…This is who I’m going to cast.
As a kid growing up in Upstate New York, there was only one place to go after high school.
Here is another reason why Austin is way cooler than your city.
My mother was peeking out the window, holding the curtain in a death grip.
A rumble of thunder and she quickly let go.
“Lauren! Quick! Turn on the weather channel!”
She had already turned off the lights, lit candles, and stocked food. We were prepared for the worse.
“What are they saying? WHAT ARE THEY SAYING??” she yelled.
“That there is a severe thunderstorm watch 20 miles away from here.”
“That’s it! Everyone down in the basement.”
My mother scooped me up and dragged me downstairs, leaving my school friend Matt sitting on the couch confused.
She planted me on the basement couch and waved her finger in front of my face.
“Don’t move. Don’t go near the windows. Just don’t move. Where is Matthew?”
We heard a muffled voice calling from upstairs.
“Hey Ms. Modery,” Matt shouted from the top of the stairs, “Um, if you guys are going to stay in the basement, I think I’m just going to walk home.”
My mother flattened herself up against the basement wall and slowly felt (more…)
Forget that this British band’s name is Wolf Gang. Forget that there are four hundred other bands with the word “wolf” in it or that Phoenix’s last album was titled “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”.
You can hear more music here.
SXSW 2010 Music Call Sheet Continued….
Worst Band Name To Google:
Aa (Brooklyn)- Try finding their website!
Cause Everything is Better in Iceland:
Olof Arnalds (Iceland)- ‘Cause she looks and sounds like a little Icelandic Pixie
Someone I Think I’d Like to See:
A Shoreline Dream (Denver)- Nice shoegazey band that gets extra points ’cause their Myspace status says “Dreaming of Austin” and they seem to really really like Radiohead.
Break of Reality (NYC) Their stuff sounds like it should have been in “Last Temptation of Christ”. Peter Gabriel approved!
Dappled Cities (Sydney)- They really sound like every other indie rock band, but I like it!
Michael Feinberg (NYC) Not sure which I love more, the NY Jewish accountant-like name or the sweet jazz that comes from his fingertips.
Malente (Germany)- FUNK IN THE JUNK!
Best Voice:
Male- Contra Coup (Austin)- If Danny Elfman and Antony Hegarty had a baby.
Female- Julie Peel (Montreal)- (more…)
Austin’s South by Southwest is rapidly approaching (Mar. 12th-21st). I am making a vow to not do what I did last year, which was not go to a single event and sit in the corner and pout and mumble about how much I hate a festival that I’ve never even gone to.
There was really no call for it.
I was just bitter that I had to work the entire week and it would take me three times as long to drive anywhere. GO BACK TO L.A!
This year I will see shows if it kills me (fast forward to me sitting home alone on the couch with a tub of peanut butter).
Here is a list of some of the music acts this year. I’m still learning the list myself so there will be more to come.
Bands You Have Heard Of:
Neon Indian
Fool’s Gold
The Crystal Method
Robyn Hitchcock
Deer Tick
The Boxer Rebellion
We Are Scientists
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO
Best Band Name of a Band I’ve Never Heard Of:
And So I Watch You From Afar
I Fight Dragons
Hot Panda
Bastard Child Death Cult
Austin Bands You MUST Check Out:
Suzanna Choffel – (more…)
“I’m right here!” A familiar voice says and with that, everyone kind of stands up and mumbles something that sounds like “Surprise!” and I manage to knock over my coffee and spill it all over my computer keyboard, on my skirt, and over Rob’s CD. I start screaming and swearing and everyone runs over to see what’s going on with me and leaves Rob standing in the doorway, his surprise party blue-balled by me.
He walks over to my cubicle and offers to help me clean up. I shove his mixed CD in his hands and he says, “That’s the third keyboard you’ve gone through this year. No more.”
Chapter 2
I have to say that the cookies were pretty damn good. There was an even amount to go around, but I managed to snag two at a time while everyone was more concerned with Rob’s gift unwrapping. I managed (more…)