Who's Who at the Hoo-Dad: Spotlight on WFMU's Upcoming SXSW Show

Barring a Lazarus-like emergence from the grave from Fela and Tomata du Plenty or a return to the stage from Dinah Cancer I simply don't know how WFMU's upcoming bash at SXSW in Austin on March 14th could get any sweeter. We are indeed truly blessed with a flabbergasting line-up of artists beloved to our airwaves and DJ's playlists from all across the genre-map, and in turn hope to bring a feasible slice of WFMU down to Texas for the first time ever. We will be at Spiro's (2 stages, 611 Red River, 18 and over, $10 at the door or free with SXSW badge/wristband) with ample station swag, broadcast gear and hopefully a giant pile of BBQ brough up from Lockhart to get us through the night (I will make the run if nobody else will, trust me). Even better, you the listener will be able to tune in and hear it live! Click below to continue and check out the line-up and hear some sounds. (poster art above by Aesthetic Apparatus)

7:00 Central/8:00 Eastern:
HARVEY MILK (Outdoor Amphitheater stage) They rose out of Athens, GA in the 1990's at a time when all the A&R geezers had left, but for the true believers, one of the most transcendent, unpeggable, weird/heavy rock trios this side of the Melvins (who get a lot of in the way of comparison). And speaking of, ex-Melvin/current Throne Joe Preston has now joined Harvey Milk so in other words, you want to be at the show early. Real Audio: "Get It Up and Get It On."

PAUL METZGER (Indoor stage): Minneapolis-based Metzger's mastery of both traditional acoustic instruments and a articles like his specialized 21-string banjo make him one of the more remarkable improvisers making the circuit. He's recorded with Chris Corsano and Ben Chasny among others and his latest disc is called Deliverance (on Locust Music), with a newer title out in March on Roaratorio called Gedanken Splitter. Real Audio: "Bright Red Stone".

8:00 Central/9:00 Eastern:
THE HOMOSEXUALS (Outdoor Amphitheater stage):  One of the most underappreciated and flawlessly-great punk/post punk bands of the late 70s/early 80s DIY UK era. Crammed with more ideas in a song than most bands deliver in a discography, the Homosexuals were the collision point of urgent punk attack, sideways pop hooks, dub dementia and literally anything else that might exist in a British kitchen at the time. Hyped 2 Death released a much-needed 3CD overview of this mysterious outfit and its many pseudonyms/side-projects a few years back and Bruno Wizard then jumped back into the live music scene (albeit sporadically). Tonight he's in command of a USA-staffed support backline and appears live WFMU bill for the first time ever. Real Audio: "Hearts In Exile".

KELLEY STOLTZ (Indoor stage): We've all been big fans of Kelley here at WFMU going way back, and we're psyched he's reaching more and more ears than ever (his new Sub Pop disc Circular Sounds just hit the racks). Equal parts Beach Boys, Barrett, Bunnymen and Bowie (with some liberal doses of the VU and New Zealand Flying Nun aesthetic), Kelley's been live on WFMU's airwaves twice over the years and is such an utterly right on dude that he is making it a point to play the FMU fest before he schleps down the street to star on the Sub Pop night of SXSW. MP3: "Underwater's Where the Action Is".

9:00 Central/10:00 Eastern
HANK IV (Outdoor Amphitheater stage): SF's five-piece purveyors of panic skiffle showcase ex-members of the Icky Boyfriends, Leather Uppers, and dancin' maniac singer Bob (out of traction and back in action) was once in Denver HC kings Bum Kon! Without doubt you will be rocked with style and bloody fury, as last year's SXSW clip of "Got Got" succinctly demonstrates (would any Bocephus offspring ever pen an ode to Omar of the Wire?)

GARY HIGGINS (Indoor stage): Red Hash was Higgins' gorgeous acoustic/psych opus from 1973 on the eve of going to prison for a 2-year term on a pot bust, and despite its obscurity has remained dear to the hearts of discerning collectors including WFMU's own Tony Coulter. The disc finally saw a reissue on Drag City a few years back, and Gary's return to the live stage (with several of the original musicians from the LP in tow) proved to mirror the beauty and intensity of the recordings. Two live songs in performance on Brian's show a few years back when he visited the studios with Six Organs of Admittance: "Stable of Spuds"/"Thicker Than a Smokey" (Real Audio).

10:00 Central/11:00 Eastern
EVANGELISTA (Outdoor Amphitheater stage): Carla's been a veritable lynchpin in the California music scene for years (Geraldine Fibbers, Ethyl Meatplow, Scarnella), creating a wildly diverse body of work performing in punk bands, meditative experimental ensembles as well as country outfits (covering Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" LP a few years back). Her latest ensemble is Evangelista, a group that creates a sonic exorcism if there ever was one, full of devastating vocal performances aided by instrumentalists from Montreal's Constellation label scene. She's on tour to showcase her amazing new LP Hello Voyager. Real Audio: "Luck Luck Luck".

LOS LLAMARADA (Indoor stage): We started hearing rumblings about this bunch of Psychology students from Monterrey, Mexico who were recreating the confusion of pre-studio Germs, early Sonic Youth, a melted-down Pink Flag-era Wire in a completely new way, and by all accounts their shows at SXSW '07 were thee events of the fest. Since then, they've put out an LP on the S-S label and a few singles, and we can't wait to witness them at last live. Some You Tube from last year here. Real Audio: cover of Peggy Lee's "I'm Sorry".

11:00 Central/12:00 Eastern
HALF JAPANESE (Outdoor Amphitheater stage): The band who would be king are still at it 30 years down the line, and on our bill. Half Jap knocked Lester Bangs' head off back in the day, and are often referenced as the go-to source for primate art-punk at its finest; David Fair's back with Jad and company and Ira Kaplan is guesting on sax to boot. What else can be said? Half Japanese! "Thing With a Hook" (Real Audio).

LEXIE MOUNTAIN BOYS (Indoor stage): After the ladies of Lexie singlehandedly turned the last WFMU Record Fair into the closest thing to a Yahowa family picnic we'll ever see in Manhattan, we could not help but invite them to make the trek down from Baltimore to our Tex-fest. Imagine Patty Waters at her apex of lost-mind mouth-spew and multiply it by several members and even more body parts. Ms. Lexie and her pageant paint whatever room their in all kindsa non-Benneton-sanctioned tribal colors and leave the audiences spellbound. Real audio of their dazzling set on Liz Berg's show here.

12:00 Central/1:00 Eastern
CITAY (Outdoor Amphitheater stage): Citay comes our way from San Francisco, focusing on baroque, lilting and sometimes bombastic acoustic-based music that definitely harks back to Black Sabbath circa Volume 4, Led Zeppelin, Roy Harper, early Heart, and early Queen among other influences. Their self-titled release on the Important label displayed brilliantly how a band can evoke classic 70's rock without succumbing to ironic posturing, combining 12-string, mandolin, organ, and occassional Thin Lizzy-inspired electric leads into a gorgeous, and surprisingly original concoction. They played on WFMU once before (Real Audio), and are set to come back once again on March 24th, to Liz Berg's show on promoting their new LP Little Kingdom on Dead Oceans.

PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT (Indoor stage): PHS have finally emerged with a full length LP Magic Flowers Droned (on Siltbreeze Records) and have followed through with more miniature, indelible pop masterpieces buried amidst assorted DIY sonic trainwrecks. They are Columbus' Swell Maps to fellow townies Times New Viking's Clean perhaps? Their live session on WFMU was one for the books (complete with the best disemboweled Dylan cover ever), but see for yourself right here. Kevin from Pink Reason's kickin' the bass too these days.

1:00 Central/2:00 Eastern
THE BAD TRIPS (Outdoor Amphitheater stage): No better way to enter your late night haze than to cool down the evening with Ventura, California's Bad Trips featuring the molten psych-punk guitar stylings of Grady Runyan (out of the ashes of the one and only Monoshock, truly one of the most awesome bands of all time in my book anyway). Real Audio: "First Priority".

CHEVEU (Indoor stage): Again, we're ending the night on a high note here! Cheveu's electropunk weirdness comes right down from the bloodline of Metal Urbain among others. Check out Real Audio from Terre T's Bastille Day live session from 2007!

Once again, WFMU will be in full effect with a swag table: Liz Berg, Trent, Benjamen Walker, Irene Trudel, Diane Kamikaze and myself will be hanging out so by all means come by and say hey. We're super excited for this bill and broadcast as part of our 50th Anniversary year-long celebration.

 

Comments

[Abraham]

Splendid. Excellent post, realy helpful. Thank you!

[Nicole]

I'm pretty sure Dinah Cancer is still alive. Maybe you could invite her to the party: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=821810

[James]

Actually, they were charging 10 dollars per stage at the door, so I had to skip out on this one. :( But the night wasn't totally ruined, because we got to see "Shake it until my dick turns racist" performed live in a parking garage. Damn.