There was not a moment that Desert Noises wasn’t giving their all, and the sound was as flawless as if they were playing Velour. … read more
SXSW 2013: Mikal Cronin @ The Perish – Merge Records Showcase 03.14
I knew Mikal Cronin had played with Ty Segall and recently inked a deal with Merge Records, but I had yet to check out his music. When I saw he was playing SXSW, I added him to my list. The crowd drank up Mikal Cronin like he was the last beer of the night. Lots of NPR types and 40-something industry people crowed the front of the stage, acting like they were in college again. … read more
SXSW 2013: Austra @ Elysium – Moog/Switched On Showcase 03.16
Austra and their roadies took forever to set up (almost an hour)! They apathetically wandered around the stage while the audience waited patiently. Just as it looked like they were going to start, front woman Katie Stelmanis announced that drummer Maya Postepski, had lost her cymbals and that they couldn’t start until she found them. Seriously, how drunk do you have to be to you lose your drum symbols? … read more
SXSW 2013: The Soft Moon @ Elysium – Moog/Switched On Showcase 03.16
The Soft Moon is a post-punk three-piece form San Francisco with Krautrock subtleties. Their stage presence was cool—lots of smoke, darkness and a few laser lights to round it out. The show was fantastic aside form vocalist Luis Vasquez’s numerous vocal screams, emulating Robert Smith. The first couple were coo,l but the yowls became predicable by the fourth song. … read more
SXSW 2013: Baptists @ The Scoot Inn 03.16
Baptists have two, concurrent modes: metal face-clocking and riling the crowd into an abrasive disposition. The vocalist bashed into the crowd freely to generate mosh pits that would have otherwise been inaccessible for the band before an audience who found shade from the 3:00-p.m. Texas sun. Baptists thrash with a hardcore punk candor amid their “metal fur-ball convulsions” where their whole body takes on the motion of head banging. … read more
SXSW 2013: Parquet Courts @ The Red 7 03.16
Parquet Courts really put some work in! They subtly rocked out onstage, and though they all take turns with understated punk vocals, they had sweat stains on their clothes by the end of their set. Bassist Sean Yeaton busted out solo bass chording and played with octaves while drummer Max Savage set forth awkward rhythms. They inspired me to do what I would describe as a “crooked dance.” … read more
Interview with Harrison Mills of Odesza
Odesza will be playing at Urban Lounge on March 22 as a part of their current tour with Emancipator and Little People. SLUG had the chance to sit down and have a chat with Harrison Mills, one half of the production duo, to learn a little bit more about their music, how they approach making it and what their plans are for the future. … read more
Trust @ Urban 03.12 with Eraas
Trust has been incredibly influential for me this past year. Their debut album, TRST, has nourished my babybat maturation and been a setting for the transgressive happiness that I look for in post-punk expression. … read more
SXSW 2013: Beliefs @ Empire Control Room 03.16
Being able to see Jesus and Mary Chain play with Beliefs would be unbelievable for both the band and me. For one thing, Beliefs came about because of their affection for ‘90s shoegaze at a party years ago, so naturally one would think that if Jesus and Mary Chain played with Beliefs the band would be ecstatic. Also, Jesus and Mary Chain would rub off on Beliefs a little more to strengthen some of the band’s weakness seen on Saturday. … read more
NOVA Chamber Series: Echoes of Utah @ Libby Gardner Hall 03.17
Tchaikovsky is so good at this kind of thing, it might not be wrong to credit him with the invention of Stadium Rock, as the desired effect and the outcome are essentially the same. … read more
Foxygen, Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Urban Lounge 03.19
Foxygen delivered such high energy to the show that I would’ve felt pretty stoked seeing only them had the show taken some sad turn of events and Unknown Mortal Orchestra bailed. This was my first time seeing or even hearing Foxygen, and I am completely sold on their sound. Their performance reminded me of Spindrift, if instead of incorporating the Western themes of cowboys versus Indians, they would embrace the ’70s styles of bands like The Mama’s and the Papa’s. … read more
Evil Dead: The Musical: Director Chance Newman Talks Blood and Ballads
This spring, Last Chance Productions will be bringing Evil Dead: The Musical to the Grand Theatre. Director/producer Chance Newman was groovy enough to sit down with SLUG to discuss the unique challenges that come with crafting a musical that features seven different kinds of blood. … read more
