Caribou Concert Canceled

by Bob Boilen

We were all set up at the Rock and Roll Hotel to webcast this evening's concert by Caribou. Caribou is the music of Dan Snaith. You can hear some here.

Then, as I was setting up my gear at the Rock and Roll Hotel, Dan walked up to me and said, " I've got some bad news for you. Our drummer injured his wrist and we have to cancel the show." Turns out that drummer Brad Weber was setting up the video projector and was on a ladder that was a bit rickety. I saw his wrist which was quite swollen. It had already been sore from a previous injury and there was no way he would risk hurting it more. So it was off to the emergency room at a nearby hospital and we will have to wait for Caribou to wander around this way some other time.

It is a real shame.

I did get a chance to to have a nice conversation with Dan before the show was canceled. You can listen to it here:

8:36 PM ET | 03-30-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

My Top Five Most Embarrassing Live Shows

by Robin Hilton

These are shows I actually paid money to see:

1. Tommy Tutone: Tommy Tutone had long exhausted his 15 minutes of fame from his sole hit "867-5309/Jenny" by the time he took the stage at the Kansas State fair where I saw him in the late '80s. For his encore Tutone did "Jenny" and I'm not making this next part up: In the middle of his solo he kept arching backwards, leaning all the way back with his screaming guitar when he suddenly lost balance and toppled head over heels, his guitar clattering to the ground with screeching feedback. To his credit, he sat up, gave a little laugh, then hopped to his feet and got right back to playing.

2. The Mark Farner Band: Grand Funk Railroad split up more than a decade before I saw Farner on one of his solo tours. He pulled out all the stops, including an encore presentation of "We're An American Band." The show was in some sort of building that doubled as a high school basketball gym... which was basically an enormous echo chamber.

Mark Farner

3. The Clocks: Oh come on, don't tell me you've never heard of The Clocks! They had a pretty big hit with their song "She Looks A Lot Like You." MTV ran a video for it daily, it seemed, in 1983. I read somewhere that they're getting back together. Look out America!

4. Maynard Ferguson: Someone told me once they saw one of Ferguson's shows and that at the intermission, Ferguson disappeared and never returned. The rumor was that he'd gone to a nearby house and got so drunk he couldn't make it back to the stage. In my heart I want to believe that's true. At intermission for the show I saw, some friends of mine and I approached the stage and asked one of the band members if they'd play "Chameleon." "Chameleon," dude! That song rocked! But the guy on stage was dismissive. Barely looking at us he said, "We're not some high school pep band..." Hey, I caught the reference. I was drum major and we played that song all the time! This was when I wasn't performing Lionel Richie songs in show choir.

Maynard Ferguson

5. Iron Butterfly: I was going to mention seeing Blue Oyster Cult open for Rush, then I remembered the Iron Butterfly show. I don't even know what to say about this one it was so utterly forgettable. I do remember they did what felt like a 40-minute version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." Maybe that was the whole show.

Much to my surprise, none of the other producers here at NPR Music could come up with their own list of similar shows. How about you?

7:41 PM ET | 03-28-2008 | permalink | comments (37) | e-mail post

 

May I Have Your Autograph?

by Bob Boilen

I start this off by saying that I hate the "star" system. The whole idea of musicians as idols makes me wince. Most pop musicians are much like you and me. There, the bubble is burst.

I've met many musicians and interviewed quite a few, but in all my years as an adoring fan and music lover, only once did I go out of my way to get an autograph.

The musician is Ray Davies, brother of Dave and main songwriter of The Kinks. Ray is our guest DJ on this week's All Songs Considered, which will be posted online Thursday afternoon.

To this day, I don't know why I did it -- why I went to a Holiday Inn in College Park, Md., and stalked the lobby. I was nervous and I had nothing really smart to say, though I did hold in my hands their new LP that had come out that morning, so there was a chance they would get to see the final version of their own record for the first time. At least that was something to talk about.

Then it happened: unmistakeable amongst the guests in the lobby of the Holiday Inn, Ray and Dave Davies and keyboardist John Gosling making breakfast plans. And me, lone fan stalking.

What I remember is that they were gracious and happy to see their LP Soap Opera for the first time. I think they pulled out the pen -- I forgot to bring one -- and I said thank you for all the tunes that got me through so many emotional times. And that was that.

Have you ever cared to get an autograph? Were you ever pleased to meet your musical idol -- or displeased?

Put your John Hancock to this blog and let us know.

2:47 PM ET | 03-26-2008 | permalink | comments (36) | e-mail post

 

Comfort Food

by Bob Boilen

When you don't know what you want to hear, what do you reach for? These days, there's always the "shuffle" option, as well as the radio or Pandora -- in other words, letting someone or something else decide.

A few weeks ago, Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie was at NPR recording one of our Project Song entries. (That will probably air toward the end of April.) I was telling him how the Death Cab CD Plans was the perfect "comfort food" record -- music I could depend on. It would draw me in and get me singing, it isn't too challenging, and it just makes me feel better.

Neil Young does that for me, as well: If I put on After the Gold Rush, I'm set.

What's your comfort-food music? What music soothes your soul? What do you put on when you can't think of anything to listen to?

10:05 AM ET | 03-24-2008 | permalink | comments (57) | e-mail post

 

Giant Drag

by Robin Hilton

When I first fell madly in love with Giant Drag's 2005 album Hearts and Unicorns, I never could have imagined I'd one day play a role in producing the band's much-anticipated follow-up. But today, I took a critical first step by forking over some money to make it happen.

Giant Drag is essentially the music of Annie Hardy. Kickball Records (part of Interscope and thereby part of the behemoth Universal Music Group) released Hardy's album three years ago, and critics loved it. So did a lot of listeners. But it wasn't enough. Interscope dropped Giant Drag, leaving Hardy without a label.

But who needs a label? Hardy recently decided to turn to her fans for support. She's soliciting donations on her MySpace page, asking people to give a few dollars to help fund the recording of her next album. Considering how eager I am to hear it, I felt obliged to send some sweet coin her way.

In her post, Hardy says, "If you feel like giving up a buck or a million of them I'd be very grateful! Even if it's just because you are riddled with guilt from illegally downloading the first album and you feel the need to repent, any reason will do and every penny counts."

Annie Hardy with Micah Calabrese

Soon, you may be able to buy some of Hardy's personal effects. If she doesn't get some money soon, she says she'll start selling everything, because she won't have a place to keep it.

In the meantime, you can hear one of the standout tracks from Hearts and Unicorns from this All Songs Considered episode. (Scroll down the page.)

4:34 PM ET | 03-18-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Silence, Please

by Carrie Brownstein

My five days at SXSW are over. I'm relieved to be writing this entry from my home in Portland, with the dogs beside me, looking out on a cloudy day.

I left for the Austin-Bergstrom airport this morning at 5 am, an hour that became my normal bedtime at SXSW. After seeing anywhere from six to ten bands a day, it was nearly impossible to immediately fall asleep. I wasn't coherent enough to write, but the various sounds and images from the day formed a mental static that took a few hours to dissipate

In the end, here's what left an impression, music or otherwise:

Lack of ear plugs--When you are given a SXSW tote bag containing 5 pounds of leaflets, worthless promo CDs, 6 packs of gum, and playing cards--it would have been thoughtful to throw in a pair of ear plugs. I'm sure some label would have paid to have their name on the small carrying case. Certainly, the onus is on us to get our own, but it seemed a strange oversight. (And earplugs are more useful than the action figure we received depicting a soldier playing guitar, a recruitment tool by the US Army).

D.I.Y--Everyone from Vampire Weekend to Thurston Moore were lugging around their own equipment. In the case of the latter, Moore didn't bring his own sound guy or guitar tech (both which are pro forma, along with a dozen other crew members, on a Sonic Youth tour). The more casual approach to performance added an intimacy and spontaneity to Thurston's band's performance at the Garden Party, an event that took place on the beautiful grounds of the French Legation Museum. The stripped down versions of certain performers also drew a line in the sand between bands/artists that really know how to play, rising above technical maladies and malfunctions, and the bands that can't pull off what they do without a bit of spectacle.

Blogger Cage--An actual space but also a state of mind. There were two of these at the Paste/Stereogum party. I'm almost certain that during every other week of the year these cages host dancers, which made it even more bizarre to see goatee-sporting men wearing band t-shirts furiously typing away while we looked on. Sadly, no one tipped any money.

Inspiration--With so much to see, I found that I needed at least one moment a day that reminded me why I love music. It didn't have to be a mind-blowing performance (though sometimes it was: Bon Iver's set at the Parish, My Morning Jacket doing eight new songs). Sometimes it was merely seeing J. Mascis' silver hair or X looking gleeful to get me through the long days. Even my friend recounting that he stumbled into a half-filled room only to realize he was watching Mick Jones' new band, Carbon/Silicon, and how happy Jones looked despite the poor turnout, was enough to make me glad to be in Austin. There were a lot of bands at SXSW existing outside the glare of the press, the sun, the stares, who were still doing it because something inside of them has to play music.

I saw enough bands at SXSW to last me an entire year. I think I'll listen to classical music all week and finish reading the book I thought I would read in Austin. Who was I kidding?

Cross posted to the Monitor Mix blog.

10:20 PM ET | 03-16-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Hear What I Hear

by Stephen Thompson

My mischievous old laptop picked SXSW as the time to commence its long-anticipated death rattle. And, as if faced with the imminent passing of a wealthy relative, I'm both crestfallen over the looming loss and hoping against hope that it leaves me all of my files in the will.

Fortunately, I was able to do a little bit of old-school blogging -- also known as "scribbling on a spiral-bound notebook" -- and later discovered that my notes were legible enough to convert to a post. Here's a bit of what I heard in the last couple days, with links to let you explore further.

* I've always liked Irish singer Paddy Casey, whose 2000 album Amen (So Be It) strikes me as the sort of briskly catchy folk-rock record that should/could have reached a mass audience, a la the work of David Gray. (Here's a reworked cut from that album, called "Fear," from next month's Addicted to Company.) But Casey won me over completely with a set-closing cover of "No Diggity" -- the sort of stunt that many attempt but few achieve with such tunefulness and crowd-pleasing charisma.

* The Moldy Peaches' Kimya Dawson showed up in the middle of a comedy lineup in a park on Saturday. I've said it before, but if someone could figure out how to routinely harness the 15 percent of her sound that's fragile and beautiful and not unbearably precious? I'd love her to pieces. (See also: Joanna Newsom.)

* Reclusive singer-songwriter Jandek has a massive catalog, but remains shrouded in mystery: His identity remains unknown, and he's played only a handful of shows despite courting an intense cult following. He showed up at Austin's Central Presbyterian Church (I didn't even get carded!) clad entirely in black, and played a set of weird Americana that only occasionally located a melody. I wasn't dazzled, but I also... still don't have a handle on him, which may be part of the point.

* Las Vegas has probably placed decent odds on Duffy winning the Next Amy Winehouse Sweepstakes, thanks to a room-filling voice and an approachable persona as a '60s-style white soul diva. Duffy certainly looks the part with her giant blonde hair, and the songs are there, but she doesn't really advance or modernize the nostalgic sounds she's referencing. It doesn't feel heartfelt, I think is the thing.

* I ducked out midway through Duffy's set because several people had recommended that I see Tulsa. At first, the music seemed like the work of the umpty-katrillionth band of floppy-haired dudes with guitars, but the group's big, chiming rock was the kind you don't notice until you find yourself thinking, "Hey! This is great!"

* Perhaps the most endearing performance I saw at SXSW this year came right at the end of the festival, as Canadian singer-songwriter Luke Doucet assembled a huge cast of guest vocalists to come up and sing his songs. It turns out he was battling a rough case of laryngitis -- an emcee called him "Mute Doucet" -- so someone used an overhead projector to beam his hand-written lyrics against the wall on the side of the stage. The resulting Luke Doucet Karaoke was enormously good-natured and infectiously sweet, with Doucet playing guitar and grinning infectiously the entire time. He wasn't the only one doing so.

As Bob Boilen noted in a previous post, he, Carrie Brownstein, and I will recap (and play) more of the artists we heard this past week for the next episode of All Songs Considered. Until then, many thanks to Bob and to Robin Hilton (for sharing their blog), to Carrie Brownstein (for being a funny and knowledgeable co-host at our various events), to everyone who helped make NPR Music's presence at SXSW a success, and to everyone who's read and listened in the past few days.

8:26 PM ET | 03-16-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Straining to be Heard

by Stephen Thompson

From now on, if I want to see a understated and under-promoted singer-songwriter perform at SXSW, I'm going to record that person playing in an alley and post it to the site. I just saw two of my favorite young singer-songwriters in separate concerts -- Laura Gibson and Sera Cahoone, neither of whom make it from the Pacific Northwest to Washington, D.C., with great frequency -- and both were drowned out and distracted by horrid sound (in Cahoone's case) or a massive crowd of natterers (in Gibson's case).

Bob spent a huge chunk of his time at the festival meeting up with artists to record interviews -- and, in some cases, exclusive performances. Next year, I may well do the same. After we strained to hear Gibson's show, I suggested to Bob that we launch a new Studio Sessions series called Live at Bob's Desk (or, say, Desk Set), wherein we all get to huddle around and watch our visiting favorites without traveling more than 10 feet. The acoustics would be preferable, though we'd probably want to mute the phones, and we could share the performances on the site.

Cahoone and Gibson had it easy compared to poor Nada Surf, one of the most reliably tight and energetic live bands in America, but one rendered downright hapless by the worst sound I've experienced in 12 years of SXSW. (That includes Eef Barzelay's performance in a room where the sound guy couldn't figure out how to turn off the venue's canned dance music.) Between the jank speakers, the awful tent acoustics, the 15 metal bands that seemed to be playing overhead, and the massive gaggle of conversationalists in the back, it was horrible. Singer Matthew Caws is a notoriously upbeat guy, but when he's encouraging sing-alongs because no one in the band can hear himself through the monitors? That's not a good sign.

It's enough to make me want to drive to the 9:30 Club in D.C. -- where Nada Surf performs on April 12 -- and give the whole venue a great big hug.

8:19 PM ET | 03-16-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Sound Troubles, Sound Soothes

by Bob Boilen

It is 3 a.m., and for me, SXSW is over.

My day started with a taxi ride to a suburban Austin home, and a conversation and performance by She & Him (M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel). And even though I was holding the microphone, it was a gift to you from Zooey and Matt. I'll post the music online in the coming days.

On to videotape the music of Jaymay -- again, just for you. Jaymay is a singer from Long Island whom our producer, Robin Hilton, quite likes. I'd only heard two songs, so before we got together, I wanted to hear her. Unfortunately, I mixed up my E. 6th street with my W. 6th Street and missed it.

We did meet up at the French Legation Museum. Just on the other side of the highway, this magnificent historic spot has some rolling lawns and old clapboard buildings. It's where we shot the Lightspeed Champion video.

I found the perfect porch, and Jaymay played two great songs straight from the heart. I'll put that online this week, as well. I have a lot of stuff to share with you once I get home and back to work.

The evening was another winner, with an acoustic concert at St. David's Church, featuring M. Ward and Jim James of My Morning Jacket.

I sat next to someone I didn't know. He had come for M. Ward, but when Jim James joined Matt, he turned to me and asked me who the guy with the beard was. He stayed another hour for Jim's magnificent set, and I think he made a new musical friend. I teared up at one point -- I can't tell you what song or why, but I suppose beauty can just do that to you.

Then I dove back onto the absolute chaos of 6th Street, with bands blasting from every bar, parking lot, and beauty salon. I started gentle with Laura Gibson. The sound was just awful, and except for the 50 or so of us huddled at the foot of the stage, the only note the audience could hear was the bass from something across the street.

I then went and heard Two Gallants. They are a highly charged band with music that feels based in folk music -- if folk music were on fire and gasping its last breath. When the two were joined by a tin-whistle player unable to hear how out-of-tune he was, it was all too much for me, and I had to to try something else.

Tough Alliance is a duo of performance artists from Gothenburg, Sweden.
Jens Lekman turned us on to this music when he played DJ for us.

In fact, Jens was there, having what seemed to be a grand old time in a beauty shop turned performance space, with the makeshift stage in a loading dock.

The band lip-synched to their music and behaved like 12-year-old mimes on too much coffee. They posed and gestured at films of huge waves, as well as other found footage projected on a screen behind them. I liked the music, but I didn't stay long.

I headed over to hear the Tokyo Police Club -- fun for sure -- and when I left, I gazed into the eyes of thousands as I walked past them on 6th Street in the long search for a cab back to the hotel. I've had a great journey, and you've probably heard some of the fruits of the journey of my NPR colleagues already. As I do the data-dump of audio, video, and photographs in the coming week, you'll be treated to more.

The downside to this festival is the crappy sound in so many of the venues, although one notable exception was The Parish, where we did our showcase. Bands traveled thousands of miles, charged and ready, only to find they couldn't hear what they were playing because the parking lot really isn't professionally equipped. On the other hand, the sound technicians worked so hard moving a new drum kit and heavy guitar amps every 40 minutes -- almost around the clock.

This week, Carrie Brownstein, Stephen Thompson, and I will sit down and talk and play our highlights. That will be our show and our podcast this week.

And in the coming week, we'll open the spigot on our concert podcast, where a lot of the live concerts we presented will be.

Austin was awesome.

4:13 AM ET | 03-16-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Levitation and Glee

by Bob Boilen

While waiting to speak with Bon Iver at Emo's here at the SXSW music festival, I heard that the F**k Buttons were playing in an adjacent room.

It always makes me laugh when publicists pitch me for an interview on All Things Considered for bands like Berg Sans Nipple or Shat. What are they thinking?

I walked into Emo's, and was met by sheer loudness magnified, and a sign that read "NO PROFANITY."

I love this world.

Later, a text message (it is the only way to communicate here) from Song of the Day's Stephen Thompson:
"At Maggie Mae's Gibson Room -- a Chinese woman from New Zealand is about to sing AC/DC covers!"
I won't steal his thunder, but I will say that, without trying, her version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was trippier than the original.

One of my missions was to hear the band Fanfarlo. Out of the 788 bands' worth of music I listened to before I left for Austin, this was the unknown band that made the music I loved most.
Fanfarlo's members are London-based, with trumpet, keyboards, violin, drums, and guitar. The nearest touchstone from the little I've heard is Arcade Fire.
Their show at the Wave Rooftop Cafe was a bit of a nightmare for them technically, but through it all, they sounded fresh. They kept their graciousness and humor, and handed out free CDs while saying, "If you want to hear what we really sound like, come take one of these."
I'll listen, and perhaps put a song on the show.
I also saw one song from The Dodos -- lousy name, but a fierce sound.
Sera Cahoone, Stephen's pick on our preview, played good music, but bad sound distracted the players throughout the set.
Land of Talk from Montreal had many bright moments, especially when they strayed from a Crazy Horse sound (which I like) and played a more jagged style.

She & Him is a new project with M. Ward and Zooey Daschanel. It reminds me a bit of LInda Ronstadt's oldies projects (which I never liked), but then there's M. Ward's sound, and the two of them mostly avoid the pitfalls of simply reminiscing.

My night had a perfect ending with music by Let's Go Sailing -- gentle, melodic music, well-played.

And just as I was going to get a cab back to the hotel, I heard the sound of rhythmic handclaps, and I followed it to a group of Qaawli musicians with tablas and harmoniums. I was mesmerized, even levitated, and then I went home, leaving thousands of people still in the streets of Austin at 2:30. For many, the night was young.

10:21 AM ET | 03-15-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Scooped

by Carrie Brownstein

Stephen, you won this round of blogging, but only because you were writing in your notepad during the band.

Stephen is correct in saying that X were great. They played all of the hits, from 'Los Angeles' to 'We're Desperate'. John Doe, always the storyteller, told the audience that 'Nausea' was how we'd feel after the amount of beer we'd all been drinking and that 'Motel Room In My Bed' is where we'd be when we woke up feeling sick. (For the record, I was drinking ice tea, which is how I understood what he was saying).

I also caught Times New Viking, one of the bands I'd been hoping to see at SXSW. Their albums are lo-fi with the treble turned up to 10. Live, they have a heavier guitar sound, which I prefer to the thinner tones. There is always an element of surprise when you first see a live band, your expectations bump up against realities, and you have more senses with which to marry the musical experience. What I first noticed about Times New Viking was that their drummer is the main singer and front-person. With maybe the exception of Levon Helm in the Band (sorry Genesis and Eagles), I always find that when drummers sing lead, the energy of the band is tilted in a strange and disorienting direction. But Times New Viking's music is so forward moving and fast, I didn't care about how off center or imbalanced the stage set-up seemed. In fact, it forced the keyboardist/singer and guitarist to turn inwards, which only intensified the dynamic. Plus, all their songs are around two minutes. In some ways, I wish every band at SXSW had only 20 minutes to play. That's two songs by the incredible My Morning Jacket and ten songs by the sonic blink that is Times New Viking.

8:04 PM ET | 03-14-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Scoop!

by Stephen Thompson

I ran into Carrie at the Spin party this afternoon -- where lots of fans skipped the headliner, X, once Vampire Weekend was done playing -- and sprinted back to the hotel to beat her to the punch on the blog. Today's red-hot scoop, which you read here (ahem) first: X is still really, really good.

7:26 PM ET | 03-14-2008 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

My Morning Jacket

by Robin Hilton

Knowing my innumerable idiosyncrasies (I'm not much of a schmoozer and don't like having my face touched... I'm also terrified of gnomes), Stephen Thompson tried and decidedly failed to get publicists to shower kisses on me yesterday. But the day wasn't a total bust. We got to see a lot of amazing shows, not least among them the two-hour, epic My Morning Jacket set at the Austin Music Hall.

You really can't imagine or appreciate the power of this band until you see them live. I've been a mid-level fan since It Still Moves came out in 2003. Their 2005 follow-up Z was stronger. So far, Bob Boilen is the only one in our group who's gotten to hear MMJ's next album, Evil Urges due in June. But the band previewed eight of the new songs at last night's spectacular performance... all of which vaulted me to the next level of uber-fandom. I love this band.

Here's a short clip I shot on my junky still camera. (Hey, I'll bring a dv cam next year.)

2:37 PM ET | 03-14-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Unleash the Blogging Beast!

by Stephen Thompson

I'm typing this from the party WXPN is hosting with Paste magazine, Stereogum, and the usual gaggle of energy drinks and technology concerns. I'm enjoying the music of Lightspeed Champion at the moment, not to mention coveting the opportunity to add several free T-shirts to my closet -- I'm only 10 or 15 away from completing the world's largest and dingiest quilt!

But what I'm really enjoying is the "Dell Lounge Blogger Cage," which suspends a lucky blogger over the stage in a... I guess "blogger cage" is the right word for it. Typing on a laptop has never been hotter! I don't know whether to view the whole thing as a clever bit of ironic self-awareness or the most ludicrous attempt yet to glamorize the act of staring at a screen while motionless.

Speaking of the least alluring person in the room, I closed out last night's barrage of bands with a trip through Playboy's "Rock the Rabbit" party, attended by an assortment of waxy blondes in bunny ears, skinny-legged guys whose hair appeared to have been stitched together from discarded Muppet eyebrows, Elijah Wood, and some of the most piercingly loud dance music ever seared into my poor, battered brain pan. I'm thinking this was the music of Justice, but getting close enough would have entailed getting incinerated by the sheer volume of it all.

Oh, well. Back in the cage!

1:40 PM ET | 03-14-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

The Shout Out Louds

by Robin Hilton

When we first sat down to pick the bands we dreamed of having in the NPR Music showcases this year, each of us brought our own personal favorites to the table. Mine was The Shout Out Louds.

I first saw them last fall when they came to D.C. for a show. It didn't start until 1 in the morning and by midnight I was comfortable at home and did not want to go back out to a smoky bar. But I forced myself to go... and found it so utterly beautiful and inspiring I practically floated out of the club when it was over, glowing with delight.

I'd say out of all the bands we presented Wed. and Thur. the Shout Out Louds gave the most uplifting performance. They're so darn upbeat and charming, when I hear them play it just makes me glad to be alive.

I'd love to go to Stockholm to check out the burgeoning scene there. But I don't think I'm attractive enough. The customs authorities probably wouldn't let me out of the airport.

Here's a short clip from The Shout Out Louds' set at the Parish yesterday:

1:30 PM ET | 03-14-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Adventures in Public Speaking

by Stephen Thompson

In my years at NPR, I've been called on to read essays on Morning Edition, speak extemporaneously in roundtable discussions, and (for the first time this week) talk live on the air without relying on NPR's editing magicians to turn my apelike grunts into coherent commentary.

I'm still a rookie at this public-speaking stuff compared to Bob Boilen and Carrie Brownstein, with whom I've gotten to co-host many of our live streams in the past two days. Bob's been hosting All Songs Considered for years, while Carrie has stood in front of gargantuan crowds while in Sleater-Kinney. Still, when it came time to decide who would introduce last night's Yo La Tengo webcast/broadcast on stage, in front of a thousand or so people at the Austin Music Hall, Bob and Carrie and I all turned green simultaneously.

As the most easily discarded member of our particular broadcast team, I was chosen for the task -- no matter how many times I insisted that Bob is the ruggedly handsome face of NPR Music, or threatened Carrie with plans to incite an audience chant of "Carrie! Carrie! Carrie!" to bring her out on stage in my place.

In the end, I got out there, flapped my yap for 30 or 40 seconds, and did not burst into flames and die of embarrassment.

But it got me thinking: We had three natural candidates for this particular task -- an experienced host, a veteran rock singer, and an attention-starved toddler -- and the thought of talking on stage terrified all three of us. Why is that, exactly? Barring an actual study on the subject, I'll blame every elementary-school play ever performed, starting with my own.

12:51 PM ET | 03-14-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

In a Foggy Haze

by Bob Boilen

I woke up this morning and thought they'd installed smoke machines in my hotel room. Turned out to be my internal haze.

But every show here in Austin (except the show we curated at the Parish) was filled with fake smoke.

One Wiki entry says "Glycol-based fog is associated with headaches, dizziness, drowsiness and tiredness in those exposed."

That's good news, I thought for a moment I'd heard too much music.

Today, tonight and tomorrow, I'll breathe less and listen more.

11:07 AM ET | 03-14-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Saving The Planet, One Tote Bag At A Time

by Carrie Brownstein

This year SXSW made an effort to go green.
In that case, I hope everyone finds something creative to do with the ephemera that filled the 25,000 tote bags they handed out to the festival-goers.
Here is a sampling of the contents, spread out on my hotel bed.

8:54 PM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Lightspeed Champion

by Robin Hilton

I can't tell you what a treat it was to get to hear Lightspeed Champion play a few songs for me and Bob Boilen at SXSW 2008. Here's the long-promised video of the performance:

3:52 PM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink | comments (9) | e-mail post

 

Sleepy Eyed and Newly Named

by Carrie Brownstein

Over on Monitor Mix, people helped me come up with a name to write on my (sadly) blank NPR badge.

Considering how tired I am on this Thursday morning, I had to go with C.B. Grumbleton.

To be honest, my favorite was Blogstein, and after I've had a bit more coffee, I'll probably regret not going with that one.

Right now I am listening to The Shout Out Louds playing live at The Parish on 6th Street in Austin. I am so relieved to be talking on-air about bands I am actually excited to see. During last night's broadcast (REM, Dead Confederate), I felt like an announcer at the Olympics. I turned some embarrassing phrases that all sounded like they would fit in at a Speed Skating event, or that follow one of those human interest stories they play during Olympic broadcasts to make you care about the difficult life of, say, a gymnast. "Anna slept in a paper bag for the for the five years of her life in order to get her used to the rigor and discomfort of the high beam. The first time she felt cotton was when a trainer cleaned her bleeding knee with a Q-Tip. Today, Anna--4'4"--is a happy and healthy girl. This is her first time at the Olympics".

Anyhow, the crowd is still filtering into the room. It seems like a lot of industry types. I hope for the sake of the bands that we get some regular folks in here. Fans whose faces light up when they hear the first note of their favorite song, who notice that the singer is wearing a different shirt than he was last night, who care when the band spontaneously changes a lyric, and whose bodies naturally sway and twitch and delight at the sounds and sights before them.

(Update: Shout Out Louds were fantastic. A still tired audience came alive during the set. Now Jens Lekman is on stage.)

You can listen to the concert right now and it will be up later on the NPR website.

Pictured below. Me, sleepy-eyed and newly named.

2:19 PM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

I Did Not See Shearwater

by Carrie Brownstein

I didn't want to be the only blogger not to post about the Shearwater show.

So, here it is, my ode to the band:

Sorry to miss,
your (apparently)
awesome
filled to the maximum
South By South show
Packed to rafters
fans newly drafted
converted to manic
But I'll never know

12:51 PM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Of Shearwater and Stains

by Stephen Thompson

If I'm asked to name the best shows I saw at SXSW in 2008, I'll rattle off the URLs for NPR Music's streams, because those shows are great and I'm nothing if not a craven self-promoter. But once I've completed my duties as an NPR hype man, I'll babble my fool head off about Shearwater, which put out my favorite album of 2006 -- and which has always been amazing live, but never better than last night. I'll let Robin Hilton take it from here, but I'll just say that at 2 in the morning, after 16 hours on my feet, I hated to see Shearwater walk off stage. If that show were still going on, I'd still be standing there.

Anyway, NPR Music is hosting one of SXSW's big afternoon parties today, and in addition to hosting an impressive lineup of live music we like, we're also hosting a large crowd of fans, friends, media, and music-industry folks. Consequently, we need to be easy for people to spot. I suggested that Robin and Bob walk around with their thumbs up or down -- Carrie Brownstein would have to pose in profile, with a dog behind her at all times -- but instead, we all got matching NPR T-shirts.

So today's game, in addition to trying to see how many times I can goad publicists into kissing Robin on the face, is to see how long it takes for my nice new light-brown shirt to sport a gigantic barbecue-sauce stain. The line out of Vegas says 1:30 p.m. CT.

12:04 PM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Thank You, Shearwater

by Robin Hilton

If I could only have one band to listen to for the rest of my life, at this moment in time that band would be Shearwater.

Frontman Jonathan Meiburg has the finest voice of anyone making music today and his songs are absolutely magical. They quake and tremble with a remarkable range of emotion. One moment they're delicate and sad, with Meiburg's heartbreakingly pure falsetto soaring above it all... the next moment they're erupting with something akin to rage.

I had the pleasure of seeing Shearwater for the first time at about 1:30 this morning. Fellow NPR Music producer Stephen Thompson and I headed over to Austin's Club de Ville for the all-too-short performance. The stage was shut down and everyone shooed out promptly at 2, but it was enough time to convince me that Shearwater belongs among the ranks of music's most revered rock and art-folk bands.

Here's a short video clip I shot of Meiburg performing last night:

11:16 AM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

My Morning Car Ride

by Bob Boilen

I spent much of the day before our live concert webcast talking with some of the bands we'll be featuring. As soon as I pull it all together you'll be able to hear from:

AA Bondy
Papercranes
Summerbirds in the Cellar
Johnathan Rice
Yo La Tengo

...then I was interviewed by the San Jose Mercury News about NPR's new music site.

Then it was on to the Omni Hotel for a talk with Jim James of My Morning Jacket. I wanted to hear their new CD Evil Urges before the interview. I felt it would be wrong not to hear what he was singing and writing about these days.

Over the past few weeks I was repeatedly told that getting a copy probably wasn't going to happen. They were being very protective. Then, two hours before the interview, our incredibly hard-working partner Chris Mooney got a call from MMJ management, saying we could hear the album... but we needed to find a stereo in a private location where there wouldn't be the risk of anyone else hearing it.

Hmmm, how about a car?

An hour later a borrowed Lincoln Continental pulls in front of the Omni Hotel in Austin. The band's manager Mike was behind the wheel. He gave me a giant smile and took me for a ride.

The album kicks! Houses of the Holy was my first thought, but then the album shifted to other sounds ... R&B, great country music, but mostly just fantastic playing, incredible drumming, well thought-out harmonies... all music with great intent and confidence. I was in love.

By nature, the idea of listening to a record with someone sitting next to me waiting for reaction is something I abhor and something I've never done. I mean how can you say you don't like it with someone totally involved in it sitting right next to you? But I did go for the ride, and my thoughts here are honest and heartfelt.

Evil Urges, the new CD that comes out in June from My Morning Jacket is going to be one of the best records of the year and the best music Jim James and friends has ever made.

After the drive I sat down and had a conversation with Jim. Give a listen and enjoy the concert.

1:49 AM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post

 

The Harmonica Love Fest

by Bob Boilen

Why do we love the harmonica? Why