Autumn Souvenir

This is what it's all about....

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM sound of silver PANDA BEAR person pitch EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY all of a sudden i miss everyone MODEST MOUSE we were dead before the ship even sank YOU AM I convicts THE BLACK ANGELS passover DIRTY ON PURPOSE hallelujah sirens APOLLO SUNSHINE katonah OKKERVIL RIVER black sheep boy (vinyl) JEFF TWEEDY sunken treasure (dvd)

The following is a great piece by Bob Lefsetz... 1 My favorite record store was Granny 'N Grammy. Every Friday afternoon, after Evidence, I would drive my car to Westwood and prowl the streets looking for a parking space. Even though Westwood in the seventies was the Third Street Promenade, CityWalk and Hollywood & Highland COMBINED, I could always find a spot. This was when you could still drive to the Valley on a whim, before gridlock had you pondering whether to even leave your home. I'd put a quarter in the meter and then stride up Gayley to the dark hole in the wall aside the fading supermarket, right up the street from the sporting goods store. My first stop was the new release bin. I'd comb through a hundred or so albums catching up, removing what I needed to buy. And then I'd slide down the right-hand side of the store to the promos. This is where I bought my copy of Karla Bonoff's debut. And Alan Parsons'. For $1.99 at first, and eventually ...

I will agree with a good friend who said: "Every year South By Southwest gets more expensive and crowded, yet the talent seems to take a slight dip each year." There's little question that I wasn't as excited about the bands this year as I've been in years past, but this is Austin in March and that means memories abound. The Highlights: APOLLO SUNSHINE: Without question, the best live band in America right now. I caught them twice and was absolutely floored each time. I can think of but a few acts that inspire me the way AS do (Marah in the late 90s, Wilco in the mid-to-late 90s and Springsteen). What they do onstage is beyond explanation. I get chills just thinking back on these shows. OKKERVIL RIVER: What a fantastic set. The new songs were amazing, the older ones were unbelievably moving and the night was just perfect. GLOSSARY: Thank you to Sir Dewey for keeping me from leaving after The Drams. What a great band. THE DRAMS: I still miss Slobberbone, but The Dr...