This Week In Austin, TX!

Greetings everyone! It's been a wild week in the big ATX, and while I couldn't update daily I do want to bring you some highlights from my experiences at both SXSW and RedGorilla Music festivals.

If you haven't heard of RedGorilla, it's a renegade festival started by Brian Waymire and Chris York or Dreamscapers International. The pair is based out of Nashville and Austin, and focus on discovering and promoting the best in independent music today. While RedGorilla is in no way associated with SXSW, they do have an unmistakable large presence in Austin during the same week as the mother festival with 11 venues and over 500 bands playing up and down 6th St. This year the RedGorilla lineup was killer, and featured The Matches, The Effects, The Hollywood Kills, Luna Halo, AutoVaughn, Dizzy Balloon, and many more.

As you know, the week started off strong with The Matches playing a killer set for SXSW, and then two secret shows for RedGorilla. All three were incredible and even in the Texas heat people were dancing their little hearts out to staples like, "Papercut Skin" and "Sunburn Vs. The Rhinovirus." Complete with new bassist Dylan Rowe these Oakland rockers brought a taste of nor-cal to Austin in all the right ways.

I caught some incredible pop/rock from The Hollywood Kills Friday and Saturday night at RedGorilla. This little band from Nashville is making big waves thanks to a polished sound that has evolved from garage rock to commercially shiny, alternative pop/rock. There's an element to their live performance that instantly draws you in and, whether you like it or not, keeps you dancing to their tunes all night long. If you haven't heard of THK yet, make sure to check out CakeOrDeath Productions for a FREE DOWNLOAD of four songs off their new record Idiot's Guide To Desertion.

One of the many surprises I encountered over the week was Ace Enders' set at the Photo Finish Records Showcase for SXSW on Friday. Formerly of The Early November, Ace played some new tunes for the Audience for the Recover Reunion show and had everyone's ears on him. It was great to hear the new project and get a tast of what's to come from such a talented artist. Make sure to check out Ace Enders And A Million Different People's new record When I Hit The Ground asap. You'll love it!

Another high point of RedGorilla was Tulsa, Oklahoma rockers The Effects. Now, these guys wouldn't usually fall into a category of music I normally keep on shuffle, but after seeing them live all that has changed. These boys are 100% rock 'n roll. They've put a sparkly millenial twist on classic rock with screaming guitar solos, and beats that keep your eyes fixed on drummer Erin to see what he's going to lay down next. The one drawback to The Effects is that they don't currently have recordings that do them justice. This is a live band through and through, and to truly experience the magic of their music you have to see them live. So...make sure you check out their MySpace for a complete list of upcoming tour dates near you.

One final experience i'd like to share with everyone was a set by a somewhat unknown band called Dizzy Balloon. Hailing from Oakland, CA this five-some is everything I could have ever asked for in a new band. They've got the looks, the sound, the stage presence, and the personality to take them straight to the top. With their Beatles-inspired sound and insanely catchy tunes like, "Raise A Glass" and "Chinatown" Dizzy Balloon kicked ass this week at RedGorilla. I was most impressed by a cover they did of "I Want You (She's So Heavy" by the Beatles. At first listen you wouldn't think their poppy sound fits with the appropriately named, heavy tune, but DB pulled out all the stops on this one, mimicking the iconic song effortlessly, while still putting a signature twist on the classic riffs and turn-arounds that define it. There's a clear Beatles influence in Dizzy Balloon's sound, and this was a perfect cover to round out their phenomenal set this weekend.

Whether you were in Austin for SXSW, RedGorilla, or even Texas Rock Fest this week, all the music on 6th St. was amazing. Live music has the power to move people, bring people together, and keep them coming back for more long after their first listen, and that's what all these festivals are about. A good band is a good band, but a good band that is also good live automaticlaly becomes a great band, surpassing the hordes of wanna be's and has beens chasing fame without a prayer. Thanks to all the amazing bands for playing your hearts out at all three festivals, and making the trip to Austin to share your music with people that truly appreciate it.

Peace

Ok everyone. Im going to keep this short and sweet. The Matches secret show #1 will be today at 3:00 pm at The Chuggin' Monkey on 6th St. This is a RedGorilla Music Festival venue, NOT a sxsw venue so there is no cover or badges needed at the door. Just come on in and enjoy some tunes!
Peace
Alex

The Matches At SXSW!

Hello everyone, Alex here with your SXSW festival update for Wednesday, March 18, 2009.

Wednesday was the official start of SXSW’s music portion of the festival. With bands playing up and down 6th St. it was difficult—to say the least—to choose who and where to spend my time. With the help of my trusty program guide, however, I finally settled on a late afternoon dose of Oakland, Cali rockers, The Matches, and their MTV Rock Band set at The Troubadour Saloon.

I got to The Troub. just in time to catch the opening notes of “Their City.” Even though the venue was small, and packed with fans of all ages Shawn, John, Matt, and Dylan—with special guest, road manager, and Triangle player Ben—played an absolutely perfect set, complete with two new songs, “Wicked Walk” and “It’s My Day.” The new songs brought out the dancer in everyone, inspiring a waltz-like head banging session courtesy of the guy in the stripped shirt, front and center.

The Matches rounded out their set with the fan-favorite “Papercut Skin” which is always amazing live. Ben came out to play triangle on the bridge, as usual, and left everyone applauding after his brief cameo on stage as “the triangle guy.” If you’ve seen The Matches before you know how infectious and inspiring their live shows can be; this one, luckily, was no exception to that rule. They started my night off right, and re-energized my musical spirits after a long day of work in the Austin heat.

If you missed The Matches’ set today fear not. You can catch them several times throughout SXSW including the following:

Thursday: 3/19 4:00 pm at the Rock Band Lounge (SXSW performers and guest list only)

Friday: 3/20 11:00 pm at The Wave

There are also two other secret shows you can check out this week that I can’t announce just yet, but you can check MiscPause for further details to be released later in the week. You can also check The Matches MySpace for show times and venue listings.

As for today, it was absolutely amazing, and I thank The Matches for starting it off right. Remember, this is only the beginning so if you’re in Austin this week DO NOT miss any of the action down on 6th St.

See you tomorrow,
Alex

If you’re not already familiar with the music festival South By South West (SXSW), let us introduce you. For years, SXSW has been bringing the newest and hottest bands, artists, DJ’s, etc to Austin, TX for a week-long celebration of alternative music. Everything from rock to reggae to jazz and country can be heard up and down 6th St. (the Burbon St. of Austin) from March 18-22 every year. Thousands of industry professionals converge on the “weird” city for compelling panels and a heavy dose of networking, all with the goal of exploring what’s new and hot in music today. Day parties, label showcases, interactive panels and intensive networking sessions make SXSW the destination for anyone working in, or interested in music.

This year’s festival is no exception. In addition to some special guests that haven’t been announced yet, artists playing include: Fastball, DD/MM/YYYY, Auqualung, Ten Out Of Tenn, the Hymns, The Decemberists, The Avett Brothers, Peter Bjorn and John, Cold War Kids, Erin McCarley, Tori Amos, Ida Maria, Monte Negro, Brooke Waggoner, Paper Toute, The Features, Shwayze, Jim Bianco, Cary Brothers, Ben Harper, Riverboat Gamblers, The Devil Wears Prada, Forever The Sickest Kids, Lady Sovereign, Margaret Cho, Camera Obscura, Tinted Windows, Cursive, The Pink Spiders, The Shys, Shiny Toy Guns, Jason Reeves, The matches, Cage The Elephant, The Urgency, Marcy Playground, and Third Eye Blind to name a few.

(There have also been rumors of a Billy Joel and Elton John show sometime during the festival, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.)

Inklings will be keeping you updated on festival happenings throughout the week, so make sure you check back everyday to get the scoop on performances by your favorite bands, as well as a few profiles on some new talent we think you should check out.

Peace!