Riders Against the Storm, Kid Sister, and the Givers were Friday. I headed downtown for the Mohawk show, and after that ended up catching the last 20 minutes or so of the Givers’ set at Emo’s… they were dynamite on stage, and are definitely going on my list of bands to catch at ACL this year.

MGMT (you can see my pics and read in detail how much I disliked them at Austin Town Hall, but not here, because the damn label made all the photogs sign a rights release form limiting what you can do with your own pictures) and Tame Impala were at Stubbs on Sunday.

Holy Ghost and LCD Soundsystem destroyed me with utter awesomeness on Tuesday.

As usual, click the pics to see more. I took a lot at LCD because the lighting was stellar.

“A King Khan show always feels like an old-school revival to me: impassioned audience being incited to frenzy by a larger-than-life ringleader who absolutely everyone is enraptured with.

Utter insanity, every time.”

I was commenting on Austin Town Hall’s review of the show when I said that, and I think it is a pretty damn accurate description.

Also: Emo’s outside lighting is a bitch. I gotta ask, why the hell was the opening band lit well, while the two touring acts had a completely red-saturated stage for most – if not all – of their sets? SADFACE.

See what I mean? This lighting should have stuck around, dammit! Red and blue in moderation, please!

Look, look, good lighting! Unfortunately, it was for the last two songs, way after I had already moved to the side of the room to let others up front.

Let’s just re-live last Friday through pics, huh?

Warpaint lived up to all the good things I heard about them. You should go see them when they’re back for the Psych Fest at the end of April.

Also a very big amount of awesome: Local Natives. Also coming back to town right around the same time as Psych Fest. I caught them again that evening at the Frenchkiss Showcase and they did not lose any appeal.

I walked in for Lemonade, and the stage was lit by the most bright yellow light… It made me smile.

Diplomats of Solid Sound were all soulful, but I was totally excited for Holy Fuck, so I didn’t get into them as much as I could’ve. Dug the two female lead vocalists, though.

Love love love Holy Fuck. They throw down a kickass dance party every time, and their name is ever-so-appropriate: they start in on a song, and a beat or bass line or something will soon make you go ‘oh holy fuck that’s good’.

Hollywood Holt downed 4 tequila shots, one right after another, that had been brought up for everyone on-stage. He’s kinda my hero for that, albeit one with a very dirty mouth.

Speaking of a dirty mouth, you have heard Uffie, right? She’s so effing tiny, blonde, and lovely, and when she raps you can’t help but blush ’cause DAMN, but that girl has got a filthy way with language. It is so much fun, though, that you can’t really care.

Then it was off to Music Gym for the Danish bands day party, and Oh No Ono again, who I still wasn’t into terribly much.

And then the reason I stopped by. Yes, this was the third time I saw Choir of Young Believers in three days, what of it? The music was gorgeous, and I don’t know when they’ll be around again.

Immediately after the YACHT show, I tweeted: Dear @YACHTMUSIC, that show made my damn week. <3<3<3 from a girl in the front row. Unfortunately, their account is actually @teamyacht, so they likely didn’t see my effusive love. But really, that show was so much fun! They have gobs upon gobs of stage presence, and at one point a hand of benediction was laid on my head. If I hadn’t seen anything else that week I would’ve been happy at that.

One more post then I’m done with sxswmusic, y’all! Then it’s on to the Saturday through Tuesday evening parties before it all officially started…

As usual, click the pics to see the rest of the set.

Day 1

Amplified Heat

Cartright

Smoke & Feathers

The Ugly Beats

Day 2

Vinhomudeh

LIONS

the inside band after LIONS… can anyone help me out? I don’t think this was In Dudero…

Harlem

So, I was asked to shoot this pretty last-minute, and didn’t realize how packed this would be. Also, Emo’s lighting kinda sucks, and I wanted to catch the Headlights/Pomegranites show going on inside (will edit/post those pics asap). I nevertheless managed to have some major fun.

Spoon’s bassist was playing with them last night; don’t know if this was a one-time deal or what, but he was a bit tentative at times… it was funny to watch him glance at the guitarist, as if for guidance, occasionally.

(ETA Ok, so I don’t know anything about 90’s punk. Yes, Rob Pope started out with these guys… dunno, maybe he was drunk last night? Or had an argument with someone before? But he was def. hesitant at times, and sorta cranky about something.

And after doing my research, I can wish I had gotten over to the other side of the stage to shoot James Dewees.)

As usual, click the photos to see some more from the show @ my Flickr.

Last night at Emo’s, both of the above bands kinda melted the crowd’s collective faces off. The Coathangers were an all-girl screaming instrument-switching blast of blasphemous, concentrated awesome. And Japandroids, finally in Austin with a months-delayed show, were loud, energetic, and very, very fun. The on-stage dancing, jumping, and unselfconcious rocking out lived up to the anticipation. Catch the duo when they’re back for SXSW; you’ll thank me after.

Click the pics for the rest of the photos on Flickr.