Pattered after Austin’s South By Southwest, NXNE is comprised of an interactive, film, and music segment, with various workshops, panels, and activities taking place over an entire week. This year, the Interactive Festival will run from June 16th-18th and the Music and Film Festivals run concurrently June 15th through the 19th. For the event’s 17th installment, NXNE has tapped new wave pioneers Devo, reunited punk legends the Descendents, hardcore supergroup OFF!, indie-favorites like Stars, Twin Shadow, Cults, Wild Nothing, Suuns and Art Brut, plus hip-hop acts The Pharcyde, Shad, and Digable Planets. Many of which fans can catch for free at Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square and along Yonge Street. A list of performances can be found below.

But that’s just the beginning, as the festival will also feature Anti-Flag, Bouncing Souls, Men Without Hats, Dum Dum Girls, Deerhoof, The Dodos, Hot Water Music, Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield, Braids, Ty Segall, PS I Love You, Crocodiles, The Pack A.D., Metz, Dirty Beaches, Land of Talk, Chad VanGaalen, Forest City Lovers, The Luyas, Lower Dens, Gentlemen Husbands, Rusty, Royal Bangs, Julianna Barwick, No Joy, Prince Rama, Doldrums, Secret Cities, Evening Hymns, Snowblink, Parlovr, Talk Normal, PUJOL, Woodsman, Gauntlet Hair, Joey Cape, Tape Deck Mountain, AIDS Wolf, Houses, CJ Ramone, and Kevin Seconds.

Free Yonge-Dundas Square Performances
06/16: Descendents, OFF!
06/17: Stars, Land of Talk
06/18: Devo, Men Without Hats
06/19: The Pharcyde, Digable Planets

To check out the complete lineup and pick up early bird tickets, head to NXNE.com before April 25th.

A statement on the Souls’ website says that the idea for the tour – which has been coined “For All The Unheard” – came about after they realized how much fun they had learning all of the albums for a “Home For The Holidays” show they put on in February. “It got us thinking,” they said, “why not take this show on the road?”

Eight cities are lucky recipients of four-night stands where the boys will take on two albums each night, in chronological order. It all kicks off at Reggie’s in Chicago on June 9^th and Boston’s Middle East gets sloppy seconds later on that month. New York, Philadelphia, Denver, and Los Angeles are also on the itinerary, and Euro-fans need not fret as the band has also included three stops in London and Vienna in August.

Prices are still unknown and support for the dates has not been announced, but pre-sale tickets go on sale on March 29^th via Chunksaah records. General on-sale happens on April 1st and more ticketing information is available here.

Bouncing Sould 2011 Tour Dates:
04/01 – Jermyn, PA @ Elanor Rigby’s
04/02 – Harrisonburg, VA @ Downtown 34
05/22 – Louisville, KY @ Expo 5
05/29 – Las Vegas, NV @ Punk Rock Bowling
06/09 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
06/10 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
06/11 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
06/12 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
06/17 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
06/22 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
06/23 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
06/24 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
06/25 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
07/06 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
07/07 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
07/08 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
07/09 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
07/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
07/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
07/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
07/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
08/01 – London, UK @ Islington Academy
08/02 – London, UK @ Islington Academy
08/03 – London, UK @ Islington Academy
08/04 – London, UK @ Islington Academy
09/09 – Vienna, AT @ Arena
09/10 – Vienna, AT @ Arena
09/11 – Vienna, AT @ Arena
09/12 – Vienna, AT @ Arena
09/28 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
09/29 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
09/30 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
10/01 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
10/21 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
11/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
11/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
11/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
11/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

For the tour, NOFX will be accompanied by fellow Fat Wreck Chord label mates Cobra Skulls, Old Man Markley, and Bouncing Skulls. Beginning January 20th, four months from now, the tour makes only ten stops across Texas and the Southeast. Check out the complete list of dates below, and if the mood suits you, purchase your ticket over at LiveNation.

NOFX 2011 Tour Dates:
01/20 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues #$%
01/22 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues #$%
01/24 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues #$%
01/25 – Jacksonville, FL @ Mavericks Rock N’ Honky Tonk #$%
01/27 – Orlando, Fl @ House of Blues #$%
01/28 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live #$%
01/31 –  Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues #$%
02/01 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade #$%
02/04 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore #$%
02/05 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva #$%

# = w/ Bouncing Souls
$ = w/ Cobra Skulls
% = w/ Old Man Markley

Luckily, Bumbershoot ended up being one of the most efficient and organized festivals I’d ever been to, which made my job a hell of a lot easier. The festival is located at Seattle Center, a large inner city area consisting of Key Arena, Experience Music Project, Memorial Stadium and the Space Needle, which made it easy to use the festival’s gracious in-and-out privileges to take the Monorail back into the CBD, get outside food or ride the Duck Bus. That said, you really didn’t have any reason to leave the festival site.

The portable toilets (affectionately called “Honey Buckets”) were well spread out, usually quite clean and never had too long of a line. The grounds were free of garbage with an ingenious recycling program, there were various vendors hawking everything from bamboo clothing to wines, and the food was tasty and reasonably priced (halibut fish tacos FTW). There seemed to be beer gardens at every stage and if Shock Top wasn’t your cup of tea, there were several Starbucks’ scattered throughout (it’s Seattle, what did you expect?).

The crowd was an eclectic mix of city punks, teenagers letting loose on the last weekend before school, families with apple-cheeked children, young thugs, grunge hipsters and hip grungesters. Those last two were responsible for the most flannel I have ever seen in my life. It was like a Magic Eye painting; once you spotted plaid or flannel, that’s all you ever saw. But considering all of the above accounted for 150,000 people over the weekend, it was amazing that the place never felt too crowded. Aside from the will call line on the first day, you could just breeze right in.

I never saw anyone get too drunk or stupid either, even though security was quite lax and it was more than easy to smuggle a six-pack inside (but I feel sorry for the Wisconsin man who had his Pabst poured out by the police… “I’m from Wisconsin, this is sacrilegious.” ). Maybe the lack of douchebaggery at Bumbershoot was because there was so much to do. Aside from the music, there were comedy shows (The Nerdist, Patton Oswalt), actual art exhibitions, film screenings and theater shows, not to mention entertainment such as Cyclecide’s bike rodeo and Circus Una’s gravity-defying, burlesque babes on a tightrope show.

But with all that awesomeness filling out the sides, I was there for the music. So let’s get on with it!

Saturday, Sept 4th: Lots of folk from fun folks

The Constellations
State Farm Stage, 2:00 p.m.

The first band I started off with was Atlanta’s own, The Constellations, whose rave reviews from Spin Magazine caught my attention. The self-proclaimed supergroup was indeed funky and fresh and a groovy way to ease into the festival. Vocalist Elijah Jones has that 70’s funk swagger down to tee and the backing singers (and hipster eye candy) were a sweet throwback to a bygone era. But the sound wasn’t all harmonies and tambourines. The Constellations have got some serious beats to move to and an eclectic mix of sounds, bringing forth comparisons to the Gorillaz (one of their influences) – albeit if the Gorillaz moved to the South and spent lazy afternoons on the porch. Despite the early afternoon set-time, the sizable crowd at the State Farm Stage was into it and began to bop as a collective whole when Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” was covered with spunk.

Atlas Sound
Broad Street Stage, 4:00 p.m.

Talk about going from one extreme to the other. After I left the upbeat Constellations I ran over to the Broad Street Stage to see Atlas Sound. All I knew about it was that it was “that dude from Deerhunter’s solo project” so I wasn’t sure what to expect. For fans of that “dude,” Bradford Cox, I’m sure they knew what they were getting into: sleepily enthralling music. Cox has a shy stage presence but the fact that he was able to layer sounds and build up the illusion of a full band when it was just him up there with a guitar was mesmerizing. The Space Needle provided an equally hypnotic backdrop to this intricate set.

Civil Twilight
Center Square Stage, 4:45 p.m.

Next up on my list was the South African band Civil Twilight. Now based in the USA, the band has been compared to Radiohead and Coldplay and after seeing them play the Center Square Stage (aka The Loud Stage) I can definitely see how Coldplay fits into their sound. Radiohead, though? They wish. I didn’t find Civil Twilight to be anything special, but they were a harmless, unmemorable listen. There is obviously some talent there and they had a good way of artfully building their songs, but as a live act they were a bit of a snooze, even with the speakers blaring at deafening levels. They must be doing something right though, as there was a large crowd full of enthusiastic youngsters hanging on to their every note.

Jamie Lidell
Broad Street Stage, 5:45 p.m.

Fun. That’s a simple way to describe the melodic, soul-tinged, beat-boxing singer that is Jamie Lidell. The talented Brit had an energetic and engaging way about him, whether accomplishing vocal trickery by layering tracks and sounds or being supported by his talented and enthusiastic band. He was all about audience interaction, making charming chit chat or checking in with the crowd. Highlights included “I Wanna Be Your Telephone” which had people dancing on the spot to the electronic Motown mix and “Another Day” a happy, soulful number that coincided delightfully with the sun coming out to play.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Broad Street Stage, 7:30 p.m.

Everyone at Consequence of Sound has always waxed on about this band and how darn great they are live, so I finally had to check them out to see what the fuss was about. Walking through the backstage area to get to the photo pit I saw a homeless Jesus kicking about at imaginary things in the air. Oh wait, that was just singer Alex Ebert, who brings “Hobo Chic” to a whole new level. But hey, if it works for him and his “hippie commune in the 70’s” type band, then it works for all of us.

Edward Sharpe actually lived up to all the glorious hype that their debut album Up From Below has garnered since its release last year. Ebert climbed off the stage and said hi to the massive, uncontainable crowd more than a few times, making everyone in the twilight set feel like they were part of his eclectic entourage.

“Janglin” brought about ecstatic crowd surfers and a euphoric sing along with their messiah, but it wasn’t until “Home” was played that I saw the Broad Street Stage explode and the audience reach an epic frenzy. The adjacent beer garden was literally shut down for an hour as it was filled to capacity. Whether you like hype or not, this is a band to see live… just to see it for yourself.

Bob Dylan
Bumbershoot Mainstage, 9:00 p.m.

And then Edward Sharpe finished up and the same crowd made a mass exodus to Bumbershoot’s Main Stage (Memorial Stadium) to see the one and only Bob Dylan. Oh man, where do I begin here? First of all, I must point out that I’m not a big Dylan fan. I appreciate him for what he is and what he has done, but his music has always been a bit too folksy for me. Or maybe it’s his voice. But I’m not alone – as it was, his voice was an issue for everyone at Bumbershoot. It was like we were all watching Adam Sandler do a Bob Dylan impression (“shaba daba da”). To say he mumbled was an understatement. Occasionally you might hear an actual word like “stoned” or “woman” thrown in there, but everything else was incoherent mumbo jumbo. If you looked around at the crowd, everyone’s faces were scrunched up in pure concentration trying to decipher just what the hell he was saying and what damn song was playing. You see, Dylan didn’t just slur onwards, he made tweaks to each and every song, almost changing the melody at times so that you didn’t actually realize what song you were listening to until half-way through.

This isn’t me ripping him apart, though. This was just the truth and what you get when you see Bob Dylan. But as confused and frustrated as it was to listen to, it was exciting – even enthralling – at the same time. Because it was Bob Dylan, man. The man who first plugged in that guitar. He’s still around, up there, doing his thing. Ignoring the lack of pronunciation (by the way I’m sure the American Sign Language interpreter they had was having a great time – what’s ASL for “question mark?”), Dylan seemed to be having a great time and played his guitar and keyboards (and, of course, that harmonica) with enthusiasm. His band too, was fast, tight, and cohesive – the drummer was really something, taking “Highway 61” to a whole new level. And though his classics like “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Just Like a Woman” almost became different songs in his hands, they were still a wonder to listen to, the genius is still there. I actually preferred these new versions to the old ones, it was like they were evolving before your eyes (and ears). I guess the moral here is, he’s Bob Dylan and he can do whatever the fuck he wants to do, but he did it with a smile on his face, which in turn, kept the packed to the rafters stadium crowd smiling too.

Gallery by Karina Halle

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Sunday, Sept 5th: Reliving my teenage 90′s years

Crash Kings
Center Square Stage, 3:00 p.m.

Unlike Saturday, which twittered between ominous clouds and teasing peeks of sunshine, Sunday was warm, sunny and full-on fabulous. What better way to harness that energy of the festival’s most rock-centric day, then to start with a crash course on the Crash Kings? I hadn’t heard much about the band aside from their single, but was told they might be worth checking out. And yeah, totally worth it. Composed of just a drummer, bassist, and lead singer on keyboards (with whammy bar), this LA trio put on an extremely high-energy and flawless show.

Sometimes it’s hard to really connect with a singer who spends most of his time behind a keyboard, but vocalist Tony Beliveau was a moving, crooning machine who got their young crowd in high spirits. And by high, I mean literally up there. The first crowd surfer appeared and then was quickly escorted by security out of the Center Square Stage area. But you can’t keep the kids down – soon surfer after surfer was being carried towards the stage, giving this Crash King set an infectious vibe that spread throughout out the grounds and caused people to wonder just which band was playing. As a fellow writer said to me, the show made him want to buy their record and that rarely happens.

The Redwood Plan
EMP Sky Church, 3:30 p.m.

A homegrown favourite, the poppy, punky Redwood Plan has been gathering a strong following in the Seattle area for their raucous live shows and danceable, rock pop beats. This was the first band I’d seen in the EMP Sky Church, a dark, trippy stage located in the Experience Music Project (right next to the gift shop, actually) and was the perfect venue for this band that had a bit of darkness to its lively riffs.

The riveting singer Lesli Wood played guitar, keyboards, and high-kicked her gym-shorts clad booty to the eventually-riled up crowd, whipping her shock of neon red hair around to the energetic swirl. The band’s moto is “We’re a party and you’re invited” – I suggest you all RVSP.

The Bouncing Souls
Center Square Stage, 4:45 p.m.

Wasn’t sure what to expect from these Jersey boys in 2010. In the 90′s I had some of their CDs in my wannabe punk collection and I know I must have seen a few of their shows, but that all kind of goes out the window when it’s been so long. At least that’s what I thought until I heard their opening song “Here We Go” when it all came back to me with poppy punk nostalgia. Yes, the guys are a lot older, but just as the tireless punk of Bad Religion carries on decades later, The Bouncing Souls do too. Singer Greg Attonito looked relaxed and affable as he jumped off the stage to greet fans in the crowd, a gentlemanly contrast to his fellow bandmates with their East Coast swagger, shredding riffs and decades worth of tattoos. The band played a lot of their classics, which the crowd seemed to know by heart, as well as a few new ones like the Rock Band featured “Gasoline,” which showcased a more pop-based Souls for the new decade.

Jay Electronica
State Farm Stage, 5:45 p.m.

After I was punked out from The Bouncing Souls, I checked out Jay Electronica at the State Farm Stage. I’m not big into hip-hop, especially live, but I figured I should try and add a little variety into my musical weekend. I probably could have picked a better hip hop artist to see. While Jay Electronica is a stunning wordsmith with personable delivery, his frequent excursions into a capella territory left me feeling all out of sorts. Where was the beat? Where was the rhythm? The rhyme was in his microphone but it wasn’t enough to keep the energy moving. And then there was the fact that he cut his performance short by 20 minutes. To tell you the truth, I stopped listening long before then. That said, it was highly entertaining to see him thwart the security guards by inviting half the crowd on stage with him. Maybe I need more than just clever rapping to keep me engaged but he sure as hell won over the audience with that move, not to mention the outstandingly talented kid Jahyaire he ended up freestyling with.

Hole
Bumbershoot Main Stage, 7:30 p.m.

Last time Courtney Love was in the Seattle Center, it was two days after Kurt Cobain’s death and she read his suicide note to the candlelit fans who had gathered there. Fast forward 16 years and she’s just as controversial as before. Love her or hate her, everyone in Seattle was talking about Courtney Love – she even made the cover of Seattle Weekly where her illustrated face had her injecting Botox into her lips using the Space Needle. A lot of Hole fans were there, judging by their 90′s era babydoll shirts, but most people wanted to see Love in order to witness the trainwreck first hand. I must admit, I was one of the latter.

Yet, that trainwreck didn’t happen. She took to the Main Stage at Memorial Stadium looking rather good, with a tiara on her head and a sleek black dress. She wasn’t as deathly skinny as she has been in recent years and her face looked pretty normal (then again, I wasn’t that up close). Of course, she was as loopy as ever (one only needs to hear about her unplugged media pre-show) but she performed surprisingly well. Hole is no longer the band it used to be – all of the original lineup is gone – but that didn’t stop Love from playing a rather tight set that spanned the spectrum of Hole’s career. “Violet” and “Malibu” sounded on-par and Love showed she could still scream and screech like a banshee, but at least it was in-tune, and at times sounded better than it had back in the day. Even if you didn’t think you knew a song, you’d find yourself screaming along to it anyway.

And she was personable, funny too. She put a lot of effort in getting the crowd to sing along, even during parts where there were no words (yeah, I’m not sure how that worked). During “Skinny Bitch”, Love ad-libbed “But I’m not (a Skinny Bitch). OK, well kind of. But I’m not the worst!”

There were some downfalls… I don’t have to go into the details of why her cover of Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” was terrible. But Love did warn us “We suck at it. It’s awkward, charming at best.” Well, it was shoddy, brave at best – taking on a hometown hero probably didn’t put her in Seattle’s good books. On that note, the fact that she kept on referring to Seattle as “my hometown” did not go down well either with the audience. Every time the LA-based Love mentioned it, it prompted a flurry of “Oh, shut up. This ain’t your hometown. This is MY hometown” from people around me.

So, in a way Hole was disappointing in that you didn’t really get your trainwreck. On the plus side, it made for a fun and enjoyable set. I’m gonna steal a line from Ms. Love herself and say Hole was awkward, charming at best.

Weezer
Bumbershoot Main Stage, 9:15 p.m.

With Hole done, the Main Stage crowd that had amassed for her suddenly multiplied and pushed on forward. I was carried all the way to the rail, a prime spot for Weezer. I had heard from various people that Weezer didn’t put on the best live shows, but that didn’t really matter to me. I’d never seen them live before, despite being a big fan in high school, and they were probably the only band at Bumbershoot that were a “must see” in my eyes. So I didn’t really care if they sucked live or not, I figured it would be a good time anyway.

And a good time it was. Actually, it was a great time. In fact, it was the most fun I had at a concert in a very long time. Let’s first start with the crowd, shall we? There were a lot of folks there who, like me, had been into Weezer in the 90′s but to my surprise, the majority of the crowd were teenagers. Enthusiastic, hardcore teenage Weezer fans. If Rivers Cuomo was the MC, these kids definitely made the show a party. They were jumping up and down, singing along to every single word in every single song, they were crowd surfing like crazy – just waves and waves of them plopping over the barrier, then running past the stage with a huge smile on their face (and usually with just one shoe in hand). There was even a crowd surfer who couldn’t have been more than 11-years old – he got major props and high-faves from the security guards who plucked him out of the crowd. This audience gave me hope for today’s young people – they weren’t going to watch the band with crossed arms, talking on their phones or gazing at their shoes. They knew that concerts were supposed to be FUN.

Naturally, it helped that it was a Weezer concert, and contrary to all things I had been told, they did not suck live whatsoever. Cuomo was an energetic, tireless nerd machine who set the tone of the evening from the rocking energy of the first song “Hashpipe” all the way to the encore of “Buddy Holly”, which had the entire band joining Josh Freese on a drum solo. In the middle, they played just about every song I knew… “Pork and Beans”, “Beverly Hills”, “My Name is Jonas”, “Undone”, “Island in the Sun”, “Say it ain’t so”, “El Scorcho”, “Dope Nose”, “Troublemaker” and their new song “Memories” (well-received, by the way). Let’s not forget a surreal cover of MGMT’s “Kids” complete with an interjection of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”, which brought out the best sight of the evening: Rivers Cuomo in a blond wig.

And when he wasn’t dressed in drag, Cuomo could be found scaling the stage scaffolding, playing hide and seek with the giant banners, leaping into the crowd to shake people’s hands, climbing on top of a portable toilet and giving fans high fives, bringing a child on stage to sing, hugging his various bandmates (bassist Scott Shriner and guitarist/drummer Patrick Wilson got most of the bro love) and dodging the rolls of toilet paper, giant beach balls and rubber chickens (yes, rubber chickens) that were thrown on stage. All while sounding on top of his game and looking like he was having the time of his life.

I don’t know if these means a new direction for Weezer’s live shows or not since I only have this to base it on, but whatever they are doing, it’s working. It’s been a few days now and I’m still smiling while I type this.

Gallery by Karina Halle

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Monday, Sept 6th: Soggy and Subdued

The Whigs
Center Square Stage, 3:00 p.m.

Monday brought cold temperatures, wind and rain to the Seattle area, something that is usually expected but never welcomed. It definitely gave the last day of Bumbershoot a subdued, sad kind of feeling, though that probably had to do more with the fact that it was back to school for most kids the next day and that the onslaught of rain seemed to signal the official end of summer.

That said, there were still quite a few brave folks out there who weren’t going to miss out on their music and for me, I started with the Georgia band, The Whigs. They had been described as scrappy, Southern rock with an electrifying live show. I wouldn’t go as far as that, but they were fun to watch. The trio kept the soaked crowd moving and grooving, and they showed off their musical prowess by including a lot of piano-based songs like “Half the World Away”. There was nothing about them that stuck out in my mind, a lot of the guitar work was reminiscent of Better Then Ezra-era fuzz, but they were talented enough to garner your attention for the whole set, even in the rain.

Baroness
Center Square Stage, 4:45 p.m.

Swampy. Sludgy. Shoegazing. Aside from genre alliteration, Baroness are all these things and more. To put it simply, they rock. As a fan, I knew this going into their soggy set and as usual, they didn’t disappoint. There were some sound problems thanks to the rain shorting out a lot of the system, but they powered through with their tireless, raging mix of flying locks, intricate guitar riffs, madcap drumming and booming vocals.

The crowd wasn’t moving so much due to the weather and the fact that a lot of the time with Baroness, you just want to listen to the complex patterns and soaring crescendos. But by the end of their set, a sizable audience had gathered, many of them just passerbys who were intrigued by their progressive metal sound. Yes, I am probably biased with my admiration for this band but a lot of the journalists I had talked to about Baroness, ended up thanking me for my recommendation. These boys are going far.

Japandroids
Broad Street Stage, 5:45 p.m.

Japandroids are Vancouver’s hometown heroes, even though the band doesn’t actually get that much play in our fair city. Whatever the reasons though, they are getting more than enough hype elsewhere and the hype is pretty much all warranted.

They had been described to me as “a two-piece Sonic Youth” but I would beg to differ. Sure there was noise, but Japandroids had bounce and melody splashed all over the distorted angst and fuzz. These unassuming guys, singer/guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse, were stereotypically Canadian in their apparent humbleness and shy banter (“We’re from Vancouver. We’re really sorry we brought this weather with us”), but still rocked out the wet crowd with an interesting and varied set. They weren’t boring, they weren’t typical (though “Here’s Your Money Back” had the catchiest, pop-type tune) – they were welcome addition to Bumbershoot.

Plus, they were the only set I saw that had people flinging spinning tortillas into the crowd onto the stage.

Jenny & Johnny (ft. Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice)
Starbucks Stage, 6:45 p.m.

I caught a bit of Jenny & Johnny as I made my way out of Flatstock 2010 (the music poster expo that had tons of artists with their original work) and joined them at the Starbucks Stage. I hadn’t caught an act at this stage before and as you can tell by the name, this is the stage that sounds like you’re sitting in a coffee house, listening to soft cooing, warm vibes and a touch of spice.

Jenny & Johnny is compromised of real life couple Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley) and Jonathan Rice . The duo’s collaboration is called I’m Having Fun Now and while I don’t know if anyone was having that much fun in the constant drizzle, it was pleasing set that attracted a variety of people from dance circle hippies to a guy dressed as a faded copper statue (I actually thought he was until I leaned against him). Lewis was a coy, charming personality that spread a little bit of light and joy across the huddled, pensive crowd.

Surfer Blood
Broad Street Stage, 7:30 p.m.

I had heard a lot about Surfer Blood. I was not expecting to see a bunch of 12-year olds on stage. I was also not expecting to be impressed by this band, and yet it happened. Now, I know they aren’t twelve but they do have that naive, youthful look about them that helps sell their Weezer-esque rock songs. They’ve said that the name Surfer Blood isn’t to be taken too literally in terms of their sound but at this show, I found it to be quite fitting. They had that happy, surf rock feel with a touch dark (and at times, wise) lyrics. Sounds like blood on a surfboard to me.

Wild Orchid Children
EMP Sky Church, 7:45 p.m.

As had been happening with a lot of bands this weekend, I was running again on recommendations. Someone told me to check out Wild Orchid Children, a Seattle-based band who apparently sounded  a lot like the Mars Volta. Now, maybe I could see that in the various percussionists the band seemed to posses, but that’s where all comparisons end. And I know it’s lazy to make comparisons to other bands, but for this band I can’t help it. During the whole set, I couldn’t help but think this was Rage Against the Machine meets Portugal The Man or something akin to that. The Rage bit comes from vocalist Kirk Huffman with an artfully draped American Flag on his stand, and biting vocals a la Zach de la Rocha. The Portugal bit comes from the psychedelic rock flavorings that the eight-piece band brought forth with a mix of funk and thump.

I think the show might have been more enjoyable had the crowd inside the EMP Sky Church not been so thin (it was raining outside, so you would have thought there would have been more people inside the only indoor venue) and so dead. But it was Monday night and though the Children tried their best to be Wild, the audience could only handle so much. I’d like to see this band in another setting, on another day and see how my perspective changes.

The Thermals
Broad Street Stage, 9:15 p.m.

The piece de resistance for Bumbershoot was Portland indie band, The Thermals. Their name sounds warm and fuzzy but this trio knows how to rock. No-fi, neo-grunge, post-power-pop, alternative punk – whatever you want to call it, it probably falls into The Thermals repertoire. You would have thought that being one of the last bands to close out Bumbershoot, or at least the Broad Street Stage, in the rain would have equaled a sparse crowd, but people were here to see them and say goodbye to the festival in style. The band was cynical, catchy and smart. There was a dance party in the crowd, an encore of “My Name is Jonas” and a feeling of never wanting the set to end.

But like all festivals, Bumbershoot did have to come to an end. And even though it ended on a soggy note, the relaxed, friendly festival brought a bit sunshine to everyone’s ears.

Gallery by Karina Halle

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Despite the album being a triumph, the effort isn’t without its clunkers. Whether it’s the emotional yet boring “Never Say Die/When You’re Young”, the even blander “Airport Security”, or the emotionless pop jumbles that are “I Think That The World” and “Like The Sun”, an album should be damaged sufficiently if a third of its songs have no resonance; that’s simply not true for this album. The foundation of the remaining album is enough to get this to the status of something interesting. Since these songs are part of the 20th Anniversary Series, expect plenty of nostalgic throwbacks.

“Badass” is that frenzied, bass heavy fury that hearkens back to songs like “These Are The Quotes From Our Favorite ’80s Movies”. It’s a journey to their early Jersey-ized Oy roots and demonstrates they haven’t completely mellowed. “Dubs Stay True” is a cousin of “Night On Earth”, that rousing anthem played in the wee hours while recalling the memories and occurrences that actually mean something despite things having irrevocably changed. It fits wonderfully in the same vein as a song like “The Mental Bits” in that it’s a gift to fans and themselves. “We All Sing Along” is another throwback to stuff from their early albums. It’s another anthemic look back that buzzes with their trademark sound. It plays out like a street poet voyeur that watches the depressing citizens of some bad Jersey neighborhood.

But the album isn’t all about mining their catalog. In fact, many of the songs on the LP are just pure celebrations of where they’ve come from. “The Mental Bits” is the band’s celebration of their victory over time, politics and other music business BS. It feels unlike so many other songs from the band: It’s light and breezy, like a walk through summer, complete with a harmonica that sounds like whistling down by some old river. It’s much poppier and only lightly tingles with their well-established punk energy, but with so many other contributions, a song this strummy deserves to exist. “Boogie Woogie Downtown” is a chance for the band to no longer regret the past and to ruin their future. It’s as equally as strummy, but it demonstrates that they still haven’t gotten things right and not all of the aspects of their lives are worth fond remembrance. “Ghosts On The Boardwalk” is synthesis of the kind of sound the album jumps between: the underlining current of punk rock with that steady-as-a-knife bass line and the emotional vulnerability. Sadly, it’s lacking the punch of many of their songs.

The album has two shining moments of pure Souls goodness. “Big Eyes” is kind of twangy, a down-home folk song that is talking to a young girl about life’s hardships, something the band likens to a movie where they’ve “Seen this film/Already know the ending/Some of the faces change/But the plot it stays the same”. And when the song turns to some baile folklorico guitar, you can especially feel the countrified pain the band is working with. They’ve stripped away all their musical and emotional fury and have found a place where they are completely open, no gimmicks and no crowd of friendly punks to back them up. It’s a small nod to who they’ve progressively become. “Gasoline” may be the best song here, and one of their best in years. It’s about not wanting to recognize who you are because you’re afraid of what you’ve become (“Sex and violence has lost its charm/I need something to amuse/War is boring, it’s not enough/I need a shock down to my shoes”) and how you’d like to burn down who you are for the hope of something different. Fans of the Souls love their optimism with a hint of cynicism, and this song delivers. It’s an even bigger anthem than anything they’ve ever done, with a heavy mix of their punk roots and rock anthem chants of “Bring me some gasoline.” It plays like a left hook in an album of fun but relatively safe songs. It’s the reason you get into punk rock in the first place.

While these songs had all been released throughout 2009, this tracklist in this particular order make for a truly rich experience of getting to know the band again and getting a peek of where they’re going.

Check Out:
“Gasoline”

Buy:
Ghosts on the Boardwalk

After all, the New Jersey punk rockers spent the entire year releasing new song after new song as part of its 20th Anniversary Series — yep, they turned 20 this year! They also pressed the aforementioned songs onto a series of 7″ vinyl records which they sold everywhere they went on a year-long world tour. Now, the Souls are taking those 7″‘s and packing ‘em together for their first studio album in four years, Ghosts on the Boardwalk.

Produced by Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly), the 12-track effort will be available via Chunksaah Records on January 12th. Also available will be an enhanced CD, which features “The Bouncing Souls 20 Year Anniversary TV Special”. It will be available for purchase at the 3rd Annual Home For The Holidays shows in Asbury Park, NJ.

In fact, the real goodness comes during those series of shows. On December 27th, The Showroom will air Do You Remember? 15 Years of The Bouncing Souls and the band will be around for a Q&A afterward. Not to mention, there will be an early screening of “The Gold Tour” documentary Rough Cut on December 29th. Plus, there’ll be crazy after parties on December 26th and 29th at Asbury Lanes. Yes, bowling! Details and tickets for each event are available here; Merry Christmas, you crazy east coast punks!

And if you can’t wait for Ghosts On The Boardwalk, enjoy the band’s recent Daytrotter Session here. Tracklist below.

Ghosts on The Boardwalk Tracklisting:
01. Gasoline
02. Never Say Die / When You’re Young
03. I Think That the World…
04. Ghosts on the Boardwalk
05. Airport Security
06. Badass
07. The Mental Bits
08. Dubs Says True
09. Boogie Woogie Downtown
10. Big Eyes
11. We All Sing Along
12. Like the Sun

Bouncing Souls 2009 Tour Dates:
12/26 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony #
12/27 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony !
12/28 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony *
12/29 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony ^

# = w/ Black Train Jack, Blacklisted, Detournement
! = w/ The Pietasters, Worthless United, Dave Hause (of The Loved Ones)
* = w/ Bayside, P.O.S., Static Radio NJ
^ = w/ Chuck Ragan (acoustic), Screaming Females, The Night Brigade

Bouncing Souls:

What: Home for the Holidays 2009 featuring The Bouncing Souls (Asbury Park, NJ)

When: December 26-29

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Chris Brown:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: November – December

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Guns N’ Roses:

What: Tour dates for Canadian tour

When: January

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Phish:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: November – December

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Wilco:

What: Tour dates for North American tour

When: February – March

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Did we miss anything? Let us know!

Bouncing Souls:

What: Tour dates for Las Vegas & Kansas City (MO)

When: October – November

Tixs: $17.00 – $20.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 am CDT

Juliette Lewis:

What: Tour dates for Las Vegas & Vancouver

When: October – November

Tixs: $15.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 am PDT

Maxwell:

What: Tour dates for “BLACKsummers’night” North American tour

When: October

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Livenation.com at 10:00 am EST

Mika:

What: Tour dates for Los Angeles & Boston

When: October

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Livenation.com at 10:00 am EST

Peaches:

What: Tour dates for Ft Lauderdale (FL) & Vancouver

When: November

Tixs: $17.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 am EST

STS9:

What: Two-night New Years Eve stint in Denver, CO

When: December 30-31

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Livenation.com at 10:00 am MDT

The Used:

What: Tour dates for New York, Atlanta, Detroit, Denver, & Lake Buena Vista (FL)

When: October – November

Tixs: Price not listed

Buy: Livenation.com at 10:00 am EST

Friday, March 20th:

It’s hard to cover Friday without sounding self-aggrandizing, so bear with us. Truth be told, CoS had too much going on to really reach out to anything else. With our Brodown Hoedown party taking up the majority of the day and the Listen! showcase stealing away the night, any other festivities took backseat for us, which is somewhat unfortunate given that the likes of Dinosaur Jr., The Hold Steady, DEVO, and even Metallica took the reigns of Austin for a night. But we weren’t crying, we didn’t have much time to, and that’s not to gloat, that’s just stating mere fact.

The fun kicked off a little past noon at the Back Alley Social when eclectic indie rockers Princeton kicked things off with a musically rich set. Of course, with 10 bands scheduled to play within a fiveish hour quota, impressions had to be made quick, something neither Princeton, nor most of the other Brodown participants had much trouble in doing.

A bit of Chi-Town followed as Sybris introduced Austin to its flourishing, Blondie-approved rock melodies, while the soulful Waitsian-esque John Wesley Myers, a Texas-born son of a preacher man, and his Black Diamond Heavies brought the dirt, grind, and some of the heaviest rhythms around.

Because of some time commitments, Gringo Star had to switch time slots and play a shorter set. That didn’t stop the Atlanta quartet from delivering a short but sweet set. The syrupy Southern psychedelia felt good as the afternoon settled in, and brothers Peter and Nicholas Furgiuele led the band through the new hits, including the always catchy “All ‘Yall”. The rockers clad in black might have kept things to a minimum, but they walked off the stage as if they had just played an hour and change.

After a long drive from the sunny confines of Tallahassee, FL, Look Mexico pulled up to the front of the Back Alley Social with their larger than life yet eco-friendly van. The drive didn’t seem to stunt their performance, as it was packed with adrenaline and energy — though, they did have an endless supply of Amp in their trunk. It certainly helped, considering the balmy air that drifted in from the venue’s open doors. Drummer Joshua Mikel felt the heat midway through, playing shirtless in the congested corner of the stage, and hardly stopped once in the set’s unfortunately quick twenty-five minutes. Singer Matt Agrella kept a tight key, nailing down most of the hits off of last year’s Gasp Asp, while Dave Pinkham fooled around with just about every instrument. The addition of Pinkham, Ryan Slate and Ryan Smith has done wonders for the Florida act, and the new material off their forthcoming LP is the band’s best yet, hinting at a potential breakthrough in the coming future.

Backed by only a laptop, a shot of Jim Bean, and enough energy to make all us tired on lookers watch in envy, Astronautalis bounced around both the stage and bar top as he offered a set featuring both songs from his recently released album, Pomegrante, and on-the-spot freestyles. Atlanta all female outfit The Coathangers followed with a quick 20 minutes of spunky punk anthems, while Catfish Haven dished out its psychedelic driven guitar riffs and a sound that perhaps could best be described as a mix between Michael McDonald and Dinosaur Jr.

Unfortunately as time dried up, Chicago’s Blueblood had to make do with a smaller set, and a somewhat rushed environment. It’s a shame really, because the bluesy, soulful sound was kind to the ears. The timing didn’t stop frontman M. Quinn Des Enfants from releasing all he had into the mic. On a song like “The Faster We Lived”, Enfants howled to epic heights, bringing to mind TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe. From behind some Wayfarers, guitarist Mark Bachara kicked things up a notch, while bassist Shaun Paul Jones and drummer Thomas J. Des Enfantshed a tight rhythm section. For what it was worth, they made it shine.

With wife Rachel Ray busy prepping for her own party, husband John Cusimano and The Cringe took to the Back Alley Social to shell out their bar rock infused melodies. Sure, there was no mac ‘n’ cheese or margaritas, but let’s just say the whole thing reminded us of something you’d see on the porch of Apple Bee’s on a Thursday night…

Following a quick walk down sixth street and stops at CVS and the Pita Pit, Consequence of Sound arrived at the Wave for our official showcase. Considering the eclectic nature of the evening’s bill, the showcase offered an opportunity for SXSW’ers to take in sounds and styles from all backgrounds and genres, an attribute that certainly look to draw in a crowd – at least from our perspective.

In the rather Jimmy Buffett-like confines of Austin’s Wave, Canadian rapper, Shad, stirred up enough energy to get things rolling for our Listen! showcase. The crowd surrounded the stage, consisting mostly of indie-music-loving hipsters that found the smooth rhyming rapper highly accessible. Songs “Compromise” and “I Don’t Like To” went over well, and everyone reacted accordingly to the rapper’s demands (e.g. hands in the air, various clapping, etc). Members of Hey Ocean backed the rapper and provided some live bass and drum beats, though much credit should be given to mixer DJ Teelo, who kept things moving nonstop, leaving little to no dead air space.

Things switched drastically when Eksi Ekso came on after. What’s surprising is the Boston sextet set up remarkably fast. Given their drastic set up (e.g. violins, flugelhorns, trumpets, and keys), the fifteen minutes it took to get things rolling was quite impressive. It was a clever turnabout, however, and the act’s moody ambiance (think Arcade Fire meets the Gutter Twins) held its own. Much of the crowd huddled in front of the group, whose rising and falling sounds could have otherwise been seen as a downer in comparison to Shad’s more engaging beats and rhymes. Though he wore an apprehensive frown most of the time, vocalist Nate Shumaker was modestly pleasant with the crowd’s reactions, and the set turned quite fruitful for the Bostonians.

While the island flavor and lively atmosphere of the Wave seemed to favor Shad’s energetic performance, the low-fi melodies of The Tiny seemed lost in it. Patrons at the front of the venue came off too loud, which made for an awkward atmosphere for the songs to find life in. It wasn’t the group’s fault by any means, though. The Swedish duo, consisting of pianist/vocalist Ellekari Larsson and cellist Leo Svensson, were remarkable. Their timid yet emotional songwriting is by far some of the most underrated material out there, and despite the scene, the two seemed absorbed in it. Svensson showed off his chops, nailing his cello parts, in addition to creating some eerie if not ambient sounds with a saw. The crowd might have been meager, but several fans were in attendance, and one even called out a request, the 2004 single “Closer”. Things ended a bit abruptly when Larsson, from behind her vintage Wurlitzer, smiled and waved everyone adieu.

Any remnants of the simplicity left by The Tiny were all but destroyed once Birmingham, Alabama’s 13ghosts took the stage. Furious alt-country rifts electrified flowed, or should we say, crushed throughout the wave as the band made its way through a 45 minute set, consisting mostly of material from 2008′s The Strangest Colored Lights.

If you’re a longtime reader of CoS, you probably know that we and Kittens Ablaze go way back, so perhaps it was only appropriate that the Brooklynites not only closed their set with “Wandering Sound”, a song the group first debuted on CoS’ One Year Anniversary mixtape, but celebrate their first and only performance of the SXSW week with the smashing of Michelle Young’s cello. Yes, Kittens Ablaze actually destroyed a cello on stage. If that didn’t make an impression of the large crowd gathered, surely the rest of the sounds played from the recently released The Monstorus Vanguard did.

With a Ben Kweller-like sound and a David Lee Roth-like look, Robbert Harrison and Future Clouds & Radar closed out the evening with a bit of Texas flavored alt-rock. Guitar solos were a common sight, as were catchy hooks in songs like “Eighteen Months” and “Feet on Grass”. If anything, Future Clouds & Radar made the 1 a.m. set time almost forgettable.

Saturday, March 21st:

Things started out hot, humid and garlicky on Saturday. Out on Austin’s city limits (literally), New Jersey’s own The Bouncing Souls held an early secret show at The Parlour, complete with acoustic guitars, tired punk rockers, and lots and lots of pizza. Originally scheduled for noon, the doors opened an hour and a half later, and within minutes, every fan was munching on a spinach, cheese, or pepperoni slice. It might seem odd to describe a punk show as “cute,” but it’s really proper here. When Greg Attonito sat down on his chair and started pumping out acoustic tunes, several fans closed in, sitting down Indian-style with greasy slices in hand. A few guests brought children, too. It was surreal. Tattooed, leather-clad punk rockers bobbed their heads to Brian Kienlen’s bass lines while their children danced about to Attonito’s catchy choruses. Cute. Mid-way through the thirty minute set, the band took some requests, which had fans shouting out various tracks from their now sprawling twenty-two year career. It was somewhat confusing, but eventually they chiseled the shouts out down to a select few, nailing down “’87″ off their ’99 album Hopeless Romantic and the rather fitting “The Pizza Song” from their last album, 2006′s The Gold Record. Twenty plus years later, these Jersey boys still know how to kick it like kids.

Back in town, things were already wi-wi-wild n’ crazy. It was Saturday, after all. With a sterile blue sky and a happy go lucky sun to boot, writers, fans and industry-alike took note and cluttered the ever popular 6th Street. Bars were bustling, beer bellies were getting some sun, and even “horse cops” were out on patrol. The most popular event of the day, without a doubt, was Rachel Ray’s Feedback Party at Maggie Mae’s. People love their food…and their Hold Steady, New York Dolls, Ra Ra Riot and The Thermals. With a killer lineup and a celebrity guest (the chef herself), Maggie Mae’s was stacked from top to bottom, and the line for those with media badges and wristbands wrapped around the block for a good half a mile. Needless to say, those who attended should have felt very, very special.

Across the street, however, Slip Productions held a day party, Slip+Lovitt=love, at the always awesome Radio Room. Sweating behind the venue’s scum stained, glass storefront, Chicago’s Auxes twisted through a grungy twenty-five minute set with not a second to spare. It was a mid-day gem. Singer-guitarist Dave Laney sang with a heart that belongs to Cursive’s Tim Kasher and a mug that might be mistaken for Paul Westerberg, leading his trio through a plethora of tunes. “Radio Radio”, off their current release Sunshine, went over well. The scatterbrain guitar work (thank you Fender Telecaster Deluxes), alongside the static drumming just felt right. It wasn’t tight by any means, but that’s not the point. Keep a close look out for these gentlemen, especially if you’re in the market to release some pent up angst.

The term indie-rock is misleading and quite possibly the industry’s worst mistake since the ’90s “grunge” label, but regardless, it’s a roundabout category that’s used day after day to generalize something that, well, sometimes is just general. Silver Scooter fits that category. Out on the Radio Room’s back patio, the Austin quartet held a hefty crowd, which seemed odd, as they carry a staple sound that isn’t too exciting. Singer Scott Garred looks and sounds like a bored Rivers Cuomo, while the band itself is a tad stock. It’s unfortunate. The lyrics are intriguing and the song’s seem inviting. Lyrically, “Albert Hall” is a very well written tune, and Garred’s introduction was exciting. He digressed on how the song was named after a dog, of which was named after the recording studio they cut their album at, but when it came down to it, the end product was stale. Even the following song “Dinosaur” proved interesting lyrically, but dull musically — sounding oddly alike Death Cab for Cutie (think: The Photo Album). Regardless, with some more energy, this quartet could do some damage on the indie circuit.

Back inside, Ben Davis & the Jets, which included two members of Auxes, quickly jumped into a short stint. The atmospheric rock sounded vaguely like Sparta a la Porcelain-era, but on stage, it was a quick bore. It was somewhat of a clutter too, and not in the positive sense that made Auxes work. Throughout their set, and back on the patio, post-hardcore New Yorkers, The Van Pelt, put out some music that seemed quite typical of its genre. The act, who broke up in 1997, was a popular choice by the organizer, but the crowd didn’t seem to share her sense of flavor.

Down the street, in the comfortable, air-conditioned confines of the Austin Convention Center, Liverpool’s very excellent Echo & the Bunnymen performed a forty-two minute set for SXSW Live!, a taped event that streamed live for Direct TV. Frontman and former rhythm guitarist Ian McCulloch stepped to the mic, and despite his signature shades, one could tell the Brit was enjoying himself at the festival. “I love being in America,” he said. “It always seems to bring out the best of us.” While awkwardly waiting for the live feed to kick in, McCulloch mumbled a few things to the capacity-filled crowd. Eventually, they started up, opening with the pivotal “Rescue”, which continued with the mellow rocker “Seven Seas”. Lead guitarist Will Sergeant spit out some excellent licks, committing the past tunes to bolder, more accentuated terms. This idea came to fruition with their past chart topper, “The Cutter”, which seems epic now. Even the crowd favorite “The Killing Moon” sounded different. They may be an older, more mellow act, but they’re just as creative as always. When introducing new tune, “Think I Need It Too”, McCulloch curled a sly smile, as if he were holding something from the crowd. He was, but fortunately not for long. The new tune was unleashed and it sounded great. Most importantly though, it seemed relevant, which is rare for an act of their caliber these days. It will be exciting to see where the rest of The Fountain, their upcoming new studio effort, will take them.

Later in the evening, the sun settled on the horizon, ricocheting some rays over Austin’s ambitious skyline. The golden specks on the city’s celebrated Lady Bird Lake highlighted an otherwise perfect day for weather, explaining why a short few thousand patrons flocked to the Auditorium Shores Stage. Whether they were chewing on some sensual funnel cake or guzzling down one Miller High Life after another (hell yeah), everyone was enjoying the scenic, dreamy sounds of Baltimore’s best, Beach House. Performing to one hell of a sized crowd, the North Eastern duo rolled through a breezy set that was inundated with tracks off of last year’s brilliant, Devotion. Following “Wedding Bell” and after drawing a blank on some of the upcoming acts, vocalist and organist Victoria Legrand modestly said, “I’m terrible today,” and further explained, “My brain fell into my taco.” Sadly, they left the audience alone, who would go on to wait day and night for Erykah Badu and later on, Austin’s hometown heroes, Explosions in the Sky.

Day and night isn’t an exaggeration, really. Things started balmy, warm and hopeful by the end of Beach House’s set, only to turn brittle, cold and angry an hour and a half later. For reasons undisclosed, Badu was nowhere to be found on stage, but that was only a part of the disaster. Her supporting act, the incredibly pathetic The Cannabinoids, took an hour to set up, and once they did, they came on with lackluster house jams and monotonous shout outs: “Uh huh”, “Yeah”, “Put yo hands up”, and “Ya’ll ready?” Their digital slogan that read, “The frequency that is controlling the universe” and “This is the human brain”, seemed like a horrible joke by the five hundredth time it flashed. What’s worse, the mix masters left the stage, only to return a shy fifteen minutes later with Badu in tow. It was a jumbled two song set(!), made worse with shoddy mixing. The bass was too high, the vocals too low, and considering the wait time before, the dead noise between each song didn’t remedy the situation much. To say a great portion of the crowd left would be unfair, especially since the line to get in spiraled across the bridge. However, fans and patrons weren’t too happy, and some were surprised a riot hadn’t started — though, that was a dramatic observation, of course.

Hours later, fireworks went off over Austin, celebrating the end to one hell of a week. If you listened closely, you could hear the faint sounds of Explosions in the Sky. Their native instrumentals coasted rather smoothly through the night skies, and although it was lost in the swinging parties and showcases downtown, it was thee best way to soothe the week-long headache the city must have been feeling — even if Kanye West & his Fader party might have argued otherwise.

Hat tip to Jose Ole for additional photo support…

Although rather hard to pin down (the artists are as diverse as the state itself), the Jersey Shore Sound is usually rootsy rock n roll with a greater emphasis on danceable melodies and R&B. This might have to do with the state’s proximity to Philadelphia, a city that once flourished with soulful doo-wop groups that seemed to pop up on every street corner. Listen to any Jersey rock n roll band, and you’re likely to find an abundance of “whoa-ohs.”

The Jersey Sound is also characterized by carnival production touches at the center of its otherwise straightforward rock songs. Most of these guys grew up near boardwalk towns like Asbury Park, constantly surrounded by the calliope circus noise of seaside amusement parks. Because of this, the Jersey Shore Sound often relies heavily on accordions, pipe organs, and other instruments usually reserved for the big top. The instrumentation in general offers a far more diverse pallet than your typical Heartland rock, while at the same time still sounding like bare bones rock n roll.

But to truly get a feel for what the Jersey Shore feels like, look no further than the artists. The most famous is of course, Bruce Springsteen. While he is of course the undisputed Boss of New Jersey rock n roll (and possibly rock n roll in general), many of his cohorts have released work that holds its own against quirky, shore-defining albums like Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., or The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle.

One artist you definitely want to check out is Southside Johnny. A longtime friend of Springsteen and E Street Band guitarist (and Sopranos star) Steven Van Zandt, Southside Johnny released a string of albums with his backing band, The Asbury Jukes that showcased Motown horns, luscious string arrangements, and Southside Johnny’s voice, often cited as encompassing the true Jersey Shore sound even more than Springsteen. Think the Boss meets Elvis Costello, and you have an approximation of what he sounds like. Most folks compare The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn to Springsteen, but his slurred talk-singing approach owes way more to Southside Johnny than anyone.

What’s best is that Southside Johnny often worked at recorded with Springsteen, releasing a slew of tracks on his own albums that the E Street band never officially released until much later in their career. The most notable example of this is “The Fever”, originally only a Springsteen radio release that Southside Johnny included on his milestone album I Don’t Want To Go Home. Another essential Jersey Shore track is “Better Days”, a three part harmony street riff that bounces back and forth between the gruff vocals of Southside Johnny, Springsteen, and Van Zandt, who helmed an endless horde of his own bands on the Jersey shore, including Little Steven & The Lost Boyz, as well as Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul, both featured on The Sopranos soundtrack throughout the show’s run.

But The Jersey Shore sound eventually expanded past its classic rock roots, weaving its way into New Brunswick punk bands like The Bouncing Souls and The Gaslight Anthem. Both groups place great emphasis on sing-a-long choruses and swinging rhythms, the latter even being dubbed the punk E Street Band by many critics. Lyrically, The Gaslight Anthem are a darker Springsteen, spinning hard edged yarns with a touch more death and destruction. They even quote three of his songs on “Meet Me By The River’s Edge” off of last years excellent The ’59 Sound.

This handful of artists is merely a starting point for anyone interested in what New Jersey really sounds like. For a more comprehensive guide to The Jersey Shore sound and its artists and venues, check out Beyond The Palace, a book chronicling the formation of the Asbury Park music scene and the people who made it into a legend.

Check Out: