Act: Chin Chin, a group of would-be yacht rockers from BrooklynWhere: Club De VilleWhat It Was Like: Trying to figure out if the whole thing was a joke or not, really. The band’s blue-eyed soul sound was a little hokey, and no doubt that sense was only enhanced by the…

The bands may change from year to year, but one thing that always remains a constant joy at SXSW is Flatstock, the annual poster show at the Austin Convention Center. This year, the 20th annual showcase didn’t disappoint. As always, there are deals to find at Flatstock, in short-run screen print concert and…

Night two at SXSW 2009 very much encapsulated everything I love about SXSW: Writing down a schedule of shows to see, throwing it out the window and catching a whole different lineup of acts that were probably better than any of the ones you’d originally planned to see. Act: These…

[Earlier this week, we asked a few bands to check in with us from time to time over the course of the week to tell us about their SXSW experiences. First up, Damaged Good$’ Coool Dundee and Trak Bully, with DJ Prince William in tow, tell us how their week got started.] Well…

We already mentioned that Dallas native and Secret Machine Brandon Curtis produced the new record from BLK JKS, an act that hopes to bring South African rock ‘n’ roll to the international forefront. (We’ll have a review of that band’s performance at Mohawk’s Patio last night up shortly…) But here’s…

Spent the whole day camped out at the Radio Room for the great lineup booked to play the Brooklyn Vegan/Paste party there. Well worth it, too.  Act: The Wheel, a bare-bones folk duo from Denver.Where: Radio RoomWhat It Was Like: Pretty interesting, actually. And relatively compelling, too. Just two guys…

The first night of SXSW saw four pretty major draws around town–Echo and the Bunnymen at Emo’s; The Decembrists at Stubbs; St. Vincent, Department of Eagles and M. Ward at the Central Presbyterian Church; Peter Bjorn & John and Glasvegas at Vice–and a whole bunch of other worthwhile draws…..

Let’s face it: At its core, the annual South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival is a numbers game. Well, once you get down there, at least. In Austin this week, it’s all about how many bands you’ll see and how many parties you’ll hit (saying nothing of how many…

English trip-hop pioneer Tricky stops by the Granada Theater this evening, and, like so many other artists stopping through town this week, he’s doing so en route to SXSW, where he’ll perform later this week. Should be a low-key, but highly enjoyable time.Interested in checking it out? Perfect, ’cause the…

BAND: The Show Is The RainbowVENUE: Hailey’sTIME: 10:30ish Crowds aren’t really drawn to Lincoln, Nebraska, native Darren Keen’s one-man band The Show Is The Rainbow. But once audiences glance over at the pudgy,sweaty Keen gryating/dancing away, they sure have trouble looking away. Or, at least, as much was the case at Hailey’s last night as Keen warmed the…

BAND: The Boom Boom BoxVENUE: The Boiler RoomTIME: 10:30ish… Born from the ashes of Baboon and Pleasant Grove, among other well-respected area acts, the players in The Boom Boom Box are no doubt talented players. And at the band’s incredibly loud performance at the Boiler Room on Saturday night, its…

BAND: FebrifugeVENUE: Rubber Gloves Rehearsal StudiosTIME: 9:45 p.m. On record, Chris Day’s music is equally lush and perplexing. But, most of all, it’s impressive–thanks, at least in part, the to fact that Day recorded nearly all of his debut release, A Short Instance of Separation, on his own. Live, however, the…

BAND: The Uptown BumsVENUE: Andy’s BarTIME: 8:30ish p.m. It was quite fitting to see Ian MacDougall, rhythm guitarist for the Riverboat Gamblers, overlooking The Uptown Bums’ set at Andy’s Bar last night, the first performance at the venue in the third of four NX35 dates. Sure, MacDougall and the Gamblers…

Born in the tradition of the Toadies and Baboon, Here Holy Spain is out to prove (at least locally) that punk–or rather, that the form of music that passes for punk nowadays–isn’t dead.The trio’s debut full length, Manic, hits the streets April 7th, but since Here Holy Spain plays the…

Oh, the weather outside is weather, but thankfully, tomorrow’s forecast looks a little drier, which is certainly good news if you’re heading to our official St. Patricks’ Day Parade After-Party on Greenville tomorrow afternoon to see The O’s, The Drams, Eleven Hundred Springs and Old 97’s.And here’s some good news…

Time to give away yet another two pairs of passes to our St. Patrick’s Day After-Party on Saturday afternoon with The O’s, The Drams, Eleven Hundred Springs and Old 97’s.Want ’em? Right: Email me right now with “Murder (Or A Heart Attack)” in the subject line and, if you’re one…