SXSW.....it has come and gone but it will be
one to remember, that's for sure! Some of the best bands came into the KAOS
studio for a great underground radio ho-down!
S&D started the day off with a wonderful acoustic band from ....Denmark.... called
Murder! Dark and lyrical, Murder was a great way to start our Saturday off for
SXSW. Murder played some new songs and songs from their album "Stockholm
Syndrome" that Smooth & Demented can say, without a doubt, has been
one of the most important albums we have listened to this year. Murder has deeply
compelling vocals that leave the listener wondering and thinking about long
after the album has finished. Fantastic
vocals!
Next came some Celtic folk songs from Matthew Ord! Great pickin
style guitar (note: get all of these shows from archie.org) however at some
point Ord mentioned that he felt the borrowed guitar he was "playing was
ridiculous!" Nice looking guitar I thought.....but what do pirates know of
fancy musical instrumentation? Ord is one hell of a guitar player.
Then came Hey Negrita from ....England.... who played a country and
folk inspired acoustic set for us. Hey Negrita mixes a bit of British sounding
hooks and catchy songwriting with a southern ....Americana.... feeling. This kind of recipe goes
well with beer and fajita’s! Hey Negrita is a great example of the songwriting
talent that leans toward traditional country music and interpreted with a British
rock ethic. Hey Negrita is but one of the bands that have this type of sound
and is pushing the scene along very well across the pond.
Dallas based band The O's got
behind the mic and showed us how far the alternative country scene has come
here in ....Texas....,
which is more an alternative to the alternative! The O's are a two person
band....banjo and guitar and the guitar player stands in front of a kick drum.
This combination brings two different songwriting styles from both members and along
with the deep impending sound of the drum and banjo give The O's a urgent and
haunting sound that can suddenly switch to a happy, sunny , beer swigging kind
of tune. You must see The O's live!
White Swan , Black Swan finished the
day for the S&D show and brought a sound that that is unearthly and
wonderful. Hearing this band play
reminded me of that magical feeling I got as a kid, when looking through the
dusty backroom of some record store you find a something special and when you
spin that record with your headphones on late one night you get swept away into
a place you had no idea existed but you are glad you found. What can I compare their sound to? Well let’s
say Leonard Cohen and Mazzy Star meet in an old west bar where Sergio Leone
asks them to re-score “Fist Full of Dollars” ....White Swan, Black Swan is what
you get. This is a great band with a great sense of humor so, find their music and get some headphones.
The KAOS fans also
got a short dose of Dirty Charley! As always, a bad ass!
Everyone was just bad ass!
El Demento
ps.....sorry I am late with this blog!