Pins – Audiofemme

CHECK THE SPREADSHEET: Best DIY Promoters, Collectives, & Venues of 2017

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After spending 21 weeks on tour in 2017 with four bands (playing in Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends, Kino Kimino and tour mama-gering for The Big Drops) in three different countries, here are my picks for the best promoters, collectives and venues that I’ve been lucky enough to experience in 2017 (in no particular order)…

Bitchcraft (Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar)

Brighton, England

Sharkmuffin played at Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar in Brighton for the Great Escape Festival at about 3 in the morning. English psych rockers PINS kicked off the night and I couldn’t believe people were still around and excited that late. True to its name, the basement venue of Sticky Mike’s is reminiscent of sweaty ’70s LES punk venues, with a fence barricade between the stage and audience that everyone pushes and pulls on. At one point during our set an audience member coaxed me to jump over the barrier and crowd surf. I took the opportunity to do so, but was quickly dropped (don’t worry, I’m used to it) into a puddle of vomit.

Polly & Ollie, who organized the whole show, put us up in their flat that night, as well as for our return visit to Brighton – the final show of our U.K. tour. Every last Friday, they and a group of friends who “wanted to give themselves and other girls involved in music, art and promoting a more accessible platform in the music industry on their own terms” host BITCH CRAFT at Sticky Mike’s in an effort to create “a safe, friendly and equal environment for girls to come and enjoy themselves and promote what they’re good at,” including behind-the-scenes support.

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Little Dickman Records (The Saint, Asbury Park Yacht Club, Asbury Hotel, ect.)

Asbury Park, NJ

Asbury Park, NJ is a small city by the sea, sandwiched between NYC and Philly. A decade ago, Asbury was a ghost town full of uninspiring classic rock cover bands, making it difficult to convince touring bands to pass through. Little Dickman Records, run by Chris and Amy Dickman, have changed all that with their intent to bring the coolest original touring rock bands to Asbury Park. One of their most memorable shows of the year was when Nashville country duo Birdcloud played at The Saint. “The place was packed and there was a real excitement in the air. Birdcloud came out in diapers and put on quite an amazing show. Probably one of the edgiest and dirtiest shows Asbury Park has seen since the night GG Alllin played Fastlane in ’91,” remembers Chris.

The Little Dickman team also presents shows at Asbury Park Yacht Club and at the Asbury Hotel – named Best New Hotel in 2016 in a USA Today Readers’ Poll. Fruit & Flowers played there with The Nude Party and High Waisted, two shows that LDR say they’re also most proud of this year. We also played the Little Dickman Records SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, which included music from LDR artists The Off White, The Blind Shake, Thelma And The Sleaze, Pink Mexico, Dead Coast and more.

Fleetwood’s

Asheville, NC

Fleetwood’s is a brand new rock ‘n’ roll chapel, vintage store, rock venue and bar run by a wonderful woman named Mary and her partner. She put together a great last minute show for Ex-Girlfriends in September and was also able to host A Deer A Horse after their Florida shows were canceled because of the Hurricane Irma. It’s a versatile and cozy space where we felt right at home.

“Fleetwood’s Rock-n-Roll Wedding Chapel and Vintage in Asheville, NC opened on August 23rd 2017. My partners and I had the opportunity to take over an old pawn shop that we transformed into a vintage store with a bar and a ‘quickie wedding chapel’ (where bands play). Since we’ve been open we’ve hosted over 50 bands from all over the country – mostly punk and rock-n-roll with a couple of old-time country events. We’ve also held two legal weddings (including same sex) and three drunken fake ones. The word has spread fast within the band scene and nearly every touring band is making plans to come back. I think that our unique space coupled with our true love and respect for indie musicians is what makes us so special. We try and create a welcoming environment to all who come through and make sure they are paid well and respected. We’ve run the gamut from unknown bands that have blown our minds to members of bigger groups like TVOTR and The Black Lips. We look forward to every band that plays because we live for Rock-n-Roll.” – Mary

Made in Colombia Presents (Barranquilla DIY Studios & BUST Magazine)

Brooklyn, NY

Janeth Gonda of Made in Colombia Presents has run a DIY venue out of her incredible apartment with basement studio space and backyard since 2014. At Barranquilla, I’ve played anything from a horror movie screening/flea market/record release party to my own joint birthday party with Natalie of Sharkmuffin. She has hosted countless touring bands, Northside events, full moon gatherings and so much more. The event she is most proud of this year at Barranquilla was the BUST Pride Event with Haybaby, New Myths, Parrot Dream, Lost Boy ?, Espejismo (feat. Janeth herself!), See Through Dresses, Hot Curl & Street Rules.

“This year I’ve been super lucky to extend my platform beyond Barranquilla Studios by working with BUST Magazine. It’s so awesome to be able to bring so many amazing people together. I think I’m most stoked on my efforts to help create safer spaces for open discussions and to hopefully foster change. At my most recent event we combined music, crafting, and herbalism with politics and workshops such as how to heal after sexual trauma and consent. I think it’s essential to bring certain issues to light even when we’re just having a good time at a show. In order to create change we sort of have to shove it down people’s throats, raise our voices and let them know we are here.” – Janeth Gonda

We Can Do It Promotions (The Lock Tavern)

London, England

When Sharkmuffin toured the U.K. for the first time in May 2017 we had no idea what to expect. We feel so lucky to have met Kelly of We Can Do It Promotions who put together our amazing first show in London at The Lock Tavern that was way more well-attended and fun than any of us could have imagined. Founded in January 2016, their mission is to support “continuously improving but sometimes overlooked gender equality. In the music industry we are constantly met by male dominated line-ups and We Can Do It Promotions is here to support female and male musicians equally.” Their website includes interviews & photos of a lot of the shows they’ve promoted!

Muchmore’s

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Muchmore’s is the last DIY venue of Williamsburg, Brooklyn owned by New Orleans born lawyer Andrew Muchmore. This year he had a major victory with a lawsuit that helped overturn the 89-year-old Cabaret Law, which prohibited dancing at venues that didn’t have a certain license. Muchmore’s current booking manager is Heather Cousins of Ex-Girlfriends and Side Bitch.

“One thing I love about being a booking manager and also a touring musician is that I get to help bands we’ve played with on the road. We recently had Blaha from Minneapolis; one of their members put us up while we were out there. Today we had Cult Flea Market Twisted Christmas edition which, yes, is a Flea Market for horror and weird cult stuff. It was put on with Mike Hunchback from Co-Op 87 Records (cool record store in Greenpoint). I picked up a Wanda Jackson Record and a weird novel about lust and blood with Cavewomen. I’ve made cocktail menus of women-fronted bands; you can get a Birdcloud or a Sharkmuffin.

We’ve had so many great shows lately, like Hank & Cupcakes from Georgia, and Ute Root from Australia. I love booking all kinds of stuff, from comedy to rock shows and burlesque. We even have a monthly wrestling comedy show! I can’t wait to do more with the art scene – especially comic book artists – and we’re hoping to finally get some rock ‘n’ roll DJs. All in all, being a booker is a rewarding experience even if it can be a little grueling sometimes.” – Heather Cousins

Super Dark Collective (One Caroline)

Saratoga Springs, NY

I was able to play at One Caroline in Saratoga Springs with Kino Kimino and also come back to see a show with The Big Drops, High Waisted and The Coax in November. One Caroline is your typical jazz bar with fancy cocktails and good American bistro styled food. But Super Dark Collective ironically hosts louder shows on Mondays and Thursdays. The block that One Caroline is on gets so crazy on the weekends with all its packed bars, cover bands and college student crowds, but One Caroline is the only place you can here a plethora of genres of rock music as well as interesting touring bands thanks to Super Dark Collective. They also run the independent record labels Super Dark Records and Lo-Fi Kabuki Records and book shows in the Capital Region area.

GNARBURGER Records

Los Angeles, CA

GNARBURGER is currently my favorite record store. The joint venture between Gnar Tapes and Burger Records opened their doors in 2015 and have let bands from all over play on their tight floor space ever since. Ex-Girlfriends and Fruit & Flowers played a day show here back in February, thankfully escaping the NYC winter to play music, drink beer, and shop for records & vintage clothes on a lovely afternoon.

Kind Turkey Records (Mickey’s Tavern)

Madison, WI

Kind Turkey Records is a garage/punk/pop record label run by Bobby Hussy from The Hussy, whose roster includes Proud Parents, Digital Leather, and Nots among many others. Bobby also books amazing line-ups at Mickey’s Tavern every time we come through town. The venue has a few different velvety rooms, a pool table and great food (plus they have an option to feed bands)! Bobby also has put together Turkey Fest every fall for the past eight years.

Hi Tide

Brooklyn, NY

Hi Tide is a booking company formed by Ana Becker of Fruit & Flowers and Tim Race of Big Bliss (both of whom were recently named the #1 and #2 hardest working bands in NYC by Oh My Rockness).

“Tim and I started Hi Tide after we got back from a joint Big Bliss / Fruit & Flowers tour in March. We booked that tour together, and it was the least painful tour booking experience either of us had ever had. Most of us in DIY touring bands rely on friends in bands in other cities to help us book good shows in their towns. It makes a huge difference when people actually set up a show with care. So as long as we’ve each been in bands, we’ve done our best to return the favor when bands from other cities reach out to us. We figured we could do that part together too, so we stuck a logo on it and Hi Tide was born.”- Ana Becker

Their biggest achievement this year was their Babes All Rock Festival at Baby’s All Right on December 3rd that had a stacked line-up of female-fronted bands featuring Combo Chimbita, PRIMA, A Deer A Horse, Big Quiet, Debbie Downer, Verdigrls, Espejismo, Treads and more, with proceeds from ticket sales and a raffle donated to the Mount Sinai SAVI Program, which aids survivors of sexual assault in NYC.

“The idea for Babes All Rock started on a Facebook thread. One of the organizers from Color Me Bushwick put out a call for recommendations of women musicians to play CMB. I tagged a ton of people, others chimed in, and it snowballed. A few people thought it’d be a great idea to make that into a fest of its own, and we got to work. Tim was 100% on board; booking diverse lineups has been a part of Hi Tide’s mission from the start. Also crucial to the fest’s organization were Gwynn Galitzer of Suffragette City, Amanda Jun, Rachel Rossen, Janeth Gonda, Josh Meyer & many others.” – Ana Becker

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NEWS ROUNDUP: Bandcamp Donates to ACLU, Shea Stadium & More

Today, 100% of Bandcamp Proceeds Go To ACLU

While many artists are already pledging that the profits from their album purchase will be donated to a charity, Bandcamp has one-upped them all (not that philanthropy is a contest, because as long as people are contributing, everybody wins). Today, any proceeds the website makes will go to the ACLU. So get online, buy some great music, and support one of the most important organizations ever!
Musical Responses To The #MuslimBan

Last Friday Trump signed an executive order forcing airports to detain and deport immigrants and refugees entering from seven Muslim-majority countries, regardless of their immigration status. Protestors, lawyers and the taxi drivers weren’t having it. Neither were many musicians, who responded in various ways. Grimes and Sia announced they would match donations made to the Council on American-Islam Relations and the ACLU. Ethically questionable ride-share app Uber turned off surge pricing during a JFK taxi strike protesting the ban, which many interpreted as a way to profit from the taxi drivers’ act of solidarity. In response, “Uber Everywhere” artist Madeintyo said he would be switching to Lyft.

As for actual music, Spotify compiled a playlist of 20 songs from artists who were once refugees, including Queen, Regina Spektor, M.I.A and the Fugees. We also recommend NPR’s Music In Exile series, which tells the stories of musicians who are refugees.

https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/7v1BarmZ8HAbm5qxidROPB

Shea Stadium Begins To Relocate Shows

With several events abruptly canceled thanks to police and fire departments raids, the DIY venue in industrial Bushwick is closing, hopefully temporarily. The venue’s Facebook page states: “In the face of recent challenges we’ll be dark for the next two weeks as we restructure and plan for the future.” Scheduled shows are being postponed and/or relocated to nearby venues, such as The Gateway, Silent Barn and Trans-Pecos. 2016 took a lot of important venues away; hopefully Shea Stadium won’t be 2017’s first casualty.
Other Highlights

Bey is having twins, RIP Geoff Nicholls of Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop contributes spoken word to the new PINS EP, Listen to Future Islands’ new song “Ran” and Blondie’s new song “Fun,” Beach House are releasing a b-sides compilation and touring, and whether you hate or love football, check out this alternate Super Bowl performance featuring the feline version of Lady Gaga.

ARTIST INTERVIEW: PINS

In an age where genres seem to only exist as a conduit for music journalists to flex their encyclopedic knowledge of rare stratified sub-genres or inventing hollow multi-hyphenated descriptors: PINS is a breath of fresh air. The red-hot Manchester quartet are putting out straightforward punk with refreshing pop sensibilities, and doing it all with that effortlessly cool flair that made rock ‘n’ roll sexy to begin with. They’re touring the States now and are set to release their sophomore album Wild Nights June 9th (on Bella Union). While out on the road Faith Holgate (vox/ guitar) and Lois McDonald (guitar) took the time to answer a couple burning questions about the band, their style, and what music gets their gears turning.

AudioFemme: First an easy one – what’s the origin story behind PINS?

Faith: I wanted to do music my whole life! I tried to join a bunch of different bands, but nothing felt good and I’d end up quitting after two practices. So I decided to make my own band. It took around a year to have a stable line up, but it was a lot of fun. We had a small rehearsal space in Manchester where we would meet up, drink beer, and play music all night.

AF: What are some of your major musical influences?

Faith: My go-to bands are Suicide, Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3, the Fall, Modern Lovers, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. But I go out to see live music all the time and constantly feel inspired. For instance we toured with Drenge and I was like we totally need a baritone guitar, or when we saw Sunflower Bean and we were like we need to do some psych bass!

Lois: I think the Beatles at the moment, there’s so much music they made and so many different techniques they used it’s amazing. But influences for me change day to day with my mood. I try to listen and soak up as much as possible. There’s the garage girls from the 60’s which are collectively like an anonymous enigma of attitude, but most recently I’ve been listening to Wire, The Fall, Drenge, Girlpool, Timber Timbre and Deap Vally.

AF: What’s touring with four girls like?

Faith: For the most part it’s like a hen party.

AF: On a more serious note, being a “girl-gang” group do you feel a sense of responsibility to be visible and vocal for young female, and otherwise, musicians out there?

Faith: Yeah, myself and Lois run Haus Of Pins, which is a cassette label, and although it’s not exclusive to women at all we do like to champion girls. Our shows are often girl-heavy too, again, we don’t exclusively ask female acts to open for us, but it’s something we are aware of.

AF: How’s the music scene in Manchester?

Faith: It still needs the ladies to join the party! The local scene is very male heavy. New bands to listen to are Peace and Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali, whom I recently played keys for, and Black Lung, they seem to be conjuring up something exciting.

Lois: There’s lots of different scenes happening here, and it’s nice to be near so many other cities that are thriving creatively too. Bands from here I’m into are Kyogen, Bernard and Edith, and Bad Grammar.

AF: What’s your favorite city to play?

Faith: Paris!

Lois: That’s a tricky one, we did two very different shows in two days recently in Berlin and both were amazing, but I’ll always love playing Manchester.

AF: You guys are constantly being praised for your slick fashion sense, how does fashion fold into your music?

Faith: The aesthetics of our band has always been important to us, from the way we make the stage look to the videos we make, to the covers of our records and the clothes we wear. I suppose image is both a reflection of who we are and another extension of our personalities. However trivial putting makeup on and getting dressed for a show could seem, for us it has become a ritual, it’s a uniform that visually unites us.

AF: What were some of the driving forces behind soon to be released LP Wild Nights?

Faith: Dave Catching and Hayden Scott were great driving forces. They showed us how to enjoy recording. Most of it was done live and then we played around adding textures, it was so much fun.

Lois: The album is sort of summed up by the title, going with the moment and enjoying every minute whilst you can.

AF: What’s everyone’s current favorite jam?

Faith: I’ve got Crocodiles Boys album on repeat.

Lois: Probably the entire of Drenge’s album Drenge. I love “Let’s Pretend” and “Fuckabout” live.

AF: What comes next for you ladies?

Faith: We’re touring the US in June, then playing some festivals in Europe and doing a headline tour in the UK and Europe later in the year. Still writing music and working on different projects.

AF: And last, but not least, if the band had a theme song what would it be?

Faith: Cyndi Lauper – “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”.

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LIVE REVIEW: Bella Union Label Showcase w/ Marissa Nadler, Mt. Royal, Ballet School & Pins

Still a bit SXSW-weary, I ventured out to Baby’s All Right for Bella Union’s stacked showcase this past Wednesday, a chilly Brooklyn rain washing some of the Austin dust from my boots. At first glance, the artists on the bill seemed pretty disparate, but then again, that’s really the beauty of Bella Union’s curatorial scope. Though not sonically cohesive, something gelled as I watched sets from Pins, Ballet School, Mt. Royal, and headliner Marissa Nadler, and remembered how Bella Union was born – as a way for Cocteau Twins to release their own material. When the enigmatic Scottish group disbanded, Simon Raymonde kept the label afloat, signing Dirty Three and other genre-defying bands of high artistic caliber. And given that history, it’s no wonder that Raymonde is so acutely tuned to picking out female vocalists with innovative approaches, much like his former bandmate, the incomparable Liz Fraser. Wednesday night’s line-up shone a spotlight on some newer additions to Bella Union’s stellar roster who follow Fraser’s tradition of fearlessly pushing female vocals to new, experimental heights.

Manchester-based quartet Pins started the whole thing off. They showed no fatigue despite the fact that it was the group’s third show in a string of NYC appearances, also coming on the heels of SXSW, where I caught them at Music For Listeners’ day party. These ladies play searing garage rock with dire lyrics, but their penchant for the dramatic narratives belies a decidedly fuzzy approach. They are a bit reminiscent of early Dum Dum Girls and in fact are scheduled to play shows with Crocodiles upon their return to the UK, so Dee Dee should probably watch her throne. Frontwoman Faith Holgate sings in a troubled, deep-throated wail, occasionally interjected with spritely yelps. Lois MacDonald’s back-up howls and distorted guitars lend elements of shoegaze to the froth, while plodding bass from Anna Donagan and Sophie Galpin’s crashing drums allow post-punk to creep in. Though Bella Union released their debut record Girls Like Us late last year, the gals also run an impeccably curated cassette label of their own called Haus of Pins, no doubt part of the reason Raymonde was so impressed by the British babes.

It was the first NYC show for Berlin-based Ballet School, who played next. Of the four acts playing that night, Ballet School bore the closest resemblance to Cocteau Twins, but have updated that sound just enough to elevate it far above retread. The trio look more metal than they sound, leaning toward shoegaze-tinged new wave pop more than anything else. Irish chanteuse Rosie Blair has an almost operatic range, her voice trilling gorgeously over extended notes, taking on some of the abstract qualities for which Fraser was renowned. The vibrations settle easily against the electronic loops and guitar manipulations that Michel Collet provides, his silky black mane falling over his face while Louis McGuire lays down R&B-inspired beats, often opting for a drum machine over pieces of his kit. Blair’s stage persona is that of tortured wraith or sea-nymph, her pale skin framed by long, white-blonde hair, both set against dark garb which flared dramatically as the singer contorted her otherworldly frame. Audiences at SXSW were awed by Ballet School’s performances; suffice to say this emerging band could be the next huge thing for Bella Union, who’ve already put out one EP (entitled Boys Again) for the newcomers.

Mt. Royal was, for me, the true standout of the evening. They’d already made the trek from Baltimore to Brooklyn for a few scattered shows, but this was my first opportunity to catch one of the band’s gigs. Lead singer Katrina Ford is best known for her work in Celebration, and as with friends Future Islands and Wye Oak, has always had a reputation for putting on a phenomenal live performance. Not only did Mt. Royal meet all those expectations, it destroyed them; Ford is an engaging performer who gave a powerhouse vocal performance, ululating between sensuous low registers and lilting peaks. Her movements gave the impression of wrenching that sound from a deep emotional core, and her bandmates built anthemic paeans around it. Their ferocious energy spread like wildfire around the room, with most of the crowd shimmying as enthusiastically as Ford herself. The band hopes to put out a full-length in the fall to follow up their excellent six-song self-titled EP.

It was a bit of a shame though, for Marissa Nadler, who had no choice but to take it down several notches in the now very noisy bar. To her credit, she took it in stride and sounded perfectly ethereal despite having a bit of a sore throat. Her elegant, moving record July is the fifth studio album the singer has released but a debut on Bella Union, who handles it in the UK while Sacred Bones oversees its US promotion. Nadler mainly stuck to material from her latest, backed by cellist Janel Leppin, who added some beautiful atmospherics with reverbed strings. The less-than-attentive folks in the audience missed out on Nadler’s inspiring versatility – her resolute delivery of the very personal narratives that comprise July was both unflinching and delicately nuanced, indicative of the relentless touring she’s done over the last ten years of her career. To those that were listening raptly, she had a special treat: closing the set with “Fifty Five Falls” from her first record, Ballads of Living and Dying. It showed how far she’s come as a songwriter and performer, that there’s far more to her than the wispy caricature so often drawn due to her folksy roots. As dreamy as her music can sound, it’s never timid, particularly on this last LP. And it’s that quality that allows her to make a home on a label alongside bands like Pins and Ballet School and Mt. Royal, even if on paper it seems like a bit of a puzzle.

The common thread of the evening, then, was certainly commanding performances from charismatic women. As Bella Union expands into the States, we can count on them to reliably unearth the most compelling voices in the industry, without rigid preoccupations as to what genre fits or doesn’t fit. It’s endlessly encouraging to see a label truly invested in such an admirable endeavor.

Instaband: SXSW Through Musicians’ iPhones

We often hear about SXSW from the perspective of music journalists, but the yearly music extravaganza wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the bands that relentlessly play show after show, often in the midst of a longer tour. We took to the Instagram accounts of some of our favorite musicians to get a glimpse of what SXSW is really like for the musicians that truly make the whole thing come together. The captions are their own.

Amanda X (@catpark)

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“Two of us made it to Austin, but have mutated. Should be cool tho.”

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“I didn’t know anyone could out do sky writing. Meet Bat Bean.”

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Beren Ekine of Tyvek (@sudbrink82)

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Pins @wearepins

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“PINS live tonight at Central Presbyterian Church for @bella_union #sxsw”

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“Hitchin a ride on the back of a pickup truck”

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“Just in a GIANT house with @propertyoflois”

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“At the @nylonmag pool party with our babes Lizzy @msmrsounds and @Chloehowl”

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“The only band with better clothes than us ;-) #temples #sxsw”

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“Saw Coachwhips play and then met John Dwyer!”

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“Lois interviewing @helloseptembergirls xx”

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“Thanks for the swag!! XXX @TheNakedGrape”

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“What a way to end SXSW Festival. Thanks to everyone who came to see us play and all the beautiful people we met”

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Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls (@wearedumdumgirls)

“Living the dream with legend Debbie Harry”

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“with one of our favorite fans @audreyhorny”

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@julesdumdum: “it’s finally over! Ode to so many useless sxsw wristbands. Collaboration with @frankichan #sxsw #15shows”

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Cassie Ramone (@cassieramone)

“When in Texas #rootbeer #popcorn #tourdeliqueur”

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“SXSFUN @ryanpitchfork @shirley_braha @ilittle #crashingtrux”

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“Pile of girls @shirley_braha @ilittle @lauramlloyd”

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“Not my car not my problem #SXSFUN @ryanpitchfork @ilittle”

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“If you are still in Austin and want free beer follow this treasure map. I’m not joking. 12 pack of Lone Star hidden here”

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Creepoid (@creepoidphilly)

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“Anna getting a tattoo @sxsw @oliverpecker #creepoid”

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“New ink sxsw2014 @oliverpecker #creepoid”

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“EXCULT AT #STREETLEGALGUITARS #SXSW2014”

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Creepoid sxsw2014 1st show is tonight 9pm at the #gravefaceshowcase #gravefacerecords #sxsw #creepoid”

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“Coachwhips #sailorjerryhouse #sxsw2014”

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“#sailorjerryhouse #SXSW2014 #creepoid #residuels”

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“Tour life. #snowden #creepoid #SXSW2014 #trueusa”

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Fletcher C. Johnson (@fletchercjohnson)

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“Playing here at 8 o’clock. 401 Sabine St at 4th”

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“@todd_znootz is about to play out of this robot in 30 minutes. Palm Door. 508 E 6th Street”

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“Thanks to everyone at #sxsw Had a blast! Playing Houston tonight at Mango’s with Har Mar Superstar. Free show! Let’s keep this party going. Thanks to @hernameisali for coming up front and grabbing this pic”

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Skaters (@skatersnyc)

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“#sxsw is over for Skaters and Dan is sad”

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Little Dragon (@littledragonflicks)

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“Oh snap we’re part of @upperhandart concert drawings! #live #nabumarubberband #sxsw”

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“Amazing vibes today @BrooklynVegan & #LifeOrDeath party!”

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“#nabumarubberband #sxsw pic by @santilafamilia thankyuu @hypetrack”

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Lindsey’s SXSW 2014 Rundown

Another year of South by Southwest has come and gone. It was a landmark year for us at AudioFemme, as we hosted our first ever SXSW showcases. It was certainly a learning experience, to say the least. Just as we have in years past, we met a wide array of musicians, promoters, industry folks, and music fans from around the world, an experience as enriching as ever. But networking and seeing as many bands as one can in five days aren’t the only things that go into the SXSW experience. At its heart is one weird little city redefining the festival experience. Here’s a rundown of our best moments from Austin, TX.

Most Memorable Performances:

Traams

The sun doesn’t shine in the UK the way it does in Austin, and the visible sunburn on these three lads made me feel an empathetic sting. I caught the post-punk trio at El Sapo, a newly-opened hamburguesa joint on Manor Road, hosting showcases curated by Austin local radio station Music For Listeners. The showcase included performances from Dublin-based noise pop quartet September Girls, Manchester rockers Pins, and Mississippi psych-pop outfit Dead Gaze, all of whom were arresting. But there was something especially captivating about the sparks flying during Traams’ frenzied performance, with frontman Stu channeling Alec Ounsworth’s frantic wail. The boys worked up a real sweat blasting everyone with pummeling pop.

Future Islands

The Baltimore synth punk outfit has long had a reputation as a hardworking and talented live band who’ve released some great albums over the last seven years. Singles is out March 25th on 4AD and the band took to SXSW for their first time ever to showcase the material, resulting in heaps of long-deserved attention. I caught their triumphant final performance of eight at Impose’s free Longbranch Inn party, and the vibes were stellar. Lead singer Samuel T. Herring was absolutely brimming with joy, repeatedly stating how good the energy in the room felt, promising to belt it out until his vocal chords gave up. The crowd loved him back, bouncing up and down to some stellar new songs, pumping fists, crowd surfing, and begging for another jam before the bar closed for the night. Future Islands obliged with a hushed version of “Little Dreamer” from 2008’s Wave Like Home.

The Wytches

When we previewed “Wire Frame Mattress” we knew that the UK band were not be missed, and the boys did not disappoint. Blending surf, sludge, and rockabilly elements with a healthy dose of reverb, The Wytches embodied worst-case-scenario teenage angst like we haven’t seen since watching The Craft at sleepovers.

Coachwhips

Jon Dwyer reunited his early aughts garage rock group and it felt so good. Eschewing stages as often as possible, Dwyer & Co. preferred to set up shop in the Austin dust and totally wreck it. I saw them once at the Castle Face Records showcase (that’s Dwyer’s label, which is set to re-release Coachwhips debut Hands on the Controls this month) and again on Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge, after which Dwyer set off fireworks during Tony Molina’s set. Dwyer sings into a mic that looks more like a wad of tape, resulting in a scratchy, unintelligible, yet somehow glorious garble, the short songs every bit as good as those from Thee Oh Sees catalogue but faster, looser, and somehow more primal.

Wye Oak

Another Baltimore act that’s been around for years, steadily releasing unnoticed but beautiful records, Wye Oak’s folk-inflected synth pop impressed many a South by audience. Andy Stack did double duty on drums and keys, using one hand to play each simultaneously. Just think about that for a minute. Try to mime those motions. It’s a good deal harder than rubbing your belly while patting your head, but Stack never missed a beat. Add to that Jenn Wasner’s honeyed voice, and space rock guitar riffs, and you’ve got a template for the galactic anthems of Shriek, the duo’s fourth studio album. It comes out April 29th on Merge.

Best Venue to Throw a Showcase: The Parish

Our inaugural SXSW showcase was a success! There’s no way we could thank everyone involved, but extra special thanks go out to eight bands who came from all over the world to play breathtaking sets for us and for our fans:

Wildcat Apollo (Austin)

Fenster (Berlin)

Empires (Chicago)

Soldout (Brussels)

Jess Williamson (Austin) – check out that bad-ass guitar strap!

Weeknight (Brooklyn)

Casket Girls (Savannah)

HighasaKite (Norway)

… and CreepStreet for providing goods to give away!

Worst Venue to Throw a Showcase: Upstairs on Trinity

It’s not actual a venue, it’s a wine bar. After reading the fine print on a very misleading contract, we learned that we’d have to rent an entire soundsystem to even have a show. We had to hire our own sound guy too. Even after pulling off both these feats (no easy task considering our out-of-town status), we weren’t allowed to set up until after 7pm, pushing our showcase back an hour. There weren’t even extension cords at the “venue” so I had to haul ass down 6th to a CVS to purchase whatever they had in stock. When psych rockers Electric Eye finally took the stage, their unravelling guitars definitely eased my frayed nerves.

Followed by Cheerleader’s uplifting pop punk, I was starting to feel a little better – until technical difficulties resurfaced. Live, learn and shrug it all off with some whiskey, that’s what I always say.

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By the time we worked out our sound issues and Samsaya hit the area where a stage might have been in an actual club, I was admittedly wasted, but not enough that I failed to notice how inventive her acoustic set was, featuring musicians from all over the world, and how everyone in attendance – including the bartenders – responded to it. Leverage Models followed her lead, encouraging some seriously rowdy dancing with their artful antics, only helped by the (still) flowing libations. I didn’t get any decent pictures of the dance party because of the shitty lighting but also because, you know… libations. It all ended with me crying alongside I35, unable to get a cab, unidentified cables draped around my neck like someone’s pet python, ’til a random Austinite took pity on us and gave us a lift back to The Enterprise where I passed out in bed still wearing a leather jacket. We go to pick up our equipment the next day and the venue attempted to overcharge us for an event they had no business booking in the first place and hijacked our rented equipment as collateral while we disputed the bill. The process of getting it back took up a significant chunk of the rest of the week. All in all, it presents a gross example of the worst of SXSW profiteering. But wonderful performances from the bands who played the showcase are what saved the day, so big thanks to them!

Best Random Austin Moment: Salute!

Embattled with the venue from Hell, I was feeling a bit depressed – in part because the show hadn’t gone as planned, we’d inconvenienced Austin friends kind enough to give us rides while juggling insane work schedules, but also because I was missing out on a lot of bands I wanted to check out while going through the whole retracted process. I smoked some weed a bartender had given me the night before, ate a veggie burrito from Chillitos, and stumbled into The Vortex, a theater/bar in a barn hosting a party that featured Italian bands and a Patrizi’s food truck. I sat in the sun and took in the sounds of Omosumo, an electronic outfit that could be the lovechild of Led Zeppelin & Daft Punk sent away to boarding school in Palermo.

Runner Up: When Red 7 played The Hold Steady on the soundsystem right before The Hold Steady played

Queerest Showcase: Y’all or Nothing, Presented by Mouthfeel & Young Creature

Listed as a showcase for “not-so-straight shooters” the bill at Cheer-Up Charlies on Saturday night was stacked beginning-to-end with impressive performers, thoughtfully culled from queer scenes in Austin and beyond. There was a palpable feeling of community and camaraderie in the air and the evening was all about fun. Gretchen Phillips’ Disco Plague opened the night on the outdoor stage, situated in a white-stone grotto that forms the venue’s patio. Her improv dance-punk got the entire crowd going. Meanwhile, performance art duo Hyenaz brought glammed up electro to the inside stage, and it only got crazier from there. Austinites Mom Jeans‘ quirky pop punk had me beaming; they dedicated songs to John Waters, weed, and Satan. Leda introduced her band Crooked Bangs with the declaration “I’m a woman, and I don’t know what that means” before proceeding to mesmerize everyone watching with bass playing so nimble I still can’t get over it. BLXPLTN’s industrial punk-meets-hip-hop vibe is every bit as brutal as Death Grips, their lead single “Stop & Frisk” lambasting the racist practice. Big Dipper rapped. Ex Hex rocked. We deeply regret missing performances by TacocaT and Christeene and Sharon Needles due to some ongoing drama that needed taking care of. But we wish we could’ve stayed forever.

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Gretchen's Disco Plague SXSW — Gretchen’s Disco Plague

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Band I Saw Most: Amanda X (3 X)

Not because I’m a stalker, just because they got to play early slots on some really rad bills. They were on point every time. Hopefully this means a lot more attention for the Philly-based trio in the upcoming year.

Best SXSW Tradition: Bridge Parties!

Night one I saw Perfect Pussy throw a bass into the Colorado while Meredith Graves wore a sparkly ball gown, followed by bang-up performances by Nothing and Ex-Cult.

Ex-Cult on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge

Night two was the aforementioned fireworks display courtesy of John Dwyer while Tony Molina played. The cops don’t seem to care and I want to be friends with everyone on that bridge forever.

Best Venue for Charging Phones: Cheer Up Charlie’s

Newly inhabiting the former Club DeVille compound as Wonderland has taken over its old East Side location, this is a haven for anyone with a near-dead battery, though Hotel Vegas was a close second. Both had multiple outlets that were conveniently accessible (rather than behind a bar that forced you to bug your bartender every time you wanted to Instagram something), often times in full view of a stage where bands were playing so you didn’t have to miss the fun.

Worst Venue for Charging Phones: Red 7

Home of Brooklyn Vegan’s day parties, not only was capacity over-policed after Tyler, the Creator incited a riot at Scoot Inn, but Red 7 has a peculiar sparseness that makes finding outlets nearly impossible. And you couldn’t just hand your phone over to the bartender without paying a $5 charging fee. A particularly hostile sign on the sound booth discouraged the uncharged masses from inquiring therein. Now, I know you don’t have to be able to snap a selfie at a show to have a good time. I was content to simply watch these lovely performances with documenting them. But ranting and raving about newly discovered bands enriches that fun and hopefully generates some buzz for the artist, which is kind of the whole point of SXSW. And communicating with friends still waiting in lines outside is pretty paramount, so cell phones at shows count as a necessary evil and everyone kind of has to get used to it.

Best-Kept Secret: Chain-Drive

This little-gay-bar-that-could is hunkered on a quiet street off the main drag of Rainey District. Met Christeene and Gretchen Phillips and Big Dipper on Tuesday, but the venue hosted out-of-control, unique line-ups every night.

Most Inflated Price: $6.99 Non-Bank ATM fee at 7th & Red River.

As in, $2 more than non-badgeholder admission to a show steps away at Beerland, where I caught Connections before heading to Hotel Vegas for Forest Swords.

Number of Chase ATMS in the immediate downtown area: 2

That were able to dispense cash: 0

Best Food: Gonzo

Every year I have to stop by Gonzo’s food truck at the East Side Fillin’ Station for a “Pig Roast” – sweet pulled pork topped with provolone, tangy carrot slaw, and spicy brown mustard on Texas toast. As I ate my annual sammie I literally found myself thinking about how ingenious Texans were for inventing really thick white bread grilled with butter on it. Austin’s first-ever In-N-Out location was a close second, because a Double Double Animal Style really is a life-changer.

Best Metal Band We Stayed With But Didn’t See Live: Christian Mistress of Portland

They were all very nice but their hair made us jealous.

Best Movie We Saw While Charging Phones/Re-Charging Selves At Jackalope: Daughters of Darkness

Best Austinites: It’s a tie!

Jenn from Guitar Center rented us four monitors, two speakers with stands, six fifty foot cables, a sixteen channel mixer, two DI boxes, and two mics with stands within a days notice, and didn’t change us extra when a snafu with the shittiest venue in Austin forced us to keep it longer than we’d planned. In general she was super understanding, knowledgable, professional, and friendly.

Chris English of Haunted ATX gave us a lift whenever we needed it in a hearse tricked out into a six-seat limo. We flagged him down out of a cab line a mile long trying to get from the downtown Hilton to the South Lama for Ground Control’s famed Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge punk party. The TV in the back was playing Dune. The next night, after another bridge party was announced, we texted him for another ride and he showed within fifteen minutes, giving us the same deal. Then he came in with an assist in The Great Equipment Rescue of SX2014 when none of our friends were able to help us schlep our equipment from venue to where we were staying, and he gave us a mini-tour of an Austin cemetery because that’s what he normally uses the limo for – haunted tours of Austin.

Best Non-Austinite: Giselle from Vancouver

…who came to our Tuesday showcase. Bowled over by our line-up, she proclaimed it was one of the best at SXSW and couldn’t understand why anyone would “wait so long to see Jay-Z ” when they could have been partying with us. Giselle is a little older, probably in her 40’s or maybe early 50’s. Having recently entered my thirties, I’ve often wondered if I was too old to be so invested in such a youth-centric industry. Giselle gives zero fucks about that. She isn’t even in the industry; she told me she “just likes to go to shows”. She makes trips to Austin each year (as well as to New York for CMJ), travels for other events and festivals and attends shows at home, where she uses her iPhone to snap pics of up-and-coming bands she started finding “when the internet came around and made it easier to discover bands”. It might be that Giselle is actually myself from the future, sent to the showcase to give me the hope and reassurance I need to keep going. If that’s so, I’m here to tell you that based on her outfit, normcore will be bigger than ever in fifteen years.

Best Almost-Brushes With Celebrity:

I was invited to go to Willie Nelson’s ranch and was hoping to hang with the country legend, but thanks to the showcase debacle didn’t make the limo. Annie almost interviewed Debbie Harry of Blondie but the Queen of New Wave rescheduled and switched to over-the phone.

Number of Wrist-bands Accrued: Only one.

A friend said to me, “That’s kinda sad and kinda really amazing.” But between putting on our own showcases and going to everyone else’s, I didn’t have time to wait around in lines for wristbands, then wait for lines to get into a venue, then wait for lines to get to the patio of the venue where bands were actually performing. And in what little time I did have, I chose to attend smaller events that lacked the corporate sponsorship necessitating said lines and said wristbands. So someone else was the one to Instagram Lady Gaga getting puked on; meanwhile I got to see shows unobstructed by big-box advertising that felt way, way more personal and memorable. For instance: I closed out SXSW at The Owl, a DIY space on the East Side with Eagulls, Tyvek, and Parquet Courts headlining.

Eagulls SXSW — Eagulls at The Owl. Phone died for the last time at SXSW shortly thereafter.

Number of Messages on Thursday morning asking if I was safe:

Lots & lots; truly felt loved. Our hearts go out to those that didn’t get a message back.

An Alphabetical List of Bands I Saw:

Amanda X, BLXPLTN, Big Dipper, Big Ups, Bo Ningen, The Casket Girls, Cheerleader, Coachwhips, Connections, Crooked Bangs, Dead Gaze, Eagulls, Electric Eye, Empires, Ex-Cult, Ex Hex, Far-Out Fangtooth, Fenster, Forest Swords, Future Islands, Gretchen’s Disco Plague, Guerilla Toss, Habibi, HighasaKite, The Hold Steady, Hundred Waters, Hyenaz, Jess Williamson, Juan Wauters, Kishi Bashi, Leverage Models, Mom Jeans, Nothing, Parquet Courts, Perfect Pussy, Pins, Potty Mouth, Residuels, Samsaya, September Girls, SOLDOUT, STRNGR, Tony Molina, Traams, Tyvek, Vadaat Charigim, Warm Soda, Weeknight, Wild Moccasins, Wildcat Apollo, Wye Oak, The Wytches, Young Magic[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Amanda X (@catpark)

Beren Ekine of Tyvek (@sudbrink82)

Pins @wearepins

Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls (@wearedumdumgirls)

Cassie Ramone (@cassieramone)

Creepoid (@creepoidphilly)

Fletcher C. Johnson (@fletchercjohnson)

Skaters (@skatersnyc)

Little Dragon (@littledragonflicks)

Most Memorable Performances:

Best Venue to Throw a Showcase: The Parish

Worst Venue to Throw a Showcase: Upstairs on Trinity

Best Random Austin Moment: Salute!

Queerest Showcase: Y’all or Nothing, Presented by Mouthfeel & Young Creature

Band I Saw Most: Amanda X (3 X)

Best SXSW Tradition: Bridge Parties!

Best Venue for Charging Phones: Cheer Up Charlie’s

Worst Venue for Charging Phones: Red 7

Best-Kept Secret: Chain-Drive

Most Inflated Price: $6.99 Non-Bank ATM fee at 7th & Red River.

Number of Chase ATMS in the immediate downtown area: 2

That were able to dispense cash: 0

Best Food: Gonzo

Best Metal Band We Stayed With But Didn’t See Live: Christian Mistress of Portland

Best Movie We Saw While Charging Phones/Re-Charging Selves At Jackalope: Daughters of Darkness

Best Austinites: It’s a tie!

Best Non-Austinite: Giselle from Vancouver

Best Almost-Brushes With Celebrity:

Number of Wrist-bands Accrued: Only one.

Number of Messages on Thursday morning asking if I was safe:

An Alphabetical List of Bands I Saw:

Ticket Giveaways

Each week Audiofemme gives away a set of tickets to our featured shows in NYC! Scroll down to enter for the following shindigs.

See you there! xoxo