Mike Shea, our stalwart Event Planning Director, is the man with the plan by day and Texas Monthly book critic by night. He’s turned me on to some of my favorite authors (Harlan Coben and Robert Crais) and once chased me through Dublin (with Tracey Bigelow) singing, “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

Shea leads the team that makes it all happen for you lovely readers at the ACC. They’re the behind the scenes power that ensures all goes smoothly. You may never see them, but we’d be lost without.

I’m really pleased that Mike took time out of his busy schedule leading Convention Center walk-throughs to deliver this well-done Pick Three…

Spiral Beach: Last summer I watched this band of pups whip a nightclub crowd into a delirious, day-glo lovefest. Bastard offspring of Talking Heads and B-52s.

Liam Finn: Artsy but not fartsy. Lush pop music for working-class intellectuals. Melodies you can hum in time signatures you can’t tap your feet to.

Ice Cube: Because everyone should and who knows when you’ll get another chance?

SXSW is full of German cheer in the form of one Kathrin Wendt. Ms. Wendt works in Event Planning with Mr. Shea but in her real life she has a job with Rockpalast, a German music TV program. She studied to work in the Event industry but after graduation decided to work in music. Kathrin found SXSW on the internets and thus began her successful relationship with our little fest. If only all online connections worked out so well!

Her Pick Three choices…

C-mon and Kypski: It’s a mixture of electronic stuff with old school hip-hop somehow and the drummer is supposed to have a record player in one of his toms. The band is supposed to be really cool live, and the record player in the drum kit sounds unique to me - would love to see
them

The Aggrolites: The Aggrolites were suggested to me. I haven’t seen them ever before but always wanted to.

Billy Bragg: I’m too young so all I’ve ever seen was a live recording from some time in the early 80s. If I’d had the chance I’d check him out straight away!

Danke für messwert. Brain has departed from head. More coming in a bit. Email rust that never sleeps to musicblog@sxsw.com. Ich bin im eimer! lp

Original post by LP

Posted: March 2nd, 2008 under Linda Park, Pick 3, Music Festival, Latest News.
Comments: none

Hmm, what to say about Jeff “Saucy” Sosnow (not pictured), A&R maestro at Interscope Records? After many years in service of Michael Goldstone, Saucy branched out and now oversees bands like Wolfmother, All American Rejects, and has two acts performing at SXSW (Switches and Black Tide).

Despite his success, Jeff remains lovable and sweet. Speaking of things sweet, here’s his short and sweet Pick Three…

Billy Bragg: Worker’s Playtime is one of the best records of all time.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? I love this act and can’t wait to see them live for the first time.

James McMurtry: too long in the wasteland. Enough said.

I never knew I could say so many good things about so many people in one day. It’s rather unbelievable, but still I soldier on. Thanks for reading, and I hope your visits to the SXSW Music Blog are super fruitful. Or fruity. Kate Bush is swirling around my head (and no, she’s not playing) as I write these good tidings. Sunday’s fading but there’s more to come! Email love, anger and David Gilmour guitar solos to musicblog@sxsw.com. Looking for a moment that will never happen, lp

Original post by LP

Posted: March 2nd, 2008 under Linda Park, Pick 3, Music Festival, Latest News.
Comments: none

Joe Chiccarelli is the Grammy Award winning producer/mixer who helped My Morning Jacket achieve their most glorious effort to date (you’ll hear it soon, come June). Mr. C’s credits also include work with Tori Amos, Beck, U2, Elton John, Counting Crows, The Shins, The White Stripes, Morrissey, Mika, Rickie Lee Jones, and The Raconteurs (and he was the engineer on Journey’s Infinity!!)

He’s also been a music supervisor and is the audio designer for Royaltone Recording Studios in Burbank.

Joe will take part in the Producers’ panel “The Analog-Digital Shift” along with Larry Crane, David Kershenbaum, Alan Parsons (Alan Parsons!!) and Sandy Pearlman.

Joe took time out from being nominated for yet another Grammy to do the Pick Three. How groovy is that?!

Richard Hawley: He makes amazingly lush and beautiful records. They way they used to do it with Orchestra and all the trimings. Cole’s Corner from a few years back is indeed a classic in my book.

(Gosh, I’m sorry, it’s just disclaimer day around here. Richard Hawley, sadly, is off the sched, as well. I think this is the third strike, am I out?)

Tim Easton: Tim is a SXSW mainstay. His voice is bold and rich and always commanding attention. I had the pleasure of producing his The Truth About Us disc several years ago and I will forever remain a big fan.

Vampire Weekend: Yeah, Yeah, I know they are the most hyped band of the year. But I heard “Mansard Roof” almost a year ago for the first time and it still really holds up. I’m excited to see the live show.

Other Pick Threeness available for your reading pleasure. I have ingested so much sugar and caffeine today that I’m starting to resemble Cornholio. I live to date myself with stupid 90s references. Or was that the 80s? That makes it even worse. Email vitamins to musicblog@sxsw.com. Put the feed in the reader and the reader will get fed. And in your place an empty space, lp

Original post by LP

Posted: March 2nd, 2008 under Panels, Linda Park, Pick 3, Music Festival, Latest News.
Comments: none

The great country of Canada produces some of the coolest bands… Rush, The Band, Arcade Fire, Sloan, Tegan and Sara, Neil Young and Crazy Horse… And we all know how I just love Triumph…

Along comes The Coast, and it’s the kind of sublime pop that maybe you’ve heard before, but the songs take you by the heart to the place where it’s fall and there’s a snap in the air and that cute guy/girl you have a crush on is walking you home and suddenly you’re running because the moon eclipsed and all you see are stars.

Okay, err, back to reality here. It’s my lucky day to bring you Benjamin Spurr, lead singer and guitarist of The Coast. You can catch the boys on Thursday during SXSW Music at 9pm at The Wave.

The LP Questionnaire

Name: Ben Spurr
Pro Wrestling Name: Jack Gravy, apparently

1. Pretend you’re 15 (and tell us what year it is, if you don’t mind). Name three songs you’d put on a mix tape for your girlfriend/boyfriend.
It’s 1998. I’d probably put on “Sonnet” by the Verve, “So Cruel” by U2, and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”, by Paul Simon. She would not appreciate any of them, and then start making out with my brother. ‘98 was a rough year.

2. Which evil villain would make the best president? Stalin.

3. What was your favorite cartoon as a child? I think it was Bravestarr. He was a space cowboy who policed a small town on a planet where people mined for crystals, and he had a mechanical horse named “Thirty/Thirty,” like the gun. But I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a 30-30 is, you’re from Texas.

4. What superpower do you wish you had? To be able to write songs in my sleep.

5. What would the title of your autobiography be? Snack Chip: The Ben Spurr Story

Pick Three

Martha Wainwright: I want to see Martha Wainwright because she’s got such an amazing voice and I’d love to hear it live, and I never have before. Hearing a beautiful voice in the flesh is sometimes the best kind of music.

Put the Rifle Down: I’m excited to see Put The Rifle Down, some friends of ours from Toronto who put on a great show. It’ll be cool to meet up with them down there.

(Bummer that Put the Rifle Down are no longer on the sched. As ever, keeping Pick Threes intact is just how I roll.)

R.E.M.: I also want to see R.E.M. The last time I saw them was one of my favorite concerts, an outdoor show on Yonge street in Downtown Toronto. People were hanging out of windows all down the street.

Okay, I confess I have no idea what a 30-30 is and that’s probably for the best. Believe it or not I have three more features scheduled for tonight so ya’ll come on back now, ya hear? Email mittens that are smitten to musicblog@sxsw.com. I loved the smokin’ labbit until I got burned, lp

Original post by LP

Posted: March 2nd, 2008 under LP Questionnaire, Linda Park, Pick 3, Music Festival, Latest News.
Comments: none

Never was there a fairer group than Katie King, Kathryn Lasater, Megan Adams and Lindsay Muse. These formidable ladies comprise the SXSW Interactive Festival’s Sales, Panels, Press and Screenburn Arcade departments.

Katie King, an avid book lover, married her high school sweetheart. Her first job out of college was on the film Pi. King enjoys hiking with her dog Hugo and photography (which she’s rather good at, if I may say). She hasn’t eaten meat in 16 years, used to tour with Phish and sits in the yellowist (not sure if that’s a word) office I have ever seen. Those walls may blind you, but they work better than caffeine.

Here’s her Pick Three…

The Helio Sequence: I first saw them play in San Francisco a few years ago. It was one of those rare happenings when I’d never heard of the band, was dragged to see them play by a friend, and was instantly knocked over by how amazing they sounded live. Thoughtful lyrics and simple phrase-turning combined with driving beats (drummer Benjamin Weikel, formerly of Modest Mouse, is one of the best drummers I’ve seen/heard). Super-sonic! I’ve been anticipating the day I’d get to catch them live again.

Daniel Lanois: Another phenomenal live performer - blows away any of his recordings. He’s produced some of the greatest albums in the past 20 years but is a very talented songwriter and musician in his own right. His music carries an ethereal quality. And he wrote the much-covered “The Maker” - one of my all-time favorite songs. And…need i say more? The guy rocks.

Eleni Mandell I bought her album Snakebite at the recommendation of the Austin Chronicle some time ago and have since loved the quirky, dramatic stories told in her smoky voice. I haven’t heard anything other than that record so maybe what she’s doing now is completely different, but I’ve no doubt that she’ll be interesting. She’s kinda like a vaudevillian PJ Harvey - more jazz, less punk. I don’t know if that makes any sense…

Kathryn Lasater watches Hannah Montana to calm herself after watching scary movies, thinks The Empires Strikes Back is one of the best movies of all time and is expecting her first kid. She watches loads of reality TV and her mother was the top female winner on Tic Tac Dough with Wink Martindale. She went to the same high school as Will Ferrell and once told Patrick Swayze she loves him.

Lasater is very tall, afraid of pickles, bakes great carrot cake cupcakes (though I’ve never had one), and loves hot dogs, real dogs (Biskit and Turtle), and cheese.

Jouissiez vous her Pick Three…

Russian Circles: The album I’ve heard is awesome and the rumor is that they put on an amazing show that can’t be beat, so I’m intrigued.

Home Video: A couple of years ago I worked with a Katrina transplant who told me about the wonder that is Home Video. I found them on MySpace that afternoon and have been a fan since. I’m super excited that they are finally coming to town!

The Watson Twins: Having only heard their haunting background vocals on their album with Jenny Lewis, I’m curious how they will sound on their own. I can only imagine it will be fantastic.

David Beckham fan Megan Adams was raised on a cattle ranch but if she was on a deserted island and had to eat a hamburger to survive, she says she’d rather die (and also states that this has nothing to do with being raised on a ranch). She enjoys traveling and reading passiveaggresivenotes.com.

And now, Pick Three courtesy of Megan A…

Tiny Masters of Today: Because they’re 13 and 11 and way more awesome than I’ll be in my life time.

David Banner: Seriously, my favorite music is country and southern rap. Which by no means sounds promising but all of the hip-hop shows I saw last year were amazing and I expect David Banner will “put some south in your mouth.”

Q-Tip: So I know I just said southern rap was my favorite but when Q-Tip went solo I was hooked. Have I mentioned hip-hop shows don’t disappoint?

(Sadly, Q-Tip isn’t performing but he was on the books when Ms. Adams wrote this and that is all that matters, right?)

Last but not least is Claire Forlani lookalike Lindsay Muse (although let’s be honest, Muse is way cuter). Muse makes a shout out worthy (by Big Business, anyway) Bourbon Baked Brie and enjoys playing Ms. Pac Man and swimming in the Austin Greenbelt with her two dogs.

She sent me a list of activities she engages in like wakeboarding, snowboarding, and road biking (last year she rode to San Marcos and back), and now I feel like a total loser because my list of activities reads more like “eat, watch America’s Next Top Model, eat, sleep, watch Project Runway…”

Her favorite films are Pans Labyrinth, Weird Science, Edward Scissorhands, Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns, and all zombie movies.

You can probably catch her at one of these Pick Three shows…

Afrobots: Their beats take me back to the Electro days in Brooklyn at Luxx. Rico Dolce Riot “burns bridges and builds empires” on the dance floor with his Brazilian style.

Heartsrevolution: Unicorns, neon hearts, white heart-shaped vinyl, and pink ski masks – need I say more? Choose your own adventure, C.Y.O.A., is a sweetheart music video, and it come from the sweetest of the sweet. They will exude contagious superhero powers at their show.

Russian Circles: Three men from the windy city who create an instrumental wind tunnel on stage. Now with Brian Cook from These Arms Are Snakes as bassist, they are a melodic metal act you don’t want to miss.

Man, that was a marathon of Pick Three goodness. More coming on this jam packed SXSW Sunday. We’re creeping ever closer to T minus zero! Send fan mail to musicblog@sxsw.com. I’ll have my people send you an autographed photo… of Mel Torme. I’ve got a secret and I can’t explain, lp

Original post by LP

Posted: March 2nd, 2008 under Linda Park, Pick 3, Music Festival, Latest News.
Comments: 3