South by Southwest 2010

So, seeing as how I haven't posted on here in many months, I feel an explanation is in order.

First, I realized that since there are other blogs that are better written, news sites that provide more news, etc. , I needed a new direction here (ideally one with realistic goals). Thus, I've decided to periodically add a streaming mix up here that is either of a category, or random, depending on the month. I figure if people are bored of listening to Pandora/Last.fm and are searching for new music, hopefully you'll stop here and find something new to check out.

And so, here is mix #1: SXSW 2010. All songs relating to bands I saw at, discovered because of, or was lucky enough to rediscover at South by Southwest this year. I saw many, but I tried to include a lot. Thoughts/suggestions/etc. are always welcome below:

More From the Fruit Bats! Wineries! Seattle! Live Videos! Etc!

DRINK MORE WINE FRUIT BATS!!! from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Ray Davies is NOT Going to Be Happy

So. Today I heard a song on the radio that would have been filed under your basic alt-rock aggression fest, but something was off; the song's verses sounded different, and almost recognizably catchy, as though I had heard it before. Then it hit me. Check out the comparison below. Do the verses sound almost entirely lifted? Am I imagining this? Are the Kinks uncredited long-time influences on modern aggro-rock? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here.

Canadian Songs/Videos from the Golden Era of MuchMusic

I had MuchMusic (from Toronto, CA) as part of my cable package growing up, so from the ages of 11 through 18 or so I had a strong education on a genre that was pretty much left untouched by MTV and US Radio. Due to a trip down memory lane, I ended up watching many of my favorites on YouTube today, and here are some of my old favorites. Warning: this list is so '90s. Any additions?





Tragically Hip - Ahead By A Century








And, of course, the band that made it big (unfortunately they left the best of it up in Canada):

Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band

Eric Johnson, also known as the newest full-time member of The Shins, is back working with his other Sub Pop act, Fruit Bats. The band is nearing the release of their fourth full-length album, which so far is shaping up to be their most fully-formed, confident sounding disc yet. Fruit Bats have always maintained a strong grassroots folk angle in their songs, but recently, they've embraced more of a polished sound, which is a decision that could see them breaking a bit further into the mainstream, or at least gaining a bit more notoriety. Check it out, both new tracks below are highly recommended.

Mp3: Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band (via Subpop)
Mp3: Fruit Bats - My Unusual Friend (via Subpop)

For the uninitiated, here's another past great one from the band:

When U Love Somebody - Fruit Bats

Fruit Bats: Blog