SxSW Beginner's Guide Additions #1 - A-B

As expected, SxSW decided to sprinkle their already well-populated list of artists with a few more undesirables, and therefore I've had to trudge all the way back to A and add my thoughts to these newcomers. *sigh* It's gonna be a long journey.

Akina Adderly & The Vintage Playboys (www.myspace.com/akinaadderlyandthevintageplayboys)

When did soul and funk become processed, straight-laced plods with energy and excitement drained out of it like the rosy blush on a shocked face? This is truly terminal, heart rate stabilising dullness.

Allo Darlin' (www.myspace.com/allodarlin)

Fey fey fey fey fey female vocals, bland, repetitive guitar picking, chimes that simply slide away than ring out. Sure they're using a uke too but that pens you down to one type of song. This whispered female vocal style is drawn out, like a death rattle. They aren't terrible but they inspire nothing but shoulder shrugging.

Alvarez Kings (www.myspace.com/alvarezkings)

I was once tricked into thinking Alvarez Kings were really good. I'm not sure who I was watching but it's not who this band has become. Taking the abrasive spank of The Sunshine Underground (remember them?), they have added very little to a formula that was actually invented to push subversive agendas. Now it sounds like the prelude to a punch up over a woman, and not in a good way.

An Horse (www.myspace.com/anhorse)

The less members, the better band - a hard and fast rule which makes as much sense as forcing bands into a one album shot at the big time. Nevertheless, I love duos and some of my favourite bands of late have been male/female duos. An Horse aren't one of them, seemingly happy to write half-decent songs without utilising the extreme dynamics a dual personality can provide. A missed opportunity.

Arborea (www.myspace.com/arborea2)

No theatrics, no facade of uncertainty, Arborea make sure you know they're all about gentile, pastoral, banjo plucked serenity. Sticking to woodland scenery and contrasting sunlit and moonlit ideas, they are consciously beautiful in delivery, if a little light on thrills. You can either bathe in this or switch off before sleep takes hold.

Bomani Armah & Project Mayhem (www.myspace.com/knotarapper)

Light-hearted rap, including the rather cute Peek a Boo about his child, mixed with slightly heavier joints like Go Get It and The Hustle, the overall effect is of simply wringing the last drops of creativity from hip-hop while still attempting an individual flow. It's lacking identity, so until that's found I'm giving Bomani a miss.

Astra (www.myspace.com/astrasound)

Astra occupy that massive prog-rock space where pomp and stumbling obviousness reside. Sheets of synth sound, endless guitar solos, some ramped up tempos then slowed to excruciatingly pedestrian levels - Astra have their moments among the plodding. These moments tend to sound like Dungen. I wish Dungen were playing.

Atash (www.myspace.com/atash)

Because my knowledge of music outside the western sphere is growing at the rate of an primordial amoeba, I'm always fascinated by anything avoiding pentatonic blues scales and the like. Atash sound hemmed in with tradition yet open to spontaneity. Gruff, shivering vocals, pirouetting Turkish violins, Asian twang and an overall dramatic air. It's good, I just wish I knew why.

Attack Attack! (PRETTY MUCH FUCK OFF)

Have fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQVpITyOdc8

AV Okubo (official blog page: http://avokubo.ycool.com/)

Seemingly blending choppy guitars with yelping, screaming vocals, occasional pharmaceutically driven solo breakdowns, keyboard breaks and a sense of fun, these Chinese tykes look as if they may well provide a heavy dose of enjoyment. Nothing special but I bet the crowd loves every second.

Ayah (www.myspace.com/ayahmusic)

The only Ayah I could find, and quite apart from eschewing the R & B stereotypical skinny girl format, her cliched music is still entertaining, still moving in it's own way and is helped by a hard working, hard living attitude. While not something I'd listen to much, it'd be nice to see Ayah fed onto MTV Base and kicking up a fuss instead of those dominating it.

Elle Bandita (www.myspace.com/ellebandita)

Light weight synth expeditions into severely decrepit pop-orientated rock. PO(o)R if you like. Reminds me of some horrendous Twilight/Lost Boys mutated teen-vampire soundtrack.

The Band of Heathens (www.myspace.com/thebandofheathens)

Didn't country rock have an outlaw origin to it? This sounds like country rock delightedly laying down in the dirt for the "man" to trample upon its corpse.

Jill Barber (www.myspace.com/jillbarbermusic)

Didn't love songs used to have substance, wit, pathos and more importantly, sens/sex-uality? This sounds like a love song laying down in the dirt for the "man" to fuck its corpse.

Bastard Child Death Cult (www.myspace.com/bastardchilddeathcult)

Ah glorious feedback! Stampeding rhythms, gritty guitars, a fierce vocal. In the end though, I think it's just my excitement of hearing something that sounds like effort was required to make it which upped my heart rate. It's pretty mediocre hardcore-fuelled stuff. Still, probably a good show to attend nonetheless.

Beans On Toast (www.myspace.com/sexdrugspolitics)

Everyone knows Jay in London. He's just released a double record with 50 songs on it, and the artwork is his name written in felt tip pen on a white piece of paper. Home recordings of rough as hell songs with a rough as sandpaper voice. Brilliant. Definitely see him if you're not from the UK.

The Belle Brigade (www.myspace.com/barbarasongs)

A sibling duo who make glorious pop. My favourite is probably the most joyous (Geraldine), the rest being a bit lackadaisical for me. When they drag it back to slowly strummed acoustic and snail drums, it's pretty boring. Needs more sugar.

Berri Txarrak (www.myspace.com/berritxarrak)

Maravillas begins suitably doomy, massive power chords with drone notes attached to them, but it soon slips fatally into almost hilariously earnest pop-rock. A shame. They know how to riff out but not out to follow such promises. Such a shit voice.

The Black and White Years (www.myspace.com/theblackandwhiteyears)

My heart sinks as soon as that familiar reverbed chord stab clangs into existence. It gets worse when I hear fake handclap drums in the next song. A voice like The Bravery meets Hot Hot Heat emits from my speakers and the case is closed. Go away.

The Black Box Revelation (www.myspace.com/theblackboxrevelation)

See The Stooges. Dismiss anything without the same conviction, sweat, blood, tears and drugs.

Black Feelings (www.myspace.com/bfeelings)

Black Feelings sound like contenders for the title of best unfashionable band. Melding eerie atmospherics and thrumming thrashing climaxes, they also throw in hollering echo vocals and psychadelic ideas like the aforementioned (AND UTTERLY BRILLIANT) Dungen. A hotch potch of moods and ideas, but probably excellent.

Blacklisted Individuals (www.myspace.com/blacklistedindividuals)

Highly charged, rabble rousing and minimal, Blacklisted Individuals bring the party for sure. Although I only heard one track, it's enough to expect this show to be one of the better hip-hop ones on offer this year.

Black Spiders (www.myspace.com/theblackspiders)

This is probably ok, but to me it's heavily affected garage rock, with the weak UK equivalent of 'desert rock' plastered across it. To me this is nothing but boredom in aural form. Rock and roll was never for me really.

The Blow Waves (www.myspace.com/theblowwaves)

It's probably a joke. I wouldn't worry about it. Music like this doesn't deserve any considered criticism. Just forget it's here.

Blue Roses (www.myspace.com/musicofblueroses)

Blue Roses is unfairly underrated - by myself initially - in the UK. A lovely voice and a multi instrumental gospel-like approach leaves a disarmingly huge gap once the the music has desparted. Should hopefully get the same plaudits the massively hyped and under-delivering Florence, La Roux and Bat For Lashes got last year.

Helen Boulding (www.myspace.com/helenboulding)

Lyrically trite, musically soulless, vocally mundane.

Shannon Bourne (www.myspace.com/shannonbourne)

Blatantly inspired by the silver lungs of Justin Vernon, it also appears Shannon has taken on the oblique musical soundscapes of the Bon Iver man too. Machines for instance, uses radio frequency warping via theremin. The intro to Dark Things allows sparse picking from a guitar. His fluid playing allows both space and melody. Though without a massive emotional impact, his musicality is tellingly bracing and impressive.

Brainstorm (...)

Third in the Eurovision song contest 2000. Enough.

Brasstronaut (www.myspace.com/brasstronaut)

With trumpets and piano and a lost little voice in the middle, this is fairly captivating, slow burning songwriting. It's the kind that whips up the flames around you with anticipation before arriving, fully formed just inches from your face. An ensemble with enough suss to grow on you, not hit you in the mouth.

Breakestra (www.myspace.com/breakestra)

This is more like it. Soul as it should be - roots tangled, bellowing brass, voices stained and soaked in good vibes. Breakestra sound like they come from somewhere and belong somewhere too. It's funky, it's gritty and it's wonderful. Excellent.

Tom Brosseau (www.myspace.com/tombrosseau)

Running out of steam. Tom Brosseau expresses himself with a variety of different acoustic techniques, orchestral flourishes and a voice which doesn't do enough to embellish the music underneath. Which seems a shame. It's all a bit doldrum bound.

Butterfly Explosion (www.myspace.com/butterflyexplosion)
"Epic" Irish rock, which builds on guitars and synths with the intention of gargling shoegaze. The result is lightweight, fuzzy rock with little of interest but the slight oscillations between tones and layers...which really isn't their intention.