8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Foursquare's Austin Unlocked Party VIP
37 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
events::invitation
NOTE THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY
eventtype Unofficial Party
event::about
First hour of 4SQ party is invite only, then it's open to the public!
Website http://foursquare.com/sxsw/
9:00 PM
to 3:00 AM
Foursquare's Austin Unlocked Party
46 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
events::invitation
NOTE THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY
eventtype Unofficial Party
Website http://foursquare.com/sxsw/
6:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Buzz Out Loud Party
84 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Unofficial Party
event::about
Get ready to Buzz Out Loud - Live at SXSWi 2011
Join Molly Wood and Brian Tong of CNET's most popular podcast, Buzz Out Loud as they stream live at Cedar St. in Austin. You'll get the hottest news coming out of SXSWi plus you'll find yourself rubbing elbows with special guests and fellow BOL fans.
Buzz Out Loud is the CNET daily podcast (of indeterminate length), which reviews the days' tech news and analyzes, interprets and argues about what technology means and what it's doing to the world at large.
Website http://cnet.eventbrite.com/
8:00 PM
to 2:00 AM
Major Rager presented by Groupme, Hashable, Dailybooth & Spin
82 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
11:00 AM
to 11:30 AM
11:00 AM
to 6:00 PM
Filter Magazine's Culture Collide
355 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
The Deer Tracks (11am)
The Latebirds (11:30am)
Harrys Gym (noon)
Cary Ann Hearst (1pm)
Cults (2pm)
The Vaccines (3pm)
Foster the People (4pm)
Raphael Saadiq (5pm)
11:30 AM
to 12:00 PM
12:00 PM
to 1:00 PM
1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM
2:00 PM
to 3:00 PM
3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM
4:00 PM
to 5:00 PM
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
SHEL
4 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
event::about SHEL is Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza: four classically trained musicians who happen to be sisters. From the artist colony of Fort Collins, Colorado, SHEL is sophisticated and youthful, emotional and lighthearted, classic and eccentric. SHEL's engaging live show is marked with a prodigy's creativity and a veteran's instinct for entertaining. Audiences delight with their unique songwriting style and fresh, new sound. Featured in the 2010 Glade ® Candles National Ad Campaign and ABC.com’s “On The Rise,” SHEL is quickly gaining national attention with their unique harmonies and innovative style. This powerhouse 4-pack not only wrote all the songs on their debut LP, but also co-produced the project with six-time Grammy Award winner Brent Maher. With influences ranging from The Beatles to Imogen Heap, SHEL never fails to deliver a refreshingly stellar sound. SHEL is signed to Universal Republic
event::tags 21+
8:55 PM
to 9:55 PM
Sick Of Sarah
31 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Sick of Sarah
event::about “The women who make up this Minnesota quartet bow at the altar of riot grrls’ days gone by while simultaneously thumbing their noses at scowling chick-rock clichés. The songs are as bracing as they are familiar…. For Fans of: The Breeders, Sleater-Kinney” – SPIN MAGAZINE “It was an absolute treat touring with SOS this year. They are fun loving, open- hearted girls who play irresistible punk infused pop music with a passion that is truly contagious… The girls are hilarious and wild, and have a charisma and chemistry that I found to be utterly charming..... I think you will too!” -Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) “Sick of Sarah is the real deal. This is a true working band who sing write and play for real. They are also cute and funny. They are my friends and they rock.” -Nancy Wilson (Heart) Jessie Farmer – Guitar and Backup Vocals Jamie Holm – Bass Guitar and Backup Vocals Katie Murphy – Guitars and Backup Vocals Jessica Forsythe -- Drums Abisha Uhl – Lead Vocal, Guitar “We’re just hoping that you’ll find / something we might have left behind.” – ‘Kick Back,’ 2205 When the girls of Sick of Sarah jumped on the stage of Minneapolis’ prestigious 7th Street Entry on April 7th, 2010, the room was shaking with excitement. The sold-out crowd pushed to get closer, waiting for a glimpse of the ladies that had only months earlier departed for a tour across country. After touring behind their self-titled debut LP for most of 2008/2009, Sick of Sarah had built some anticipation for their homecoming, “This was our final Minneapolis show before making the new record, we felt this was the end of the first chapter, and we couldn’t wait to show everyone what was coming next,” says Lead Singer, Abisha Uhl. That new chapter, 2205, was recorded in May at The Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX, a studio made famous for its indie-rock clientele such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Conor Oberst, Portugal The Man, Taking Back Sunday, Trail of The Dead and its extensive amp and guitar collection including guitars from the Stevie Ray Vaughan estate. “We were able to just live, breath and sleep this album 24/7, a luxury we didn’t have our first time recording,” says bassist Jamie Holm. “Most of the songs had been demoed before we recorded, but we had to arrange the songs and write lyrics on spot.” Some of those lyrics were inspired by the rumors of ghosts haunting the studios and housing, pet raccoons, and mementos discarded by previous artists. According to Uhl, “Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) left behind a piece of paper with the number of a therapist and masseuse in a dresser in our bedroom.” The band’s house and rehearsal space, 2205 Grand Ave has served both as a rotating home for each member of the band over the last few years and as a central creative hub. This location has become such an important symbol to the band’s identity that every member has a tattoo “2205” on their inner wrist. The address now lends its name to the new LP, 2205. With this simple gesture, the band has taken an important part of their own lives in order to present it to old and new fans alike in the form of a wild, raucous, catchy new album. The excited Minneapolis fans at the 7th Street Entry may have given Sick of Sarah a welcome homecoming, but with 2205 the band are welcoming fans into their own home. SICK OF SARAH: www.sickofsarah.com | www.myspace.com/sickofsarah For more information on Sick of Sarah, please contact: Jim Merlis Big Hassle Media jim@bighassle.com (323) 456-3490
event::tags 21+
9:50 PM
to 10:50 PM
Schmillion
12 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Schmillion
event::about Schmillion is the all-girl teen band based in Austin, Texas that won “Best Under 18 Band” in the 2010 Austin Chronicle Reader’s Poll. They were selected to be the official “young, emerging band” to play at “The 25 Year History of SXSW” exhibit opening hosted by the Austin History Center, March 5, 2011. Schmillion was also selected to compete nationally in the 2010 SchoolJam Teen Battle of the Bands taking place at the NAMM Show January 2011. In the year they’ve been together Schmillion has performed locally at Antones, Emo’s, Momo’s, The Mohawk and US Art Authority. They were the musical guest at the opening bout of the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls 2010 season, and played the Kids are Alright Fest, the Next Up! teen music series and Pecan Street Festival’s main stage. Schmillion blends many different styles in an effort to create something original and think of themselves as rock tidied up with crunchy guitar and bass riffs, quirky drumming and strong vocals. Schmillion released its first self-titled EP, December 2010.
event::tags 21+
10:45 PM
to 11:45 PM
Smoosh
53 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Smoosh
event::about Dropping out of high school has given us the freedom to open our minds and be inspired by different music styles around the world. We have traveled around Europe and wrote our last album “Withershins” in a remote cabin in the forest of Sweden. Part of the songwriting took place in a barn, and even in a meadow. We searched the depths and woods of Sweden to find ourselves, then pulled the atmosphere of Sweden into our songs and formed it all into an album. After traveling, we decided to donate 100% of the profits from the first 100 copies of Withershins to “Biblio Burro” in Colombia (a man and his 2 donkeys who travel around rural Colombia giving books to children.) As a part of the journey we’re on, it was logical to move to New York, to experience a place completely different from anywhere we had been to. We are absorbing the influx of New York’s jazz and street musician scene. We will bring these together with our own music, rework it, and twist it into something different, which will, in the end encapsulate our experience in the insanely inspiring and intimidating environment of New York City. In the short term, we are experimenting by remixing and re-working songs from all three of our albums and are so excited to work with New York-based Orchestra musicians to put something different together for our upcoming shows.
event::tags 21+
11:45 PM
to 12:45 AM
The Bangles
268 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
The Sounds
48 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
11:30 AM
to 11:45 AM
11:30 AM
to 6:00 PM
Filter Magazine's Culture Collide
307 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
Surfer Blood (5pm), Phantogram (4pm), The Belle Brigade (3pm), Weekend (2pm), Luke Rathborne (1pm), Maps & Atlases (noon), Marit Larsen (11:30am)
12:00 PM
to 12:45 PM
1:00 PM
to 1:45 PM
2:00 PM
to 2:45 PM
3:00 PM
to 3:45 PM
4:00 PM
to 4:45 PM
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
7:00 PM
to 2:00 AM
The Orchard Official SXSW Showcase
119 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
8pm Keepaway
9pm Generationals
10pm Dodos
11pm Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band
12am The Black Angels
1am The Soundtrack of Our Lives
event::about
*SXSW badges & wristbrands will be allowed entry first, then single admission tickets will be sold based on available occupancy
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Keepaway
24 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Keepaway
event::about Keepaway put out their first EP, Baby Style, in 2010. A few months later, they released more songs on the free download collection, Kompetitor. Since then, the Brooklyn trio of Mike Burakoff, Frank Lyon, and Nick Nauman have become self-proclaimed future musicians. Their debut full-length, Black Flute, is due later in 2011. As it's been said: ÂKeepaway build their songs the way the best hip-hop beats are made, by arranging undeniable grooves and samples into a heady post-pop composition. Their easy-going and approachable attitude buffers their intellectually dense music. The result is something groundbreaking yet reflective of the outsider pop that defines New York. They are going to plow SWSW.
event::tags 21+
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
Generationals
95 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Generationals
event::about It’s been an active summer for New Orleans’ Generationals. Grant, Ted, and drummer Tess Brunet wrote several new songs during a housesitting session at The Spellcaster Lodge (home of Quintron & Ms. Pussycat) in New Orleans. They tracked their second LP, ACTOR-CASTOR in Washington DC with Con Law producer Daniel Black, then left for Austin in August to record a four-song EP with Bill Baird at Baby Blue. They tracked in a sweaty, distinctly sound-porous box by day and swam in Barton Springs as an evening reward. It was the first time Generationals had recorded a body of work with anyone else.
In their second release, Trust (EP), the band is audibly transitioning from a jangling, sun-kissed sound in the vein of Aztec Camera or Felt to pop drones distinctly more hypnotic, textured, and challenging to conjure accurate comparisons for. This is certainly not to say to say that the sun no longer shines in the Big Easy. The shimmering hooks, girl-group choruses, and late-summer breeziness of Con Law remain intact in EP’s title track ("Trust"), but are joined by feedback loops, drum-machine beats, and abstractly dubbed-out, wobbling basslines throbbing organically in the mix. Con Law’s “When They Fight They Fight” may be Generationals’ early-career singsong anthem, but songs like “Say For Certain” and “Victim of Trap” are their lilting, droning annunciations of their burgeoning post-pop sound.
event::tags 21+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
The Dodos
278 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists The Dodos
event::about The Dodos No Color (Frenchkiss) The drums hit you in the chest first, spraying your speakers like swift gunshots. But then Meric Long's finger-picked chords kick in, cascading across Logan Kroeber's brass knuckle beats like only the best Dodos songs can. This forward motion feeling has driven the duo since 2005, but several key changes lift their fourth LP (No Color) to another level. For one thing, the band reunited with Portland producer John Askew, the man behind the boards of the Dodos' first two full-lengths, Beware of the Maniacs and Visiter. Having an old friend around was like adding an honorary third member; a voice of reason who can isn't afraid of vetoing ill-fated ideas. Ideas like glossy layers of vibraphone that lost their luster halfway through. The main focus of No Color was to bottle the frenzied folk approach that's been there since the beginning. And it works damn well, from the dagger-drawing dynamics and brain-burrowing choruses of 'Black Night' to the hairpin turns and splashy percussion of 'Good.' And then there are the songs that'll make you want to dub old episodes of 120 Minutes, including the instrumental break of 'Don't Stop' and the sneak attack solo that weaves its way around the steely rhythms of 'Don't Try and Hide It.' 'I have a love for '90s riffs that I haven't gotten to showcase in this band,' says Long. 'The most fun I had with this record was when I got to strap on the electric guitar and come up with Billy Corgan riffs while the tape was rolling.' It's as if Long's finally got to live the flannel-era fantasies that started when he was a teenager, tearing guitar tabs out of magazines at a local pharmacy. The catch? There's less room for error than there's ever been. 'We're more naked this way,' explains Long. 'You can hide a lot of your mistakes on an acoustic, but with an electric, every single note is much louder and more piercing. So I have to be way more on top of my playing now.' And so do we.
event::tags 21+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band
74 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
event::about Charles Bradley was down and out when Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records happened upon him performing his Black Velvet act at the Tarheel Lounge in Bed Stuy. Roth recognized his raw talent and directly brought him into the Daptone “House of Soul” Studios for a session with the Sugarman 3. "Take It As It Comes" was Charles' first single on Daptone and it proved him as a worthy vocalist. Roth eventually brought Charles out to Staten Island to see Dirt Rifle and the Bullets, a young funk band playing James Brown and Meters influenced songs. Thomas Brenneck, songwriter and guitarist for the Bullets, hit it off with Charles and they began working together. They released two singles on Daptone under the name “Charles Bradley and the Bullets,” but the Bullets soon dismantled in order to form the afrobeat influenced Budos Band. However, Brenneck knew that Charles had something more to give and after moving to Bushwick himself, he and Charles reunited. In time, they became close friends and Charles confided his life story in Brenneck. The young producer was moved when he heard Charles tell the painful story of his brother’s death. Brenneck said, "Charles, we gotta put that story to music." At the time, Brenneck was in the process of forming Menahan Street Band, an amalgamation of members of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, The Budos Band, Lee Fields & the Expressions and Antibalas. You may not know it, but you've probably heard the Menahan Street Band. Jay-Z sampled their signature horn sound for his smash "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)" while Kid Cudi sampled their guitar lines for "Mr. Solo Dolo." The list goes on as Menahan Street Band is quickly becoming one of the most sampled current bands in the business. All this shouldn't come as a surprise for those who have checked out the band on their own. The music is steeped in classic soul and afrobeat but displays an acute awareness for hip hop. It is lush, gritty, retro and modern all at the same time. Formed in Brenneck's bedroom, Mehanan Street Band began as a studio project. Brenneck was looking to record music in between his busy tour schedules when he called in friends from all sides of the Brooklyn Soul Scene. Each track was recorded over time with a rotating rhythm section all topped with the unique horn stylings of Dave Guy and Leon Michels. The final result was exciting to all those involved, and Brenneck released the first Menahan Street Band single, "Make The Road By Walking" on his burgeoning label, Dunham Records, a division of Daptone Records. Dunham continued to release Menahan Street Band singles and eventually a full-length album, "Make The Road By Walking." The records are characterized by an experimental element. Whether it be a unique instrument or simply an unusual beat, Menahan Street Band attempts to broaden the horizon of funk and soul music through these qualities. However, the term experimental far from describes the final product. The music is always founded in a solid beat and simple changes making it accessible to a broad spectrum of listeners. Brenneck's dedication to high quality analog sound is another staple element of the “Menahan Sound.” The process of recording to tape -- the limited track count, the tape edits, the natural tape compression -- has a great influence on the final product. Brenneck’s new sound was the perfect compliment for the heartfelt and troubled lyrics that sprang from Charles’ story. With drummer Homer Steinweiss, Brenneck launched Dunham Records in 2008 and released Charles’ "The World (Is Going Up In Flames)" and "Heartaches and Pain" as its’ second single. A departure from his Black Velvet act, the songs showed a new side of Charles as a compelling artist in his own right and proved to be a great success. Many late night writing and recording sessions later, he and Brenneck completed their first full-length record, "No Time For Dreaming." Charles always knew he was born to entertain, but in the making of this record he discovered a proclivity for songwriting as well. The record was a labor of love for both Charles and Brenneck. Charles and the Menahan Street Band have been touring, while Charles has been honing his passion as a singer and an entertainer. After years of working together, "No Time For Dreaming" is due for international release on Dunham Records on January 25, 2011.
event::tags 21+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
The Black Angels
244 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists The Black Angels
event::about Since Aristotle, man has organized his knowledge vertically in separate and unrelated groups---Science, Religion, Sex, Relaxation, Work, etc. The main emphasis in his language, his system of storing knowledge, has been on the identification of objects rather than on the relationships between objects. He is now forced to use his tools or reasoning separately and for one situation at a time. Had man been able to see past this hypnotic way of thinking, to distrust it (as did Einstein), and to resystematize his knowledge so that it would all be related horizontally, he would now enjoy the perfect sanity which comes from being able to deal with his life in its entirety. It is possible for Man to alter his mental state and thus alter his point of view (that is, his own basic relation with the outside world which determines how he stores his information). He then can restructure his thinking and change his language so that his thoughts bear more relation to his life and his problems, therefore approaching them more sanely. It is this quest for pure sanity that forms the basis of The Black Angels. -Tommy Hall
event::tags 21+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
107 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists The Soundtrack of Our Lives
event::about So, now it's finally arriving...A well hidden treasure soon to be revealed: The Soundtrack of Our Lives "Golden Greats No 1". A fantastic compilation of mind benders from "The greatest post-everything six piece space rock band in the history of the eardrum" (NME). After many US tours and live appearances on Leno, Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Carson Daily and hailed by critics and musicians all over the world - TSOOL is now releasing a lifespan of 19 songs from 5 different albums including 2 brand new killer tracks; "Earthmover" and "Karmageddon". Golden Greats No 1, is a trip of a lifetime and the perfect initiation for the absolute TSOOL beginner, and a confirmation for the already blessed. WIth everything from the TSOOL anthem "Instant Repeater '99" to "Second Life Replay" (just released on the TV series Californication Season 4 soundtrack) explore the mindscape of hte most converging band on planet Earth right now and get ready for a whole new level of existence - get into the groove of TSOOL! - "TSOOL are Godsend!"(MOJO), The Soundtrack of Our Lives are the present, the past & the future of Rock'n'Roll! (Noel Gallagher)
event::tags 21+
11:00 AM
to 11:30 AM
Indigo Tree
5 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
11:00 AM
to 6:00 PM
Filter Magazine's Culture Collide
246 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Unofficial Party
Speaker/Artist(s) Info
Indigo Tree (11am)
Kyst (11:30am)
KAMP! (noon)
Scars on 45 (1pm)
Those Dancing Days (2pm)
Datarock (3pm)
The Naked and Famous (4pm)
Little Dragon (5pm)
11:30 AM
to 12:00 PM
Kyst
6 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
12:00 PM
to 1:00 PM
KAMP!
8 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM
Scars on 45
13 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
2:00 PM
to 3:00 PM
Those Dancing Days
56 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM
Datarock
73 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
4:00 PM
to 5:00 PM
The Naked and Famous
113 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Little Dragon
113 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
Nicole Atkins & The Black Sea
100 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Nicole Atkins & The Black Sea
event::about “This is the record I’ve been wanting to make since I was 12,” says Nicole Atkins. “It has so many layers, it’s able to do whatever it wants without defining itself as one thing.” It’s been a tumultuous three years since the release of Atkins’ acclaimed 2007 debut, Neptune City, but the wait has proved worth it. Mondo Amore is a courageous, provocative work, fraught with dramatic tension, sweeping emotions, and musical ambition. With Atkins’ remarkable voice commanding attention at the forefront, songs like “My Baby Don’t Lie” and the searing “This Is For Love” capture the raw ache and self-reflective disillusionment of a love gone bad. Daytrotter described Atkins’ recent session as “a pretty soundtrack to violent waters,” which the New Jersey-born singer/songwriter sees as a spot-on portrayal of the album itself. “When you listen to it, it feels like a movie,” Atkins says. “From the beginning of it, the first song is ‘Vultures,’ which is a perfect intro song to what the actual record is about. And by the time you hear the end, with ‘The Tower,’ it’s almost like your stomach hurts, because you can feel the pain in it.” Mondo Amore has its genesis in a time of extreme turbulence for Atkins, a period which saw her parting ways with her former (major) label while also dealing with the painful termination of “a relationship that should’ve ended two years before it actually did.” As if all that weren’t enough, her former backing band, The Sea, abandoned ship just a week into the January 2010 start of recording the new album. “Things got kinda weird and dark,” she says. “Writing these songs was my way of trying to work out what was happening. I was breaking up with my boyfriend, my band, and my label, all at the same time.” Having spent the past few years living in her native Asbury Park, Atkins dealt with these seismic shifts by returning to her adopted home of Brooklyn. Despite limited resources, she rallied her many musical friends – including guitarists David Moltz and Irina Yalkowsky, bassist Jeremy Kay, and drummer Chris Donofrio – and set to work at The Seaside Lounge Recording Studio in Park Slope. Most significantly, producer Phil Palazzolo (A.C. Newman, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists) offered his services behind the glass. “Working with Phil has been one of the best experiences ever,” she says. “I’ll have an idea and he’ll say, ‘Okay, let’s try it.’ Whereas other producers would say, ‘Are you serious? That’ll never work.’ Working with Phil felt like hanging out with my best friend every day.” Atkins’ goal from the get-go was to create a more volatile sound than she had ever previously attempted, a sonic approach akin to such influences as Scott Walker and Nick Cave, while also touching on longtime inspirations like the blues and classic 60s psychedelic rock. “The production of the last record was a little bit too cheery for my taste,” Atkins says. “It was really lush and pretty and this time I wanted to deconstruct the sound a little bit. With everything that was going on, and because of the subject matter, I knew I needed something more aggressive.” Through it was undeniably painful, Atkins is strikingly pragmatic about her relationship’s end, describing the breakup as “dark and sad and sexy, rather than bitter and pissed.” As such, songs like “You Were The Devil” and “War Is Hell” (featuring counterpoint vocals from My Morning Jacket’s Jim James) display a deep range of emotional feedback, with Atkins bravely taking ownership of her own role in the scenario. “I don’t think any of these songs are mean,” she says. “I feel like they’re putting blame on both people, rather than just ‘You’re a jerk.’ It’s more of a passive/aggressive apology letter for me being crazy too.” As for her separation with her label, Atkins explains simply, “I knew where I was going with the record so I said, ‘Look, if you don’t hear it, I hear it, so just let me go.’” One happy by-product came from an A&R rep’s suggestion that Atkins team up with another songwriter in an effort to craft a mainstream hit. The idea, while misbegotten, struck a chord and Atkins entered into collaboration with one of her all-time favorite tunesmiths, Robert Harrison of Austin, Texas’ psych-pop legends Cotton Mather and Future Clouds & Radar. The two came together after Atkins waxed effusive about Harrison in an Austin Chronicle interview. Moved by what he’d read in his local paper, Harrison reached out to Atkins via MySpace and a fast friendship was formed, resulting in two of Mondo Amore’s standout tracks: “Cry, Cry, Cry” and “Hotel Plaster.” “Writing music by yourself can be a pretty lonely thing,” Atkins says. “Working with Robert was like having a musical friend to rant about your life with and then jam. He was almost living my life with me, helping me try to make sense of everything. It was cool for both of us because neither of us had ever written with somebody else before. I’m pretty sure I’m going to write songs with him until we’re both really old.” The loose collective of musicians who assisted Atkins on Mondo Amore has now morphed into a leaner, meaner backing combo, now dubbed The Black Sea. Comprising Yalkowsky, Kay and drummer Ezra Oklan, the band has given Atkins still more reason to be enthused about her future. “This is the best lineup I’ve ever played with,” she says. “It feels like a family, like a band of brothers and sisters. With that in mind, Nicole Atkins & The Black Sea is planning to do “a ridiculous amount of touring.” An inveterate road warrior, Atkins is eager to adapt the finely crafted songs of Mondo Amore for the in-your-face directness of live performance. “This band is really into it, almost as much as I am,” she says. “We’re trying to figure out how to work these songs for a trio, with me just singing. Trying to make the biggest sound possible with the least amount of people.” As its all-encompassing title suggests, Mondo Amore is a big, bold collection, a grandly romantic song cycle fraught with all the passion, anger, tenderness, and devotion of Atkins’ own extraordinary heart. “It’s so much love,” she agrees, “it’s borderline obsessive.”
event::tags 21+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
Matt Nathanson
43 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Eliza Doolittle
68 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Eliza Doolittle
event::about In the charming video for her first U.S. single, “Rollerblades,” Eliza Doolittle, a lanky, saucer-eyed brunette in a white tank top and denim short shorts, cycles leisurely around New York’s Lower East Side. A boy from her past appears to tie a bunch of bright blue balloons to the back of her bike, disappears, then reappears with her on a sofa on the sidewalk, then evaporates again before reappearing to buy her an Icee, after which Doolittle leaves him in the dust, jumping into a shopping cart with her girlfriends and riding off into a perfect Manhattan afternoon. “The boy in the video is a bit unreliable the way he keeps popping in and out,” Doolittle explains, “so it’s kind of a metaphor for him not knowing what he wants. In the end I realize that I need to move on from that and get on with my life.” If only we could all live in Eliza Doolittle world. The Cass Bird-directed clip, which also shows Doolittle frolicking joyfully in the cooling spray from a busted hydrant, manages another neat trick. It beautifully captures the idyllic feeling of being young and carefree on a summer’s day — a mood that saturates the 22-year-old London-born singer and songwriter’s self-titled debut album, which was released in the U.K. in July and will be released Stateside in 2011. Doolittle has already created a buzz across the Atlantic with her breezy singles “Skinny Genes” and “Pack Up,” the latter of which climbed to No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and has been a mainstay in the Top 10 for months. The album was certified gold in the U.K. within four weeks of its release. The album’s appeal is rooted in Doolittle’s rich, feel-good vibe of the music, which she co-wrote with a host of top-notch songwriters and producers, including Greg Kurstin (Sia), Steve Chrisanthou (Corinne Bailey Rae), the late Jonny $ (Kylie, Massive Attack), and Craigie Dodds (Amy Winehouse). Vintage sounds from the ’60s and ’70s are merrily mined and wed to buoyant melodies informed by classic pop, old soul, ska, folk, and even good old-fashioned barbershop quartet, creating something with a happy-go-lucky retro feel, but still indisputably youthful and fresh. “’Rollerblades was the first song I wrote, and I knew I had something special with the sound,” Doolittle says. “It’s got something to it that I hadn’t quite heard before, so when it came time to write the whole album, I made sure I put my stamp on it with that sound no matter which producer I was working with.” “Pack Up” boldly raids the chorus of the George Henry Powell marching song “Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag” and repurposes it to startling effect, creating a dance-hall ode to the joys of being the eternal optimist. “Money Box” is an orchestrated rant against senseless materialism, with Doolittle touchingly insisting “I don’t need no cash machine…all I need’s right here, right here with you my dear.” “Police Car,” a down-tempo lament swaddled in melancholy woodwind, is about Doolittle getting herself in trouble with her bluntness. “I do regret my mouth sometimes,” she says, “but then I think, ‘Well, that’s what I think, it doesn’t matter.’ But maybe I’m still learning!” Her disarming frankness and tart observations are actually her strong suits. “Skinny Genes” is “a cheeky song about a really annoying boy who has no good qualities, except for one really good one,” she says, while “Nobody” dismisses the cheap lure of fame with a simple question: “What’s wrong with being a nobody?” “Everyone's got a dark side, but mine definitely isn't the first thing you notice about me,” she says. “So it was important to me to be in touch with my personality through the music, and I think this album really shows that.” Raised by a piano-playing dad and singing mom, Doolittle has been writing songs since she was 12. “I told my mum that I wanted to be a singer and she told me to start writing because that’s where the money was,” Doolittle says with a laugh. “I love the writing aspect of what I do. That fulfilling feeling of finishing a song is just incredible. It’s like making babies. I mean, I'm sure when I have a real baby it will be a stronger feeling than this, but creating a song is like giving birth. Though perhaps not quite as painful.” Her precocious songwriting talent soon got her noticed, and Doolittle signed a publishing deal at 16. As she matured, her songs began to flower into the magical blooms they are today. Although she is a diehard fan of classic pop, and cites the Beach Boys, The Kinks, and Stevie Wonder as influences, Doolittle doesn’t see herself fitting in to a cut-and-dried pop mold. “I’d like to be a pop musician in the proper old school vein of pop when there weren’t any different genres like there are now; it was all just pop music,” she says. “I just want to write songs people can sing along to. I can’t think of anything more exciting than traveling the world and playing to audiences and having them sing your words with you.”
event::tags 21+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
The Raveonettes
273 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists The Raveonettes
event::about When you've had a cult fan base for as long as The Raveonettes have, it's only a matter of time before some of your most-loyal of acolytes begin branching out and make their own kinds of beautiful noise. In recent times, the musical DNA of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo has been cropping up with such regularity that it prompted the British music press staple NME.com to declare the Danish duo to be responsible for sparking 'America's pop renaissance.' It was a long overdue tip of the hat which drew comparisons between the Raveonettes' melodic magic and such modern tunesmiths as The Drums, Best Coast, Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls and even British bands like The Vaccines and Glasvegas. But why take NME's words for it? The bands themselves are only too happy to give credit where it's due and explain why the Raveonettes have been such a prominent reference point. 'They taught me a thing or two about pop music,' admits Jonathan Pierce of New York indie-pop trio the Drums. 'I've always been drawn to bands who are driven by a strong concept and The Raveonettes have been doing it consistently, uncompromisingly and unashamedly since their very first EP 'Whip It On' (2002). I listened to that record religiously for two years after it came out and still find myself going back to it now. They're the modern king and queen of melody and mood.' It's a sentiment that's also echoed by Dee Dee of Sub Pop starlets The Dum Dum Girls who has also been loyally following our Danish heroes from day one. 'They are one of a few bands I took direct kindred inspiration from when I started writing and recording my own songs. They are a constant reminder to keep the teeth of sound intact while courting the pop hook- a recipe I follow in my own work.' But it is perhaps the testimony of one Mr James Allan that exemplifies the Raveonettes-effect most dramatically. Back in 2004, James was jobless and aimless as he sat in Glasgow's famous King Tut's Wah Wah Hut venue drowning his sorrows one Friday afternoon. By coincidence, The Raveonettes happened to be playing the venue that very night and, whimsically hoping that some music would cheer him up, James spent his last bit of cash on a ticket. His money didn't just buy him a quick pick-me-up, it bought him a new lease of life. 'They were touring their 'Chain Gang Of Love' (2003) album- a modern day dream-pop masterpiece in my opinion,' he remembers. 'I left the venue so inspired. I didn't give a fuck about getting a job after that. It just further reinstated my longing to be in a rock 'n' roll band.' That band turned out to be the all-conquering Glasvegas for whom James became the talismanic frontman. Needless to say, he doesn't spend too much time worrying about getting a job these days. If The Raveonettes decided to call it a day tomorrow, we would undoubtedly remember them with nothing but love. But it's partly down to the fact that they've spawned this new generation of talent that the band have strived to move themselves forward with their fifth album. After the best part of a decade honing their instantly recognizable sound and seeing it co-opted by so many other bands aspiring for a similar level of greatness, Sharin and Sune are blazing a newer, darker trail with the brilliant 'Raven In The Grave'. 'I think we have finally hit on something quite important and different for this album,' explains Sune. 'This is the first Raveonettes album we've done which doesn't feature the signature Raveonettes surf drumbeat. None of the tunes have any real sunshine to them. It's all very un-Rave.' 'It has a mood of ethereal defiance' Sharin adds. 'It's dark but not bleak, like the single minded determination caused by crisis that is not quite hope but just as powerful. It's the perfect winter soundtrack just in time for spring'. It doesn't take long to hear how the band have superseded their traditional sound. Of course, melody is still key to what the Raveonettes do, but the familiar bombastic beats and squalls of guitar-noise take a backseat during much of 'Raven In The Grave'. Instead, the album is awash with ghostly synths and chillingly beautiful riffs that leave you feeling simultaneously unsettled and enchanted. It's easily the most soulful music the band have created to date. But once you scratch that sombre surface and dig a little deeper, you'll find that 'Raven In The Grave' has an even darker lyrical heart. Inspired as ever by their own first hand experiences, many of the songs explore the disheartening finiteness of relationships and the devastating effects they can have when they do disintegrate. 'Yeah, there are a lot of those kind of themes,' admits Sune. ''With Recharge & Revolt' I was trying to write an epic love song of longing and restlessness, 'Summer Moon' is about the blossoming of something beautiful which turns sour and starts deteriorating right in front of you and 'My Time's Up' is about the perils of non-commitment to affection and the dangers of short-changing your life.' When you combine The Raveonettes expanded musical palette with this stream of nakedly honest emotions, the end result is an album so compelling and sincere that you could almost live (and potentially, die) inside it. The Raveonettes evolution won't stop with the new album either. As the band set off on tour to support their latest creation, their constantly changing live line-up will be bolstered by a two-drummer line up to help ensure that the depth of 'Raven In The Grave' is recreated on stage. It's just another example of how Sharin and Sune are not content to rest on any laurels. The ten years of inspiring music they've already clocked up has already produced an undeniable legacy, but 'Raven In The Grave' is proof that the Raveonettes are already soaring above all of their past achievements. Catch them if you can.
event::tags 21+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
Funeral Party
31 schedule::attendees
Location
Cedar Street Courtyard
eventtype Music
Artists Funeral Party
event::about FUNERAL PARTY Golden Age of Knowhere Chad Elliott — Vocals, samples, keyboards / James Torres — Guitar / Kimo Kauhola — Bass, vocals Los Angeles-based Funeral Party formed late one night while drinking in a park in Whittier, California, a sleepy suburb that sits on the outskirts of Los Angeles County. Chad Elliott, James Torres, and Kimo Kauhola formed Funeral Party as a means of escaping a nowhere town set amidst a cultural wasteland. The moroseness evoked by their moniker is undermined by Funeral Party’s debut album, Golden Age of Knowhere, an up-tempo powerhouse that weaves a barrage of aggressively catchy melodies, propulsive basslines, and relentless rhythms with Elliott’s raw, throaty vocals and the band’s shouty group sing-alongs. The album opens with a triad of punchy tracks: “New York City Moves To The Sound of L.A.,” “Carwars,” and first U.S. single “Finale.” Golden Age of Knowhere is comprised of songs that “capture the urgency of youth.” This undoubtedly reflects the context from which the band emerged. According to Elliot, “Whittier is pretty much a dead town. It’s boring. That’s one of the biggest reasons we wanted to be in a band, just to get the fuck out of there.” Elliott’s collaborators share his view of the landscape that bore Funeral Party, and the prevalent themes of Golden Age of Knowhere. “Everyone in our neighborhood is connected in some way,” Torres explains, “and you’re trapped. It’s why I learned to play guitar, to tune it all out.” Kauhola elaborates, “We definitely want the music to sound like an escape.” During the time of Funeral Party’s inception, hardcore and metal bands dominated the local music scene. South of Whittier, in Orange County and Long Beach, screamo bands were popping up, and in Downtown Los Angeles, the burgeoning Smell scene was well underway. In the East Los Angeles neighborhoods adjacent to Whittier, however, a post-punk, dance-craze revival was exploding, garnering partygoers from all over Southern California. Elliott, Torres, and Kauhola were well aware of the East L.A. backyard party scene and decided to book some parties, however, they needed a name first. Elliott brought the name Funeral Party to the others after a friend played him a Cure song of the same title. “We chose the name Funeral Party because it was just the most depressing song I’d ever heard,” Elliott explains. “It was the perfect name for a band like ours because we come from this jail town: no one gets out until they’re dead. We also liked the name because it sounded like a hardcore band, but it had the word ‘party’ in it, so it fit in on the East L.A. dance party fliers.” Elliott concludes, “Initially, that name tricked people into seeing us.” Funeral Party began gigging every weekend, adding their own chapter to East Los Angeles’s rich musical history. They owned no equipment and had to borrow gear from the other bands that played backyard parties and warehouses. Funeral Party was quickly embraced by the hundreds of dance-starved teenagers that came out to “jungle-juice” parties every weekend. This did not go unnoticed by law enforcement. Many Funeral Party gigs were shut down, usually before they played their first note, fuelling interest in the band and adding to their mythic stature. Funeral Party was invited to record at The Mars Volta’s studio in East L.A. They still had no instruments. “Back then, we only had three songs,” explains Kauhola. Elliott adds, “I had no lyrics. I had to use raw emotion to summon the words. That’s still how I write. I conjure emotions and they tell me what to sing.” Torres reminisces, “It was an adventure recording those demos because we didn’t have our own equipment, so we had sneak in during off-hours and use the gear that was already there.” The stage provided Funeral Party their only opportunity to write and practice. They focused on playing East L.A., honing their sound in front of their young audience. Rather than trying to become a staple at the Smell or gigging around the local club scene, Funeral Party began accepting support slots on local festivals, supporting such acts as The Faint, Cut Copy, The Mars Volta, and Crystal Castles. The band’s rise in popularity was not without its obstacles. “Man,” says Kauhola, “after we did finally put some equipment together, my van got stolen with all our gear.” Funeral Party would not have much time to lament the loss of their gear, however. Kauhola says, “I thought we were finished. No car, no bass, but then we started playing harder than ever.” A preliminary recording of “Carwars” made its way to France, striking the attention of Yelle. The result for Funeral Party was an extensive North American tour with the band which also featured Passion Pit on the west coast dates. Shortly after returning to L.A., Funeral Party embarked on another North American tour, this time with And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead, which concluded in Austin, Texas at South by Southwest Music Festival. Funeral Party returned to Los Angeles with an offer to play Fuji Rock Festival in Japan and a record deal with RCA. Funeral Party has played Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival, appearing with Oasis, Franz Ferdinand, among others. After completing their album, they embarked on two U.K. tours, as well as a U.S. tour with Strokes front man, Julian Casablancas, a highlight for Torres who cites The Strokes as a major influence. Funeral Party will be appearing at numerous festivals worldwide in conjunction with the release of their album. Produced by Lars Stalfors (Matt & Kim, The Mars Volta) and mixed by Dave Sardy (Band of Horses, LCD Soundsystem, Oasis) Funeral Party’s debut full-length, Golden Age of Knowhere, will be released in March 29, 2011 on RCA Records. The opening track, “New York City moves to the sound of L.A.,” recalls the rivalry between New York City and Los Angeles. Elliott explains, “We wrote that song to satirize the way certain bands had to move to New York to get noticed. But the song also explores the way newer movements recycle the past, and our inability to escape that cycle.” The song is a portal to the album’s escapist theme. “When we wrote Golden Age of Knowhere, I was reading Lord of the Flies,” Elliott says, “So I started thinking about the idea of a DIY civilization, like the world ends and the young people build everything back up from scratch.” Golden Age of Knowhere also contains songs that address relationships, such as “Carwars,” “Where did it go wrong,” and “Youth and Poverty,” songs that convey an overwhelming sense of loss, or a sense of never having had. In “Finale,” feelings of loss and yearning coalesce into the ultimate escape: Death. According to Elliott, “It’s about trying to remember what it feels like to be young one last time before you die—escaping life through death, and death through the memory of youth.” *** Golden Age of Knowhere will be released by RCA Records in March, 29 2011.
event::tags 21+
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