Bang A Bang Bang

03.19.08

Elijah Wood + Sheila B. at BUST party

The post-SXSW bitching has begun (too much corporate presence, so many mega-bands eclipsing the minor bands), but there is no denying the joy of attending a music fest in the gorgeous, sunshine city of Austin, TX, surrounded by like-minded music lovers with 1700 bands to choose from. I listened to Seymour Stein as he mourned the loss of record stores (and showed a clip of Cary Grant buying 78s), met Andrew Loog Oldham (too much) and Kim Fowley (who was standing right next to Andrew as we were speaking, but I don't dare acknowledge misogynist creeps, EVEN if they made a few fab records), and DJ'd at a BUST party with Elijah Wood (who impressed with a set of '60s psych, '80s electro, B.B.'s "Contact," B-Music/ Finders Keepers reissues). Saw over 60 bands, mostly unsigned stuff, but also Robyn (if only she could translate her awesomeness live onto record), the Ting Tings, MGMT, Santogold (probably my favorite solo artist this year), the Nouvellas (formerly the Dansettes, and so so soulful), the White Shoes and the Couples Company (Indonesian '60s throwback), and Zooey Deschanel playing June Carter with M. Ward. I'm by no means a country girl, but she was special.

There was little sleep to be had, and therefore I had to succumb to the radioactive waste that is Red Bull. Nasty, but I'm one of the few "industry" folks who refuses to indulge in cocaine. On the last day of the fest, I DJ'd the BUST party from 1 - 6, met Teri for a margarita, the BUST girls for dinner, Kalle for another margarita, lotsa gigs in between, and finally at 4 am, found myself curled up on a couch backstage at a Soundtrack of Our Lives party, and knew it was time to call it a day.

Sheila

White Shoes and the Couples Company

Sheila B. with BUST's Tara + Maggie

The Nouvellas' Leah + Jaime with Teri

Posted by Sheila at 12:52 PM