Thanks Austin - 2012: Blue in a Red World

We've been quiet here for a bit.  That's unlike us.  You'll have to give us a pass though -- your blog authors had twins a few months ago.  Yep.  Two babies.  And maybe in 2013, we'll actually sleep for longer than 3 hours in a row.

I did want to say a quick "thanks" to our hometown though, which is something of an annual tradition on this blog.  This year, I thought I'd give thanks for Austin being blue.  Given how red a world it is beyond the borders of Travis County, I'm thankful that Austin provides a little bit of balance.  Texas might be red, but if you live in Austin, your world never gets much worse than purple.

credit: politico.com

Yaktoberfest 2012: Now on www.Yaktoberfest.org

First glass of a fresh glass of Kölsch

We had our first planning session for Yaktoberfest 2012 last night.  Several of us homebrewers came together and sampled each other's wares.  I unveiled my just-bottled Kölsch, which seemed to be received warmly.  We have a few new ideas for this year's fest.  We're also proud to announce a new home for Yaktoberfest on the web:  www.yaktoberfest.org is up.  Bookmark it and check back for festival announcements.

Fun Fun Fun 2012: Lineup Out; Music Mixes for Each Stage

The lineup for this year's edition of Fun Fun Fun, our favorite Austin music festival, came out last week.  While last year's fest was heavier on the metal, this year the hip-hop and electronic acts are out front.  As noted in an earlier post, Run-D.M.C. are this year's headliners, and they'll be joined by a barrage of strong hip-hop acts both rising and classic on the Blue Stage, from Schoolboy Q to Rakim.  Three more stages will feature a mix of indie rock, hard stuff and comedy, plus a few "events" like the veggie hot dog eating contest. The full lineup is below.

The last few years, we've made a big music mix to celebrate the lineup release.  This year, we thought we'd try something different:  Four stages, four mixes.  Into metal or punk rock?  Check out the Black Stage mix.  Like your music more twee and drippy?  Orange is for you.  Between the four, there's a boatload of music (and humor) to check out.

2012 FUN FUN FUN FESTIVAL LINEUP

BLUE STAGE

RUN-D.M.C. A$AP ROCKY GIRL TALK

DE LA SOUL ETIENNE DE CRECY  BUN B

STARFUCKER  ARAABMUZIK DILLON FRANCIS RAKIM

DANNY BROWN THE OCTOPUS PROJECT TRUST TANLINES

DMC KREAYSHAWN MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS ASTRONAUTALIS

SCHOOLBOY Q CHARLI XCX PENGUIN PRISON EL TEN ELEVEN CLASS ACTRESS

ANAMANAGUCHI DIAMOND RINGS NITE JEWEL NICK WATERHOUSE NICKY DA B A.DD+

MUSTARD PIMP DAUGHN GIBSON GOLD FIELDS ICONA POP 10 YR ORTHY LOVE INKS BAAUER

AMERICAN ROYALTY VOCKAH REDU FEATHERS

ORANGE STAGE

EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS  PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY SANTIGOLD

THE HEAD AND THE HEART SUPERCHUNK REAL ESTATE

THE BLACK ANGELS LUCERO MINUS THE BEAR THE PROMISE RING

SURFER BLOOD DEERHOOF PAUL BANKS (OF INTERPOL) BOB MOULD

WHY? ATLAS SOUND SHARON VAN ETTEN BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW

OMAR RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ CURSIVE ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD

GIVERS HELIO SEQUENCE TWIN SISTER NOUVELLE VAGUE DIAMOND RUGS DUM DUM GIRLS

TITUS ANDRONICUS BEACH FOSSILS BRENDAN BENSON DOLDRUMS DISAPPEARS GIANT SAND

YELLOW OSTRICH THE JEZABELS A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS FANG ISLAND FOXY SHAZAM

DEATHFIX CULT OF YOUTH BALMORHEA UME THE GOLDEN BOYS NOT IN THE FACE HUNDRED VISIONS

BLACK STAGE

REFUSED TURBONEGRO X (PERFORMING LOS ANGELES)

TOMAHAWK AGAINST ME! FUCKED UP WAVVES

SEAWEED THE SWORD CONVERGE YOUTH OF TODAY

LAGWAGON BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME NAPALM DEATH

NOMEANSNO OFF! THE BRIEFS THE SPITS BARONESS BRAID MUNICIPAL WASTE

JAPANDROIDS VALIENT THORR TORCHE DWARVES LITURGY EARTH THE RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS

LA DISPUTE PEELANDER Z RED FANG DEVIN CHEAP GIRLS DEAFHEAVEN KVELERTAK

BURNING LOVE PALLBEARER RESIDUAL KID JOYCE MANOR POWER TRIP FLESH LIGHTS THE YOUNG TIA CARRERA

YELLOW STAGE

DAVID CROSS HANNIBAL BURESS

WYATT CENAC DOUG BENSON

EUGENE MIRMAN SAUL WILLIAMS

JON BENJAMIN TIG NOTARO W. KAMAU BELL  DUNCAN CARSON

MORTIFIED SESSIONS FFF DATING GAME BATTLE RAP ROYAL

AIR SEX CHAMPIONSHIP RAMIN NAZER DOUG MELLARD CHRIS CUBAS

NEW MOVEMENT SKETCH COMEDY TROUPE ALTERCATION PUNK ROCK COMEDY HOUR

VEGGIE HOT DOG EATING CONTEST TACO CANNON WEIRD AL TRIBUTE BAND (MIDGETMEN)

NOLA COMEDY HOUR  KATH BARBADORO CHRISTOPHER WONDER MAGIC SHOW 

KEVIN SECONDS (SPOKEN WORD) SETH COCKFIELD DANNY PALUMBO

ASHLEY BARNHILL ERIC KRUG JOE SIB JAKE FLORES CAMERON BUCHHOLTZ DEREK PHELPS KAT RAMZINSKI  BRENDAN K. O'GRADY

Fun Fun Fun 2012: Run-D.M.C. Reunion Highlights Lineup Leaks

The full lineup for the 2012  Fun Fun Fun Festival  has not been released yet.  To appease eager fans (and entice ticket sales), festival organizers have been "leaking" a handful performers over the past couple of weeks.  The latest news, and probably biggest so far, is a partial reunion of old school rap legends and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Run-D.M.C.  Living members Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniel (DJ Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell was murdered in 2002) will reunite to perform together for the first time in a decade at this years Fun Fun Fun.

As someone who purchased Run-D.M.C.'s first album on cassette in my early teens and a fan of hip-hop since the golden age, I'm excited.  After watching fellow old-schoolers Public Enemy rock the festival with overflowing energy last year, I'd bet on the duo delivering a good set.

If you happen to catch this post early and are hear in Austin, head over to the Mohawk RIGHT NOW - some Fun Fun Fun tickets are being given away during a "Run-D.M.C. Happy Hour" from 5-8.  If not, well, buy tickets to the fest?  In the meantime, here's a little update of Run-D.M.C.'s "It's Like That" produced by Jason Nevins a few years back.




By the way, other leaks so far include Atlas Sound, Bob Mould, Against Me!, The Head and the Heart, Danny Brown and fellow rap legend Rakim, a late scratch from last year's festival.

Music Mix Archives Added to FBtA (along with "Stella Got a Fella")

Ever wonder what becomes of the music mixes we post here in our right sidebar?  After staying up on our homepage for a time, most of our music mixes used to vanish into the internet's hazy cloud.  We wanted to give those mixes a second life, so we created the From Boston to Austin Music Mix Archives.  So if you wanted to revisit ACL 2010 or check back in on my mom's 45s from the '50s, the link is now up there on the menu bar.  The page is full of widgets and takes a few secs to load, but your patience will be rewarded.

Speaking of those 45s, when we first posted about revisiting my collection of my mother's 7" records, we mentioned a certain tune by the Fireflies, "Stella Got a Fella."  At the time, the song was not available on Grooveshark and therefore didn't make it into our music mix.  Since then, Grooveshark's scope has grown, and "Stella" is now there in all its glory.  We added it to our "Mom's 45s from the '50s" mix, so go check it out.

Yaktoberfest 2012 Update: Upgraded Beer Equipment (Equals Upgraded Beer?)

After several years of brewing with a mix of grains and malt extracts, I decided to upgrade and make the switch to an all-grain home brewing rig.  All-grain brewing takes a bit longer than extract brewing does, but the ingredients are cheaper.  Plus, the process is more "authentic."  And "authentic" equals "hardcore," which is a virtue, right?

With a few parts from Lowe's and the local home brew store, Austin Homebrew Supply, and a few hours of tinkering, I was ready to experiment.  Yesterday I started up a new batch of a version of the Kolsch that was a hit at last year's Yaktoberfest.  I soaked a mix of cara pils and 2-row malts, plus a bit of wheat, in hot water, then sparged with 5 gallons of hot water.  After cooking the wort with hops for an hour and cooling it, I pitched a tube of White Labs German Ale/Kolsch Yeast.  That was about 8:30 last night.

Early this morning, there wasn't much activity, but by late morning a bit of foam was starting to develop on top.  By noon, a nice kreusen was taking shape.

Not much else to do but wait for now.  In a couple of weeks, we'll be ready to bottle.  And in a month, I'll know whether this recipe's Yaktoberfest-worthy or not.

A Short Video Tribute to Donna Summer, the "Queen of Disco" (1948 - 2012)

I heard Donna Summer passed away the other day.  As someone who goes back far enough to remember when disco was still big on the airwaves, upon hearing the news I quickly had two Donna Summer-related memories.  The first was from back just after Bad Girls was released and blew up in 1979.  My father, who never could resist a song that makes you boogie, bought a copy and brought it home.  It was a double LP, so after putting it on, he opened up the jacket to reveal a large centerfold picture of the glamorous Donna, which he propped up on top of the television set while we all disco-danced around the living room together. The second is much less nostalgic.  My wife and I saw The Full Monty back when we lived in Boston (yeah, the name of our blog actually means something), and ever since then, whenever I hear "Hot Stuff" I think of Gerald on the unemployment line.

Credit: mimivar83 (Daily Motion)

Adam "MCA" Yauch: Musician/Filmmaker/Activist (1964-2012)

"The endless knot, an important symbol in Tibetan Buddhism, has been described as 'an ancient symbol representing the interweaving of the Spiritual path, the flowing of Time and Movement within That Which is Eternal. All existence, it says, is bound by time and change, yet ultimately rests serenely within the Divine and the Eternal.'" Credit: Wikipedia

Like many a music fan, I was saddened yesterday to learn about the passing of Beastie Boy/film artist/activist Adam "MCA" Yauch.  I wanted to throw together a quick post, but it took me a day.  In that time I listened to Ill Communication, Paul's Boutique and a few more, and took some time to reflect on the rapper that I always considered to be the best of the Beasties.

I grew up in the Northeast, not too far from NYC, and came of age in the 80s.  As one of the handful of white kids who listened to rap and also as a somewhat-nerdy Heeb who appreciated a good wisecrack, I immediately identified with the Beastie Boys, and its something that never really faded.  Through school and into college, I mixed with a crowd that skateboarded (before it was popular) and engaged in all sorts of shenanigans. The soundtrack shifted focus from rock to hip-hop around the time the Beasties dropped "She's On It."  We used to drop MCA's raps the most, and many of us (especially my cousin Steve, who some thought had a bit of MCA in his looks -- I was more Mike D) were vehement in our belief that he was the Boy with the most mic skills.  Later on, I can remember a friend at a party trying to explain to someone how with the Beasties it was more than just about the music, and that there was almost that we shared an  ideology and sense of style.

The thing I like best about the Beastie Boys though is how they evolved.  Musically, they made huge strides.  Their rhymes got more clever and sometimes serious, and their production expanded from the rock-hook Rick Rubin era to the textured Dust Brothers magic that is Paul's Boutique to the strange soup of hip-hop, punk rock, funk, Latino music, and more that sounds impossible to pull off but that the Beasties more or less perfected on Ill Communication. Outside music, they grew up.  They took some chances and expanded their commercial empire.  MCA got into Buddhism and the Tibetan freedom cause, made films and launched a production company, and put on huge, memorable benefit shows.  Ad Rock and Mike D did their own things too, with Grand Royal magazine and BS 2000 and what have you.

So it's sad on many levels for me that MCA has passed away, so young, with what could have been so many good years ahead of him. But he did leave us with a legacy of great raps, a few worthy films, and probably my favorite MTV Video Music Awards moment of all time, from back in 1994.  Not familiar with Nathaniel Hörnblowér?  Watch this excellent compilation below.  As Michael Stipe says after Nathaniel makes a brief impression on the crowd, "Wow!"  In other highlights, the Beastie Boys lose lots of awards to the Aerosmith menace, but still put in a great performance of "Sabotage" in some fine suits, earning the praise of former touring partner Madonna.

Record Store Day 2012: Grooving on Gary Clark Jr.

Record Store Day 2012 has come and gone, and while our experience this year was mixed, there are a few truths that seem to have been confirmed:

• If you want a copy of one of the most in-demand records, show up early.  Stuff sells out early.
• If you shop at Waterloo, bring a wad of cash!  The line on Record Store Day was daunting -- I almost turned around and left -- but instead I fought through the crowds, grabbed what I wanted and got in line, figuring I'd just be patient and wait.  Lucky for me, the nice man operating the cash-only register came around looking for those of us with enough cash to check out, and I was one of the few lucky souls, thereby avoiding the last half of the 100+ person checkout line.
• Gary Clark Jr. is going to be a big, big star.  Trust me.  If you haven't read one of the thousands of gushing recent reviews of one of his shows or his Bright Lights EP and jumped on this bandwagon, you're late now.

So while Gary was gaining racking up new fans while holding court in a big tent at Coachella, the best I could do was grab one of the last copies of his Record Store Release, Gary Clark Jr. Presents HWUL Raw Cuts Vol. 1.  After going home and listening to Clark Jr. rip his guitar (and flipping the record back and forth a few times in a row), I'm convinced that he's closer to the next Jack White than the next Robert Cray.  And not to knock Cray, but I mean that as a good thing.

If you couldn't make it to a store on Record Store Day, some of the releases are still available, so go check out your local record store (here's our list of Austin's participating retailers).  If that's too much trouble, here's Gary Clark Jr. from his Record Store Day release, flipping Jimi with "Third Stone From the Sun/If You Love Me Like You Say."

First Veggies From Our Garden This Year

Swiss chard (in 3 colors).

Record Store Day 2012 Is Almost Upon Us (April 21), and Austin is All-In Again

2011 Record Store Day vinyl

If you've been keeping up with us, you probably know that we're big fans of Record Store Day.  This year's version is only a couple of days away, and we're getting psyched.  Not familiar with Record Store Day?  The official website offers this description of its genesis and current structure:

The original idea for Record Store Day was conceived by Chris Brown, and was founded in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner as a celebration of the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally. This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on.

Forget all of that Earth Day and "Festivus" crap.  For a few of us, Record Store Day truly is the holiday "for the rest of us."

This year, a dozen different Austin retailers will be participating.  Last year, the crowds were mostly at Waterloo Records, so we first went down the road to Cheapo Discs where there were only a handful of shoppers and plenty of vinyl to choose from.  We later made it over to End of an Ear and eventually to Waterloo, and ended up finding everything we were looking for.  This year, we're still looking down the list and formulating our plan:

Antone's Record Shop
BackSpin Records
Breakaway Records
Cheapo
Encore Records
End of an Ear
Immortal Performances
Musicmania
Out of the Past Collectibles
TheScrewShop.com
Trailer Space Records
Waterloo Records

RSD Special Releases: web ][ pdf

2012 Wildflower & BBQ (& Pie) Tour: Opie's Barbecue and Hill Country Bluebonnets

Central Texas -- in particular the Texas Hill Country -- is well known as an area rich in wildflowers.  Every Spring, throughout Austin and all around, fields, yards and even highway medians become a breeding ground for wildflowers like Indian Paintbrushes, Indian Blankets, Wine Cups and especially Bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas.  While you can see a pretty good variety of flowers throughout the city, the best way to experience the color display is to head out into the countryside and hit the back roads.

For the last few years, some friends of ours have tried to organize a day of leisurely driving and photo-snapping, along with the added attraction of another of Central Texas' calling cards, barbecue.  Last time around we couldn't join in the fun.  This year though has been a much better year in terms of rainfall.  The best since we moved down here without question.  So we weren't going to miss out on the 2012 edition.

A week or so ago, we all sensed that the wildflower bloom was peaking.  Since the season is way too brief, we decided we'd head out over the weekend to see what we could find.  After considering our options, we decided to head west past the lakes and into Hill Country, making at least one BBQ stop at Opie's Barbecue in Spicewood.

Our eventual route

We timed our departure so that we arrived at Opie's at a great time.  Right after we got in line, the people started flooding in.  None of us had ever eaten at Opie's, but a four-star rating from Full Custom Gospel BBQ gave the place some cred and our taste buds some anticipation.  As you make your way to the front of the line, the meat options are there on display to draw you in.  Which we were.  Not knowing if we'd make another 'cue stop or not, we ordered a healthy mix of meats and sides: brisket, sausage, chicken, baby back ribs along with some beans and the usual accoutrement, plus one small dish of something we just couldn't resist ordering, tater tot casserole.

Hot, well-crusted brisket at Opie's

We thought the 'cue was pretty solid. The brisket was tender and smoky -- not as spicy as some others, but plenty flavorful.  There was no consensus on the rest, but nobody thought anything was a clunker.  And one member of our party was blown away by the tater tot casserole and spent most of the time in the joint lobbying the group to go in on another order.  So it might not make the critics tingle like Franklin, Snow's or Louie Mueller, but if you're out by Lake Travis and in the mood for some smoked meat, Opie's is worth a pit stop.

Smokin' outside Opie's in Spicewood

Now satisfied, we continued west in search of some flowers. The blooms were pretty good even along the main roads, but we wanted to see some good country, so after a bit we headed south toward Round Mountain, then across to Willow City.  Our first spontaneous stop was the Round Mountain Cemetery off Ranch Road 962W, a picturesque little spot with a mix of graves old and new, and with a mix of Bluebonnets and other wildflowers that were worth a few snapshots.

Continuing west, we next headed toward Willow City before cutting down to Fredericksburg. We found our best wildflowers along Farm Roads 3347 and 1323.  One big field was sprinkled with Bluebonnets and White Prickly Poppies as far as you could see, and the green and blue together with the bits of white sparkling in the sun was pretty dramatic. If you ever have a chance to make it to Hill Country for a wildflower drive, definitely get off the main roads.  You'll be rewarded.

The driving was great, but we were ready to stretch our legs at that point, not to mention that it was getting close to 3:30.  That's means it's time for pie!  Thankfully, Fredericksburg Pie Company was just around the corner from where we entered town, and while it might not be Royers of Round Top, we enjoyed sharing our slices of both peach praline and chocolate meringue.

Fredericksburg Pie Co's Chocolate Meringue (front) and Peach Praline (rear)

Well, before we could call it a day, we felt obligated to make like the locals and grab a beer and the Fredericksburg Brewing Company (another very creatively named joint in Fredericksburg). The beer garden out back is a great place for a cold one.  After that, we were finally ready to get back in the car to relax and digest for the drive home.
Central Texas Wildflower Resources

This wildflower season is just about over here in greater Austin.  If you want to head out though, there are some resources out there to help:

Wildflower Sighting Updates

• Texas Wildflower Pictures Wildflower Report
• Wild About Texas Wildflowers
• Wildflower Haven
• Hill Country Portal has a list of other sites and phone numbers for updates, plus lots of other useful tips

Other Resources

• Central Texas Wildflowers: Good photographs of many different flowers
• HighlandLakes.com: More photos and a bit of info on the most common wildflowers found in the area
• Wildflowers in Bloom: Lots of wildflower information from Texas A&M
• Johnson City, Texas Chamber of Commerce: Info on flowers and events and suggested routes
• Celebrating Wildflowers Texas Hill Country Coloring Book: Like it says; very cool, for kids or arty types
• Hill Country Cruising: A route aimed at motorcyclists
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: If you can't make it outside of Austin city limits

Best of luck on the hunt!

SXSW 2012 Bullets (3/21/12): Best of the Best and the Worst

South By Southwest is over, but the assessments continue to roll in.  One popular format we keep coming across are the inevitable "best of" and "worst of" lists.  So here's a rundown of some of the best best-of and worst-of lists, and the best bests and best worsts on those lists.  Not to be confused with Best Wurst, Austin's favorite cure for a drunken hunger, and itself a SXSW fixture.

Pitchfork:  The Best (and Worst) of SXSW 2012 - From Fiona Apple to Jack White to the latest in gross-out fast-food technology

• Best Best: "Best 'Living in the moment' = Jack White and Skrillex found common ground this SXSW by making their anti-cellphone-concert-video views clear during simultaneous gigs on Friday night. White's Third Man showcase prohibited all photography and video, while Skrillex said to the crowd, 'Put your fucking cameras down for a minute!' Even if we like watching live YouTubes every now and then, the stance is admirable. --RD"
• Best Worst: "Worst 'Increasingly slow, complex band setups' = Whenever I wander away from metal, punk, or hardcore shows at festivals, I'm amazed at how long it takes bands to set up. I'm guessing this is because, these days, artists are often big enough for festivals before they've ever actually gone on a real tour and learned how to speed this shit up and/or trim the fat. --BS"

Austin360:  All the best of the SXSW Music festival - Old favorites remind why they still rock; new acts blow away crowds

• Best Best: "Nancy Flores: GZA featuring Grupo Fantasma and Brownout. Who was the genius who thought of this perfect combination? Grupo's horn section brought GZA's beats to life, creating a funky new hybrid act. GZA even told the enthusiastic crowd at the Haven, 'The chemistry is lovely.' Saturday's performance was a testament to what happens when artists take risks. It was a prime way to bid farewell to SXSW. Some magic was created with this collaboration, and GZA promised future shows together"

Washington Post: SXSW: 5 rock ‘n’ roll moments

• Best Best: "4. A fan noshing on a hamburger throws hunks of his lunch into a ceiling fan overhead. The spinning blades bat pieces of bread and beef across the room."

Vulture:  The Thirteen Best, Weirdest, and Most Memorable Moments From SXSW

• Best Best: "9. Best conversation I’ll overhear all year: 'Is he looking at me because he thinks I’m weird, or because he thinks I’m cute?' 'Sweetie, you are barely even one of those things.'

Indiewire:  Indiewire's 12 Favorite Moments from SXSW 2012

• Best Best: "Standing in line for coffee at the convention center. Place my order, give him my debit card. Sign the slip. The Jo's Coffee cashier looks at the receipt, then at me, and says: 'Wow. You have a seriously awesome signature. It really looks like you're having a good time.' This has nothing to do w/ how I write but the fact that despite the endless hordes at the convention center, a guy ringing up coffees for minimum wage can still be that positive and generous. That is definitive SXSW/Austin and one of the reasons that people usually leave here happier than when they arrived -- something you can't always say about Sundance, Toronto or Cannes. [Dana Harris]"

SF Weekly's All Shook Down Blog:  The Worst Moments from SXSW 2012

• Best Worst:  "Worst Spontaneous tattoo at the S.O. Terik / Filter showcase.  On Friday, Samantha Urbani from Brooklyn indie band Friends did something to a fan he might forever regret. At the S.O.Terik-Filter showcase, beneath a blazing sun, she tattooed him using a safety pin and a lighter. The ink -- a crude-looking planet with a ring around it on his right bicep -- was modeled after one Urbani has herself on her left middle finger. When pressed, Urbani declined to identify it as a specific planet, despite its similarities to Saturn. 'It's just a planet,' she said. 'My own private planet!' She seems annoyed, perhaps because she'd been asked this question many times before. As for her smitten devotee, he can look forward to a lifetime of explaining that he got a shitty tattoo from a member of a early-teens buzz band that he briefly liked with a song called 'Friend Crush.' - Ben Westhoff / LA Weekly"

Indiewire:  The Critics Break Down SXSW 2012

• Best Worst: "'The worst movie I saw was 'Nature Calls.' The worst *thing* I saw was 6th Street.' -- Eric D. Snider, Film.com"

Dallas Observer's DC9 at Night Blog:  A.Dd+'s Top Eight Moments of SXSW

• Best Best: "​Dallas own' A.Dd+ had quite the spin during SXSW 2012, playing roughly half a dozen showcases and day parties before getting right back on tour with Black Milk on Saturday. ... So we thought we'd ask what some of their highlights were. Here is the duo and DJ Sober's top moments from the fest. 1. Seeing Chance from Burning Hotels in the middle of the street screaming 'A.Dd+ Muthafuckaaaa' to passing cars, while almost getting ran over by one, Leslie Chow-style."

Calgary Herald:  Best and worst at Austin South by Southwest fest

• Best Best: "Best vice-presidential intellectual beating: Al Gore on Sean Parker.  The two were having a discussion, but it's clear who was the intellectual and who is wearing cool glasses. Not that I hate Parker, because, when it comes to under-standing the kids, he's got it down. But during the discussion, it was Gore's house."
• Best Worst: "Worst takedown: Billy Corgan vs. Kids These Days.  Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan was all set to make a couple of solid points on the state of the music industry, but a well-meaning discussion soon became a chance for Corgan to rail against the death of alternative music and how kids these days just don't care about music like they used to."

SXSW 2012: Quiet Company Cleans Up at Austin Music Awards (As We Predicted)

Last year after The Bright Light Social Hour was the big winner at the Austin Music Awards, an annual celebration of the city's music scene that takes place each year during South By Southwest, we asked for comments on the following question: "An opinion on who will be the next band to break out, Mother Falcon or Quiet Company?"  Well, it was Quiet Company who you should have put your money on, as the local quintet cleaned up the awards last week.  In addition to Band of the Year, Album of the Year for We Are All Where We Belong and song of the year for "You, Me & the Boatman," the band's members were all big winners too.  QC front man Taylor Muse took home top prize in three big categories (Male Vocals, Songwriter and Musician of the Year) while fellow member Matt Parmenter won in the Producer category and was runner-up for Bass, Jeff Weathers won Drums, and Tommy Blank was runner-up to the deserving Gary Clark Jr. for Electric Guitar. Mother Falcon didn't do too poorly either, winning in the Avant-Garde/Experimental category.

So what about 2013?  Well, one safe bet would be the Wheeler Brothers, the 2012 Best New Band winner and a top ten finisher in many categories.  And how big will Quiet Company get?  They have been featured on the grooveshark.com front page for a while now.  That's a good sign.

While you think about these and other important questions, here's a video of Quiet Company performing winning song "You, Me & the Boatman" backstage at the 2012 Austin Music Awards.  And below, listen to this year's top ten finishers in the Song of the Year category.  Congratulations from FBtA to all of this year's winners.  And if you're thinking of getting tickets for next year's awards show and are wondering what sort of thing might go down, read this prior post for another video featuring Alejandro Escovedo, Joe Ely, and some other guitar player from Jersey.

SXSW 2012 - Slideshow: Choir of Young Belivers, Eleanor Friedberger, Tom Morello (w/ surprise guest Wayne Kramer)

South by Southwest has developed a reputation of being full of surprises.  Bruce Springsteen joining Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely on stage at the Austin Music Awards will likely be the most covered surprise moment of SXSW Music in 2012.  Our SouthBy experience was just a toe-dip in the water, but we still got a few unexpected memories of our own.  One example from Thursday:  Walking down the Lady Bird Lake hike/bike path and hearing this music that sounded a lot like Fela, then climbing the river bank and finding Fela's son Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 playing a free set at Austin City Hall on a beautiful afternoon. That was very cool.

A second surprise happened on Saturday.  We were about to give up on trying to get into the Rolling Stone Rock Room Party at La Zona Rosa while munching on some sandwiches outside the Royal Blue Grocery across the street.  After all, the line to get in was pretty long and had barely moved.  But when we looked up one time, the line had shrunk to almost nothing, so we decided to give it a go and went in to see the last act, former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, playing as The Nightwatchman, both solo and with his three-piece backing band the "Freedom Fighters Orchestra."

I was never a big Rage Against the Machine fan, but sorta dig the small amount of Nightwatchman music I've heard.  As you might expect from a member of Rage and grad of Harvard, Morello was outspoken and engaging, and played his guitar with some serious energy and deftness.  He and the Orchestra ripped through some of the heavier songs, including a searing rendition of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen -- "The only Boss Man worth listening to," as Morello proclaimed. But The Nightwatchman isn't only about tearing shit up.  He also plays some more traditional American protest music, and while the lyrics are sometimes a bit forced, the meaning always comes across loud and clear.

Most of the crowd was probably there to see "the guy from Rage Against the Machine," as Morello even joked himself late in the gig.  So not surprisingly, after getting the crowd to hush up for the quieter "The Garden of Gethsemane," fans were ready to go for the remaining, as-bargained-for "nothing but heavy metal jams."  And speaking of jams, for the last 15-plus minutes, Tom brought out punk and protest forefather Wayne Kramer of The iconic Detroit group The MC5.  Of course, the band must have felt as if launching into "Kick Out the Jams" was practically mandated, but nobody in the crowd seemed to complain.  At the bitter end, The Nightwatchman invited those he watches over to join him on the stage for upbeat closer, "World Wide Rebel Songs."  Aside from the gent who passed out and fell flat on his face right next to us (he was fine), everyone left grinning.

We also quickly ran by the UT Urban Outfitters to catch Eleanor Friedberger's solo gig.  She was really fun to see, albeit not the most interesting act to photograph.  But the solo setting provided a good opportunity to catch her clever, poetic lyrics.  We also got to see a good chunk of the set by Choir of Young Believers, a shoegazey indie group that we enjoyed.

SXSW 2012 - SIideshow: Seun Kuti & Africa 80 at Austin City Hall

We were on our way to go see the free show with M. Ward and The Shins at Auditorium Shores last night, but we were downtown early and had time to kill.  Fortuitously, we happened upon a free outdoor gig by Seun Kuti & Egypt 80!  Seun is the youngest son of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the little-disputed father of Afrobeat music. He grew up playing with his father and the band and took over leadership after Fela's death from AIDS in 1997.  Coincidentally, we had just listened to his 2011 album the other day, From Africa With Fury: Rise, and were really psyched to luck into seeing Seun Kuti play.

Seun may not be his dad, but he possesses a lot of the fire and spirit, not to mention musical chops, that made his pop a legend.  The band was tight and treated the audience to that patented endless groove, while Seun worked up a big ol' sweat testifying about political and social issues.  The crowd was diverse and not too thick, so we were able to get some nice shots of Mr. Kuti and the great Egypt 80.

 

SXSW 2012 Bullets (3/16/12): Big Day of Free Shows Tomorrow!

Some days, the badgeless at SXSW are really not that much worse off than those who shelled out the big bucks. You might not be getting into any of the official showcases without a badge, but tomorrow there are just too many free gigs going on to worry about that.  The side parties database has over 130 free parties listed for Saturday.  Sure, some things will be packed, but the vast magnitude of options should spread the human density damage out somewhat.  Not sure what we'll be doing, but here are a few we've highlighted as possibilities (in addition to MWTX and others we've noted in earlier posts).  Some require RSVPs, so you'd be wise check the details of you're interested.

• Things start up early.  If you're brave, head to the  MOG at the Mohwak (9th & Red River), where we're betting the crowds will get thick to see the likes of legendary axe-shredder Bob Mould, Blitzen Trapper, The Roots, War on Drugs, Cloud Nothings, and Gary Clark Jr.  Things start up at noon.  No RSVP required.
• Right nearby at Club DeVille (900 Red River), things are also starting early.  Go catch Cymbals Eat Guitars, We Were Promised Jetpacks, The War On Drugs, White Rabbits and others from noon on at The AV Club's party.  No RSVP required.
• On the other side of downtown, La Zona Rosa picks up at noon too with Rolling Stone's Rock Room party featuring Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman), Gary Clark Jr. and others at La Zona Rosa – starts at noon so they probably go on late afternoon.  No RSVP required.
• This morning, the deejay on KVRX played a song by Peter Wolf Crier that we found pretty catchy.  They'll be playing at Domy Books (913 E Cesar Chavez) (2:30 PM) for the party headlined by The Black Swans (6:15 PM).  "It's that time a year again friends, pseudo-folk stylings in Domy's backyard to help us wind down a heavy week. Come on down to the grass, hang as you will, and enjoy some assuaging acoustics from this land, across the pond and beyond. Refreshments provided while they last and good vibes in abundance."  No RSVP required.  
• We've been surprised how much we enjoy the first solo CD by Eleanor Friedberger, so we're hoping to go catch her set from 2-2:45 PM at the Urban Outfitters near UT (I think in the lot behind).  Hot new electronic artist Grimes comes on at 6.  No RSVP required.

But wait!  There's so much more!

• Day 4 of Brooklyn Vegan's Hotel Vegan party has a ton of good acts, including Heartless Bastards and Diamond Rugs (John McCauley of Deer Tick w/ members of Los Lobos, Black Lips & more) back-to-back from 4-6 PM, plus boatloads of hip-hop indoors.  Party's at 1500 E 6th.  RSVP here via Do512.  Wanna read more SXSW stuff from the venerable rock rag? Here's a lsit of Rolling Stone's 25 acts to see at SXSW.
• Missed Built to Spill at any of their many gigs around town this week?  They're at Filter's SXSW Showdown at Cedar Street (208 W 4th St.) at  5:00 PM.  RSVP is required for that one.  They're also at an afternoon gig at 1300 South Congress – South by San Jose  – along with Austinite Ben Kweller and others.  No RSVP needed for that one.
• One more big one!  Wavves, Diplo and tons of others play at Emo’s East and the Beauty Bar.  RSVP via Do512.
• Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and members of Old Crow Medicine Show are playing some music after a showing of "Big Easy Express" on the LBJ Library lawn (near UT) at 6:30.  RSVP is necessary and might be full.  Or sweet-talk your way in.
• Can't deal with that?  You could always head down to Auditorium Shores for the annual free shows that SXSW officially puts on.  We saw M. Ward and The Shins there last night in fact.  Tomorrow finishes up with Austin's fun retro-rockers The Bright Light Social Hour  (7 PM) and UK post-punk icons The Cult (8 PM).  No RSVP needed.
• If you want to keep going, head to 8th and Trinity for the Red Bull Thre3style party, always a big smash.  A bunch of DJ greats are in town, including Dan the Automater, Jazzy Jeff and Z-Trip, plus Erykah Badu and others, starting at 8 PM.  No RSVP here either.
• Not your thing?  Try Alejandro Escovedo at 9:00 PM at Maria’s Taco Xpress (So. Lamar).  I doubt Bruce will show up.  He's probably not even in town.  But it is billed as “Alejandro Escovedo’s Annual Taco Party,” and Al seems to be the Boss Man's newest and bestest buddy.  So who knows?  RSVP at Do512.

Bruce, Joe Ely and Alejandro Escovedo making some memories at the 2012 Austin Music Awards (credit: DownThunderRoad)

SXSW 2012: A Collection of Tweets on Tuesday, March 13

Searched Twitter for "SXSW" and read through a number of results.  Found a few that were amusing or informative.

SXSW 2012: Mess With Texas Party Set Times Announced

One of the top free "unofficial" South by Southwest gigs each of the past few years has been Transmission Entertainment's Mess With Texas Party.  Set times for MWTX, which is at 1100 E 5th St., are now out.  RSVP at mwtxparty.com.

SXSW 2012 Bullets (3/11/12): Interactive and Film in NOW Mode; Music in PREVIEW Mode

South By Southwest is all over the news.  A Google News search netted nearly 5,000 articles posted over just the last 24 hours.  Interactive and Film, which in full swing, are getting lots of coverage, but Music is picking up steam, with a a lot writers sharing their "top picks."

Interactive

• Austin the new mobile software hub?  The Austin American-Statesman’s Lori Hawkins and Kirk Ladendorf write: "[E]ntrepreneurs have generated a wave of startups that are helping establish Austin as a hub for mobile Internet. … [T]he vast majority of Austin players are in their infancy. They include eight-person CanWe Studios, whose founder, Brooke Braswell, raised $1.5 million from private investors and moved from Indianapolis to Austin this year to create a smartphone app for business networking.  … 'Austin is like an approachable Silicon Valley. People are open to having coffee and talking about their own business and helping you connect,' Braswell said. 'Even though everyone is fighting for the same talent and in some cases the same customers, there's a genuine desire for you to succeed.'"
• What SXSW Interactive stories are currently trending on Google News?  Unfortunately, the story about "Homeless Hotspots" isn't really a positive one.  (It isn't just me, right?  The subject title "Homeless Hotspots" just reeks of questionable taste, no?)  Slate's Rachael Levy: "[T]he homeless individuals hawking the service were recruited from a local shelter and are walking around carrying MiFi devices (techspeak for mobile WiFi hotpots) and wearing t-shirts with this: 'I’M [FIRST NAME], A 4G HOTSPOT, SMS HH [FIRST NAME], TO 25827 FOR ACCESS, www.homelesshotspots.org' Those who wish to connect to the 4G network offer a donation that goes directly to the homeless person. BBH Labs recommends a $2 donation per 15 minutes of use—which can be paid through PayPal—but leaves the ultimate payment up to each Internet user."  Naw, that's not bad taste!  Yeah ... neither was bum fights.
• The New York Times' bloggers appear to be immersing themselves in all that SXSW has to offer. In this update from SXSW Interactive, the Times touches on the important side activities of brunch and partying, but also offers up this story which to me is so very "Austin": "The folks behind the Austin-based start-up Mifft didn’t feel like shelling out thousands of dollars for a mere table in the South by Southwest exhibit hall. So they spent $3,000 on an ancient schoolbus and turned it into a mobile briefing room and taxi service."  There's also a 22-minute video.  Go check it out.

Credit: bits.blogs.nytimes.com/

• Is blogging a girl-thing?  Austin360 food blogger extraordinaire Addie Broyles went to a panel on just that, and had a few "takeaways" to report back, including this theory: "Women traditionally have been storytellers, and blogs are just another way for them to tell stories. (We’re good at social media for this reason, too.) It’s in a public space, so sometimes this makes them think twice about exactly what they blog, but in general, telling stories in an open space should be the same as in a closed space. Be heartfelt and honest."
• Rock gods and movie stars aren't the only celebrities in town for SouthBy.  Green policy biggie and former VP Al Gore was in town, and he thinks our "democracy has been hacked" in describing the trouble with special interest money and bipartisanship.  ABC News' Jake Coyle sums it up like this: "To fix what he called a no-longer functional U.S. government, Gore urged the audience to begin a new 'Occupy Democracy' movement. He pushed for the creation and implementation of digital tools and social media to 'change the democratic conversation.'"
  

Film

• Switching over to SXSW Film, Austin360 put out its picks for the film fest last week.  They narrow down the many panel and movie offerings to 35.  Flick picks are grouped into features, docs, Texas-related, and music, including one event we were really excited about but sold out for non-badge holders quickly, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (Work-in-Progress): "Never-before-seen footage, in-depth interviews and musical performances by bands they inspired help round out director Drew DeNicola's portrait of power pop pioneers Big Star. An all-star cast — including Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M., Chris Stamey of the dBs — will perform Big Star's legendary, enigmatic album Third (aka Sister Lovers) after the screening. Austin's Tosca String Quartet will also participate."  If you're lucky enough to be going, or you think you can sass your way in the doors, its March 15 at 7 p.m. March 15, at the Paramount Theater.  If not?  Well it isn't much, but below is Big Star's "Blue Moon" from the aforementioned Third/Sister Lover.  And here's the Austin360 preview of the Big Star documentary.

• The Austin American-Stateman’s Farzad Mashhood: "13-year-old Justus Williams … is an expert chess player and one of the stars of Brooklyn Castle, a documentary about New York Intermediate School 318's chess team that premiered Sunday at the South by Southwest Film Festival. Throughout his nearly three hours of play at Brush Square Park downtown following the film's screening, he held a calm, almost expressionless demeanor. … Ethan Schaffer, 11, a sixth-grader at St. Stephen's Episcopal School, came to face one of the world's best scholastic chess players in Justus and watch a film about one of his hobbies.  'Any thoughts any person had about winning were extinguished within 10 minutes,' Ethan said. 'He had me picked apart in minutes.'"
• Here's a pretty cool one from SXSW news.  Per the vote of the masses, tugg.com is presenting re-screenings of seven films that were deemed to be giving off the "buzz" thing: Charles Bradley: Soul of America; TCHOUPITOULAS; King Kelly; WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines; Electrick Children; God Bless America; and Beauty is Embarrassing.  Special screenings start tomorrow and run through Thursday.

Music

• As noted above, Austin360's just released its picks for SXSW Music.  Various staff members list their picks by day, along with "who they could share the bill with" to give the unfamiliar an idea of what the artist is like.  Joe Gross includes one of my favorites, Screaming Females: "The key to this, one of the best punk rock trios currently active, is, of course, singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster, whose shredding, shrieking and soloing can raise the dead. A fifth album, Ugly, is due in April (Could share a bill with: Wild Flag, Ted Leo/Pharmacists)."

• Todd Martens of the LA Times' Pop & Hiss blog presents his music stories to watch, including one potential break-out that I agree with: "Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar may be a SXSW veteran, but look for the forthright youngster -- and Dr. Dre protege -- to come home from this year's Austin shindig with a few more fans. He has three official showcases, and he'll also speak at a Thursday afternoon panel on the importance of branding."

• I felt obligated to post this one -- SXSW: Boston bound for Austin lists one Bostonian's music hit list. "Showing some hometown love, I'll also be keeping tabs on bands with local ties, including Debo Band, Quilt, and Providence's Brown Bird. I'll drop by Berklee College of Music's day party on Saturday. And in keeping with our city's pride, both The Dig and local music blogger Ryan Spaulding's Outlaw Roadshow will be hosting their showcases on St. Patrick's Day. You can take the Bostonian out of Boston, but...."
• Before skinny jeans and indie rock took over a good chunk of the scene, Austin (so I'm told) was something of a country rock town. For people still looking for that thing, the twang might be harder to find than in the past, but it's still lurking. CMT News has ten SXSW country music ideas, among them the local trio The Carper Family, whose members sometimes join in with a small bluegrass combo at the Austin Downtown Farmers Market: "The Carper Family are quite intriguing, although its members aren't actually related. These three gals mix old country, old-time, bluegrass and swing tunes into their original catalog. Their harmonious blend recalls a simpler time, yet one of their numbers is titled 'Who R U Textin 2nite.' Get dialed into their sound on Saturday at 11 p.m. at Stephen F's."

The Carper Family doing "Together Baby" in a music store

Austin Food Scene Gets Some National Exposure (Thanks to Paul Qui and Aaron Franklin)

I don't watch Top Chef on television, but my sister does.  When she described the chef from Austin who was her favorite contestant at the start of this past season, it sounded a lot like the guy behind one of my favorite food trailers in town, East Side King.  Turns out that it was indeed Paul Qui, Executive Chef at local sushi fave Uchiko and the man behind the East Side King trailers (there are three).  And after going to battle with fifteen other worthy contestants, Qui emerged victorious, making us proud here in Austin.  Especially those of us who've been lucky enough to sample his curry buns and meshi dishes.

"Poor Qui" Pork bun from East Side King (credit: foodieisthenewforty.blogspot.com)

Paul is now up for Best New Chef - Southwest in Food & Wine Magazine.  Click below to vote for Paul!  If you're in town for SXSW, you should definitely go check out one of his three trailers over on the cool east side.

On a similar note, Austin's Franklin BBQ and pit master Aaron Franklin have also been pulling in the accolades.  Every time someone writes about top BBQ joints, whether locally, state-wide or nationally, it seems like Franklin shows up.  But competing with French Laundry and Le Bernardin?  Well, last week, I saw this article in Yahoo listing the 20 Best Restaurants in American.  And there at #15, right between Jean-Georges and Mario Battali's Babbo, was Franklin BBQ.  "The brisket, with its peppery exterior, falls apart as you pick it up. The turkey is what presidentially pardoned birds aspire to. The sausage snaps loudly when you slice it, juice splashing out and up... You've heard the buzz. It's not hype. It really is that good."  The article also notes the giant lines that form before the joint even opens.  So be forewarned, SXSW hipsters:  If you want to sample some of Texas' finest smokes meats, plan wisely.

Assortment of smoked meats from Franklin BBQ (credit:  fcg-bbq.blogspot.com)

A lot of people have had Franklin's name etched on the trophy for top BBQ spot the next time Texas Monthly publishes its Top 50 list.  The return to Austin last year of John Mueller and his JMueller BBQ, which Texas Monthly chronicled in its February 2012 cover story, has added a bit of intra-town intrigue.  So has a recent glowing review on the Full Custom Gospel BBQ blog of a place out in Bryan called Fargo's Pit BBQ.  In other words, if you do happen to be in town for South by Southwest and are afraid of the lines at Franklin, there are options.