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Jim Jones Revue (ex-Thee Hypnotics) & Kid Congo Powers (ex-Cramps/Nick Cave/Gun Club) playing SXSW, other shows

by Andrew Frisicano

Jim Jones Revue…
Jim Jones Revue

Speaking of the BrooklynVegan/AnSO Thursday day party at Austin’s Spider House (full schedule here), London’s Jim Jones Revue will be taking to one of the stages (right before Cheeseburger). The garage rock powerhouse, whose first record came out in 2008 and who are currently working on a new album with producer Jim Sclavunos from The Bad Seeds/Grinderman, will be making their US debut at the festival.

Since forming The Revue in 2007, Jim Jones – the jet-fuelled ex-Thee Hypnotics vocal powerhouse – has led his band through a hurricane of live shows and the recording of their first, bone-shattering LP. [Their February 4th set at London’s Jazz Cafe] was predominantly made up of material from that album: a relentless meld of flame-grilled rock’n’soul and punk-R&B. In fact it’s rumoured that the Jazz Café had to hold back on the band’s usual volume for fear of broken eardrums and complaints from the entire postcode.

What makes the Jim Jones Revue such an exciting live prospect is their heady mix of quality songs and unpredictability. Their mining of the pre-1960 rock’n’roll sound serves them well. You feel that you’ve lived with these songs for a long time, yet, in a live setting, their material doesn’t feel constrained by category. It just makes you stand up and listen before knocking you off your feet. [Mojo]

On the same stage will be Kid Congo Powers (aka Brian Tristan of The Gun Club, The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)…

WOW. The Kid did it again. All the uber cool chops and camped up suss we’ve come to know and love from this true legend. Yep that’s right Legend, an over used word in describing musicians for sure but hell when you’ve spent your life playing with three of the greatest front men of all time – Lux Interior, Jeffery Pierce and Nick Cave – you must have done something right. No one can tell me its not a justified description for someone who was in not only one LEGENDARY band but three – The Cramps, The Gun Club and Nick Caves Bad Seed’s.

These days Kid Congo is hipper than ever with his own band The Pink Monkey Birds, who’s charming, sexy mix of 50’s Rockabilly, 60’s Garage Trash, 70’s Vegas Lounge Muzak, 80’s Post Punk all put together with an authentic Hispanic twist – serves up some serious cool medicine both on record and live. [Splash One]

The two acts also team up again for an official showcase with The Bellrays and more at Prague later that night. Both have other shows on the docket as well. Videos of both (including Jim Jones at the above-described gig) and their full Austin schedules are below…

SXSW flyer

Jim Jones Revue play Princess met the frog at Jazz Cafe, Camden, London, UK on Feb 4, 2010

Jim Jones Revue – Elemental

Jim Jones Revue – 2010 Tour Dates
Wed March 17 Manic Destiny party – The Belmont Midnight
Thu March 18 BrooklynVegan & AnSo Day Party @ Spider House Cafe, 5pm
Thu March 18 Official SXSW showcase at Prague, 11pm $
Fri March 19 Don’t Mess With Texas Festival Time TBD
Fri March 19 Hillgrass Bluebilly show – Hole In The Wall, 9pm
Sat March 20 MOJO Magazine BBQ – Mean Eyed Cat, Time TBD
$ w/ Kid Congo, The Bellrays

Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds Live @ PDZ Besac 2009

Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds “Sex Beat”

Kid Congo Powers – 2010 Tour Dates
Mar 13 Jack Pot Saloon Lawrence, Kansas
Mar 14 RECORD BAR Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 15 THE CONSERVATORY Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mar 18 BrooklynVegan & AnSo Day Party @ Spider House Austin, Texas
Mar 18 Trailor Space Austin, Texas
Mar 18 Prague (SxSW) “official” Austin, Texas
Mar 19 Beerland In The Red Records Party Austin, Texas
Mar 20 NYNT 5th Annual Party @ Spider House Cafe Austin, Texas