Amidst the quiet post-SX recovery the news came through that the great Pinetop Perkins died in his home in Austin. Perkins won multiple grammys for his blues piano work, and played with many of the blues greats throughout his 97 years. He called Austin home for the last seven of those years, and continued to play gigs, including one at Antone’s less than a month ago. He will be remembered with a special blues tribute tonight at Antone’s, lineup TBD. 

Another day walking South Congress in the sun…Bahamas at the San Jose, a very well-named guitar and drum duo, sounded like the islands: laid back, quirky, carefree. Before that some thumping electro-pop from Living Days, somewhat at odds with the beer & taco vibe at Guero’s. 

Kind of enjoyed the improv mood that sprang up at Music By the Slice after they were forced acoustic, so returned there in time to check out Still Corners, who I don’t think were ever very loud to begin with. The Autumn Defense turned in an elegant set at San Jose; but easily the highlight of the day was the Ben Kweller listening party for Go Fly A Kite. 

Billed as ‘blogger kegger’, it was a low-key event in the backyard of the very hip St. Cecilia’s Hotel, involved a couple of kegs, pizza, some toddlers running around. Kweller said a few words about the album + old school recording process, and pressed play…and Go Fly A Kite sounded rich, warm, vibrant, fun. Maybe it’s the beer talking. If it was the beer talking, the beer liked the album quite a bit. The beer would like to listen again. Kweller’s left his previous label (ATO) + started his own (The Noise Company), seems to have done him good.

And we head back out… 

One of the reliable treats of SX is the unexpected show…stumbled on to a couple good ones totally unplanned today. Out under the oaks at Guero’s (which my auto-correct wants to call ‘hurtle’ – what?) I caught Operator Please, a dance/punk Australian band with echoes of Bananarama and plenty of attitude. Singer had a bubbly, love-it-or-hate-it sound; I loved it. Across South Congress, Ross Flournoy of Apex Manor (whose set I just missed) told me the venue had a visit from the Austin police, who informed them that they would be shut down if they plugged in…so all of Music By the Slice went impromptu acoustic. Typhoon, a tightly packed twelve-person band, adapted well to the new set up. 

Out later in time for the end of Cowboy & Indian, Austin locals with a freak-folk-blues thing going, then back across South Congress once again for the end of Wanda Jackson – no sign of Jack White. Finally ducked into the Continental Club for the Blurt showcase & saw K’s Choice, a Belgian band with a four-guitar attack and an androgynous, Bowie-esque lead; imagine Mars Volta with Simon & Garfunkel harmonies, and you’re halfway there. Now back to it…

Went out of the gates a little fast on Tuesday night before SXSW music had even officially started, and caught a baker’s dozen of Austin bands at The Ghost Room, running from 4pm until 2 in the morning…opened up with Liars & Saints, and then Royal Forest (above), Leatherbag, Golden Bear, Wiretree, Dan Dyer, Sahara Smith, Cowboy & Indian, Zookeeper, The Lemurs, Sunset, The Great Nostalgic, and Followed by Static.

Pretty phenomenal back to front, but it meant that today, day one of SX, I was taking it slow…in the afternoon I did catch Matt the Electrician playing a benefit show at Guero’s. Many shows here have become spur-of-the-moment benefits as SX reacts to the events in Japan. (Sahara Smith raised $100 for the Red Cross on Tuesday night just by putting out a jar + mentioning it once.) Then snuck out later this evening to see one of my favorite new Austin bands, Black Books, who boast the rarely seen drummer/lead singer, and play a kind of off-kilter dream-pop…their "Maria" lit it up + served as the highlight of my night. On the way home caught Amber Digby, honky-tonky modern country girl from Houston, playing the Continental. And tomorrow back into the madness…

The new phone book’s here! The new phone book’s here! Well, not quite here…SXSW 2011 is in full swing, but music has yet to officially kick off. Still some calm left before the storm – though tomorrow some of the good unofficials really get going, with Art Disaster @ Beauty Bar, SXES @ Thunderbird Coffee, and Frog ML @ The Ghost Room.

Soon we’ll be bringing you reports from the fray…but for now, one last rec for an off-Sixth venue: The Lustre Pearl. It’s tucked away in an odd pocket of real estate south of Cesar Chavez and west of 35 – area is home also to the G’Raj Mahal, worth a peek. The Pearl is hardly a secret – the line tends to be long and the names tend to be large, but it’s a venue worth seeing if you can squeeze your way in.  This year’s performers include Okkervil River, The Black Lips, Dawes, and The Cold War Kids. 

Overwhelmed yet? It’ll keep coming…then it will pass + we’ll stand around blinking in the mid-March sunshine with a persistent ringing in our ears. And then gear up for 2012. While it’s here, though: our friends at Ultra8201 posted about this, excellent free Thursday lineup at the Mohawk, including Black Joe Lewis & Telekinesis. 

We’re focused today on one of the perennially under-appreciated events of SX: SXSanJose, in the parking lot of Hotel San Jose on South Congress. The lot will be lined with booths of Austin goodies, the beer will be plentiful, and the stage will feature Vetiver, The Civil Wars, Ruby Jane (Thursday), Amy Cook, Apex Manor, Uh Huh Her (Friday), Menomena, White Denim (above), and Dan Dyer (Saturday), and much much more.   Full lineup is always seems to be one of the trickier ones to find, but it’s right here. 

Whether or not I have a vested interest (I do, I do, very much so), it’s still valid to say one of the best upcoming early-early SXSW lineups is happening at the Ghost Room, Tuesday, 3/15, hosted by Frog Music Licensing. A grand total of thirteen Austin bands are on the bill, starting at 4:00 pm and running all night long…and like many of the off-Sixth happenings we’ve been talking about, this one’s absolutely FREE, no badge, no wristband, no problem. 

First of all, about Ringo Deathstarr: when we said today, yesterday, what we meant was tomorrow – in other words, today. Clear? Colour Trip drops today (3/8), and joining it will be Dinner in the Dark, the debut full length fuzzed up retro garage slab of madness from Shapes Have Fangs. They’ll be celebrating the release Thursday at the Mohawk.

Our guess? You’ll be hearing a fair amount about SHF this year and this SX, especially after they kick of SX a bit early with the Daily Juice & Juicebox SXSW Boat Party Monday 3/14…the boat will depart from Walsh Landing promptly at 5:30, rock for 4 solid hours (with other acts Woodgrain and Fresh Millions), and return; repeat that for Tuesday with some Brooklyn bands (Ego Puppets, Pretty Good Dance Moves) plus Gangsta Sex. 

So much to love about Ringo Deathstarr…starting of course with the name, neck and neck right now with I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness for My Favorite Austin Band Name. But mostly of course there’s the music, a loving shoegaze revival that’s been greeted with open arms in the across the Atlantic in the birthplace of shoegaze, and enjoys a devoted, if smaller, following here in Austin. And today is the day their debut full-length Colour Trip arrives, complete with appropriately anglicized spelling. 

Ringo Deathstarr will be a part of the (free!) Eastbound Getdown at 1500 E. 2nd, Thursday 3/17 during SXSW. 

If you find yourself stumbling around in a midday, directionless haze during this year’s SXSW – which is perfectly normal – point yourself east and uphill, and check out the French Legation happenings. This is possibly my single favorite destination during SX. 

Because Texas was once its very own country – take that, Oregon – we had our very own ambassador here from France, who was housed at this elegant estate up on a hill. Now, I can’t be sure, but I think that the French ambassador decreed at one point that there should be fine indie rock, grilled sausage, and Lone Star beer made available on SXSW afternoons, and it has come to pass. This year events on Weds., Thurs., and Fri. – hosted by Bella Union, Yours Truly, Other Music, and Dig for Fire – will feature Low, Cass McCombs, Vetiver, John Vanderslice, and !!! (above). 

Ok now…we’re a local website about local indie bands, and upcoming is a Local Night for Local People…it just feels right to say something about it. Put together by whitesiren, and taking place at The Ghost Room this Saturday March 5th, the Local Night for Local People is a pre-fest shindig featuring four bands outdoors and four bands in, including STEREO IS A LIE, New Roman Times, The Pons, One Hundred Flowers, Western Ghost House, and more. And they’re throwing in what sound like better than average goodie bags…so. Are you local, or not? 

A little quieter, a little darker, a little classier, but still imbued with the distinct scent of BBQ, lest you forget where you are…Lambert’s is the "classy BBQ" place on 2nd St. downtown, and also plays host throughout the year to some of the best indie talent around. During SXSW this year you can catch Balmorhea, Botany, and The Rocketboys (above), not to mention out-of-towners Miniature Tigers, Wires Under Tension, and many more, all playing upstairs amidst the aroma of smoked meats. 

–photo by Chris Phelps