As the afternoon moved along, I next checked out the Canadian Blast BBQ in Brush Park, catching the Montreal electro-hip-hop outfit Radio Radio. Singing in Acadian French, the trio were in town promoting their third LP Belmundo Regal. Their take on hip-hop is modern and inspired, and I found myself connecting with their music through the beats, if not the words. I know there are a lot of fans of French rap out there, and this definitely finds a place in between what you know in that category, and what you know of the American style. Radio Radio have made hip-hop their own, and were a blast. Pun intended.
The Canadian Blast Soundcheck
One of the great things about the days at SXSW is the fact that parties are hidden all over town – some are official SXSW parties that everyone knows about – but others may be harder to get into, or know about. One such party, which falls somewhere in the middle, is the daily Lose Control 2 party, put on by the folks at The Hype Machine (http://www.hypem.com/). The party launched early with previously announced artists, but went late into the night, filling each and every evening with a slew of special guests.
I entered the venue on a whim, having RSVP’d previously via the Hype Machine website. I had no idea who would be performing, and indeed, the band who were performing as I entered – Danish electronic outfit Spleen United (Spleen in this case meaning “discontent”) – were unknown to my ears. But they were immediately gripping, and possibly the biggest surprise of SXSW. The tracks were mostly instrumental, with a bit of pre-recorded audio mixed in – and then some vocals here and there. The five piece were clearly there to blow our minds, and they went ahead and did just that. They were tight, but they felt like they were improving at the same time. The crowd felt like they were part of something unique, yet you knew that they were masters at whatever it was they were doing.
Part Presets, part Led Zeppelin (in the whole “epic” sense) – these were dance numbers that were too big to be ignored. I say this having only listened to two of their recorded tracks, but do check this band out. I’ll be doing it myself as soon as I get back to Australia. “She Falls in Love with Machines” was an easy highlight of the set – listen to a remix here and have your mind blown.
Brazilian Duo Lucy and the Popsonics (pictured above) followed a brief DJ interlude (during which a “VJ” made things a bit more interesting on the projections) – opening with the track “Bob the Killer” – one of the few partially English spoken tracks of their set. Their take on Nena-esque rock and roll was intriguing and engaging, but failed to stand out from the pack. With Pil Popsonic on Guitar and Fernanda Popsonic on Bass, they relied on a backing track for most of the show – a trait which almost always puts me off a live performance. It feels lazy and just leaves you wondering why they bother. I didn’t feel so strongly about the use in this performance, but it definitely hindered them from grabbing me.
As the clock struck “secret guest” o-clock, the OK Deejays (pictured above) took to the decks, as the first surprise band set up. With “SOLID GOLD” projected onto the walls, one could hint a guess as to who the band might be. The OK Deejays were more than apt in getting the crowd ready for Solid Gold, as they bounced through an impressive blend of new and old. I don’t know if 2MANYDJs inspired their set, but it certainly felt like it – and it was wholly enjoyable all the same.
Minneapolis’ Solid Gold (above) are an electro-rock four piece who I swear I’ve heard pop up on local radio in recent months. They were a stand-out act, with tracks that included “Matter of Time” and “Who You Gonna Run To?” that I just know I’ve heard somewhere before. There was simply a familiarity about all of it.
They produce indie dance music much in the vein of what we’ve all been listening to over the last few years – yet they make it completely their own. I wouldn’t put them in the Cut Copy/Presets category straight up,
however – they have a distinct rock edge to them that puts them apart, while retaining the catchy beats. Tight as you get, I was tapping my toes to their tunes long after I left the venue. Watch/download/buy/hold up a liquor store and eat all the beef jerky – do whatever you can to get into this band before everyone else in Australia does. You know what we’re like!
