Today’s SXSW edition of the Austin Music Minute was another toughie. I had to really narrow it down to a handful of bands playing tonight. Good stuff all around:
– There’s a fantastic showcase tonight at Elysium, 705 Red River, that features electronic bands The Cold and Lovely and The Chain Gang of 1974, and local indie ambient band Pompeii. The music starts at 8 p.m.
– Lots of cool stuff going down at Cheer Up Charlies, 900 Red River, including a performance by Kurt Vile at midnight. If you haven’t seen him live, this one’s a must.
– Here’s the band that, quite literally, left your humble AMM host wide-eyed and very impressed, a hip-hop duo from Miami that’s put a unique spin on their sound, Black Violin. Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste are classically-trained musicians (violin and viola, respectively) who incorporate their playing into a most extraordinary sound that’s influenced just as much by classical greats like Shostakovich and Bach as it is by Jay-Z. Rules are meant to be broken, and people are meant to be caught off guard. Black Violin does both with style and grace. See them tonight at 1 a.m. at a showcase at The Main II, 603 Red River.
Seriously, great artists, one and all. So recommended.
