SXSW 2009 The Best Of The Rest

This was my first year at SXSW where I actually pretended to be a professional photographer. It was a good time, with good friends as has it's been in the past. Is it to early to start thinking about next year already. Enjoy.

1. Beach House, 2. B.o.B., 3. Zee Avi, 4. Hockey, 5. Hockey, 6. BLK JKS, 7. Glasvegas, 8. Bell, 9. Bell, 10. Graham Coxson of Blur, 11. Lissie Trullie, 12. Tricky, 13. Tricky, 14. These United States, 15. Caroline Polacheck of Chairlift, 16. Razorlight, 17. White Lies, 18. White Lies, 19. White Lies, 20. Golden Filter, 21. Golden Filter, 22. Golden Filter, 23. Golden Filter, 24. Frankie Chan, 25. Theophilus London, 26. Solange Knowles, 27. Theophilus London and Solange Knowles, 28. Popo, 29. Major Lazer, 30. Major Lazer, 31. Diplo, 32. Mad Decent, 33. Bun B, 34. Bun B, 35. Jadakiss36. Not available

Hockey: SXSW 2009

Hockey was one of the bands I was excited to see during SXSW, we managed to catch the tail end of one of their sets and judging by the crowd reaction, we made it a mission to not miss them the rest of the week. We finally managed to make it to the Cedar Street Courtyard, the same place Filter Magazine throws it down every year. From the get-go you can hear the new-wave influences with commanding vocals reminiscent of those of Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen. Hailing from Portland, Oregon the band comes off with dance friendly hits such as "Too Fake" and "Song Away". easily one of the better bands I saw all week.

The Golden Filter: SXSW 2009

My good buddy Joel had mentioned these guys as one of the "Can't Miss" bands of the week, we just happened to stumble upon the venue they were playing at. Turns out it was a good place to check out Casio Kids as well who performed right before them. The Golden Filter is trio that resembles the child of Goldfrapp and The Presets. With an upbeat dance sound, they will turn any venue into an all out dance party. Denver peeps they will be opening for The Presets on April 10 at The Bluebird.

Chairlift: SXSW 2009

This year's "iPod Band", was none other than Chairlift, this trio was one that I wanted see, as with many other bands it seemed like these guys were all over the place. We stopped at The Flamingo Cantina to check them out. Caroline Polacheck blends her amazing voice with minimal electro-synth that gives Chairlift their unique sound.

BLK JKS: SXSW 2009

This was one of the bands I missed last year, I saw they were playing the NPR Showcase this year and I just happened to have a guest pass for this show, I made my way up front to catch this band hailing from South Africa. The first thing I noticed about these guys was their focus and dedication that they put into each performance. They are locked in from the beginning giving us a rare gem in the form of cultural musical bliss that is hard to come by.

Beach House: SXSW 2009

I have had their album on rotation for a good while, although it's a little different than the stuff I normally listen it is always nice to put some Beach House on and just relax. This was one of the first bands we saw at Red 7. They played a few new songs and it also turns out they played a collaboration with the guys from Grizzly Bear later in the week.

Kanye West at SXSW 2009

Here are some pics I took at Kanye's performance at The Levi's Fader Fort. Kanye showcased many of the artist on his GOOD Music lineup. Mr. West was in good spirits as he gave the packed crowd a perfect ending to a already awesome South By Southwest Music Festival. The suprise of the night was when Kanye was joined by none other than Common to join him on "Touch The Sky". Common then had the spotlight to himself as he performed his last single "Universal Mind Control". The night was not done with surprises as Common went on to his love hip hop anthem "The Light", he was accompanied by none other by Erykah Badu. The trio of Common, Kanye, and Badu took their turns at dropping some impromptu freestyle sessions, which had the crowd going crazy. The night though belonged to Kanye's protege´Kid Cudi who played his hit "Day n' Nite". The two hour set left the crowd sweaty and tired, a perfect ending to to the once again impressive Fader Fort compound. For more pictures click here. Here is a video of Kid Cudi and Kanye performing "Welcome To Heartbreak".