Seraphina Lotkhamnga on March 13th, 2013

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[With the Buzz Bands LA staff hitting the ground running after a not-so-pleasant red-eye flight, flyers were obligatorily plastered and distributed – but some of the free South by Southwest swag made us feel a little better. Plus, there was just so much to see already on our first day. Jet lag not a valid excuse to take it easy. Highlights and other notes …]

@Seraphina_L on Tuesday at SXSW: 

Without a doubt, yesterday’s highlight of my Austin gallivanting came to me in the form of four-piece harmonies and rockin’ Americana from Dublin’s Little Green Cars. Strong melodies, percussion and vocals are the key to their lush arrangements, but there was something about the way Stevie Appleby, Faye O’Rourke, Adam O’Regan, Donagh Seaver O’Leary and Dylan Lynch all delivered their robust songs like “The John Wayne” that made you wonder how quickly they’ve worked out such a solid sound. Falling somewhere in between Arcade Fire and Mumford & Sons and possibly filling in the void created by the absence of the Magic Numbers in the last few years, Little Green Cars drove my energy level up the wall only for it to bounce
around the room like a goon. It may have been late, and delirium may had taken over at this part o the night, but Little Green Cars made it that much more fun.

Also notable . . .

“Wild child / You make my heart sing.” That’s how the lyric goes, right? Well, my heart sung along with Austin’s Wild Child for many reasons. For starters, there was a plethora of musical instruments played in this band. Toting a violin, a cello, a banjo, a ukulele and more, this seven-piece band was serious about kicking off the City of Austin showcase at the Parish last night. Their crowd seemed to be full of the usual fans in their hometown, but no matter. With a sweet sound where Meiko met the Lumineers, Wild Child’s boisterousness and darling collective demeanor won over many new fans.

To be honest, because the 9 p.m. set ran so late and because I have a tight schedule at festivals – especially SXSW – I didn’t catch much of what I had hoped to see from Berlin-based singer Fetsum. His 10 p.m. set started nearly half an hour late, but what I did see in those three songs was inspiring. Fetsum, whose music ranges from soul to folk to reggae, started out not as a star but a team member as he helped his band go through a long, painful sound check. Then once he got on stage and the music swelled, his intensity followed suit. Far from any sort of facade, Fetsum’s swaying from side to side, closing his eyes and lifting his hands to the sky, it was obvious Fetsum was just trying to get his messages of hope across and the crowd was happy to listen.

Totally random encounter . . .

Upon my arrival at Elysium, where they were hosting a K-Pop night (all bands from Seoul, South Korea) – a genre completely foreign to my knowledge – my ears were shocked when they were greeted by a wall of psychedelic layers of guitar and vocals that ranged from melancholic to yearning hysteria. Singer-songwriter Yi Sung Yol and his band definitely weren’t K-Pop; it was more like K-Psych or K-Rock or even K-Blues. Singing most songs in English, Yi Sung Yol’s set was a smorgasbord of some Stevie Ray Vaughn, some Snow Patrol and even some punk influence; there was no reason why Yi Sung Yol wouldn’t be able to make it here in the States as well. Although, his lead guitarist did almost upstage him with massive shredding, and his drummer played with such precision you’d think he were playing in a jazz band instead of an alternative rock band.

Memo to . . .

Uruguay artist Gonzalo Deniz, who goes by the JD Salinger-inspired moniker Franny Glass, was a nice surprise at the Whiskey Room. While I appropriately sipped on a glass of Jameson, this rising Latin America artist silenced the room with his Sondre Lerche-like finger picking and minimalist song structure. Although all his lyrics were Spanish, his melodies were direct and accessible in a candor so naked and poignant, no translation was needed. However, his set did seem to run longer than expected. Playing an hour-long set where he told us it was his “last song” several times, those who had arrived to catch Fetsum grew tiresome and left the venue from impatience. Note to all musicians playing: Everyone is trying to make every moment count, but there are schedules for a reason. No one likes a stage hog. It’s SXSW, dude.

Just gross, Austin . . . 

Yep. There’s nothing like a dog going at it on a lady’s leg to get your point made…