HOLY SOUTHBY: 2012 ROUNDUP

Some of us round here have just caught up on sleep... since 10 days have passed & I find myself compulsively buying music from artists I caught during SxSW this year, thought it would be a good time to pass on recs.

1. THE MYNABIRDS

My good friend J. Tom Hnatow (of These United States fame, of used to crash on my couch in Brooklyn & will most def appear on the 1st official Pls Pls Me album fame) has a new project - the Mynabirds.

I always hoped a sensitive soul as he would do a stint with a girl band. But I could not have imagined it would be two so velvety-voiced-you-wanna-die singers, a female drummer, cool synth & bass effects, and Tom.

          MYNABIRDS' SINGLE HERE

I caught this band a year ago opening up for Josh Ritter at Antone's, but damn, they have totally reinvented themselves since then -- and definitely for the better.

Just the right amount of electronics and earthiness. I look forward to seeing the stomp boxes in action next time.

I breathlessly pushed my way to the front of the stage, only to realize I was shoulder to shoulder with Sarah Law, killer rock photographer, Suzanna Choffel and Dawn Landes right behind me. All people that know how to find the good music.

Watch out: Florence & the Machine -- you got heat! Their new album is due is May.

2. AMY COOK

I'm one of Amy Cook's biggest fans in Austin. I like the rawness of her voice, and the "I could give a shit" attitude. She played South by San Jose, curated by the famous Liz Lambert who erected quite a stage between the ab fab San Jose Hotel & Jo's Coffee (one must stay caffeinated to survive southby).

 

She played all the new songs off her coming record -- Summer Skin -- with the studio band. And I'm not usually a name dropper, but I will NEVER turn down a chance to see Me'shell Ndege Ocello on bass.... David Garza in the house too, for all you cult followers.

I sort of wish the band took a few more chances. But sometimes, it's best not to mess with a good thing.

Amy, when are we writing a song together?

3. BEN KWELLER

The Saturday headliner of South by San Jose. I know many of you are not, but I am a new Ben Kweller fan. And seeing was being converted. All that triumphant energy and rowdy boy poetry -- with hooks that are so catchy, they almost make you mad.

Here's the video for "Wasted & Ready."

Get outta my head "Jealous Girl." No, wait... don't.

4. MADI DIAZ

What the hell is in the water in Los Angeles? By time I finished the Hotel Cafe showcase at St. David's Church Saturday night, I could not stand to hear any more great music. And was seriously contemplating jumping on the first plane, if only to complete with so many completely authentic voices.

Madi's one of those few singer/songwriters who's writing style is really hers -- love those suspended melodies and the way her lyrics are so simple, but still say exactly what needs to be said.

10 days later, I still can't stop listening to LOVE ME NOW.

But if you don't know her, you should also check out LET'S GO.

And her startling cover of Paul Abdul's STRAIGHT UP.  (Someone hit me up if they can find a version online.)

Extra props to the whole band for keeping their cool when the show couldn't start on time because of a keyboard malfunction. They still nailed the first song with perfect poise & total emotion.

Footage from Madi's southby shows.

5. XIMENA SARINANA

I've been singing her praises forever, or since she almost came to WNYC's Soundcheck to do a segment with her first debut.

I like to think of her as Mexico City's answer to Fiona Apple. My friend tweeted in response to this video, "The Adele of Argentina?"   Yes, nice try, except she's not Argentinian. She comes from a famous film family in Mexico, yet perhaps my favorite thing about her is she's so shy and cute and, well innocent onstage, so much so that you are simply not prepared for this voice to come out.

Ximena Sarinana - Mediocre video

I've been disappointed with her English language songs... maybe co-writing with Jason Mraz ruins the angst & emotion I love so much in her first album. But that's okay, because I have a feeling I'll never get tired of this track.

6. OCTOPUS PROJECT

Three guys and a girl from Austin who claim to have eight hands, but they must have way more to be making all that amazing noise. Instrumental music as it ought to be. Full of vintage gear, killer beats, pulsing melodies, a constantly changing cast of instruments -- some of which I can't even identify.

The Thurman solos are unforgettable. When this band walks offstage sweaty, they sure as hell have earned it.

Hope those of you who came to SxSW this year walked away tired and with your ears full of magic.

There's never enough great music in this world. So please & always, send me your recs too.

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More Great Music from Memphis

What if there were a longlost love child between Little Richard & Emmylou Harris?
             She might well look like Lahna Deering.


I first saw Lahna play at Folk Alliance in the Film Access Group room; she was wearing a little red dress, hot red lipstick and pumps to match. She had that Southern smile, the girl next door with a slightly mischievous look in her eye. I half expected her to swing a cardigan over her shoulder and jump into some boy's red Cammaro.


And then she opened her mouth -- pow!  No one sounds like that & her timbre, her affect sticks in your head. I think I followed Deering & Down around the Marriott all weekend. And this girl is pure Memphis.


But don't take it from me. Judge for yourself.

Folk Alliance 2012

apologies for shitty sound quality from my phone

Hear her music well-mixed here: http://deeringanddown.com/fr_home.cfm

Bandcamp for Grownups

We the please, please me are still riding the high of Folk Alliance, where we spend the last four days (nights really) crammed into Memphis's downtown Marriott w/ 1,000 other musicians. No one leaves, except maybe to grab soul food down the street.....

Then you're right back in it.

Every half hour from 2pm-3am, in nearly EVERY ROOM on the top three floors, people are showcasing. There's enough acoustic guitars to arm a small nation.

Bearded man giving us a concertina lesson in hotel lobby

It's a lock-in, like my high school did one night with all the juniors. Except folk musicians.

Completely surreal.

We went in wanting to blow people away with a perfect set. Though we're not really an acoustic band & we were winging it on without sound effects, playing on instruments we built just for the event.

We quickly realized we were surrounded by talent -- in some cases greater or lesser than our own. But in nearly all cases, different & inspiring.

You're crazy if you think, in a place w/ so many musicians, you can get attention just by making noise. So we made friends. We made cinnamon toast in the hotel bedroom & passed it to hungry musicians in the hallways.

And what we really did was JAM. That's right, for an amazing moment in time, the Please, Please Me was a jam band. I felt like a kid learning jazz all over again...

Austin's Ghosts Along the Brazos

Chloe, Sam & Aly of the Sweetness

We finally gave ourselves permission to let go of perfection, not think about how anything was supposed to be played... but JUST PLAY. That's the beauty of playing music that hasn't been written down, hell that hasn't even been written yet.

Members of the Belleville Outfit, Cumberland Collective, Caleb Hawley, Tim Easton, Stone by Stone, the Memphis Dawls.... they didn't give a shit who we were so long as there was an empty chair or inch of floor, a guitar & whiskey bottle going around.

Stay tuned... because I've come home with a shitload of good music & memories. And I'm dying to share some of my favorites with you.

The mini-kit Agustin built for Folk Alliance

The Memphis Dawls

 Memphis is, afterall, the land of soul.

A mini-New Orleans in its own funky way.

xoxo

~jessie, alissa, agustin

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from the 2 to the 0 to the 1 to the 2

A little check-in to find out how all you are faring so far in 2012??

Here's a website where you can peruse others' resolutions & set your own... check it out.

My year did not exactly start out the best... On the heels of an awesome holiday and birthday party (burlesque, oh yes!) (and a pinata), I fell outrageously ill on new year's eve.
    Then we in Austin woke up to the news that a young woman was brutally murdered walking home the night before in what we all think of as a totally safe idyllic place to live.


Somehow though, I remain very optimistic this year.
  
Resolutions: dance more in my bedroom
                         yo-ga        yo-ga      (perhaps hauling amps in 'n out of the van does not count as exercise afterall)
                            style it up a notch    (thanks mom for the sparkly christmas sweaters)
                                 pay off my credit cards by April
                                      practice my ass off
                                            lazy brunches with friends
                                                   meet the XX


And then there are the serious goals. The ones I wished for on the birthday cake... and since I'm superstitious (read: born Italian Catholic), I can't tell you here.


But suffice it to say, with Alissa & Agustin as my co-pilots, I am feeling lots of momentum -- like this year is ours for the taking.


WHAT ARE YOUR 2012 RESOLUTIONS? OR NEW YEAR'S WISHES?
    AND ARE THEY STILL IN PLAY?


Remember, it's never too late to live the life you wished you'd had.


xo
   ~jessie


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