Seraphina Lotkhamnga on March 19th, 2011

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[It’s hard to believe music at SXSW only started on Wednesday. By the time Friday rolled around, it felt like the Buzz Bands crew has already been here covering shows for a good, solid month. Here’s the start of the weekend…]

Dirty Beaches (Kiss & Fly) — Alex Zhang Hungtai, the one-man show behind the band Dirty Beaches, looks tough. He’s the type of guy who could care less what you think about him, and his extremely lo-fi music has a similar nonchalant, bad-ass type of sound rooted heavily in beatnik-influenced rock ’n’ roll. The pros to taking in a live set from Hungtai include his deep growl, which ultimately pulls one into his gloomy malaise. But his live show’s minimal approach (guitar, pedal board and a hand-held vintage microphone) pales compared to spinning the vinyl. And another drawback is that (because it’s a hand-held mic), he seldom sings and plays at the same time. During a performance, most DIY artists are forgiven for their lack of ability to execute full arrangements, but Dirty Beaches here was stripped down to the point of lackluster.

Tamaryn (Klub Krucial) — The lighting was pretty horrific for those trying to snap a photo of the mysterious Tamaryn, but for an artist who never breaks her aloof demeanor, this setting suited her desert music. With the help of her three-piece band which included producer and multi-instrumentalist Rex John Shelverton (Vue, Bellavista), Tamaryn offered a lovely, thick set of hazy shoegaze songs executed with impressive stoicism. As her dark hair fell over a pale visage, Tamaryn didn’t crack one smile but it also made her lyrics sound more distant – aspects which worked for the band’s vast sound. Comparisons to Mazzy Star and Cocteau Twins are not a stretch, but there is a touch more of loneliness that makes her sound as if she is coming from a more damaged place. Whereas Dirty Beaches was full of serious indifference, Tamaryn professionally pulled off everything that is spellbinding.

On Twitter: @Seraphina_L