For the fourth year running R13 is heading off to the self processed ‘Music Capital of the World’, Austin, Texas for one of the greatest music festivals, SXSW. Anyone who has had the pleasure of experiencing SXSW in the past will know that at least for one week, that claim is very hard to argue against. With over 2,000 bands playing officially and an estimated 200 others playing many of the day parties and unofficial shows at the numerous venues, bars, parking lots, park and any other spare piece of land that can be turned into a temporary stage, Austin is the place to be this week in March.
For the previous three years, this reporter has battled bravely, with a little help from friends of R13, in the lovely weather, listening to great music and enjoying a Shiner beer or two (a rare quality beer in Texas for a country that is obsessed with, at best, mediocre lagers). However, this year, not only are those same friends and some new ones will be in attendance as before, I am pleased to say that two other members of R13 will be here ‘working’ tirelessly to keep you posted on what is happening over here.
SXSW is a great time for both recognised bands like Muse (although still not yet confirmed the trio are playing but only a matter of time), the legend that is Smokey Robinson, Stone Temple Pilots and Hole, alongside up and coming bands from all over the globe.
Once again the diversity of music on offer at this year's festival is impressive to say the list, from full on metal right down to singer songwriters with their acoustic guitar, with some hip hop and of course country music, well it is in Texas, along the way. It is a just impossible to attempt to catch every band but these are the bands that our intrepid team and friends are hoping to try and catch.
Omar Soliman Whilst praying I somehow get in to Stubbs' to see Muse, I am also hoping to see The Crookes, Standard Fare, Alvarez Kings and Slow Club as part of a Sheffield based bands.
Looking past that, I hope to see Surfer Blood, The XX, Codeine Velvet Club, Broken Bells, The Boxer Rebellion, Band of Horses, The Chapman Family, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Barcelona, The Temper Trap, Frightened Rabbit, Polly Mackay and The Pleasure Principle, Cosmo Jarvis, Chew Lips, We Were Promised Jetpacks.
Of the more established acts; The Drums (optimistic getting into that one), Marina and The Diamonds, The Walkmen, Billy Bragg, Adam Green, We Are Scientists, BRMC, Scissor Sisters and Les Savy Fav.
Zoe Moonis displaying the diversity of music with her selection by looking forward to Motorhead, Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Broken Bells, Spoon, Julian Berntzen, Walkmen, Frightened Rabbit, Sondre Lerche, Codine Velvet Club, Dr Dog, Tally Hall, Peter Wolf Crier, Miles Kurosky, Delta Spirits, Seabear, Dangerfield, Fighting With Wire, Harlem, The Whigs, Ra Ra Riot, Bear and Heaven, Royal Bangs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, School of Seven Bells, She and Him, Red Cortez, Minus the Bear, Metric, Ruby Sun, Rogue Wave, Japandroids, Black Angels, Titus Andronicus, Scissor Sisters, Polly Mackay and the Pleasure Principle, Black and White Years, Strange Boys and last but certainly by no means least in this comprehensive list, Monty Branham.
Neil Richardson There are quite a few bands have been given good reviews here at R13 that are playing at this year’s festival. Including Todd, King of Conspiracy and local Austin band Stereo Is A Lie. Along with two bands who were recently Band of the Week here, Polly Mackay and the Pleasure Principle (which makes all three of us wanting to see our very own Polly Mackay and her band) and Austin rockers Lions. Those also on the want to see list are, in no particular order, Aptelka, Melissa Auf der Maur, Warpaint, Motorhead, Andrew W.K., Torche, Black Cobra, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Ume, Stone Temple Pilots, The Whigs, Low Anthem, Titus Andronicus, The Henry Clay People, Gringo Star, Fighting With Wire, Ra Ra Riot, Hole, Les Savy Fav, Slow Club, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Metric, The Mighty Stef, Sleepy Sun, Japandroids, New Roman Times and the band we claimed to be the best new band discovered at last year’s SXSW, The Temper Trap.
Essex music Promoter, Dave ‘Shakey’ Wheelehouse and the anomaly that is Rob Bailey’s music knowledge have also added the following bands, not previously mentioned (hopefully), as highlights, Gringo Star (who also have a film about them being shown during the film festival part of SXSW), Angry V Bear, Beanz on Toast, VV Brown, Voivod, Munch Munch, Japanther, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Dawes, The Middle East, Serena-Maneesh, Abe Vigoda, The Uglysuit, The Morning Benders, The Dillinger Escape Plan, She Wants Revenge, And So I watch You From Afar, Fanfarlo, Miike Snow, The Happy Hollows, Idiot Pilot, The Young Republic, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, The Ghost of a Thousand, Surfer Blood, Evan Dando, The Cool Kids, Ozomatli, Shout Out Out Out Out, The Very Best, Efterklang, Broken Records, Midlake, These Are Powers, The Constellations, The Crystal Method, Adam Green, Delta Spirit, The Kissaway Trail, Dum Dum Girls, Jaguar Love, Fyfe Dangerfield, Rocky Erickson with Okkervil River, Everything Everything, Eisley, Holy Ghost, ii, Holy Fuck, The Fall of Troy, We are Wolves, We are Scientists, She Wants Revenge, Street Sweeper Social Club, The Besnard Lakes, Broken Social Scene, Shearwater, Girl in a Coma, The Antlers, The Atlas Moth, Past Lives, Turbo Fruits, Thee Oh Seas, Surfer Blood, Grammatics, Rival Schools, Adam Franklin, Stricken City and Wave Machines.
As you can see, a long mixed bag of the world of music today and yet it does not begin to scratch the surface what is going on here. So be sure to keep checking in each day from Wednesday for updates to as what your brave reporters have been up to. Oh and for the record, the sun is out here in Austin and warming us up nicely.