One of the highlights of Friday was TINY MASTERS OF TODAY. Picture it: two twelve-year-olds on guitar, bass and vocals, Russell Simmins from the Blues Explosion on drums (he also produces) and a nine-year-old girl dancing mid-stage like some kind of playground Bez. (more…)

Friday – half way through the festival, and we started off slowly with a short set from the BUZZCOCKS, which was being filmed for internet television. The four tracks were over before they started, but were a good hangover cure at 1pm. (more…)

We strolled over to the Ale House where we saw JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN, whose one woman show had the venue packed to the rafters and totally mesmerised. Parts were truly touching and heart felt, but as one of us commented, there is something – something that Regina Spector has – that Joan does not, a special spark that never quite lights here. STEPHANIE DOSEN was up next, playing sweet acoustic music but not managing to evoke anything more than mild enjoyment.

Hurrah! It was time for SSM! It is hard to articulate how much ROTR loves this band, who were interviewed in issue 3 of the zine. As a general rule we love Detroit. SSM are scuzzy and futuristic keeping the garagey edge. (more…)

It was surreal to start the day with a set from the wonderful MOONEY SUZUKI at the Red Eyed Fly. Although it was 3pm it felt like we had only just had breakfast, and next thing we know we are at the front of the crowd for New York City’s finest rock and rollers. ROTR first saw them five years back in a tiny club in Brighton, where we instantly fell in love with them. (more…)

We heart the YOUNG KNIVES. While NME affiliations will usually have us running a mile in the opposite direction, seeing that this band were on the bill of the NME afternoon party persuaded us to swallow our pride momentarily – and we are glad we did. Playing witty, danceable music that shouldn’t really be lumped in with ‘indie’, the Young Knives look like cynical young science teachers. Their ever-growing popularity on the back of their Andy Gill-produced album is more than justified – and Gang of Four influences are apparent. The Loughborough charm seemed to go down a storm with the US crowd, even though, as the band said, a large proportion of the crowd were British. We were surrounded by not only people who had been on our flight from London, but a spattering of familiar faces from back home.

MUMM-RA were up next, who looked far to young to have travelled so far from home, to play what was their first ever show in the USA. They may look like they should be being taught chemistry by the Young Knives, but they make great pop music oozing with personality thanks to a charismatic frontman – who disappeared on to the balcony bar of the outdoor arena at the end of the set, only to re-appear some minutes later.

We caught the end of a set by Detroit psyche-blues boys the SIGHTS at Bourbon Rocks at around 6pm, where we bumped in to James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins fame. He was in town with his record label – the Sights are currently on his roster along with upcoming band Office.

We stumbled in and out of a few more venues before heading back to the Red Eyed Fly, where the wonderful LES SAVY FAV were headlining the French Kiss Records showcase. First up though were the FATAL FLYING GUILOTINES, a group ROTR first heard on an Estrus compilation three or four years ago. Then too they were one of those bands you never thought you would get the chance to see live in the UK, so it was good to have the opportunity. That said, while they had all the live presence you would expect from a high-energy garage punk band, by half way through the constant stage diving became nothing but a boring gimmick and the highlight was a track sung by the drummer rather then the two members sharing vocal duties.

Les Savy Fav are regarded fondly by so many and it is obvious why – it’s pop-punk for grown ups and the hilarious on stage antics – not to mention the leotard and leg warmers – of singer Tim Harrington. There wasn’t a person in the room that wasn’t enjoying themselves, barman included. It was the perfect end to the day, as drunkeness had turned to exhaustion and then to delirium, Les Savy Fav has us punching the air to songs about having sex with a horse rider. Harrington did, ROTR noticed, very much resemble Richard from Guess Who.

‘Overwhelming’ doesn’t do justice to the feeling on the first morning of SXSW. We arrived on Tuesday evening, and a wonder down the neon-lit strip of bars and venues on Sixth Street was about all we could manage. The next morning, we scanned the guidebook with wide eyes. We headed back to the Sixth Street area to find some breakfast and gear up for the day. In the coffee house we found, on Congress Avenue, we were served by a singer songwriter whose picture was plastered around on flyers for his own shows that week. In the live music capital of the world, it looks like you have to have a day job.

We headed for the Mohawk on Red River, where a party called ‘Gonna Goona Get Get Down 2′ was the first opportunity to see a band, starting at 11am. (more…)