sxsw day 4.2

Saturday was far and away the best day for me this SXSW. The weather was perfect, the music was good and I was finally ready to be impressed and surprised by someone: it’s amazing how even the slightest foul mood can spoil your perceptions, making the great seem mediocre. Of course, the reverse is true as well — happiness begets happiness — and that might be part of the reason why I was so blown away by an unexpected source, without question my favorite show of SXSW 2007.

GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE

(Click image for larger picture: well worth it, I promise!)

That show came courtesy of the Japanese prog/noise trio Green Milk from the Planet Orange (link is to their MySpace page; the band is not on eMusic, even though both Joe and I thought for sure we had them). The three slight Japanese dudes played a show at a Mexican bar/BBQ/patio far east (how appropriate) of the main 6th St. thoroughfare, a gig that NYC noise/indie booker/promoter Todd P set up. For their 30-minute set, GMftPO played one long song comprised of multiple movements, most of them heavy on serious, deep riffs and some ridiculous drum dexterity. The guitarist and bassist both played sitting down, occasionally leaping up onto their chairs for really ferocious bits, and other times the guitarist would start rocking back hard in his folding chair, like a possessed grandmother fleeing a rattlesnake underfoot.

The guitarist would sometimes bark and howl “lyrics” into his mic, and at one point the action stopped briefly for him to howl “F****CK!!!!” at the top of his lungs before they kicked back in again. The musicianship was astonishing: for one five-minute stretch, they dramatically slowed it down, allowing the guitarist to play some seriously moving Clapton-esque solos while the bass player — no slouch himself — and drummer seemingly noodled aimlessly, only to come back with renewed vigor. The entire crowd, jammed tightly around them (there was no stage), rocked and moved with every twitch, leaning in closer and closer until it felt as if the band was in the middle of a huddle. When they finished, the crowd roared its approval for a long time, and I heard several people say to each other, “that’s the best shit I’ve ever seen.” I was one of them.

Hopefully eMusic will get their records at some point, but until then, definitely try to see them. They have a whole host of upcoming tour dates: you can check them out here. If I could personally drag every 17 Dots reader out to see them, I would. You can take a look at many more pictures from their set here.

31 KNOTS

I had gone to the Todd P showcase to see 31 Knots from Polyvinyl (Of Montreal’s label). They’re a fantastically noisy band, using lots of samples and loops to augment their howling, melodic post-hardcore. There was no tougher assignment than following GMftPO, but somehow, 31 Knots did it, primarily thanks to the showmanship of frontman Joe Haege, who quite consciously came off as a fire-and-brimstone Southern preacher of the 1950s, combined with a little bit of Rat Pack fashion, too.

31 Knots used a whole host of effects for their show, including bits of scripture that Haege lept into the audience to deliver from his old-timey microphone, lots of samples (including an awesomely menacing accordion loop) and an opening gimmick of Haege dressing as they went through their first number. But the music was so great, so intense, that the obvious affectations mattered absolutely zero: the audience plainly appreciated that they were being played to, that there was so much work going into making the performance great. And it really was.

For more pictures from the 31 Knots show, go here.

THE AFFAIR

(The last show I want to discuss requires a bit of a warning label: the lead singer of this band is my girlfriend, and so I cannot speak with any amount of objectivity at all (not that I ever do, really), so feel free to take what I say as straight boosterism, even though that is very far from its intent. After all, I first met her when I saw her play, so I do genuinely like what she does, but still, it must be noted.)

The Affair, from New York, took the stage at the Absolutely Kosher showcase early on Saturday, and played a very concise set of their new wave-y, garage-poppy tunes with little muss or fuss. More than anything, this band is tight: the set is streamlined to allow for only three real between-song breaks, the keyboard and guitar twirls and curlicues are perfectly timed and the rhythm section is always lively, always pushing the action forward.

What these crisp arrangements and approach do is create space for singer Kali Holloway, who has a seemingly natural ability to front a band. She is always moving, dancing across the stage, pointing a lot, lunging her body forward as she reaches for a tough note. She can sing incredibly well, her voice very much a booming one, particularly suited to the party-minded rave-ups that the Affair have built their reputation on. Though the band is very much a group, live the attention is focused entirely on her, and she plainly takes advantage of — and even basks — in it.

I’m not sure how credible this really is, considering my relationship with the band, but it’s not an uncommon opinion: noted Chicago Sun-Times critic Jim DeRogatis gave them a shout-out in response to the set here, calling their debut album “powerful.”

In any event, check out more pictures from the Affair show here.

I’ll be back tomorrow with one more SXSW post, again heavy on the pictures, but these ones I just took around Austin of people at shows, etc. There is even, ladies and gentleman, one genuine paparazzi shot! If anyone has ever said that I had class, allow me to prove them very wrong.