Caught Live at SXSW: The Raveonettes

I’ve already posted these at LAist but thought I’d go into a bit more detail here. I caught the Raveonettes after literally getting thrown onto (not under) the bus, by Kyra who was hosting day parties Thursday and Friday at Red Eyed Fly with Little Radio.

It’s definitely a spectacle to see every side of a festival that includes 1700 bands, some 100+ venues and all of the labor, scheduling, and moving about that it entails. It’s not uncommon for bands to play 3 or more sets in a day during SXSW. So it’s crucial that the bands and their crews are on time and expedient and for the most part — this was the case. Little Radio’s setup at Red-Eyed Fly was an ADD-dream-come-true, with an outside stage and an inside stage, each with staggered 25-40 minute sets so that there was never a quiet moment. Red Eyed Fly was another establishment that participated in one of the the biggest — likely the tastiest — cocktail promotion I saw throughout Austin: The Dewars and Ginger Ale. All I could think was that someone finally set Dewars straight at a focus group… you CAN mix scotch with Ginger Ale, and it’s even tastier and more special if it’s with something like Reed’s Ginger Beer.

Anyone who heard me DJ or received a mix from me circa 2005 knows that The Raveonettes “Love in a Trashcan” is a favorite. So it just worked out perfectly that it was the song they performed when I turned on the camera.

Still more from SXSW 2008 to come.

Twitter Updates for 2008-03-21

  • Listening to long-awaited upcoming record. Surely the only one with the song about Aloyisius. Perfect for this slow-roll down Sunset. #
  • OH: Woooaah, that Bon Iver guy smells reeaally bad…. Or is it YOU? #
  • dreamt that I bought an iPhone. it was weird, bulkier than usual, and I immediately regretted not waiting for the 3G-capable as I will in RL #
  • 3-21 happy birthday @fasonista. thank Good its Friday. #
  • Added @twitgeistr yesterday and it’s very intrsting top 10 words on Twitter each hour. anyone know how long this has been active? #
  • @xina no way! there’s a Latke-Hamantash debate? Reminds me of McCain comparing Purim to Halloween yesterday. w/ Lieberman at his side noless #
  • @chrisbrogan no invite / quick&easy way to become a Buzz publisher, at this point, methinks. Guy was just lucky. http://rurl.org/lhp #
  • At coral tree cafe brentwood for an evening of power productivity. Hopefully ready for friday funnery later #
  • @ericainSF i got lucky with a seat in the sun too — but I AM working… SF wins big on good:bad cafe ratio. must shoot out the music here. #

State Dept. Bust in Obama Passport Breach



Bust in Obama Swiftboating, originally uploaded by revolute.

2 fired at State Dept. for breaching Obama’s passport files.

Were these McCain’s or Clinton’s people?

And who blew the whistle?

How stinky is this story and the State Dept’s lame explanation?

More here. Timeline of events here.

UPDATE: 12:35AM 3/21 — Richardson Endorses Obama. Here’s Richardson’s endorsement letter.

SXSW Music Highlights Pt. II

Still absorbing the excellent music I heard in Austin last week, some of it expected — if not long-awaited, but much of it newly discovered. Here are some cuts from some of my surprisingly awesome discoveries (new to me, at least) at SXSW.

The Ruby Suns – Tane Mahuta
Spindrift – Beauty
album coverThe Builders and the Butchers – Black Dresses

Clicking on the band name and/or album cover will lead you to an opportunity to purchase the tracks/album.

See my other SXSW posts here and here.