Archive for the ‘SXSW’ tag
Turns out hot days are perfect for sitting in the sun with a cold beverage. The French Legation Museum – the former French embassy grounds – hosted a lawn party with two stages and many places to lay your weary head to rest. It turned out to be the perfect environment to hear James Blake perform, as his low-tempo melodics translate into even more of a relaxed vibe when performed live (as a certain Hollis Wong-Wear said, he is the Mayer Hawthorne of dubstep). Also caught San Francisco two-piece the Tune Yards, who I’m definitely going to be looking into more.
No mention of the day would be complete without Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. OFWGKTA is the single most buzzed-about group going right now, and the line at the Fader Fort reflected it (side note: even Fader cover boy James Blake was having to work his talking magic to get through the lines).
Odd Future is hip hop that is about as punk rock as it gets. The music is heavy and energetic, driven by bass hits and sharp snares, and the lyrics are about what you would expect from an eight-person deep crew of 17 to 21 year olds. Despite the intense water bottle throwing (chill, guys), they owned the crowd for every single minute of their set.
After swinging by Shabazz Palaces (and THEE Satisfaction) at the Sub Pop showcase, the night wrapped up at Emo’s with a showcase that could very easily make one’s head spin: Pharoah Monch opened up, with Mela Machinko on vocals, and a surprise appearance from Jean Grae; Asher Roth continued to be terrible; Freddie Gibbs brought some serious midwest lean – and a seven-deep crew – to the stage; the Cool Kids played their hits and have apparently grown up into being the Cool Men; and Das Racist finished out a six-show day by bringing down the house.
Day one at South By Southwest is in the rearview mirror, and for this first-time attendee, I think it’s safe to say that it was a trial by fire. The sheer scale of the festival is astounding – I did the math late last night and can now proudly say I cracked the five mile mark of walking. Classy!
It was a crazy day of lines, but here are my highlights, as well as a selection of pictures from my absolutely high-quality camera. Enjoy!
The Fader Fort is its own center of gravity in the SXSW universe. The multi-hour line to get in, and the total production of the space is unmatched. To get a good sense of it, imagine a boiled down Sasquatch with more edge. That is to say, free beer, Statik Selektah and DJ Eleven providing between-band music, and a razor-edge selection of music. Twin Shadow won the day musically, combining delicate melodies with synth-driven quiet/loud rock. The only downer was a cancellation from certified Grown Ass Man Raphael Saadiq. Next time, Ray Ray.
Seattle’s Members Only crew put together an excellent funk and soul night with Austin staple DJ Chorizo Funk. Seattle’s DJ 100 Proof and Mr. Supreme, aka Supreme La Rock, flexed their significant crates, with the event serving as a de facto reunion for Seattle expats.
Yup. Heems and James Blake.
New York’s certified party-rockers and LxNxM homies Das Racist put a memorable capstone on the night by playing a show with Impose Magazine that featured the worst sound system, the nicest bar staff, and the most beer bottles per capita thrown thus far (note to showgoers: not cool).
And finally, the requisite afterparty, featuring Moby and Trouble and Bass boss Drop The Lime. Another note: when you walk into a warehouse and see a bald house DJ, there is an approximately 95% chance that it is Moby. There is no reason to question this.
Today’s all about checking out some specific folks, including the Vancouver/Brooklyn crew Old Money Massive, and San Antonio’s own Sonora and Mexicans With Guns. Where will we end the night? Nobody knows…
Hella more pictures right here after the jump.
blog-friends old money massive just dropped this mp3/video for the track “maroon on the move.” i’m not sure what it is–those harsh synths, the lyric “like the world on fire,” or the gritty, grimey visuals, but this song is really speaking to my end-of-days vibe, what with all the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-meltdown madness in japan, revolutionary fever/brutal crackdowns in the middle east, and empire-in-the-decline shit here at home. i believe that’s what you call ‘capturing the zeitgeist.’ if you’re lucky enough to be down in austin for SXSW, you can catch old money massive at the tormenta tropical showcase tomorrow at 10:00pm. meanwhile, download the mp3 here, and be sure to visit the always good-looking, old money-affiliated blog attorney street.
Sarcasm and parody raps are rarely done smartly. Weird Al Yankovic and Kool Keith could pull it off, but most rappers appear to be trying way too hard and the pun falls flat. Here’s a video that doesn’t make a drop of sense from Texas rapper Fat Tony that features comical lyricism and lot’s of, well, food. Any music vid that starts out at a grocery store automatically reminds me of Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing” but this video is even more weird. Believe it. Anybody that is going to SXSW this year should check out Fat Tony and his website to get the haps on his shows in Austin. Considering he’s playing gigs with friends of LxNxM such as Invincible and Das Racist, the guys is definitely alright in our book.
In my personal opinion, Panamanian-born yet Bay Area-raised reggaetoneros Los Rakas aren’t the most street individuals you’ll ever encounter. Still, they’ve got a brand new video out this week for their song “Kalle” that deals directly with the street life as if they’re experts. Then again, most rappers do the exact same thing and rarely get called out for it! If you’re not hip to Los Rakas yet, the duo is young, they enjoy repping their respective hoods as best as they can, and are known for making catchy jams and even catchier music videos.
We first told you about them last year back when Toast made sure readers caught wind of their sound and overall bilingual steez. He stayed on top of the crew a few times and they’ve since started touring all over the country bringing a slightly updated version of reggaeton to any audience that will listen. Check out their latest video below and for anyone that’s headed to SXSW this year (it’s almost that time folks), Los Rakas will be there as well.
Here’s a new project from a powerful producer and arranger out of D.C. named KOKAYI that deserves more attention. I first met KOKAYI at SXSW a couple of years ago and can remember being impressed with A) his hustle, and B) his follow through regarding keeping folks informed on his latest projects. He’s actually been nominated for a Grammy for his production work with Ethiopian-American singer Wayna.
He’s worked in collaboration with the Diamond District cats for awhile but doesn’t really make music that fits into the stereotypical D.M.V. sound. His production mixes in organic stylings and soulful electronica in a way that doesn’t feel forced or repetitive. As of today, he just released a brand new album called Robots and Dinosaurs that’s going to take some people by surprise. In addition to being able to purchase the album if you dig it, check out the first single from Robots and Dinosaurs called “Only.” It’s a misty, soulful, lovelorn track that’s piano driven with a hip-hop edge. Check it.
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Stones throw just dropped a new digital 7″ of Mayer Hawthorne covering the James Pants track “Thin Moon” and James Pants covering Mayer Hawthorne’s “Green Eyed Love”. It’s titled Pants plays Mayer, and you can cop it here. The actual 7-inch will debut at Stones Throw’s all-45s event at SXSW. Stones Throw and Wax Poetics teamed up to press this limited edition record, which they will be giving away at the event.
Mayer Hawthorne – Thin Moon (right click, save as)
Our dude down in Austin, DJ Chorizo Funk, just sent us a new installment of Chorizo Chunks, his estimable mixtape series. Praxis first got hipped to Chorizo Funk prior to a trip down to ATX, and now with SXSW looming around the corner, it only seems right to put one of Austin’s own squarely front and center.
The mix has tracks from Ray Barretto, Horace Andy, Barrington Levy, Johnny Osbourne, Ann Peebles, Erykah Badu, Sabo & Cassady, Top Cat, Lewis CanCut, Roberto Roena, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Calle 13, Chancha Vía Circuito, and more.
Doors open mang!
