Why is it that whenever I post anew, it's likely from Verite Cafe? Well, I'm back again, leeching off their internet. I finished my Grande Americano and my fruity coffee cake muffin more than an hour ago.
When I arrived, it was overcast and there were hints of a looming rain storm. But things change. It's a now a bright sunny day, allowing for the perfect intermission to the SXSW Photo Blog Journal. The song can be found on a past FensePost review (click the album image to read said review) as well as an upcoming one.
The song is "He Knows the Sun" by The Legends. Originally off the single of the same name, the song was released shortly thereafter on the Public Radio LP. Now it finds a home on the fourth disc of Labrador 100, A Complete History of Popular Music.
Upbeat and filled with a lightly distorted reverb, the song is an anthem for a sunny day.
It's past time for me to head home, throw back the curtains, open up the windows, turn up the Swedish pop on Labrador 100, grab a beer from the fridge, sit on the patio with a good book (currently reading Vinyl Junkies), and toss some BBQ on the grill!
SXSW Photo Blog Journal The Zebras: March 15 at Lovejoys for the IndiePop Hootenanny
Attending the Indiepop Hootenanny was a dream come true. There, in a small side-street bar with the plural name of an underground British pop band (Lovejoys) were some tremendous bands off the lovable Portland indiepop label Magic Marker Records. That day BOAT would play (always a FensePost favorite), as well as The Manhattan Love Suicides and Sweden’s very own The Faintest Ideas. Kicking off the day, however, would be The Zebras, hailing from Australia.
The hootenanny was hosted by Magic Marker Records and 3 Imaginary Girls, two legends in the world of Northwest indiepop. They opened the bar and I indulged a bit. OK, maybe more than a bit.
I'd heard rumors of the horrid beer east of the Rocky Mountains, but while that may hold true in mid-country USA, it certainly didn't for Austin. Throughout SXSW, I became a bit of a Shiner Bock fan.
When The Zebras took stage, I wasn't quite sure what to think. But by the end of the first few songs, I was a fan. Their sound blended all those feelings I hold dear when listening to pop off Magic Marker.
There are similarities to New Zealands' darlings, The Bats. You can hear super strong hints of the C86 and Sarah Records era. It was readily apparent they had a sound to be reckoned with.
Most songs the group played hailed from their 2006 sophomore release, Worry A Lot. Each song was a mirage of catchy phrases and driving percussion. Case in point: listen to "Science Competition" and you'll be astounded by the powerful chorus and of the tune in general.
The title track follows suit with chorus lyrics like You can stay at home here on your own / I won't stop you... Just give me back those records that I loaned / I won't stop you...
SXSW Photo Blog Journal Peter Bjorn & John: March 15 at Buffalo Billiards
This blog was to be titled "The Zebras: You Look Ready," after the mp3 of the Zebras I was planning to post in addition to the photos from this show. But there were two reasons to change this. First, it's damn confusing! Why have an mp3 of one band and post photos of another band?
Doesn't make sense.
Second, The Zebras deserve an entire blog posting all to themselves. I mean, I did see them live right after this show. And they were pretty freakin' amazing. I ended up buying a tee-shirt of the band and got a CD-R of their first two albums (they ran out of actual copies in Spain).
So, left is yet another blog entirely about Peter Bjorn & John.
SXSW Photo Blog Journal Peter Bjorn & John: March 14 @ La Zona Rosa
Note that throughout this post, you'll find images like that to the left from the show listed above.
I flew into Austin on the 14th. There were a few reasons for my Texas trek; the primary being that of Free Yr Radio, a program developed to benefit independent radio. The majority of the day was spent in preparation for the event. I went to Home Depot for some makeshift hanging tools (PVC pipe) and hung out while The Rapture and The Pipettes did sound check.
The launch kicked off at 7pm with a VIP party including free food, an open bar, and a live DJ set by Dave Pianka. At 8pm, the doors opened for The Pipettes and at 9pm the Rapture jumped on-stage. I didn't get to see much of the show, as I was working behind-the-scenes, but both bands sounded amazing.
I'm not really here to talk about them, however. I'm here to discuss the rest of the evening, when I was set free to unleash my wrath on SXSW.
The decision was simple. La Zona Rosa was fairly out-of-the-way when it came to SXSW events and by the end of our event, I was already exhausted. I decided to stay, the bonus being Peter Bjorn & John (MySpace) at 1am (so yeah, that's technically March 16, but it's still 11pm on the 15th in Seattle).
The trio has made a bit of a name for themselves of late. Their song, "Young Folks," is not only damn catchy, it's garnered the most hype for PB&J. According to Jon from Abandoned Love Records (more to come soon on him and our encounter with a giant bear last Saturday), "Looks like whistling is last year's hand clap." You said it buddy!
Oh, you say, didn't they make a video of that? Yep, here you go:
Before going any further, check out the FensePost review of PB&J's latest endeavor, Writer's Block.
As I stood with fellow KZUU pals, a girl walked by, holding her hands out in front of her and running into people. As she approached, a couple to our left realized what was happening and caught her as she passed out. It reminded me of my first time seeing Aqueduct, when one of our party passed out while Nada Surf was on stage. The couple carried her through the crowd and to safety.
After a few more songs, I decided five beers was too much for my bladder and made my way out of the masses and into the restroom.
Business finished, it was time for some pictures. I snapped some from the safety of the crowd's edge. It was the first time I had really used the camera, so I found it difficult to get good lighting and, as you'll soon see, this trend seemed to last throughout SXSW.
I circled to the side, where the entrance to backstage had a burly bouncer perched with arms folded on a stool. Seeing me, who had been backstage during The Pipettes and The Rapture, and who now held a fancy little camera, he said I could slip back for a few minutes to snap some shots. Sweet.
NOTE: All photos copyright Andrew Fenstermaker and FensePost Reviews.
The move is complete and I am sitting at the bar table, a housewarming gift from my parents, in my new home. The stools make me feel tall, which never happens, but is a welcome feeling. I love the place and unpacking is coming along quite well. I have only 4 boxes left to unpack and two bratwursts on the grill outside, where I have a decent view of Queen Anne Hill and the Aurora Bridge atop Fremont.
Next week I'll be at SXSW. I'm hoping to do a MASSIVE FensePost update with all 5 reviews on Monday, but we'll see if I can pull it off. If you will be in Austin that week and want to meet up, send me an e-mail (fensepost@gmail.com) and I'll give you my number. So far the lineup includes, in alphabetical order:
Click the links to read that band's review. I haven't really done any prep work on nailing down a personal schedule for the festival, but those are key ones I know I want to see.
The Shaky Hands are from Portland and they come recommended by eri-CH, a long-time FensePost contributor and KZUU DJ. The song is "Why & How Come" and it is off their self-title debut, out soon on Holocene Music. Read eri-CH's review (up 3/6/07) on FensePost.
I am obsessed with music and the blurred edges bounding pop culture. I am a collector of all things entertainment, maintaining a decent and always growing collection of vinyl records, compact discs, and digital video discs.
I created a little concoction called FensePost.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Relations) and a Masters in Business Administration (Marketing) from Washington State University. Aside from running FensePost, I work as a Marketing Manager at a small marketing agency in Seattle. I own a condo in the hip Scandinavian neighborhood of Ballard where I ride my 1960s Schwinn Varsity on weekends, listen to my trusty Zune, and drive around in my Volvo station wagon.
Why is it that whenever I post anew, it's likely from Verite Cafe? Well, I'm back again, leeching off their internet. I finished my Grande Americano and my fruity coffee cake muffin more than an hour ago.
