Revisiting the SPIN/MySpace San Jacinto Saloon, SXSW 2008
Reviews: Hymns, Los Campesinos!
A premium blend of country/city boys made good, Brooklyn's Hymns rocked a small but enthused SXSW closing night crowd at Cedar Patio with the horns-heavy jam, "I Can't Be What You Want," insisting their brass section was an impulse buy: "We found them at IHOP this morning," frontman Brian Harding told the audience.
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SPIN at Stubb's '08: Switches
SPIN's annual SXSW bash at Stubb's BBQ is always a hot ticket, and this year it was also just plain hot. Like, over 90 degrees hot without much shade, cooking pasty faced East Coasters low-n-slow, much like the racks of ribs in the Stubb's kitchen. But our lineup was up to the challenge, leading off with shape-shifting British outfit Switches.
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Texas Toast
There's nothing quite like the sheer hell of the Austin airport on the Sunday morning after South by Southwest. Tousle-headed, sunburned-but-still-oddly-pale cred cops who, three short hours ago, worried only about how to see the Ting Tings play the Dell Computers and Vitamin Water Presents Corporatemusicsucks.com after-afterparty in some creatively converted warehouse, now slowly re-enter a world in which Garnier Fructis gifting-suite sculpting gel is not allowed in one's carry-on.
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Reviews: Port O'Brien, the Dodos, the Wombats
Oakland's Port O'Brien may have been collectively suffering from sore throats, as Neil Young-sounding frontman (and part-time Alaskan fisherman) Van Pierszalowski revealed, but luckily a little extra scratchiness goes a long way for the Americana quintet, who played the SFxSXSW showcase at Bourbon Rocks on Saturday.
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Daryl Hall: Live from SPIN & MySpace's San Jacinto Saloon
Each year, SXSW always helps a handful legacy artists connect with a new, younger fanbase, and at SXSW '08, '80s soul crooner Daryl Hall turned out to be one of those performers.
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Blitzen Trapper: Live from SPIN & MySpace's San Jacinto Saloon
Sounds from rock'n'roll's most Southern-fried past were definitely on display at SXSW '08, and Portland's Blitzen Trapper were at the forefront of that trend. Watch them perform the unreleased song "Love You" at SPIN & MySpace's San Jacinto Saloon on 6th Street in Austin.
Blitzen Trapper, "Love You"
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Flowers Forever: SXSW '08 Interview
Tilly and the Wall and Flowers Forever turned in two of our favorite SXSW performances. Not shockingly, they share a common thread: Derek Pressnall. The irrepressible guitarist sat down with our William Goodman to talk about these varied and sundry projects. Plus, watch a snippet of his performance on Friday night.
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Peter Moren: Live from SPIN & MySpace's San Jacinto Saloon
Watch as Peter Moren performs a song from his forthcoming solo debut, The Last Tycoon, out April 8. Recorded live at the SPIN/MySpace San Jacinto Saloon, Austin, Texas, March 13, 2008.
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Reviews: Tilly and the Wall, Say Hi, White Rabbits
Tilly and the Wall have got spirit. Yes, yes they do. Exhibit A: As the evening's headliner for the Team Love/Polyvinyl showcase at Habana Calle 6, the Omaha indie pop collective practically pogoed to the stage chanting their own Mickey Mouse Club style cheer: "Austin: Tilly's back! We want you to shake your ass!"
