SXSW 2012: LP (not El-P), the Wedding Present’s ageless gifts, Scottish psychedelia and patio pop-ups

Kevin Bronson on March 15th, 2012

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@KRBronson on Wednesday night (after the day party) at SXSW:

There isn’t much to LP. She’s a wee lass armed with a cherubic smile, a sprite who looks like Bob Dylan’s kid sister raided his closet for stage wear. Then she opens her mouth, and all hell breaks loose, in the best possible way.

The New York-bred singer-songwriter, who’s been cultivating her act at a bunch of below-the-radar shows in L.A., is a belter, with a huge voice that holds notes like a bear hug. And at the opening set to Warner’s SXSW showcase Wednesday night at La Zona Rosa, she won over a diverse crowd who’d come to see the likes of Kimbra and guitar wizard Gary Clark Jr., as well as new material from New Orleans legend Dr. John.

LP’s songs of affections won and lost are as arena-ready as folk-based rock can get – her astute backing band (acoustic/electric guitarist, keyboardist, stand-up bassist and drummer) provide the perfect building blocks for her mountainous paeans, which even in her balladry can almost be too much. As memorable as songs such as “Levitator” and “Wasted Love” are, even hours after you’ve heard them, LP doesn’t give your ears much time to catch their breath after she’s caught their attention. See her for the spectacle, rest up afterward.

Also notable …

Our annual SXSW blast from the past – even with all the newbies clamoring for our attention, we allow one a year – is actually very much in the present. Seminal U.K. indie-rockers the Wedding Present, who came on our radar about the time “Coming to America” came on the big screen, next week release their eighth album, “Valentina,” and it’s every bit as good their highly regarded releases “Bizzaro” (1989) and “Seamonster” (’91). The opportunity to hear Dave Gedge and crew play “Seamonsters” brought us to the High Dive on Wednesday, and Gedge was in typically fine form, his songs dissecting – OK, they’re more like vivisection – relationships as only he can. Bitingly good.

The crowd jam-packed Scottish Music Industry Association party at the Easy Tiger Patio got to see the second U.S. performance by Django Django, and the Edinburgh-based foursome of David Maclean, Vincent Neff, Jimmy Dixon and Tommy Grace did not disappoint. Their self-titled full-length is just out, a spacey, synth-spiked and immediately infectious take on psych-pop that sounds like something California could have produced.

Quote of the Day

“I feel like a country song.” – A recently single woman, overheard at the Buzz Bands LA party

Surprise, surprise

Had no idea who Lera Lynn was until she took the stage at Opal Divine’s after the Buzz Bands LA day party, but she made an immediate impression with her yoyo-ing between Americana and straight-ahead rock. Great voice, tight band, sharp lyrics … all of which made us late for our next destination.

Awesome, Austin

Arrivals to the Warner party at La Zona Rose immediately encountered a performance on the patio – North Carolina soul-folk quintet Delta Rae. They were performing in a circle, unplugged, caterwauling a gospel song as they clapped, stomped on the cement and banged on a drum. They stopped quite a few conversations, and it turns out that’s how Delta Rae first got noticed.
“We did pop-up shows on a cruise ship,” Ian HÃ¶lljes said, explaining that the band booked a Cayamo Cruise as passengers and started playing for music fans aboard the ship. “It’s one way to have a captive audience.”