| SXSW 2011: Matt Goes Gay for Simon & Julian |
| By Matt Ashworth | |
| Wednesday, 23 March 2011 | |
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Duran Duran When I was 12 I was gay for Duran Duran. Seven and the Ragged Tiger was my first favorite album and I had a trunk full of posters and Teen Beat pullouts. Decades later, I’m married and comfortable enough in my heterosexuality to say that Simon Le Bon is still hot. I know this because I saw former MTV Anchor John Norris interview Simon and his Duran Duran bandmates Thursday afternoon in the convention center. I didn't catch any of their live sets, but everyone said they were super awesome. Watching the footage I can't say I agree, though I'm sure the nostalgia was thick. This version of "Wild Boys" seems OK.
Supercute My only original video from SXSW 2011 shows New York City's Supercute busking outside the convention center. Note that the next song she's teeing up is a Led Zepplin cover.
("Misty Mountain Hop" if you were wondering.) Twin Shadow I didn't know how well this great Brooklyn band's sound would translate to a large, outdoor arena but they were brilliant...the Strokes crowd didn't know what to make of their smooth 80s sounds. George Lewis Jr.'s voice is that of a classic crooner and, although his band's sound recalls many 80s elements, not much from that decade was this soulful and textural. The band's patient songs make bits of guitar feedback and distortion stand out even more prominently. I swear the hairs on my arm stood up at least once. Here's a snippet from their set.
Strokes The collective Twitter, in person and critical response to the Strokes big comeback set has been largely negative, but the six songs I saw rocked. The guitars sounded clear and bright, bypassing my ears and connecting directly with my soul, and their rhythms got me swaying a bit. I love that they played B-side "New York City Cop” and, most surprisingly, the highlight was their brand new single "Under Cover of Darkness." Don't believe me? Check out this video of it. (I’m the guy in the middle.)
Phantogram Holy crap this New York band is great. Pretty, melodic electronic music you can dance to that creates a cool atmosphere and still rocks? How is that even possible? Kudos to Seattle label Barsuk for snapping these guys up and putting out their excellent 2010 album. I didn't see any Phantogram footage from SXSW 2011, but they were definitely one of the highlights of the week. Here’s the KEXP video from last year that made me fall in love with them in the first place.
More on SXSW 2011...
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