and spaghetti!: a sxsw top 10
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I'm back from Austin. Here, in no particular order, are my fave musical moments:1. The Wrecking Crew: a documentary by Denny Tedesco (son of Wall of Sound guitarist Tommy Tedesco). This movie is a loving and revealing look at the gang of LA studio musicians who shaped the west coast pop sound of the '60s. Among the talking heads are Brian Wilson, Jimmy Webb, Herb Alpert & Lou Adler, Micky Dolenz, Cher, and a roundtable of players including the inimitable Hal Blaine and Carol Kaye. Worth the price of admission to hear Kaye discuss how she came up with the bass lines for "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and "Wichita Lineman." 
2. She and Him: M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, at 9:30 AM, singing Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" in the bar of the Four Seasons hotel. Zooey sings Smokey. My day is made.3. Duffy at The Parish: this was the buzz gig, as most of the music industry turned out to see the new big thing from the U.K., and she delivered, big time. An early contender for 2008's Best New Artist, Duffy brought her throaty, Lulu-ish vocals and a crack band to Texas, and justified the hype.4. The Bridges at the PureVolume party: my girls, so I am so biased, but from the cluster of guys bunched up at the front of the stage, I can say that these kids from Oxford, Alabama made a big impression. Truly, they made me so proud. The album, produced by Matthew Sweet, is called "Limits of the Sky," and comes out in June.5. Eli Reed and the True Loves at Club Deville: snazzy white-boy soul from Massachusettes.6. The Quebe Sisters Band at the Austin Convention Center: I'd already loved the album, but seeing these three girls harmonize and fiddle together was a revelation. As Jonh has pointed out, they're like Mary Ford X 3, and when they ended their set with a swinging version of "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie," I was completely smitten. And they're the nicest girls. Catch them.7. Elizabeth and the Catapult at the Dirty Dog Bar: the place is a dive, with a "dirty photo booth" where people take revealing pics and then pin them to the walls. But at 2:00pm on a sunny Saturday, this band was a cool breeze. I had to split to catch my flight, but as I was leaving, they were doing a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows." Which just proved that "Hallelujah" isn't the only Cohen songs that deserves revisiting.Here they are doing the song at another gig:8. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis at Latitude 30: a swinging little retro rockabilly outfit.9. Kate Walsh and Jessie Baylin at various venues: again, my objectivity is very much in question, since both artists are on the label I work for. So I'll just mention that they both got an exceedingly warm reception, and move on to...10. The Cowsills. Two Cowsill brothers have passed away recently, but the remaining three siblings (and a nephew on keyboards) are carrying the musical torch. As a pure pop throwback, this was a delightful show. They didn't do "Indian Lake" or "Love American Style," but they nailed "The Rain, The Park and Other Things," and I can now say that I saw Susan Cowsill, live, singing the "and spaghetti!" part from "Hair."
2. She and Him: M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, at 9:30 AM, singing Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" in the bar of the Four Seasons hotel. Zooey sings Smokey. My day is made.3. Duffy at The Parish: this was the buzz gig, as most of the music industry turned out to see the new big thing from the U.K., and she delivered, big time. An early contender for 2008's Best New Artist, Duffy brought her throaty, Lulu-ish vocals and a crack band to Texas, and justified the hype.4. The Bridges at the PureVolume party: my girls, so I am so biased, but from the cluster of guys bunched up at the front of the stage, I can say that these kids from Oxford, Alabama made a big impression. Truly, they made me so proud. The album, produced by Matthew Sweet, is called "Limits of the Sky," and comes out in June.5. Eli Reed and the True Loves at Club Deville: snazzy white-boy soul from Massachusettes.6. The Quebe Sisters Band at the Austin Convention Center: I'd already loved the album, but seeing these three girls harmonize and fiddle together was a revelation. As Jonh has pointed out, they're like Mary Ford X 3, and when they ended their set with a swinging version of "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie," I was completely smitten. And they're the nicest girls. Catch them.7. Elizabeth and the Catapult at the Dirty Dog Bar: the place is a dive, with a "dirty photo booth" where people take revealing pics and then pin them to the walls. But at 2:00pm on a sunny Saturday, this band was a cool breeze. I had to split to catch my flight, but as I was leaving, they were doing a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows." Which just proved that "Hallelujah" isn't the only Cohen songs that deserves revisiting.Here they are doing the song at another gig:8. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis at Latitude 30: a swinging little retro rockabilly outfit.9. Kate Walsh and Jessie Baylin at various venues: again, my objectivity is very much in question, since both artists are on the label I work for. So I'll just mention that they both got an exceedingly warm reception, and move on to...10. The Cowsills. Two Cowsill brothers have passed away recently, but the remaining three siblings (and a nephew on keyboards) are carrying the musical torch. As a pure pop throwback, this was a delightful show. They didn't do "Indian Lake" or "Love American Style," but they nailed "The Rain, The Park and Other Things," and I can now say that I saw Susan Cowsill, live, singing the "and spaghetti!" part from "Hair."
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