SXSW Recap

I made it back from Texas last night, but was too tired to do any sort of post. And now, I feel sort of awkward doing a personal post, so I just would like to say,

Ignore the suit and the hair for a second; this guy, Marty Stuart, gave one of the best performances I saw all week. Late Saturday night, I went to a Hootenanny at Austin's Central Presbyterian Church, mostly to see Billy Bragg, but showed up early and caught Marty's show. The man is a guitar god. Other especially good shows: What Made Milwaukee Famous, The Hidden Cameras, Of Montreal, Jose Gonzalez, Nada Surf, and John Vanderslice. Then, there's The Ark, Sweden's answer (and a better one, too) to The Darkness. Quotable quotes from lead singer Ola Salo (they're better if you read them in a Swedish voice): "It was going to rain [we were in an outside venue], but THE ARK SAVED YOU!" and "Jepson sings a note so low, it makes the little hairs on your scrotum and the little hairs on your outer vagina grow to infinite lengths. Sing it Jepson!"

Reading Stereogum or Gorilla vs. Bear, however, makes me realize how many excellent shows I missed because I wasn't cool enough to know about them (or get invited to them), but, it seems, my friends were, as they showed up in one of Stereogum's pictures.

Mat Brown and Pam Cortland (the couple on the right), you win.