Juggernaut, O Pioneers!!! (performing with the Paper Moons) at Headhunters (noon-8pm, free)

March 14th - The Happy Fun Ball SXSW Day Party[Nada Surf (4pm), Longwave (3pm),The Future Cast (2:15pm), Portugal the Man(1:15pm),The Big Sleep (12:30pm)Joseph Arthur (12pm)]

March 15th - Do512 Big Day party
Portugal the Man, Wild Orchid Children, The Viet Minh, Capitol K at The Graveyard - Do512 Compound (2208 S. Lamar, 3pm-10pm, free with rsvp here)

[Myspace][Official] Portugal. The Man

**SXSW Spotlight** Home Video

If you could hear a band and make the statement, "this band would be a perfect fit to open for Radiohead on their new tour", then you might be listening to Home Video. Seriously, these guys make some great music.

Collin Ruffino and David Gross make up Home Video. They connected in high school art class in 1997. Under the instruction of an eccentric painter, who claimed to have been raised in a Louisiana chateau where servants peeled grapes for him to eat, they spent hours drawing still lives of twisted vegetables and rendering the chiaroscuro of adolescent self portraits. Outside of art class, they made a short narrative video starring David, and directed by Collin, a collaborative set up that continues still and perhaps an influence for their band name. Originally from New Orleans, they has since relocated after Katrina to what seems to be the music hotbed right now, Brooklyn, NY.

Originally discovered by Warp Records, the label released Home Video's first two EPs in 2004, both packaged in sleeves illustrated by Collin's dark, Gorey-esque drawings. "That You Might", a 10" single, immediately picked up considerable attention in Britain from BBC Radio 1 and NME, while the five song Citizen EP earned the band a feature in Rolling Stone.

As electronic-rock producers and performers, they record everything themselves, then adapt it live into a full on rock show with live drums and hypnotic visual projections. After sharing a bill in London at the start of Home Video's 2004 European tour, Blonde Redhead were so impressed that they invited the band to support them for three weeks of shows in North America. They have also opened for such diverse acts as Pinback, Colder, Radio 4, and His Name is Alive.

Their most recent release, No Certain Night Or Morning, came out back in 2006, so hopefully they announce a new cd in the near future. They will be gracing us with their prescence for two shows as of now for SXSW. Their live show features Jim Orso on drum. Maybe we'll be hearing some new songs live, although if they played their older songs that would be alright with me too.

• Sleep Sweet-mp3

SXSW Tourdates:

March 11 - Emo's (The Blakes, Von Bondies, Home Video, The Hands, Oliver Future, Tigercity, Sybris) [inside stage]

March 12 - Club 115 (Mostly Bears, Pataphysics, Faux Fox, Gentleman Auction House, Home Video and Honey Claws) **Home Video plays at 12am**

"Sleep Sweet"

[Myspace][Official]

**SXSW Spotlight** HEALTH

Disco, Noise, Fashion and basically thats all you need to know. Not satisfied? Well they recently took part in the Dan Deacon Ultimate Reality Tour and are currently on tour with Crystal Castles. Their debut, eponymous album on LovePump United was nominated for a Plug Award, - amongst others - and they've toured with all sorts of handsome faces like Ex Models and No Age. Artists from all over the world have been assigned to bring HEALTH to the dance floor, and the "Crimewave" remix by 8-bit glitch duo Crystal Castles has received regular rotation on BBC and NME Radio.

• HEALTH - Crimewave

HEALTH [MySpace]

[More Tracks]

SXSW Schedule

14 Mar VILLAGE VOICE PARTY @ LA ZONA ROSA AUSTIN, Texas

14 Mar NAIL/FANATIC PARTY @ THE SIDE BAR AUSTIN, Texas

14 Mar LOVEPUMP//PANACHE SXSW SHOWCASE @ THE FLAMINGO CANTINA AUSTIN, Texas

15 Mar SXSW DAYTIME STAGE @ AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER AUSTIN, Texas

15 Mar PASTE//STEREOGUM PARTY @ VOLUME AUSTIN, Texas

15 Mar TODD P PARTY @ MRS. BEAS AUSTIN, Texas

**SXSW Spotlight** Delorentos

Dublin-based 4-piece Delorentos release one of the most hotly anticipated Irish albums of 2007, In Love With Detail, on nascent Irish independent label Cottage on April 20th.

The band drifted together in the usual fashion……… inspired by boredom, creative energy, and a passion for music - obvious reference points are Pixies, The Cure, The Clash and Arcade Fire; more oblique influences slide in from most genres of music and virtually every decade from the 50s onwards. Over a period of time that saw others attempt to tie down a description of their sound, they holed up in the wilds of Portrane, Co Dublin (“It’s an amazing place to make music and a key factor in the Delorentos sound.”) and concentrated on writing songs, pure and simple. They had no interest in the frills and fripperies or the empty bombast that occupy other bands; for them it has always been about 4 people communing to harness honest emotion, fashion melodic hooks, and roll out infectious rhythms.


2007 began with the release of "Basis Of Everything" in February, coinciding with dates in the U.S. Throughout the summer months, Delorentos played a string of festival dates which included Oxegen, Electric Picnic & as support to the Arctic Monkeys @ Malahide Castle . Upcoming shows include their biggest headline Irish date in the Ambassador, Dublin (1,300 capacity), a nine date UK tour followed by dates in Spain & Italy in January.

Delorentos on [MySpace]

Video for "Do You Realise" Below
SXSW Performances

March 12th - Ninety Proof Lounge / 8pm
March 13th - BD Rileys / 2am
March 14th Austin Convention Center / 12pm

**SXSW Spotlight** Scissors For Lefty

Part Brit-pop and part indie rock, with a campy persona and dreamy lyrics to match, Scissors For Lefty finished 2007 on a strong note. After making appearances at the Echo Project Festival, CMJ, and a nearly two month long tour with Juliette & The Licks, the band is prepared to make a statement again in 2008. Having already landed themselves a spot on the Cloverfield soundtrack, and rotation on MTVHits, Scissors For Lefty are looking to maintain the momentum in Austin with a whirlwind of dates at SXSW music festival March 10-15. In total, the boys will be playing 7 shows over the 6 day festival.

[MySpace]

SXSW DATES:

Monday, March 10 @ Limewire Event at Club de Ville, 900 Red River St 7-11 show (SFL on at 10pm) also w/ Golden Dogs, Virginia Coalition, and Low Lows 21+ / Guestlist only

Tuesday, March 11 @ Sixth Street Showdown at Emo's, 603 Red River St. 5-2am show (SFL on at 10:30pm) also w/ Portugal the Man, the Von Bondies, the Blakes, White Denim, etc. 18+ / FREE! / Open to the Public

Wednesday, March 12 @ NRDC/Good Magazine, "It's Your Nature" event at San Jose Hotel, 1316 S. Congress Ave. 12-6 show (SFL on at 2pm) 21+ / Guestlist only

Thursday, March 13 @ The Bay Area Takeover at The Beauty Bar, 617 E 7th St 12-6 show (SFL on at 5pm) also w/ Two Gallants, Film School, Von Iva, Loquat, etc. 21+ / FREE! / Must RSVP at: http://www.thebayareatakeover.com/

Thursday, March 13 @ Art Outside at The Enchanted Forest, 1412 W. Oltorf (South Austin) 2-10 show (SFL on at 8pm) also w/ The Wombats, Buttercup, Band of Heathens, Dan Dyer, etc. 21+ / $5 b/4 7 pm / $10 after/ Open to the Public

Friday, March 14 @ SXSW Official Headlining Showcase at The Thirsty Nickel, 325 E. Sixth St. 8-2am show (SFL on at 12 Midnight) also w/ Eagle Seagull, Yves Klein Blue, Solid Gold, Bearsuit, and High Class Elite 21+ / $10 / Open to the Public

Saturday, March 15 @ Home Slice Pizza 1415 S. Congress Ave. 12-7 show (SFL on at 3:45pm) also w/ Joseph Arthur, Earlimart, Office, The Submarines, The Stills, etc. All Ages / FREE! / Open to the Public

MP3'S

Lay Down Your Weapons - from Underhanded Romance

Ghetto Ways - from Underhanded Romance

Nickels & Dimes - from Underhanded Romance

**SXSW Spotlight** Sleepercar

The first song conceived for West Texas originated in a moment of solitude while Jim Ward was waiting to soundcheck on what turned out to be the last At The Drive In tour. Fast forward seven years, and Ward is set to release a full length album chock full of Americana rock inspired by all things West Texas and influenced by the likes of The Old 97’s, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. The songs explore different uses of rhythms, voices and moods, allowing Ward to be more diverse with the compositions. West Texas will be released on Ward’s label, Civil Defense League/Doghouse Records on April 22^nd, 2008.

West Texas has a lot of strength and expansive depth, creating a sprawling, beautiful sound. The sounds of the instruments add to the reflective theme Ward hoped to explore. The final recording took place in a second-story loft with dome ceilings in El Paso— with Matthew Schmitz playing drums and recording the drum tracks over the course of a year or so. Ward recorded all the guitars, keyboards and pianos at his own home studio with Chris Heinrich, Gabe Gonzalez, and Ward’s father Jeff, rounding out the recordings on guitar, piano, and bass respectively (Heinrich-pedal steel/guitar, Gonzalez-piano Jeff Ward-bass). Additional musicians include 6-string guitar and farfisa by Ross Godfrey of Morcheeba fame with Maura Davis of Denali and Ambulette featured on “You Should Run,” and backup vocals on seven additional tracks. The record was mixed at Sonic Ranch with Justin Leeah at the controls.

From the opening notes of “A Broken Promise,” to the echoed chords of “Wasting My Time,” Sleepercar’s West Texas reflects the environment of its birth. From the soft vocal wave to the pulse-racing conviction of songs like the dynamic “Wednesday Night” we hear all sides of what Ward is capable of. Propelled by an array of sonic styles and tempos, colored by heartfelt, adoring lyrics, the songs on West Texas are a declaration of love. “West Texas is my home, my land and my soul” says Ward.

Sleepercar is celebrating the release of West Texas by embarking on (as far as we know) a never before attempted, small town tour of Texas. They combed the state and set up shows in roadhouses, Art Galleries, Cafe's and punk rock bars in a whistle-stop tour that encompasses the spirit of beauty, eclectic culture and vastness of the state that fuels the songs on this debut. Twelve shows - two weeks – spanning the entire state.

After the SXSW Festival, Sleepercar will whirl through South Texas, move north through Ft. Worth and west into the panhandle and ending in the new buzz hub of Marfa, TX, where "There Will Be Blood" was filmed.

• Sleepercar - Wasting My Time
  

Sleepercar [MySpace]

West Texas Tour Dates:

Mar 14 Austin / Rio (SXSW)
Mar 18 Brownsville / Galeria 407
Mar 19 McAllen / Incubator
Mar 20 Laredo / GW Roadhouse
Mar 21 Corpus Christi / Brewster St
Mar 22 College Station /venue tba
Mar 25 Ft Worth /Lola's
Mar 26 Wichita Falls /169
Mar 27 Amarillo / Golden Light Cafe
Mar 28 Abilene / Monks Cafe
Mar 29 Lubbock / Jakes
Mar 30 Marfa / Ray's Bar

**SXSW Spotlight** The Spinto Band

The Spinto Band are from Delaware and have been making music since 1998. They have an infectious sound reminiscent of The Shins mixed with a little of The Flaming Lips. They just finished recording Moonwink, but have yet to announce a release date. I'm sure they will be trying out their new material during SXSW. They have toured with Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, Art Brut, and We Are Scientists. They are currently on tour with The Whigs.

• Oh Mandy-mp3
  

SXSW Tourdates:

3/09 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Studio (SXSW Interactive/Film Festival)
3/12 - Austin, TX - Donewaiting.com SXSW Party @ Creekside Lounge (Spinto Band, Division Day, AA Bondy, Midgetmen, Catfish Haven, Goes Cube, El Jesus de Magico) noon-6:30, free
3/13 - Austin, TX - Schuba's/Spin SXSW Party@ Yard Dog Gallery (Spinto Band play from 1:40-2:05pm) free
3/15 - Austin, TX - Emo's Annex @ 12am
3/15 - Austin, TX - Home Slice Pizza (Spinto Band play at 3:45 pm, it's free)

[Myspace][Official]The Spinto Band

"Japan Is An Island"

**SXSW Spotlight** Walter Meego

I first saw Walter Meego when they opened for VHS or Beta last September at the Mohawk. It was outside and it was so freaking cold but I didn't stop me from having a good time. There were quite a few people at the show and I know I wasn't the only one impressed by them. You can tell they were having a good time on stage and even professed their love of Austin numerous times. Walter Meego is originally from Chicago, but have relocated to L.A. to work on their music. They have some new demos on their myspace. Hopefully they will have a cd out by the end of the year. They are signed to Almost Gold Recordings, whose roster includes Peter, Bjorn and John, Calvin Harris, and Black Kids (Almost Gold Recordings, UK). Anyone else check them out on tour?

• Romantic (Tilliander Remix)-mp3

SXSW Tourdates:

3/12 - The Parish (214B E. 6th Street) 11pm **One of my favorite venues**

3/14 - IHEARTCOMIX! vs. Mad Decent Austin SXSW Blowout 2008 @ Jelly NYC's Texas Garage (421 W. 3rd St. @ Guadalupe, Austin, TX, 78701) Feat. The Nylon/Guess Lounge [RSVP Here]

[Myspace] Walter Meego

"Lost" (Live)

**SXSW Spotlight** The Helio Sequence

Photo by http://briantamborello.com/

I've always had a special place in my heart for The Helio Sequence. If you've seen them live, you know what I'm talking about. I caught them most recently, last October when they opened for Minus The Bear. Looking around Emo's, you could tell not a lot of people were familiar with them. By the end of their set, people for cheering for them to play a little longer. If you not familiar with the band, here's where I come in. Brandon Summers (guitars/vocals/harmonica) and Benjamin Weikel (drums/keyboards) make up the band up this Oregon band. Yup, that's right, two guys make all that sound. They have toured with Blonde Redhead, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, and Secret Machines.

All that sound was almost lost in 2004, when Brandon lost his voice while they were on tour. he was bummed but made the best of it [enter the whiskey]. Halfway through, though, he could hardly speak—let alone sing—and literally had to stop talking during daylight hours. To kill the boredom of forced silence during the day and the frustration of dissatisfying performances at night, he polished off 60 books in about as many days, beginning with Bob Dylan’s Chronicles. Upon returning to Portland, Brandon’s doctor forbade him from singing for almost two months. “I really hit the wall,” he recalls, “Going into 2005 I actually had to think, ‘If I lose my voice, what will I do?’” Off the whiskey and with a new appreciation for music, he taught himself vocal excercises and mic technique. He began jogging and devoted himself to not being a lazy. His voice came back and they began work on Keep Your Eyes Ahead, which by the way, came out last month via Sub Pop.

• Keep Your Eyes Ahead-mp3
• Lately-mp3
• Shed Your Love-mp3

SXSW Tourdates:

Friday, March 14 - Sub Pop SXSW showcase @ Bourbon Rocks (11:30pm)
Saturday, March 15 - Sub Pop Showcase @ TBA

[Myspace] The Helio Sequence

"Everyone Knows Everyone"

**SXSW Spotlight** Via Audio

Yes, they are catchy. Via Audio has those male (Danny Molad, drummer also) and female (Jessica Martins) vocals I love. Their album, Say Something Say Something Say Something, was produced by Jim Eno (Spoon's drummer) and released last September. The cd received a 7.7 on Pitchfork, pretty good I would say. Take a listen.

• Presents-mp3
• Modern Day Saint-mp3 (Catchy guitar riff)
• Harder On Me-mp3
• We Can Be Good-mp3
• Devoloping Active People-mp3 (I really like this song, she has a nice voice)
• Enunciation (A haunting song, in a good way)

SXSW Tourdates:

Mar 13, 2008
1:30P
Okay Mountain SXSW party
Austin, Texas

Mar 13, 2008
5:00P
SXSW - The Whisky Bar (Free! rsvp here) w/ Tacks The Boy Disaster, Silent Years
Austin, Texas

Mar 13, 2008
11:45P
SXSW SHOWCASE!- Habana Annex
Austin, Texas

Mar 14, 2008
2:00P
FRIENDS SXSW
Austin, Texas

Mar 14, 2008
3:45P
HomeSlice Pizza SXSW Party w/Tacks, The Boy Disaster
Austin, Texas (FREE)

Mar 15, 2008
11:00A
Tucson Scene Party @ Sonny’s Vintage
Austin, Texas

Mar 15, 2008
3:00P
SXSW Day Party - Sonny’s Vintage
Austin, Texas

[Myspace] Via Audio

**SXSW Spotlight** Grand Archives

Grand Archives is an talented indie rock band, formed in Seattle. The band, originally called Archives, is led by Mat Brooke, former guitarist and vocalist for Carissa's Wierd and former guitarist for Band of Horses. Brooke left Band of Horses in July 2006 to form Grand Archives. Their debut album, The Grand Archives, will be released this Tuesday (2/19) via Sub Pop. Lots of four-part vocal harmonies create a Beach Boys feel to many of the songs. Without a doubt, it is much more upbeat that Brooke's previous work.

• Torn Blue Foam Couch-mp3
• Sleepdriving-mp3

SXSW Tourdates: (On their Myspace they are listed as playing March 12-14, we'll keep our eyes on it)

March 13 - Little Radio/Noisepop 2008 (The Raveonettes, The Black Angels, A Place to Bury Strangers, Grand Archives, The Big Sleep, Minipop, The Pity Party, Spindrift, Yellow Fever, Peel @ Red Eyed Fly [free, starts at 11am]

March 14 - Sub Pop Showcase @ Bourbon Rocks (Blitzen Trapper, Sera Cahoone, Fleet Foxes, Grand Archives, Handsome Furs, The Helio Sequence, No Age, Pissed Jeans, The Ruby Sons, and Kelley Stoltz) [they play at 10pm]**Awesome showcase**

[Myspace] Grand Archives (you can stream their album on their myspace, there are 11 songs)