This was my first trip down to SXSW and I definitely didn’t know what I was in for. Traveling to and spending five days in Austin for less than $500 total was not easy. While it’s not impossible to have a great time without a badge, it does make it a little more stressful. I suppose that going down to Texas and not quite knowing where you’re going to sleep each night can also drive you a bit crazy. A big thanks to everyone who let me crash on their floors/futons/beds during the week.

You’ll notice I had less energy to record as the week went on. Also, as the festival progessed, everything got much more crowded - with the final day culminating in the “perfect storm” that was St. Patrick’s Day on a Saturday during SXSW. I’ve resolved that next year I’ll be getting a badge whether or not I’m there on “official business”. Or maybe I’ll turn this website into something legitimate and pass myself off as press. Either way, I’d also like to check out the interactive portion of the festival which seems very interesting.

I may or may not have time to write up a detailed account of my Austin adventures so I’m going to go ahead and post the MP3s that I collected while I was there. Unfortunately they don’t tell the story of Cursive’s awesome 2 am encore, the memorable 5 am drive-thru taco run or how I somehow found myself backstage at a Public Enemy concert.

Before we get to the music, here’s the most interesting thing I heard all week:
The Birds of Austin (live at 8th and San Jacinto)

Wednesday

Funny how I travel to Austin to see a Brooklyn band for the first time. The Forms’ music is interesting because it is usually built on a repetitive guitar line, but almost never in straight 4/4 time. They quip at the end of this track about how Austin’s mayor is cooler than New York’s.

The Forms - unknown (live at Mohawk)

Here’s a new tune from Pela. Billy had just busted and replaced a string which is why it sounds a little out of tune. Last time I saw them it was Eric who snapped one of his bass strings. They’re gonna ask me to stop coming out to shows.

Pela - Interstate (live at Red Eyed Fly)

This instumental group was at the top of my to-see list. They sound a little bit like those Morr label bands like Lali Puna or The Go Find only they have a much bigger sound and aren’t as “pretty”.

The Octopus Project - Tuxedo Hat (live at Red Eyed Fly)

This is Architecture In Helsinki’s new single. Their new music is a bit of a departure from the last two albums. It’s a little less cutesy and this track in particular has an interesting island feel. There’s more crowd noise than usual on this one, just a fair warning. It sounds better towards the end.

Architecture In Helsinki - Heart, It Races (live at Mohawk)

This marked the third time I’ve seen Matt & Kim in three months. Though they write simple songs that I probably won’t ever listen to on a daily basis, their live show is an absolute blast. The recording starts off with Matt not-so-fondly recalling the video shoot for “Yea Yeah”. What I really love about this clip is that you can hear Kim singing loud and clear without a microphone. The performance was at a party celebrating “Dinner With The Band” a new television show which you can check out here.

Matt & Kim - Yea Yeah (live at Six Lounge)

I love the delivery in Michael Kentoff’s voice and every time I go to see The Caribbean their music becomes more and more memorable as well. I picked up The Caribbean’s new 45 “The Go From Tactical” while I was at this show. This song is on the B side.

The Caribbean - The Beverly Boys (live at Mohawk)

The Twilight Sad are a little bit like The Walkmen with a very heavy Scottish accent. However, I find that the accent is the only thing that is strikingly original about their music.

The Twilight Sad - Watching That Chair Painted Yellow (live at Mohawk)

Here’s my number one “discovery” of the festival. When I was picking up The Caribbean record, the Hometapes merch guy gave me the whole “this band will change your life” speech about Slaraffenland. I’m glad I stuck around to check them out. They played one song in which all the band members were on various woodwind and brass instruments except one guy, who was effecting, mixing and looping everyone else’s sounds into a crazy riff that became the background for the entire song. I’m a sucker for acoustic instruments subjected to awesome technology. Unfortunately, I didn’t record that one.

Slaraffenland - Show Me The Way (live at Mohawk)

Twelve more tracks from ten more bands coming up soon. You can cheat here.