What's In a Name: ThaBombShelter's Look at SXSW Part 1

Another year, another missed SXSW. I promise next year I'll try my best to get down to Austin to check out this seminal function in music, but this year I'll be here in Columbus, hanging out, waiting for the snow to melt. But that doesn't mean I can't help some folks out. I know that most of you reading this blog will also be missing out on the festivities in Austin, so I figured I would take a look at the list of bands playing this year, and do what I'm sure many many music fans do each year, check out a band based solely on their name.

Sure there are folks who put together spreadsheets and plot every minute of their week, but I'm sure the vast majority wander around and check out the marquees or look in their book each day or whatever and pick out the bands that intrigue them for one reason or another. Which is what I did. I printed out the 25 or so page list of bands playing this year (just the names and where they're from) and I'm going to check out some bands each day for the next few days based solely on their name and where they're from. You'll notice the list is a little UK heavy, but that should really come as a surprise to no one. I left off the bands I've heard of or know already, and focused on just the bands that are new to me. I know this will probably expose my lack of knowledge of loads of bands, but hey, that's why I'm doing this, you know? Anyway, lets get started with:

Aberfeldy (Edinburgh, Scotland)
While checking out their myspace, I see that they're listed as "Indie/Pop/Folk Rock" right on. The first tune in their player, "Love is an Arrow" makes me happy for the state of music. Fresh and fun, with some touchstones that I appreciate (Belle and Sebastian, Ben Kweller, Beach Boys). I wanna listen to more of them, that's for sure. Simply awesome. I mean honestly, "Summer's Gone"?! How much better can they be...wtf. Excellent

"Summer's Gone" Aberfeldy

The Acorn (Ottawa, ON)
They claim "Indie/Folk Rock/Crunk" and when this first song, "Flood Part 1" comes on, I'm instantly reminded of The Arcade Fire...only less pretentious. They're a little looser, a little more ambient recording sound (the clapping, the boxes on the ground, the air you can hear in the room). This is nice, a different kind of nice than Aberfeldy, but equally good.

"Flood Part 1" The Acorn

An Albatross (Wilkes Barr, PA)
Hmm, "Progressive/Experimental/Psychedelic"...and very very pink. WOW, not my cup of tea at all. The screamed vocals and the lumbering guitars lurching and stumbling along to no tempo whatsoever. I mean, wow, swing and a miss here.

Bearsuit (Norwich, UK)
Lets see, "Indie/Alternative/Pop Punk". Now, see, whenever I see "Pop Punk" I think of Newfound Glory etc, you know, the bands I loved in my freshman year of college. So far, a minute into "Foxy Boxer", these guys are definitely more in the synthpop vein, with some hints of Dresden Dolls. The shouted vocals on "Jupiter Force" are a bit off putting. Not as much harmony as a group like The Go! Team (who I love), so I think I'll pass on this one as well.

The Belleville Outfit (Austin, TX)
I was hoping these guys would be some Americana shit, and sure enough, they don't disappoint. I guess sometimes you really can judge a book by it's cover. Oh man, those male/female harmonies are divine on "Wanderin'". Goodness, this is great stuff. It's like a less metro version of Oakley Hall (who I love), more down home, which is to be expected, I think. The more piano heavy stylings of "Wonder Why" hearken back to the swinging sounds of the twenties, or maybe just to The Squirrel Nut Zippers anyway.

"Wanderin" The Belleville Outfit

Birds of Wales (Toronto, ON)
Naming yourself after an area in the UK and being from Canada is more than enough to get me interested. Throw in a cute animal and I'm in. Let me just go on the record and say that I kind of hate it when bands use the three word MySpace descriptor thingee and put two correct descriptors and one bullshit one. I mean, "Indie/Folk Rock/Chinese Traditional"?? Anyway, the first song, "Cinderella" is gentle and enjoyable. Oh and a Banjo scores major points in my book. Enough to overcome the irritating self-label.

"Cinderella" Birds of Wales

The Brother Kite (Providence, RI)
I think I may have heard of these guys at some point or another, so this one might be cheating. Regardless, the name is neat, so we'll double check. Oh, and hey, The Cure called, they want their guitar line back...nah, I'm just messin'. "Get On Me" is enjoyable, in that breathy, Matt Pond-ish kind of way. Teenage girls probably love this stuff, and I'll admit, I enjoy it too. It's not breaking any ground, but who said Pop Music should.

"Get On, Me" The Brother Kite

and one more for tonight...

The Builders and The Butchers (Portland, OR)
They claim Two-Step in their descriptors, but I'm not sure if they mean ska or the dance style. Whatever they mean, this band has definitely suckled at the teat of Colin Meloy. But then, I wonder how many Portland bands haven't. These guys sound interesting, however, with the castanets, horns, clearly literate lyrics (I mean, how can you sing with that sort of inflection and not be literate?). They straddle the borderline between Meloy and Jon Darnielle (of The Mountain Goats), so I can imagine loads of people being irritated at this guy's singing, but I find it idiosyncratic in all the right ways.

"When it Rains" The Builders and the Butchers

Thanks to Club Kingsnake for the bare minimum list I'm working from. The SXSW list now has genre info that I didn't want to interfere with my choices.

SXSW Listings, alphabetically, of course