SXSW 2010: My favorite bands so far
Nneka performs at SXSW. View more SXSW 2010 photos. (Photo for the Tribune by Jack Plunkett)
AUSTIN, Texas --With 1,500 bands and hundreds of venues to choose from over four music-packed days and nights, the 24th annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference can be an overwhelming and sometimes frustrating experience. You can't see everything, and there's always that nagging feeling that at this very moment you're missing something great because you're doing something else -- like filing this blog entry.
But as Friday dawns, I've already caught up with dozens of bands that I've never seen perform, and discovered a bunch of new favorites. Here are my musical highlights at the halfway point of SXSW 2010:
Nneka: Nigerian-German artist with fiery, politically charged lyrics delivered with a hip-hop cadence over rolling reggae grooves. Could've done withour her bassist's scat vocal, though.
Telephunken: Electro-dance trio from Madrid who at times channeled the Madchester dance scene, circa Happy Mondays. But when they ripped into a techno-flamenco hybrid they made the music their own.
60 Tigres perform at SXSW. (Photo for the Tribune by Jack Plunkett)
60 Tigres: The Monterrey, Mexico scene is one of the world's most vibrant, producing numerous excellent cross-cultural bands. I finally got a chance to catch up with this quintet and was blown away by their multi-part harmonies (they've clearly studied their Beatles) over intricate arrangements that veered into progressive-rock territory even as they kept pulses pounding and feet moving
Efterklang: While I've always admired this Danish group's albums, they didn't prepare me for their absolutely winning live show, with mult-part songs ranging from hymn-like beauty to orchestral crescendoes.
Broken Records: Scottish streetcorner rock with cello, violin, mandolin and accordion augmenting a double-guitar lineup for a series of songs that just kept getting fiercer and wilder as the set sped toward the finish.
Horrible , "rollercoaster din fusing acid-rock with punk brio" - sounds like a snobby dinner.
How about something that more than 5 people saw?????
Posted by: Yo | March 19, 2010 at 01:08 PM
do you like any american bands?
Posted by: jim | March 19, 2010 at 02:43 PM
I have been informed that Lawrence Arabia did not play at SXSW. John Grant took their place.
Posted by: Mike D. | March 19, 2010 at 10:29 PM
Yep that was John Grant not Lawrence Arabia!!!
Grant's new record "Queen of Denmark" is a killer, must be checked out dudes!
Posted by: chi | March 20, 2010 at 05:10 AM
Capsula was one of my favorite bands of the week too. Acid rock and punk brio is a great description. Their energy was amazing. After their set, I asked everyone around me to try to name the genre, but no one could describe it except to say they loved them. I also loved telephunken (despite their unfortunate name), and Go Tigers.
Posted by: flybike | March 22, 2010 at 11:57 PM