Seraphina Lotkhamnga on March 15th, 2012

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@Seraphina_L on Wednesday at SXSW:

Kimbra (also known as Kimbra Johnson) is now known as an Australian artist but she was mostly known for being the female New Zealander who lent her vocals to Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Now after the smash hit, she’s moved to Melbourne and is also getting ready to release her U.S. first full-length, “Vows” (slated for a May 22 release via Warner Bros. Records). To kick things off right, Kimbra and her band made their live U.S. debut at KCRW’s showcase at the Haven, and her red dress wasn’t the only notable thing.

Although the wait for the upcoming Kiwi sensation was almost unbearable (over 20 minutes late), the moment she pranced on to stage like a wide-eyed doe and strut her way to the front as her band played the intro to her feel-good pop tune “Cameo Lover,” all was forgiven. For a petite and frail frame on her, Kimbra’s big vocals offered riffs that pierced through the packed room like a siren. Soul and pop also weren’t her strongest elements. Even with her quirky arrangements, the amount of scatting inserted into her live set was surprising and the crowd ate every last bit up. Eclectically built, her set included songs with everything form reggae to Afro-pop and electronic influences. And throughout all this liveliness, she still got bashful for a second or two in between songs.

Southhampton, England’s Band of Skulls played a scorching set prior to Kimbra and there were fans who appreciated more than just their hit singles “I Know What I Am” and “Death By Diamonds and Pearls.” Their opener “Sweet Sour” was a nice touch considering they were previewing a batch of songs from their latest record which shares the same name, but it didn’t take long before the heat on stage took the room from a temperature of simply hot to volcanic.

Also notable . . .

The distance between Buzz Bands LA’s day party at Opal Divine’s and Sea Now’s week-long shindig was a fortunately short one considering the fact they were next door to one another. Presented by a handful of L.A. staples in the music industry such as Moheak Radio, the Satellite and more, the eclectic lineup for Wednesday included Harper Blynn, the Stone Foxes and more. Standouts, however, included were Denmark-based and Ghostly International band Choir of Young Believers (pictured) with their orchestral avant-garde pop and Austin’s very own Ume, which was fronted by a small yet ferocious Lauren Larson who was not afraid to go from heavy shoegaze to Sabbath-like metal tunes.

Minneapolis, Minn.,-based Poliça (that’s with a soft “c”) somehow ended up on Billboard’s lineup, which offered Lionel Richie as the headliner. The publication does get credit for having a diverse lineup though. Following a set from L.A.’s Vintage Trouble, the quintet and their slinky R&B-inflected electronica had all the right grooves to for both the mellow and the energized. Featuring members form GAYNGS, silky vocals matched the slinky movements from Channy Casselle on stage for slow-burning seduction.

Memo to . . .

Tall people who stand in front of short people in a packed crowd. There are some people in the world who are considerate enough to let the vertically challenged stand in front of them at a show when they notice others straining their necks, standing on their toes or hopelessly flinging their camera up in the air for a quick snapshot. It’s not easy being short. Not only is the view that much more obstructed but the air quality in a room with too many bodies is not of the most stellar quality. However, those people who are a couple feet shorter don’t expect everyone to give up their spot. After all, when it comes to a good show, everyone accepts the fact that it is a first to come, first served (with a decent view in this case) mentality among fans. What short people expect tall people not to do are the following: 1) Notice shorter fans behind them only to say “Too bad.” 2) Notice how much shorter fans bite their tongue for the sake of good manners only to whisper to their two other (tall) friends, “Let’s try to make them as miserable as possible.” 3) Purposely place their heads in front of a short fan’s potential snapshot.

Quote of the Day . . .

(Who do you want to see at SXSW this year?) “Old people.” ”“”“ Joe Rhodes of Traipsathon (an older Buzz Bands LA fan)

Only in Austin . . .

People will do anything to get noticed.

Photo of Kimbra by Marc D’Amour