by Bill Pearis

Erland & the Carnival

There were two official SXSW daytime stages in the Austin Convention Center: the Radio Day Stage and the Dot Com Day Stage. BrooklynVegan programmed the first half of the Thursday Dot Com Day Stage, really more of a This Week in Indie show as I chose the bands. It may not be the sexiest room in Austin, there was no free sports-booze beverages, but sound was great and it was a nice little early afternooon of music if I do say so myself.

Listening to Erland & the Carnival's pastoral, psychedelic hurdy-gurdy music, I imagined frontman Erland Cooper to be diminutive, like the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, or Prince. In fact, Cooper is very tall and athletic, with a strong handshake capable of rattling the coffee out of an unsuspecting blogger's other hand.

This size and stature gives muscle to the band's live show, as does the general musicianship of the Carnival -- which includes ringer guitarist Simon Tong who also pinch-hit in The Verve and Blur. I like the new album, Nightingale, quite a bit but the songs really come alive -- even for the noon slot in the Convention Center. But I'd really like to see them in a dark packed club.

Speaking of dark, new Sub Pop signees Still Corners spent more time trying to turn off the lights in the room before their set as they did sound-checking. Their '60s style projections, an integral part of their hazy psychedelic vibe, were unfortunately displayed next to the band instead of on them. It is what it is (and was probably more ideal than the outdoor show they played at the French Legation Museum).

The room was pretty full for their set and the crowd didn't seem to mind, as they sounded fantastic: part '60s soundtrack music (Barry, Morricone), part psych pop (Strawberry Alarm Clock, VU) and a big dose of motorik Kraut, as heard in a very Neu!-esque instrumental. Guitarist Leon Dufficy is a vintage man, be it fashion (Jarvis via Cecil Beaton) or his arsenal of pedals (he's got a vibrato worthy of Portishead); singer Tessa Murray would've been a perfect Warhol superstar. The rhythm section right in the pocket.

Still Corners know exactly what they're aiming for and have pretty much hit the bullseye. Even without the visuals, they were perfect music to sit in the dark, chill out and nurse a hangover. (not so perfect for taking pictures with a point-and-shoot, though.) The band should have a single out via Sub Pop soon, are currently on tour with labelmates Papercuts, including a stop at Mercury Lounge on Saturday (3/26).

Harrys Gym, from Norway, were last-minute fill-ins when Frankie & the Heartstrings suffered dreaded visa-itis. Their ethereal sound was a perfect compliment to Still Corners. A blown amp delayed their start time a bit, unfortunately, but when things got rolling I was taken with bandleader Anne Lise Frøkedal's spine-tingling pipes and guitar prowess. Harrys Gym also rocked a lot harder than I was expecting. They were great. Hopefully they'll tour here soon.

There's a few more examples of my photographic skills, plus video of Erland's set, and Still Corners/Papercuts tour dates after the jump.

Continue reading "Erland & the Carnival, Still Corners & Harrys Gym played the BV Dot Com SXSW Day Stage (pics, video)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Harrys Gym - Old Man (MP3)

I was very sad yesterday when Frankie & the Heartstrings announced they weren't going to make it to America for SXSW, as they were to play our curated chunk of the Dot Com Day Stage on Thursday (3/17) inside the Austin Convention Center. But I am happy that their replacement is Norway's Harrys Gym, a band I've been curious to see for some time.

I first became aware of Harrys Gym when doing research on another Norwegian group, I Was a King, and learned that singer Anne Lise Frøkedal was in both bands. Her two bands couldn't sound more different. Where IWAK have definite '90s indie rock influences, Harrys Gym is ethereal pop along the line of Blonde Redhead, Bat for Lashes, or Bachelorette. Check out their alluring single "Old Man" from their second album, What Was Ours Can't Be Yours, came out last fall.

So the line-up now is:

12PM: Erland & the Carnival
1PM: Still Corners
2PM: Harrys Gym

This is in the Convention Center which means you do need a badge for this one, but if you do, please try and stop by. I think we've got a solid little set of music here (I saw Still Corners on Saturday and was duly impressed).

Harrys Gym play five shows in Austin this week (but no other dates at the moment unfortunately). Their full schedule, plus some Harrys Gym videos, are below...

Continue reading "Harrys Gym playing SXSW, replace Frankie on BV Dot Com Day Stage (MP3, videos & dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Casiokids - Fot I Hose (Axemax Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kittens Ablaze - Gloom Doom Buttercups (MP3)

Casiokids @ On the Side @ the Seaport (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

One of our favorite bands from CMJ is coming back to the United States in March. Norway's Casiokids will play two shows in NYC before they head to Austin to play a bunch of shows at SXSW. The NYC shows are March 17th at the Annex with BM Linx, and one day earlier at The Bell House with fellow Norwegians The New Wine, NYC's Anamanaguchi, and NYC's Kittens Ablaze. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale.

Norway's annual by:Larm music conference went down in Oslo this past weekend. Billboard reports:

In total, 280 bands participated in over 500 concerts (a substantial increase from 2008's 350), with several more playing unofficial by:Larm shows in fringe venues during the event. Attendance was strong from the international delegate fraternity as well as local residents, amounting to an approximate total audience of 25,000, according to organizers.

Some of the hot tips packing out venues were recent Universal Music Norway signing Harry's Gym, Icelandic outfit Hjaltalin, Norwegian-language group Casiokids and the Whitest Boy Alive, an electronic act featuring Erlend Øye of Norwegian indie-folk duo Kings Of Convenience. Danish electro group WhoMadeWho headlined the Saturday night main tent finale.

Moshi Moshi is releasing a new Casiokids single on March 2nd. One of the songs on that is the instrumental "Fot I Hose". A remix of that song above, and its new official video, and all tour dates, are below...

Continue reading "Casiokids - NYC & SXSW dates, by:Larm + new video, remix"