SXSW 2013 – Saturday: The Limousines, Paws, The Little Ones

If you wake up on the Saturday morning of South By Southwest and don’t feel like you might die, you might be doing it wrong.  The multi-day music frenzy can certainly take its toll, but the promises of day parties and warm sunny weather are too tough to pass up. 

On the patio of the Mohawk, Scottish rockers Paws slammed on their guitars.  Wearing a long-sleeved flannel shirt, and with the ends of his dark hair bleached, lead vocalist Phillip Taylor looked like ‘90s skater – an image perhaps propped up by Taylor’s admittance that he’d spent the previous evening screaming at the Less Than Jake show like he was 15 again.  Paws was followed by the Canadian punk trio Metz.  How these dudes are able to channel so much energy into every song is completely remarkable.  They’re bombastically noisy – just as punk should be.

The Limousines at Dirty Dog

If there was to be an award for the venue having the stickiest floors in Austin, that award would probably go to the Dirty Dog bar.  On one hand, you have to appreciate a bar that’s not trying to pull one over on anyone – “dirty” is in the venue’s name (for heaven’s sake, their logo is a dog humping a woman’s leg) – but on the other hand, it’s nice to be able to freely move your feet.  Especially if you wanted to dance a little to the sounds of San Francisco’s The Limousines.  Their early electro-driven sound, most notably captured in “Very Busy People,” bore some resemblance to MGMT, but hearing the band now, it’s hard not to want to put them in the more raucous 3OH!3-type camp.  The band played a number of new songs, which will hopefully turn up on their long-anticipated second album, expected this summer. 

Los Angeles band The Little Ones played an enjoyably breezy set, unfurling their Ra Ra Riot-ish brand of indie rock best with songs like “Ordinary Song.”  Watching the band’s upbeat vibe on stage, for a moment it seemed possible to forget there was a festival going on at all.  At least, until you tried to move your feet.

SXSW 2013 – Friday: Willy Moon, Shout Out Louds, Haerts

Converted into Rolling Stone‘s “Rock Room,” the front corridor of La Zona Rosa was quietly buzzing when Chicago’s JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound took the stage.  Dressed in tight dark blue striped pants and a not-quite-matching dark blue blazer, Brooks danced along to his songs, backed by a keyboardist, two guitarists, drums and bongos.  His vibe might be a little bit faux neo-James Brown, but his songs are definitely more offbeat – with chorus lyrics like “before you die, girl, give me that number,” and “Baltimore is the new Brooklyn.”  The band closed out the set with a soul-ified version of Wilco’s “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” – which apparently has won them props from Jeff Tweedy himself.

If the Shout Out Louds seemed a little tired, it was likely because they’d played a 1AM show the night before, and had a full day ahead of them.  Touring behind their newly released Optica, sxsw is a stop off before a month of dates in Europe.  While Optica may prove to be a stronger album than their previous, Work, the band chose to end their set with “Walls” – a set that included the new “Blue Ice.”

Willy Moon at the W Hotel

On a balcony at the W Hotel at the Nylon Magazine party, singer Willy Moon arrived in a dapper suit (a move that proved dangerous, given how hot it was).  Backed by a female drummer in a black and white bra and a tall female guitarist in a low-cut black dress, Moon used his whole body to sing “Yeah Yeah” and “Railroad Track” – the latter which sounds like a layered version of “Hit The Road Jack” backed by Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks.”

In the early evening Auditorium Shores was absolutely packed with people who’d turned out for a free show from Divine Fits, Jim James, and The Flaming Lips. 

Auditorium Shores

Walking across Sixth Street, at least one band had made the decision to cover "Call Me Maybe."  Over at Empire Automotive, Los Angeles band Sir Sly cranked out a number of energetic songs, including “Gold” and “Ghost,” sometimes employing an organ-sounding keyboard.  (If the band is drawing comparisons to both Coldplay and Maroon 5, those seem unwarranted, but perhaps point more to the fact that the band's sound seems hard to categorize.)  They were followed by the New York band Haerts, who played a too-short set to a pumped-up crowd.  If it would be possible to have an indie band fronted by a young, alternative Bonnie Raitt, that might give some idea of what Haerts sounds like.

Haerts

SXSW 2013 – Thursday: Iron & Wine, Delorean, Third Eye Blind

If there’s something that’s appealing about South By Southwest, it may be the ability to reach a lot of people very quickly.  For the faded San Francisco band Third Eye Blind, that may be part of the attraction to sxsw – reminding fans that they’re still around and trying to produce new music.  As they played on the rooftop of Hangar Bar, singer Stephan Jenkins explained they were working out new material.  Their last album, Ursa Major, was released in 2009, after the band had headlined a South By Southwest show at Stubb’s.  3EB played through some new songs, which often found Jenkins venturing into falsetto territory, and promised they’d play some older songs – which included “Crystal Baller,” “Never Let You Go,” and the audience-requested “Motorcycle Drive-By” (a deep-cut from the band’s 1997 self-titled album).  While 3EB’s musical style may not have changed much through the years, it does seem that the band, and Jenkins’s voice in particular, are indelibly linked to a certain time period.  If the current musical landscape finds bands feeling the influence of the 1980s, perhaps all 3EB needs to do is wait a few more years until late ‘90s rock comes back into fashion, and they’ll be golden.

Inside a very packed Mellow Johnny’s, Iron & Wine set up for a KEXP show.  Having performed the previous night at ACL Live, it’s likely that Sam Beam was feeling rather tired, as he admitted he hadn’t actually prepared a set list.  Instead, he let the crowd call out what they’d like to hear, and set about spinning beautiful songs from just his voice and guitar.

While huge crowds gathered around The Belmont for an incredibly stacked show that included Surfer Blood, Atlas Genius, Alt-J, and The Flaming Lips, Rainey Street seemed like the manageable alternative.  At Clive, Brooklyn’s Sinkane played a set of funky grooves – originally from Sudan, Ahmed Gallab formed Sinkane after playing with Yeasayer, Caribou, and Born Ruffians – bands whose influences you can hear in his music.

A while later, Spain’s Delorean appeared, and set the crowd to dancing.  While the sound system nearly obscured singer Ekhi Lopetegi’s voice entirely, the crowd still moved to the music, and the keyboardist certainly didn’t shy away from rocking out.  Outside of the recognizable synth pattern of “Real Love,” it was a bit hard to distinguish the songs.  But maybe this music just needed to be felt.

SXSW 2013 – Wednesday: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, Youngblood Hawke

Macklemore at Antone's

On Austin’s East Side, well before 7PM, hundreds of people were lined up to get into the Spotify outpost at 1100 Warehouse.  Inside, a sea of Spotify-branded graphics spun around the metal walls, and two stages (the second being a catwalk) were set.

On the non-catwalk stage, the six-piece LA band Youngblood Hawke played.  While two of the band’s members formerly belonged to the oddball indie outfit Iglu & Hartly, Youngblood Hawke seems to have none of that band’s goofy weirdness.  If it’s possible to design yourself to be a band that eventually becomes loved by adult contemporary pop radio, Youngblood Hawke may be poised to do just that. 

Most of the crowd was there to see Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, who’d created a stir last year with good kid. m.A.A.d. city.  Lamar worked the crowd and the stage – his crew took advantage of the long catwalk, jokingly striking mock fashion poses as they walked to the end.  With his DJ punctuating most of his songs with the classic radio DJ air horn sound, Lamar hit his high notes, including “Backseat Freestyle,” “Poetic Justice,” and “Swimming Pools (Drank).”

Later, across downtown at Antone’s, hip hop duo Dead Prez rapped against traditional schooling, and Stic brought out his 11-year-old son (dubbed “Small X”) to show off his guitar skills.  The crowd all sang along to the guitar line of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”  The duo closed with a new song, “Time Travel,” but they also enthusiastically delivered “It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop” and “Mind Sex” (whose lyrics are pretty great).

But the night really belonged to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, whose star has been burning incredibly brightly since the explosion of “Thrift Shop.”  In a set that seemed like part “VH1 Storytellers” (in a good way), Macklemore brought out numerous collaborators from The Heist, including the terrific Seattle soul singer Allen Stone, on “Neon Cathedral,” and the distinctively smooth-voiced Ray Dalton, on “Can’t Hold Us.”  Part of Macklemore’s magnetism is his aggressive positivity and sense of humor.  At the beginning of the set, he explained that earlier in the day he’d energetically performed at Waterloo Records for about a minute and a half before Ryan Lewis informed him that there was no sound and the crowd couldn’t hear him.  “Find it on youtube,” Macklemore said, “there’s some comedy.”  In his mind, he was out there being the “honky Michael Jackson” (his phrase), but to the crowd it just looked like he was miming hip hop motions.  Of course, inside Antone’s he definitely rocked it out, performing “Same Love” with Mary Lambert and “Thrift Shop,” and telling the crowd that it didn’t even feel like a South-by show, but rather a weird basement party.  What more could you ask for?  Cue the air horn sound.  

SXSW 2013 - Tuesday: The 1975, Blondfire, Robert Delong

While the South By Southwest festival officially opened March 8 for Interactive and Film-goers, Tuesday night marked the start of the Music portion.

Robert Delong kicked things off at Pandora’s Discovery Den at Antone’s.  Working with a drum kit, synthisizers, and a looping machine, Delong functioned as a one-man band – creating the ‘80s-ish background music and singing over it.  It’s like he’s a mash-up DJ instantly mashing up his own music.  He brought out what looked like a Wii game controller and used it to control the backing music with whole body jolts, and mixed in a little Talking Heads sample of “Once In A Lifetime,” for good measure.  If you combined ‘80s synth with the sonic dystopia of Skrillex and added a good dose of Caribou, you might get something like Robert Delong.  And he’s a man in demand – he’s playing at least 12 times during the festival.

Things at the Belmont were running late, so before Blondfire hit the stage, Charli XCX performed.  While she’s had some success working with Icona Pop on “I Love It,” none of her songs are quite as catchy as that one – even when she’s sampling Gold Panda.

Unfortunately, because the stage at the Belmont is on a strange decline, it was fairly impossible to actually see the Los Angeles band Blondfire.  It’s possible the lead singer, Erica Driscoll looks a bit like Jennifer Morrison, but who could really tell?  They played a brand of indie pop in line with San Francisco’s Minipop, but seemed to save most of their energy for their closer, “Where The Kids Are.”

Inside the BBC 1 showcase at Latitude 30, Tall Ships was wrapping up to make way for the Manchester, UK band The 1975.  They’ve rather rightly been compared to ‘80s bands like New Order, but employ more jazzy guitars and longingly expressive looks from lead singer Matthew Healy.  Healy pithily introduced the songs, saying things like, “This is a song about sex,” and then playing the song “Sex.”  Gotta keep it simple.

Hubble (Used To) Got You

A model of the James Webb Space Telescope

Ever wonder just how large a space telescope is?  This weekend a full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope was on display outside the Long Center.  The telescope reaches four-stories tall, with a sunshield that’s roughly the size of a tennis court.

About 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Hubble, the James Webb is expected to launch in 2018.

Now Playing: Flight Of The Butterflies

For all those nature doc lovers out there, the Bob Bullock History Museum is currently showing the short, and incredibly immersive, "Flight Of The Butterflies."

The film combines the true story of Canadian researchers who tracked the migratory patterns of Monarchs with a basic biological look at how Monarch butterflies live, breed, and survive.

While the film is only 44-minutes long, the 3-D IMAX experience remains powerful throughout -- popping with bright colors, vibrant scenery, and Monarchs so close you feel like surely you could reach out and touch them.  It's an order of magnitude better than watching something on your iPhone -- and you just might learn something.

Exxopolis At The Long Center

Architects of Air: Exxopolis Luminarium opened this morning on the lawn of the Long Center.  The five domed exhibition runs through January 27.

A Few Small Joys Of 2012

While this doesn’t proclaim to be a “best of” list in any regard, it does serve to highlight a few gems that made 2012 worth smiling about.

My Heart Is An Idiot:  Essays by Davy Rothbart

As the editor of Found magazine, Rothbart spends a lot of time combing through the secrets and stories of other people’s lives.  In this set of essays (ala David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell), the ever-affable and big-hearted Rothbart opens up about his own life.  Rothbart’s a charming troublemaker bent on fully living his own experience and writing compelling prose about it.

“Cabin In The Woods”

Somehow both subverting and embodying the ideas behind what makes a horror film (and yes, what makes a good horror film), “Cabin In The Woods” presents its horrific scenarios in service to its story, rather than out of pure gratuity.  The Joss Whedon/Drew Goddard-penned script doesn’t overlook character development, and its workaday “B” storyline, featuring Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford, emerges as the surprising engine of the movie.

“Beasts Of The Southern Wild”

It may not be possible to watch this film without crying or falling in love with Quvenzhane Wallis, the movie’s six-year-old star.  Based on the stage play “Juicy And Delicious,” “Beasts” can feel more like a lucid dream than a film.  It has a mystical quality that helps keep the crushing realities of loss of home and family at bay.

“Ted”

On the surface, it seems like there are 100 ways this movie could be terrible, but with its inventive well-developed story, forceful characters, and irreverent flourishes, it’s surprisingly funny.  The humor is often dirty, but Seth MacFarlane’s story of a teddy bear come to life, who continues to live with his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg) in a prolonged state of adolescence may be the funniest movie I saw this year.

Jeff Mangum at ACL Live

No one can make you want to both cry and make-out in public like Jeff Mangum.  The Neutral Milk Hotel singer’s acoustic set at ACL Live leaned heavily on songs from In An Aeroplane Over The Sea and it was beautiful to watch.

“The Colbert Report”

It’s hard to believe that Stephen Colbert has been delivering his hard-headed satire for seven years.  Whether highlighting “Difference Maker” (nee high art proprietor, nee exotic dance club owner) Stephen Dick Jr. or spoofing the sad Sarah McLachlan pet-adoption ads, the show is better than ever.

“Shut Up And Play The Hits”

If there was one music documentary to be impressed by this year, this was it.  From directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, who’d previously made the documentary “No Distance Left To Run” about the band Blur, “Shut Up…” has a purposefully narrow scope.  The film takes place in the week leading up to, and the day after, LCD Soundsystem’s final concert, at Madison Square Garden.  Showcasing footage from that show, along with an interview by Chuck Klosterman (whose nasal voice adds an excellent texture), the film follows James Murphy as he pointedly chooses to shut down his band while he’s still on top.

“Shut Up…” doesn’t lean on typical documentary conventions – it’s very rare that anyone looks into the camera directly, or even pays it particular attention.  The view is much more fly-on-the-wall, allowing the film to pull off the feat of feeling both intimate and removed, like watching characters in a play.  We’re right there with Murphy, watching intently as he exercises the want to maintain ultimate control, even if that means organizing his own funeral.

Best Of 2012: Songs & Albums

If there seems to be a lot of consensus about which artists’ albums were real stand-outs in 2012 – Japandroids, Beach House, Frank Ocean – it’s for good reasons.  These albums featured solid and interesting song construction, texture, and unique perspectives; the music transported you to another place.  It was also easy to get lost in the lo-fi pleasures of Tame Impala, and mesmerized by the electronic pulses of Tanlines’s long-awaited full-length debut.

Best Album Picks:

Fear Fun – Father John Misty

Maybe it’s Joshua Tillman’s beautiful voice, but somehow this album makes the ethereal real.

Channel Orange – Frank Ocean  

His soulful r&b marries heart and clever descriptions.  Sample lyric: “My TV ain’t HD, that’s too real.”

Celebration Rock – Japandroids

How can you not be swept away by the sound of fading fireworks at the end of “Continuous Thunder”?

Bloom – Beach House 

Picking up where their previous effort, “Teen Dream,” left off, the Baltimore duo pull off another lazily mystical album.

Boys & Girls – Alabama Shakes 

This Alabama band’s debut disc somehow manages to feel current and timeless.  Brittany Howard’s higher gritty vocals are alluringly distinctive.

Mixed Emotions – Tanlines

If there’s been a criticism about this Brooklyn duo’s first LP, it’s that the songs don’t have a definitive arc.  But sometimes it’s nice to linger in the infinite.

The Only Place – Best Coast 

There’s a wistful sense of remorse tucked into the songs on this record – songs whose melodies might otherwise have you believe that everything’s fine.

Young & Old – Tennis 

Have you not been seduced by Alaina Moore’s glorious vocals yet?  How about her lyrics contemplating longing and existence?  Open yourself to the possibilities.

Lonerism – Tame Impala 

Some days you just need a dose of Australian pyschedelia.

Best Of 2012 Playlist:

“The Only Place” – Best Coast

“Stay Useless” – Cloud Nothings

“Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” – Father John Misty

“Continuous Thunder” – Japandroids

“Hold On” – Alabama Shakes

“I Know What Love Isn’t” – Jens Lekman

“Don’t Leave Me” – Regina Spektor

“Cameo Lover” – Kimbra

“One Heart Missing” – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

“I Belong In Your Arms” – Chairlift

“My Better Self” – Tennis

“Myth” – Beach House

“Angels” – The XX

“Everything Is Embarrassing” – Sky Ferreira

“Oblivion” – Grimes

“Anything Could Happen (Blood Diamonds Remix)” – Ellie Goulding

“Pyramids” – Frank Ocean

“Not The Same” – Tanlines

“Madness” – Muse

“I Love It” – Icona Pop

“Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” – Tame Impala

“Thinkin Bout You” – Frank Ocean

Of Monsters And Men's My Head Is An Animal

This article also appears on Ground Control


For Iceland’s Of Monsters And Men, there was a very small amount of time between winning a battle of the bands competition (Iceland’s Músiktilraunir) and capturing international attention. First formed in 2010 as a duo between Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson, the band had expanded to include four other members and produced a number one hit in their home country within a year. That hit, “Little Talks,” became the lead single on the Reykjavík band’s full-length stateside debut, My Head Is An Animal.

With the resurgence of pop-folk led by the likes of Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes, and The Head And The Heart, it seems Of Monsters And Men’s success is owed to being in the right place at the right time – at least in some part. My Head Is An Animal trades on folk elements, but gives off a pop sheen; it’s full of whimsical and earthy lyrics delivered by traded male/female vocals, acoustic guitar, and tambourine-backed shouts of “hey!” 

The album’s opening track, “Dirty Paws” plays like a fable from Aesop, it’s lyrics mentioning forests, queen bees, and furry friends, backed by the chanting of “lalala”s. Natural elements – waterfalls, seagulls, mountains – pop up in much of the first half of the album, while the second half seems to focus on songs of love and romance. 

The album may be at its most exciting when its pace is turned up. On “Mountain Sound” the vocals are rousing – all the band’s members chime in – and the tone upbeat, making it feel a little like Givers’ “Saw You First.” “Six Weeks” opens with a chant and a marching beat, its pace quickens half-way through to strongly echo Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up.” With its oddly melancholy lyrics – “alone / I fight these animals / alone / until I get home” – and different song structure, “Six Weeks” may be the most interesting track on the album. 

But of course, there’s “Little Talks.” Its forlorn, nostalgic quality, punctuated by notes from a happy trumpet makes the song stand out, and singers Hilmarsdóttir and Þórhallsson are at their best when singing together in the song’s bridge. Their harmonies together are more noticeable here than in any other place on the album, though they share some nice moments on the tinkly and hypnotic “Yellow Light” and the alternately subdued and exuberant “Lakehouse.” Þórhallsson can sometimes sound like Colin Meloy, which he does most notably on “Sloom” and, when he's singing story-driven lyrics, it’s easy to see the case for The Decembrists comparisons. 

My Head Is An Animal is not an undeniably exceptional record, but it does give Of Monsters And Men a nice entrance into the scene. Looking ahead, the challenge for the band seems like it will lie in creating songs which don’t just sound like Arcade Fire/Decembrists/Edward Sharpe songs, but songs that truly sound like Of Monsters And Men. 

Liking Things On Facebook Is An Inaccurate Representation Of How I Truly Feel

There’s a lot of pressure to “like” things on Facebook.  But sometimes, “liking” stuff doesn’t correctly convey the way I feel.  (Despite the first line of this article.)  

Sure, it’s easy to “like” stuff like “These kitties are adorable!” [picture of kitties] because, yeah, those kitties are adorable.  Everybody knows that.

But other times, it’s like, you clearly posted an inside joke that only a couple of people would get, so I feel compelled to “like” it to validate the joke you are making.  Maybe you write something like, “Sea bass anybody?” and then I feel like I have to “like” that because that’s some joke between us.  But to the outside world it looks like “Sea bass anybody?”… Nicole Beckley likes this.  Which just makes it seem like I’m into sea bass.  Which is not an accurate portrayal of how I feel. 

Then, there’s the other kind of “like” I feel compelled to make.  The acknowledgment like.  This happens whenever my name is tagged.  You wanted me to see something, so I’m just letting you know I did.  I saw it.  “Right, Nicole?”… Nicole Beckley likes this.

But sometimes, things get more complicated.  For instance, maybe I have a friend who is a journalist and they wrote a great article and I’m proud of them and I want to “like” it.  And maybe I do.  Then, to the outside world it looks like, “Mexican Tourism Declines As Drug Violence Escalates”… Nicole Beckley likes this. 

Wait, what?!  That’s, no, that’s not why I like this.  Its just cause, my friend, wait… no, I’m not, like, taking pleasure in the success of the drug cartels.  This is an inaccurate representation of how I truly feel!

Other types of confusing “likes”:

Ironic likes – there’s no way more than 12,000 people genuinely like Milli Vanilli’s Facebook page

Unintended Sarcasm likes – when your lactose-intolerant friend keep posting about how great ice cream is, but you don’t know about their lactose thing and think they’re being sincere

Potentially Devious likes – when you “like” something just so you can get updates on it in your newsfeed

Unicorn likes – when you exclusively like things that involve unicorns

Un-likes – when you like something and then un-like it immediately afterward

Misery Loves Company likes – when you like people’s posts about how they’re having a terrible time, cause you are too

Stalker? likes – when there’s somebody who, no matter what time it is, always immediately likes a post you’ve made

Fake Letters To Fake People

Aunt Sara,

Look, we need to talk. 

First of all, I’m sorry about what happened between you and Uncle Royce.  You were together for 14 years, and it’s sad when things come to an end.  And yes, it’s highly possible that Anna Lynne is, to use your words, a gold digger.

But let’s get to the matter at hand, your “getting back out there.”

You’ve still got it, as evidenced by the events of last Thursday evening. 

At 9:25PM, two men came over to where we were standing at Harringer’s Bar, and appeared to be waiting for a pause in our conversation.  You turned and looked at the taller of the two gentlemen and said, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”  And what happened?  He took a picture.  He pulled out his iPhone and snapped a pic before abruptly leaving.  Now who knows where your face is going to turn up.

At 10:17PM a mustached gentleman approached and attempted to introduce himself, to which you said, “Here’s a quarter, call someone who cares.”  And you tried to hand him twenty-five cents.  Twenty-five cents!  Like he was going to use a payphone?  Where does one even find a payphone – I mean, outside of the set of a creepy movie about serial killers, because those are likely the only people using payphones. 

At 11:09PM a guy in a navy blazer walked up and quizzically asked, “Have I seen you someplace before?”  To which you responded, “Haven’t I seen you someplace before?  Oh that’s right, on America’s Most Wanted.”  It turned out that he was talking to me, and we had met at a UN Foundation meeting.  And here you were sarcastically suggesting he was a wanted criminal whose face you’d seen on a tawdry television program.

Aunt Sara, I know it’s been a while since you’ve been on the dating scene, but you can’t be using these insults from the 1990s.  They don’t make any sense.

Listen, I mean, I get it, the last time you were on a date, you thought it was cool to play hard to get.  You were reading The Rules.  It was the late ‘90s.  But it’s not like that now.  Men want to talk to you, so give them a chance.  And then, if you feel like insulting people, do it in a sophisticated way – on the internet.  Like everybody else.

Sincerely,

   Your niece, Cassie

To The Big Screen

Guys, I’m worried… that the movie Battleship isn’t going to stay true to the source material.

When I first heard that the classic kids game was being made into a feature film, I thought, “Great, yes, finally – they’re going to make a movie about cheating, deception, and sibling rivalry!”  But I’ve seen the trailers, and it doesn’t look like any ships get stacked on top of other ships in order to trick your younger brother. 

And Liam Neeson’s in the film?  How much do I want to hear Liam Neeson call out “You sunk my battleship!” as he struggles to get his crew into lifeboats.  So badly.  And yet, I just know I’m going to leave the theater going, “yeah, it was okay, but the game was way better.”

 

Since this board game-to-film craze shows no signs of letting up, here are some movies I’d like to see:

Robert Rodriguez’s Go To Texas – Oil barons, decrepit ranchers, and tawdry saloon patrons butt heads in a Texas town under a post-apocalyptic backdrop.  Based on a little-known board game that’s excruciatingly similar to “Monopoly,” but takes place in Texas.  (Get on this San Antonio tourism board!)

Pedro Almodovar’s Sequence – An aging soap opera actress and her young protégé host a dinner party attended by a drag queen, a once funny but now melancholy comedian, and a poet having a midlife crisis.  But what happens when one of them is suddenly taken hostage?

J.J. Abrams’ Settlers of Catan – A desolate island nation lies in peril under the harsh dictatorship of the land’s ruler, who is stockpiling resources and treating his countrymen as slaves.  When a small band of peasants bonds together, an uprising begins.  Can the peasants stay together, or does the luster of power mean it’s every man for himself?  (So many sequel possibilities!)

Guillermo Del Toro’s Candyland – A young girl loses her way home and winds up in a fluorescent forest, but something dark and menacing lurks beneath the saccharine sheen.  She quickly finds herself battling for her life against the monsters of the woods.  Alas, nothing is quite as sweet as it seems.


Sofia Coppola’s Don’t Break The Ice – An alcoholic figure skater returns to their hometown after an unsuccessful Olympics bid and reconnects with their past on the road to sobriety.  When a young child gets caught in a patch of thin ice, there may be only one person who can save them.  Gin, love, and a skating career are all on the rocks.

Fun.'s Some Nights

This article also appears on Ground Control.

If there’s any song that feels poised for “Pumped Up Kicks”-style ubiquity, that song would be Fun.’s “We Are Young.” The first single from the band’s new Some Nights album has already topped the Billboard charts, as a Glee cover, months before the album’s release, and has been inescapable thanks to its commercial use (in a Chevy Sonic ad). And, just like that aforementioned Foster The People track, it is impossibly, and somewhat maddeningly, catchy.

Some Nights as a whole is a bit difficult to categorize – the collection of songs includes upbeat harpsichord-backed tracks about loneliness and encouraging chants that have been excessively autotuned. However, the album may be a less diverse collection of songs than Fun.’s previous 2010 effort Aim and Ignite. Where that album felt like it might belong to the canon of emo bands like Panic! At The Disco (with whom Fun. toured in 2011), Some Nights seems like something that could more aptly be described as post-emo.

Of course Fun. doesn’t shed its emo aesthetic completely. The song “All Alright,” with its prominent drums and hyperbolic lamentation “I’ve got nothing left inside of my chest,” could belong in the My Chemical Romance catalogue. But most notably, the release of Some Nights has brought on Queen comparisons, largely due to Fun.’s operatic “Bohemian Rhapsody”-inspired intro track, and the chanted opening on track two, “Some Nights.” At the top of the titular song singer Nate Ruess adopts a vocal style reminiscent of Freddy Mercury on “Fat Bottomed Girls”—but if Ruess begins with deep, commanding vocals, he neglects to sustain them throughout the song and he finishes in autotune territory.

In general throughout the album, the heavy autotuning and vocoder-ed falsetto feel like unnecessary constructs, especially on songs like “It Gets Better,” where Ruess might as well be T-Pain. Autotuning can eliminate all of a singer’s personality, and in this case it seems to shortchange Ruess, who, as Fun.’s appearance on Conan can prove, does have a powerful voice. If anything, the autotuning only succeeds on the album’s final track, where there’s a Wallpaper-esque R&B vibe and the computerized vocals seem to be pushed into outer space.

Ruess (who bears a passing resemblance to the comedian John Mulaney), along with Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff make up the New York band, and Fun. certainly seems to be on the verge of… something. In an age where Glee can make your song a hit before you have the chance to, who knows exactly what that something will be.

SXSW 2012 Dispatches: Sleigh Bells And Sunburns

Before noon on the streets surrounding West Sixth, eager St. Patrick’s Day partiers, in green and white knee socks, leprechaun hats, and green tutus paraded in and out of bars, fresh faced and full of the sort of enthusiasm for drinking that can never lead to anything bad, right? The crowd in the parking lot outside Waterloo was wearing about 50% less green and 100% less gold coin necklaces. We were waiting for Nada Surf, who, joined on guitar by Doug Gillard, played punchy new songs from their latest album, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy. They played “Jules and Jim” and “Waiting For Something,” and the drummer was clearly having a great time, making faces and ultimately launching his drumsticks into the crowd.

Nada Surf - Waiting For Something by cityslang

A few blocks from Waterloo, in another parking lot, free margaritas were being handed out and hula hoops were passed around. And who can say no to a parking lot hula hoop party with a soundtrack provided by a band playing electronica covers of The Smiths? (Rhetorical device usage.)

Two miles away, on the other side of I-35, J. Roddy Walston was demolishing a piano, leaving the crowd worked up for Lucero. The combination of Ben Nichols’s beautifully gravelly voice, along with trumpet and piano made songs like “On My Way Downtown” and the melodic “Darken My Door” especially pop – even if Nichols claimed to have just woken up. For the record, it’s quite possible to get caught up watching a band and neglect to realize when one is getting terribly sunburned.

Lucero - On My Way Downtown by MMMusic

When the last night of South By happens to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day, it only makes sense to try to go to a place removed from the heart of Sixth Street where you have the best chance of sitting down. At ACL Live Brooklyn’s Sleigh Bells was backed by a wall of amps, sending the sound of their blaring guitars into the upper balconies and issuing pounding electronic pulses. It seemed that singer Alexis Krauss, clad in shorts, tennis shoes, and a ripped t-shirt, wanted nothing more than to get both in the crowd’s face and in the crowd. She prowled around the stage, issuing screams, reaching out for audience members, standing on the guardrails, and ultimately crowd-surfing atop the first couple of rows.

While her sojourns didn’t stop her from singing, including “Riot Rhythm,” “Infinity Guitars,” “Born To Lose,” and “Tell ‘Em,” the microphone cord constantly threatened to get hung up on something and nearly caught guitarist Derek Miller. The combination of intense lights, violent guitar, and aggressive vocals made the Sleigh Bells show feel like a full sensory assault – it seemed a bit like South By itself – engulfing and exhausting.

Now to treat this sunburn.

Born To Lose by Sleigh Bells

SXSW 2012 Dispatches: Kimbra, Magnetic Fields, And When To Go Home

When the breeze passed through the outdoor covered stage at the W Hotel yesterday afternoon it felt pretty idyllic. Despite the fact that there hadn’t been any set times announced for Nylon Magazine’s party, it was rumored that Kimbra would be playing at 2:30. The New Zealand pixie, who guests on Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” quickly confirmed the rumor, taking the stage in a puffy pink and lace Disney princess-style dress. More than once during the set the dress threatened to fall off, as Kimbra shook her tambourine and danced enthusiastically. The drummer, with his awesome Kid ‘N Play-style flattop, pounded away and Kimbra smiled widely through “Cameo Lover” and “Two Way Street.” She was such an emotive and inventive singer, it was a shame it had to end.
Cameo Lover by Kimbra

Hours later, inside the W, at ACL Live, Philadelphia’s The War On Drugs unleashed their noisy guitars. While the vocals seemed muffled by choice, there’s something in the lead singer’s style that seems to want to echo Bob Dylan. Or perhaps it was the harmonica he pulled out during the closing number. Throughout the show I did not notice anyone using drugs, so I can only assume their message must be working.

It was far too comfortable in the padded seats at ACL Live to want to leave, and besides, who would want to miss The Magnetic Fields’ deadpan stage banter? With a piano, two guitars, a violin, and Stephin Merritt’s distinctive voice, the Magnetic Fields played a mix of old (“Come Back From San Francisco,” “The Book Of Love”) and brand new (“Your Girlfriend’s Face,” “Andrew In Drag”) songs, Merritt occasionally offering an insight like, “This is a song about a very famous hole in the ground,” before playing “Grand Canyon.” Like the Decembrists and Broken Social Scene, The Magnetic Fields have the great ability to tell whimsical stories through their songs, and having just released their 10th album, their stories are in no short supply.
The Magnetic Fields - Andrew in Drag by MergeRecords

Torn between setting up a permanent residence at ACL Live or venturing out, I chose to head to Easy Tiger. Here’s where I made a mistake – when I got to Easy Tiger, they were largely selling tickets for entry. The patio beneath their glorious bake shop was packed with folks who’d paid to get in, meaning they wouldn’t likely be leaving and weren’t here because they were fans of a particular band. The patio was packed with middle-aged women and flamboyant men bent on dancing now that they’d been filled with drinks and baked goods.

While Mexico’s Ximena Sarinana cranked out some great jazzy pop occasionally backed by computerized sounds, multiple women’s oversized purses locked me in place. When I finally got free, I made a break for it; the want to see Alabama Shakes eclipsed by the want to breathe freely. On the way out I passed the throng of badge-holders waiting to get in, including the comedians the Sklar brothers. Yep, I gave up my spot at a hot ticket show – you’re welcome Sklar brothers.

SXSW 2012 Dispatches: Worlds Of Synth

If there’s a secret place to enjoy day parties, it may be Red Eyed Fly. Two covered stages mean you don’t have to be out in the sun, and alternating set times let the music flow nearly continuously. Plus, it’s cool inside and not impossible to sit down. It’s the little things that count.

Yesterday on the back patio at Red Eyed Fly Brooklyn’s Savoir Adore moved from a cool dreampop opening to a snap-happy rhythm, topped with guy/girl vocals. They sounded a bit reminiscent of the San Francisco band Minipop, especially on “Loveliest Creature,” which found the crowd waving their arms from side to side and singing along.

Inside, the buzz-garnering Charli XCX was waiting for her keyboardist’s board to be fixed. If it’s easy to forget that the British singer is only 19, the two huge black Xs on her hands were a big reminder. That and the fact that it looked like she’d been styled by Ke$ha – wearing ripped black stockings and a mauve nylon and velour dress. She worked through a super-short set, including “Stay Away,” and “Nuclear Seasons,” ‘80s-inspired pop tracks with vocals that sometimes drifted into Shakira-sounding territory. It felt like a rare instance where the space was too intimate – there has to be some distance between the performer and the audience to really sell a sexy pop song.

CharliXCX - Nuclear Seasons by charlixcx

There’s nothing better to see than a band that’s enjoying getting to play together, and St. Lucia looked like they were having a great time. Playing synth-heavy tunes filled with themes of nostalgia and missed opportunities, St. Lucia sound something like the Naked and Famous by way of Yeasayer. They played “Closer Than This” and “Before The Dive,” but when they got around to closing with “The Old House Is Gone,” I couldn’t help but think they might switch it up half-way through and play Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax.” All that synth-y orchestration.

Closer Than This by St. Lucia

Not only are the four Canadian girls that make up Chic Gamine adorable, it’s hard to imagine an instrument that one of them doesn’t play. Throughout their set they punctuated four-part harmonies with drums, triangles, tambourines, cowbells, cabasas, and cymbals. A little gospel, a little soul, a little French, and a lot of percussion.

If the backyard at Beauty Bar had filled up for Com Truise, it filtered out a bit for Teengirl Fantasy, the remaining patrons likely staying to see Dan Deacon. Teengirl’s electronic stylings left something to be desired – I’d never seen someone actually yawn at an electronica show before. Of course that attitude did a 180 after Dan Deacon arrived, planting his characteristic green glowing skull in front of the stage and projecting flashing colors and images onto the side of the venue. The backyard became a jumping dance party, with Deacon clearing space for a rotating dance-off to occur, which happened nicely until someone mooned the crowd and it went back to being a jumbled mass of dancers. There’s one in every crowd.