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Music

SXSW Report: The hits

The Strokes

The Strokes’ free SXSW show reached capacity at around 8 pm, when the metal barriers swung closed with an estimated 30,000-plus inside. But incoming fans still crowded the entrance and got increasingly agitated when told to stand back and keep cool, eventually jumping the fences and gates while event staff and police scrambled to keep control.

If only Julian Casablancas were aware of the trouble he was causing. Then again, the Strokes frontman would’ve probably just shrugged. His affected cool demeanour was on full display as the New York combo played a robust headlining set of favourites and new cuts from their upcoming album, Angles.

It’s been five years since their last release and even longer since they began carrying the new rock mantle, yet they commanded the stage like true rock stars. New York City Cops, Take It Or Leave It and even Juicebox from their maligned First Impressions album received huge cheers, while new tune Taken For A Fool sounds like a surefire entry into their arsenal of hits.

A fence-jumping-worthy show if there ever was one. Read more.

Jason Keller

Death from Above 1979

Shawn Scallen

Death from Above 1979

If Death from Above 1979 wanted their first show in five years to be memorable, they succeeded. A mini-riot with police on horseback macing an out-of-control crowd is one way to mark your return to the scene. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been so concerned for my safety at a rock show.

Long before the recently reunited Toronto duo took the stage, it was obvious something crazy was going to happen. The number of fans crowding the alley outside the venue easily matched those squished inside, and the atmosphere grew more heated by the minute. Then the band came on, the chain-link barrier separating outside from inside came down, and genuine pandemonium broke out.

As thrilling as the chaos was, more remarkable was how good Sebastien Grainger and Jesse Keeler sounded. They were incredibly loud and heavy, proving that their recent detours into electronic music haven’t impaired their ability to rock out. Their minimalist dance-metal sounded anything but dated. If anything, the boys seem hungrier than ever. See a slide show of the show and watch police clear the alley while the band plays.

Benjamin Boles

Odd Future

Shawn Scallen

Odd Future

Odd Future, a crew of anarchist teenagers from L.A., left a path of destruction wherever they went in Austin. First, team leader Tyler the Creator broke some unlucky bastard’s nose with an unexpected stage dive. Water-bottle fights were common at their shows.

Then the gang ransacked the bar hosting their official SXSW gig, screaming about bad sound and leaving broken equipment in their wake. But Odd Future did the most damage with their music, metaphorically as well as actually tearing up every venue.

At their sunset Fader Fort show, the members flipped back and forth from one end of the stage to the other, doing maybe 500 laps. They spun like Tasmanian devils, and the music matched the chaos. Tyler was as ferocious on his new single, Yonkers.

Another part of their appeal is how far they stretch their minimalist approach. No lights, no dancers, no hype men. Just raw energy. Kanye West, Diddy and Jay-Z came to town with SUV motorcades, scores of dancers and hype men and truckloads of props. Odd Future were on a different planet. Watch a video, read a longer review, and see a slide show here.

Joshua Errett

More highlights

Diamond Rings

Shawn Scallen

Diamond Rings

The big stage experience (he’s fresh off a tour with Robyn) seems to have given John O’Regan a boost in confidence and stage presence.

Tune-Yards

Merrill Garbus’s supernaturally powerful voice commanded rapt attention, getting us even more excited about her upcoming album.

Ariel Pink

Ariel Rosenberg of Haunted Graffiti managed to give a great show while looking like he’d rather be anywhere but onstage. Does he actually enjoy what he does?

We sure do. Watch a video here.

Dan Deacon

Somewhere between a punk show, a rave and a hippy cult ceremony, Deacon’s only SXSW show proved you don’t need to play a dozen gigs to make an impression.

Oh Land

Zach Slootsky

Oh Land

The Danish looker put smiles on faces everywhere she played, and not just the randy dudes’. Her music has an uplifting, joyous quality and feels ready to break out to the next level.

Cloud Nothings

These snotty kids with an attitude have a precocious knack for power pop hooks. Could be America’s next Arctic Monkeys, and I mean that as a compliment.

Curren$y

Great to see former No Limit Soldier and Lil Wayne protegé shine on his own. After playing multiple shows a night, he must have had a good chunk of the festival blurting out the chorus to his hit Michael Knight. Watch a video here.

Pains of Being Pure of Heart

Can’t remember hearing a band sound this crisp while playing in a record store. They make it really hard to get over your shoegaze phase.

No Joy

Zach Slootsky

No Joy

The Montreal shoegazers rocked out loud and proud, surprising us with much more energy than their dreamy recordings suggest. Read a review here.

Austra

While the spooky goth overtones might not work for everyone, Toronto’s Katie Stelmanis stirred up a healthy amount of buzz around the festival.

Dom

I had little hope for these Wavvesesque (I know) pranksters before they took the stage at the Fader Fort but was pleasantly surprised to hear some musicianship under that layer of fuzz. See a video of the show here.

Bahamas

After watching so many bands struggle with laptops and complicated stage set-ups, it was impressive to see someone bring down the house purely on the strength of his guitar-playing and voice.

Big Freedia

Zach Slootsky

Big Freedia

For the second year in a row, the New Orleans sissy bounce queen somehow made rapping about asses seem still fresh and exciting. See footage of the ass-shaking event here.

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