I woke up panicking about how lazy I’d been the last two days; how little effort I’d made to see the bands I’d made my goal to see; I had spent two days just chilling. God Damn. I dashed out of the hotel with urgency and purpose to catch Mountain Man, but, alas, the cab never arrived, and I missed their set. So we said, Oh Well.
Girl from Mountain Man:
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Hello everyone, we drove to Austin this year and I’m pretty out of it. Car lag is way more severe than jet lag. Spent most of the trip with non-functional internet. But I hate blogging these days anyway, what a time suck. And look how tiny these pictures look, I need to redesign this site. Lots of great bands in this post, though.
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Members of the Beets, from Jackson Heights, Queens, play at the Brooklyn Museum
I just found out I’m allowed to post another track from that Beets album, Spit in the Face of People Who Don’t Want to Be Cool, so here’s one I like slightly better than the one I posted before. Besides, I forgot to mention that the parents of the two members who grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens (where cheap and delicious food of international flavors abound) were in attendance at the Brooklyn Museum show. Juan’s were notably excited and giddy. When they showed up he said, “Now I’m nervous”. I noticed the parents were wrapped in a Uruguayan flag, and there’s a Uruguayan flag on the back of their CD as well. You know who else is from Uruguay? The amazing Eduardo Galeano!
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Download “What Did I Do” by The Beets
Two toddlers dance to the Beets at Brooklyn Museum
When I first saw The Beets in Austin, Texas, it was hard to tell if I liked them. Maybe it’s the extensive touring that has followed since, or just better PA systems, or even a clearer state of mind on my part, but I’ve grown to like them quite a bit.
Their album is called Spit in the Face of People Who Don’t Want to Be Cool, an apt command in the present’s muddle of music culture, especially in a place like New York City. In fact, the message on the packaging is worth noting: “The Million Dollar Man” threatens singer Juan about not signing to The Millionaire Records, and the text below reads, “A collection of one million songs about money, power and regret”; on the front, “A collection of 12 songs about being cool”. Those 12 tunes are all great lazy, lo-fi, catchy, moving about leisurely because their own wholesomeness produces plenty of direction, motion and speed to keep them all going, giving in only to friction and gravity, which brings them to a satisfying end.
They played with Crystal Stilts and Grass Widow past Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum, though I didn’t get to stick around for the last two. I made an attempt to listen as if (given the context that this was not their normal audience) I was listening to them for the first time, and from that viewpoint, it seemed like the music scene was in a good shape. Continue for all the pictures.
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Download “Happy But On My Way” by The Beets
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Day 2 in Austin for me was March 18, 2009, which was the first official day of SXSW. After much determination that I wouldn’t make my daily plans around bands I already like, I went to see Drink Up Buttercup’s 2PM set at Beauty Bar anyway. Pretty & Nice were playing when I got there.
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