For the past year, bubblegum pop and lackluster rap-rock bands have burned up the music charts, setting unprecedented album sales records. Many say good taste in music is a thing of the past. But based on a recent trip to the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, it was evident a music revolution is in the works. During five days, March 14-18, nearly 1,000 bands were showcased for thousands of fans, promoters, music industry professionals and the media. And these bands delivered not only some amazing performances but also a favorable glimpse of the future state of music.\nThe best word to describe SXSW 2001 is diversity. Every night, hundreds of bands of all different styles packed the bars and night clubs of Sixth Street in Austin with their own unique sounds. Here is a rundown of some of the best of South By Southwest 2001.
Day One\nIn a perfect example of the true diversity that South By Southwest had to offer, the first night included everything from hardcore punk to hip-hop to country. The night began at the packed Austin City Music Hall to see Lucinda Williams. Playing to a receptive crowd, Williams displayed her songwriting expertise by highlighting some old favorites as well as some new songs from her upcoming album, Essence, which will be released in June.\nFrom there it was on to see the hip-hop turntable mastery of Jazzy Jay and Mix Master Mike with special guest MC Rakaa Iriscience of Los Angeles' Dilated Peoples. The show was a special event to promote "Scratch," a new film by Doug Pray that takes a look at the hip-hop DJ culture. \nFrom there we made it in time to see The Locust. These black-clad San Diego hardcore punks pummeled the unsuspecting audience with a blistering barrage of 20 songs in 20 minutes.
Day Two \nThe day began with a soulful performance by gospel artists The Holmes Brothers and a keynote address by Kinks founder Ray Davies, but the night belonged to hip-hop. Eager fans packed into Stubb's Barbeque's outdoor stage to see some of the best hip-hop Southern California has to offer. In fact, it was the first time Ozomatli, Black Eyed Peas and Jurassic 5 have all been on the same bill. Starting off the night was 4th Avenue Jones, whose instrumentation and mixed vocals blended well with the sound of a live DJ and violin.\nImmediately after was a phenomenal performance by Ozomatli. Blending Latin rock and hip-hop, Ozomatli kicked off its set by charging through the entire crowd on the way to the stage in a horn-percussion line. Once onstage, Ozomatli demonstrated its obvious passion for live performance and made it impossible for the audience to stand still. If you haven't heard this band, run to a record store as soon as possible.\nNext, Black Eyed Peas delivered a high-energy set that featured plenty of breakdancing and danceable grooves. This performance primed the audience for the night's headliner, Jurassic 5. \nJ5 was all music and no filler. No flashy gimmicks. No publicity stunts. No BS. J5 gave respect to the old-school masters of hip-hop while paving the way for its own unique sound. The band's performance focused on the freestyling and harmonizing abilities of its four MCs and the creativity of beat makers DJ NuMark and Cut Chemist. It's a pity many of today's bands focus on image rather than music, but J5 gave the audience the real deal. The band's bass-heavy volume was rumored to set off car alarms on the street outside the venue. Fortunately for Bloomington residents, Jurassic 5 will be in town April 19 for a show that I highly recommend attending.\nThe night culminated with a jam session featuring members of Jurassic 5, Black Eyed Peas, Ozomatli, Jazzy Jay and MC Rakaa Iriscience and closed out with an impromptu performance by former Beastie Boys DJ, Mix Master Mike.\nIt was a breath of fresh air to experience the high-energy, positive vibe of Southern California's brand of socially conscious hip-hop.
Day Three \nSome notable memories from the third night included performances by The Murder City Devils, …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead and cult rock's biggest hero, Wesley Willis.\nHailing from Seattle, The Murder City Devils showed everyone that rock and roll is not dead. They kept the audience shaking the entire set with their combination of garage punk and spooky organ sounds. \nBesides having one of the best names of any band at South By Southwest, Austin's own … And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead delivered one of the most surprising and unbelievable sets of the festival. The band's fast-paced energetic sound somewhere between art rock and punk made it a great band to listen to, but the stage show was what made the audience's collective jaw drop. Within minutes of the start of the band's set, the bass drum was destroyed. But that was only a small indication of the chaos that ensued later. \nAfter playing a few more songs, the band members went to war with their instruments and equipment, destroying guitars, drums and amplifiers, and prompting one of the band members to approach the only remaining microphone only to announce, "It appears we don't have any instruments to finish the set off." To add to the destruction, the band cut a hole in one of the promotional beer banners, through which they hurled the already injured bass drum off the deck down 30 feet to its final resting place. The destruction continued until they were detained by security. At the show, I heard a rumor that Trail of Dead was banned from playing anywhere in Austin, and now I know why.\nFinally, the night closed with a performance by Chicago cult rocker Wesley Willis. Dead Kennedys founder Jello Biafra emceed the show and called Willis "the most original recording artist today."\nIf you've never heard of Wesley Willis, he is a 300-pound schizophrenic and former sketch artist that decided one day to become a rock star. Willis appeared onstage alone, with only a keyboard. He kicked off his bizarre set by inviting a young lady onstage to give him a head butt and say, "Raaahh!" He then played his similar sounding music for nearly an hour much to the audience's chagrin.
Day Four \nIn a spectacular end to an amazing festival, Talking Heads founder David Byrne presented the debut of new material from his upcoming album, Look Into the Eyeball. Byrne was his usual spacey and amiable self and had a great time on stage. He was dressed entirely in khaki and backed by a tight rhythm section and classical string sextet for part of the set. This fusion of rock and classical resulted in some heady tunes, as well as some old Talking Heads staples. \nBetween songs he shared interesting stories with the audience. For example, Byrne told the audience the inspiration behind the hit song "And She Was" was a girl that he attended high school with who used to eat acid and lie on the grass near the Yoohoo chocolate drink factory.\nThe night closed at the Matador Records showcase, which featured performances by Scottish instrumentalists Mogwai and ex-Pavement frontman, Stephen Malkmus. Mogwai stunned the audience with an intense, bipolar set consisting of dissonant instrumentals that could have been filed somewhere between Tortoise and Beethoven.\nThen Stephen Malkmus and his backing band, The Jicks, took the stage to close out the night. Featuring songs off his self-titled album, Malkmus' new tunes sparked memories of Pavement. While the set was entertaining, there was something missing. Much to the dismay of mullet afficionados everywhere, Malkmus no longer sports his soccer rocker.
