27 posts tagged “kcrw music”

When I left the hotel this morning I was greeted by the famed Black Cab from the Black Cab Sessions, a great web series where they pick up bands to play a track while the cab drives around. Its way better than I can describe in the 80 degree heat as I await the next band. They're from the UK and big fans of the station.

After our MBE broadcast, I hit the Filter showcase at Cedar street and was happy to find they were running behind schedule so I could catch all of Wild Light. WL drummer Seth couldn't say enough good things about previous act Idle Warship, who Garth Trinidad has been championing. Wild Light wowed everybody - they just came off a tour with Tapes and Tapes and their set was tight.

I knew nothing about Manchester's The Whip but they won me over about 10 seconds in. Even the Late of the Pier guys were busting a move to their irresistable dance music. FUN. I'm so proud we are sponsoring these Filter showcases because every band I've seen has been fantastic.

RR
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As I listen to Peter Bjorn and John soundcheck for their MBE performance this morning, I'm thinking about our fantastic showcase last night. The Boat People kicked it all off with a set of poppy songs, including my personal fave, Born in the 80's, and charmed the entire room. Next up, were Oklahoma's Other Lives whose music can best be described as orchestral folk. It was packed by the point and the entire room was consumed by the music in the best way.

Port O'Brien has been touring pretty much non stop and their live show was super tight and they created a jovial ruckus at the end when they handed out pots and pans for the audience to bang on during the final song.

Aussie bro and sis Angus and Julia Stone sang sweet tunes and prepared the stage for another sibling singing duo, the lovely ladies of School of Seven Bells, along with Benjamin Curtis (Secret Machines). The room was so crowded - and the band was so good - that a bartender jumped on the bar to get a peek.

Malaysian artist Zee Avi got her first substantial airplay on KCRW and when we needed a headliner at the last minute (when Ida Maria didn't make it into the country in time), she happily filled in. Her angelic voice - and a fantastic cover of Interpol's Slow Hands - was the perfect ending to the evening.

RR

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I'm big into bluesy rock from Ohio these days! Dan Auerbach/The Black Keys are proudly from OH as are the Heartless Bastards. Singer Erika Wennerstrom has an unbelievable voice and they played some of my favorite songs off their new album, The Mountain, at the Paste Magazine party.

Afterwards,I headed down 6th St (austin's main drag of venues, bars and nightclubs) to check out Harlem Shakes. It was their first SXSW show this year and they said they were psyched to be there - and I could tell. They had, by far, the most energy of any band I've seen. I'm a big fan of their album Technicolor Health and it came alive in their live show. The singer had a pair of drumsticks in his hand the whole time and pounded on whatever was around. It was a blast.

On my way to Buffalo Billiards for our showcase...

RR
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I found out yesterday afternoon that the headliner for KCRW's official showcase - Ida Maria - was having trouble getting into the U.S. from her native Norway. It was a big disappointment that she wouldn't arrive in time however we had an incredible bit of luck in booking Zee Avi at the last minute. Her label, Brushfire Records, woke the weary singer this morning and she agreed to jump on board. Anyone who has been listening to MBE, has heard her a bunch.

Looking forward to tonight!

RR
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There's only a handful of bands I came to SXSW determined to see and Seattle's Telekenisis was one of them. I caught them at the Austinist day party. They have a singing drummer who had a raccoon stuffed animal on his kit, nice touch.

Here We Go Magic is such a good band name I wanted to hear their music as soon as I heard that a band with such a name existed. Not only that, but singer Luke Temple is the frontman. It took me a few listens to get into the CD but once I did, I really liked the combination of soundscapes, both dreamy and tribal, and straightforward songs. They were really late to start but they drew the crowd out of the shade as soon as they got going.

Waiting on the Harlem Shakes...
RR
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What a week! I probably saw an average of 10 bands a day while in NYC for the festival. My favorite bands were, for the most part, bands I was somewhat familiar with, including Takka Takka, Miniature Tigers, Rumble Strips, Women, Princeton and the Boat People.

There were some suprises though - DRI sounded unlike anything I heard at the festival and was one of the few female artists I came across. The Subjects are based in Brooklyn and have elements of the Kinks. They are currently working on new material and I look forward to hearing what they come up with. Secret Life of Sofia also caught my ear and they were the very first band I saw at the festival. If you want to check out these artists for yourself, check out the video on our CMJ page - KCRW.com/CMJ

Some of these bands played double digit shows while in town but if you come all the way from Canada for your first NYC trip (like Women) you might as well make the most of it and I thank them for it!

RR

I first heard about Mortified from an NPR story. To break it down simply, it's a show where people get up on a stage in front of a live audience and share the awkwardness and angst of their adolescent years by reading diary entries, singing songs, acting out scripts and so on. I went to see it for myself here in LA and was floored - I laughed, I cried, I cringed.

Founder Dave Nadelberg was one of the first people we invited to be a Guest DJ and we posted his set in honor of the 6-year anniversary of Mortified. His song choices include "one of the best songs ever written about childhood," a haunting Beach Boys cover, and more.

Check it out at KCRW.com/guestdjproject

RR

The last two nights of the CMJ Artist Lounge were all over the map -- from the psychedelic reggae and soul of DRI to the Aussie pop of the Boat People and my favorite cover of the festival - Portastatic's version of "Dancing in the Dark." During the day, I saw one of my favorite sets courtesy of the Miniature Tigers. I was looking forward to seeing this AZ-based band going in and they did not disappoint.

Delta Spirit closed out the showcase (and their 2-month tour) with rollicking rock. I had a long chat with singer Matt before the show about his love of old soul and how much he enjoyed raiding the Rounder Records vault when he got signed to the label.

After a full week of music, I ended my trip the way you should in New York - I grabbed a bagel and lox from a local deli on my way to the airport.
RR
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After an early morning visit to the CMJ Artist Lounge where we got Theresa Anderson dancing in the stairwell (and saw some interesting remnants of the night before - watch the video), I headed out to catch some music. I walked in at the end of Shugo Tokumaru's set. He's one of the CMJ "buzz" artists and, according to Wall Street Journal writer Jim Fusilli, it's totally justified. Jim think he may be the most impressive artist he sees at CMJ and it is only day 2!

We ran into Women (who are all men) and grabbed them for a quick chat. This is their first time playing NYC and they said they were surprised by the turnout. They were probably being modest because they also have a lot of buzz and will be playing our showcase tonight, as will Takka Takka. Nic really likes these guys and I'm really excited to see them live.

Project Jenny, Project Jan is a one MC/one DJ band but it was just what I was looking for in the late afternoon - dance music with excellent showmanship and beats.

Off to see more music...

RR
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Bon Iver

Bon Iver's music is not exactly light hearted so I wasn't sure how it would fit in a festival setting, but it was breathtakingly beautiful. I'm always worried slow music will be a "downer," especially mid-afternoon, but his voice and the silent worshipping crowd made it as moving as Sunday church.

It was a tough act to follow. The Cool Kids weren't really my thing so I waited for the Broken Social Scene. The Canadian collective/super group is definitely something to see. I now understand why Margaret Cho told us in her guest DJ set that she wants to join the band. I can't quite pin them down with a description, I just know the make interesting music with lots of instruments and people.

I think Wilco is one of the best live bands on the planet right now and they proved me right once again. Jeff Tweedy and co played some of their greatest hits - "I'm the Man Who Loves You," "I am Trying to Break Your Heart,"Hummingbird," "California Stars," so many good ones. I heard a bunch of screams and cheers during the middle of "Jesus etc" and it turns out some guy had proposed in the middle of the song! Apparently she said yes.

Jeff Tweedy of Wilco

We watched part of Jack Johnson's set - I'm a longtime fan and have seen him many times so I stayed just long enough to see ALO's Dan Lebowitz sit in on guitar as a special guest (ALO's Zach Gill plays keys for Jack and also has a solo album).

After 3 days, I was just getting good at navigating the grounds but my poor little feet could not handle another day -- hopefully I will get another chance to tackle it next year.

RR
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