Show preview: St. Vincent gets cinematic with 'Actor'

In a short interview with Annie Clark, there's one word she uses multiple times when discussing music: magic.

Clark, who records under the name St. Vincent, will release her sophomore album, "Actor," on May 5. To listen to it is like stepping into a fairy tale. Opening cut "The Strangers" begins with a brief overture of woodwind instruments, as if what's to follow is the score to an animated Disney film of yore. Yet the world Clark conjures is one very much inhabited by adults, as evidenced by the way the song builds into a burst of orchestral and guitar noise.

She'll preview the songs next week in Los Angeles, with a pre-release performance April 6 at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery (she'll be back May 29 for a larger show at the El Rey). "Actor" fashions songs out of tangents -- the bright strings and relaxing choir of "Marrow" give way to a more electronic, forceful beat and a surprisingly desperate lyrical plea.

Two, sometimes three, melodies intertwine, and Clark elegantly sings as if she's fronting a chorale, leading a trail of fuzz-drenched guitars, left-of-center electronics and the kind of delightfully pleasant strings that may or may not inspire bluebirds to sing.

New York Dolls play 'cause they sez so

Reporting from Austin, Texas -- The Rolls Royce parked outside the hotel is an elegant, burgundy-colored machine, and it's just flamboyant enough to capture the attention of David Johansen, frontman of the New York Dolls, who is having a quick smoke on his way to the band's gig at the South by Southwest music festival on Friday. The rest of the Dolls are nearby, and he's standing on the sidewalk in a black velvet jacket with white patent-leather boots.

A van awaits him and the band for the five-block journey to a club called Smokin' Music and a 12:30 a.m. set time. At the venue, they'll perform another euphoric, ribald revue of early-'70s protopunk in addition to new songs from their upcoming album, " 'Cause I Sez So," due out in early May.

The Dolls were just one of nearly 2,000 acts performing in Austin during SXSW, but few others can match their tragicomic story and lingering influence. Like the Stooges and the MC5 before them, the group's brand of stripped-down rock 'n' roll paved the way for the Ramones and Sex Pistols: Before they flamed out in 1975, the New York Dolls helped father the punk movement.

Read more New York Dolls play 'cause they sez so

Metallica's Lars Ulrich on label future, Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger

Reporting from Austin, Texas — Metallica was in Austin last week for a not-so-secret show at the South by Southwest music festival designed to promote a new edition of the video game Guitar Hero, due out this month. But the band's outspoken drummer, Lars Ulrich, took the opportunity to set the record straight on key issues facing the group, including its relationship with its longtime label Warner Music Group and the proposed Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger.

Metallica's 2008 release "Death Magnetic" was the last the group contractually owed to Warner, and Ulrich said he's ready to consult with another famously anti-corporate artist, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, about surviving outside the major-label system.

When asked if the band needed a major label, Ulrich, despite being surrounded by Warner reps, didn't mince words. "Without offending any of the good people from the record company in the room, no," Ulrich said. "Let's cut to the chase. . . . The primary -- not the only, but the primary -- function of a record label is to act as a bank. When you're fortunate enough to be successful and so on, you don't need to rely on record companies as the banks. . . .

"We're doing a bunch of shows with Trent this summer in Europe. I look forward to sitting down and talking to him about what's on his radar."

Living Things burn through dollars, sense

The economic crisis is a prime opportunity for musicians to whip up some righteous rage in songs and on stages. But leave it to scuzz-rock furballs Living Things (who are actual leftists in the way Lil' Wayne's an actual Martian) to simultaneously offend liberals, plutocrats, the homeless and Perez Hilton in one fell swoop with its recent groaner of a promotional stunt for its new album, "Habeas Corpus."

On Saturday, the St. Louis quartet (along with several homeless people from a local shelter) commandeered the stage at Hilton's South by Southwest showcase during a set by the infinitely preferable electro-rap band Thunderheist. Then, in a thrilling coup of virtuosic metaphor, they decried the current capitalist malaise by burning dollar bills, a feat they repeated at several of their own shows that week.

Now, let's set aside the fact that this little gag has been done before, and in much more spectacular fashion. And let's not be petty by pointing out that, hypothesizing that the band and their homeless guests burned at least eight dollar bills, they could have instead vaccinated three children against measles, according to Doctors Without Borders. Let's take this stunt at face value.

SXSW: Lasting impressions in a down climate*

As much as reporters sought to apply a theme to this year's South by Southwest, the musicians and industry reps in Austin, Texas, for the four-day music extravaganza just weren't making it easy. The economic realities of 2009 were a relatively obvious topic, but life for the many of the artists in Texas this week -- a record-setting 1,900 of them this year -- has never exactly been easy.

"During hard times, I didn't have much education or stuff like that to rely on," said the New York Dolls' Sylvain Sylvain, reminding attendees at one of SXSW's numerous panels that artists are comfortable with recession-time living even in flush decades. "I wanted to take a job where I could still do my performances, or if I got drunk the night before, I wouldn't get fired."

There's always been a class system among artists -- a gap between the superstars who pack arenas and the unknowns who play somewhere between five and 10 mini-sets over the course of SXSW. Norwegian dance-pop act the Casio Kids played the last of its 10 shows Saturday afternoon, and cow-punk newcomers Those Darlins began their SXSW week before the fest even started with a pre-party gig on Tuesday night. Their manifesto in these difficult times: "Slut it up."

Yet there's little time for play to make it in the music biz in 2009. SXSW wrapped Saturday night with an explosive performance from Kanye West (at a non-SXSW show), but he was here not to hype his "808s & Heartbreak," but to use his power to get some ink for the up-and-coming artists he's championing, most notably the thoughtful Kid Cudi. And the man worked it, spending two hours as one of the world's most powerful pitchmen. 

Portia Sabin, head of the Kill Rock Stars label, told a roomful of optimistic artists that they had better be playing at least 90 live shows per year -- and not all in their home state -- if they wanted a deal. "A lot of people in bands are hobbyists," she said. "They want to play in a band and play once a month in their local club."

The hustling doesn't end when the deal is signed, either. NBC Universal's VP of music creative services Alicen Schneider enjoyed a private concert from one America's most recognizable stars before coming to SXSW: Dave Matthews. She said she was hearing the artist's new songs before his record label. Album sales have been in decline for years, but such a tidbit made it clear that they are no longer an artist's first priority.

If one isn't selling 50,000 albums or more, former Touch & Go Records staffer Howard Greynolds said, getting the album in any major stores isn't going to be easy. Expect to make more sacrifices, said L.A.-based singer-songwriter Mandi Perkins. "You give up meeting Tori Amos last night because you have to play five shows today," she said.

Below is a look at some of the artists who made a lasting impression on me at this year's SXSW, some of whom were covered on this blog over the last four days.

SXSW: Nina Dioz's fiery debut in the U.S.

Friday night, as rapper Niña Dioz was making her U.S. debut at SXSW, she slammed her microphone down mid-song and started yelling expletives at the sound engineer from the stage, telling the crowd, “This place doesn't want me to give you the show you deserve.” She had been asking for the bass to be turned up, to no avail. 

In a debut marked by a few missteps, mostly due to an underdeveloped sense of stage presence, Carla Reyna, dressed in Tommy Hilfiger overalls and a black beanie, still showed the tiny audience at Fuze nightclub in Austin that she can rap in a practiced and versatile flow.

She's currently Mexico's closest equivalent to England's powerhouse M.I.A, and the diminutive rapper Lady Sovereign -- and like those multi-culti acts, she has to contend with carving out a spot in the mostly male-dominated genre of hip-hop.

Her shows in Mexico City have larger turnouts than the several dozen who appeared for this music showcase. In Mexico's music community, she's arguably the most important hip-hop star to emerge in years, and the best example of the globalization of hip-hop culture and its progression in the land of our southern neighbor. Mexican hip-hop has remained far underground, in comparison to the indie rock and electronica scenes that have a presence on radio and in concert venues here in the U.S.

Dioz, 23, hails from Monterrey, home to one of the first Mexican rap groups to have an international deal with Universal Latino, Control Machete, directly inspired by Los Angeles rap group Cypress Hill and rapper Kid Frost, among others.

Her confident, laidback style has won Dioz fans in the now-disbanded trio. “She's always been very clear about what she wanted to do and doesn't fail," said Pato Machete, a rapper with the group. "She's always moving forward."

SXSW Day 4 report: When Kanye West came to Austin

After four days and 1,900 acts on 88 stages, the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and festival in Austin, Texas, came to an end early Sunday morning. On the final night of the industry event, there was one showcase that towered over the entire happening, and it wasn't even affiliated with SXSW.

Rap superstar Kanye West came to Austin and took over the spotlight. Though his performance was staged at the Fader Fort, a corporate mecca sponsored by Levi's and Fader magazine, West got into the true spirit of SXSW, sharing the stage with  lesser-known acts on his G.O.O.D. Music label roster.

There were heavy hitters as well. Chi-Town pal Common and R&B star Erykah Badu each joined West on stage and helped turn his G.O.O.D. Music showcase into Austin's must-see event. Give West credit here. Plenty of major artists make the trek to Austin to hype new releases or to try to regain the eye of the media. West was eager to turn the attention elsewhere and stepped aside to let promising up-and-coming rappers such as Kid Cudi and Consequence take center stage.

West went to work for the artists on his label, playing the the role of emcee and never straying too far from the stage to ensure the audience's attention wouldn't waver. While parading out a host of unknown artists -- electro-soul singer Mr. Hudson and rapper GLC among them -- West kept the crowd's interest in the concert high by mixing in his own songs, "The College Dropout," "Spaceship,"  "Late Registration" and "Crack Music" among them.

Yet the true stars of the night? The songs of West's heart-wrenchingly personal 2009 album, "808s & Heartbreak." Performing here with a live band -- at least seven people were on stage at any given time -- West transformed the songs from thoughtfully moody, snyth-heavy orchestrations into more positive statements.

SXSW Day 4 report: Rachael Ray, and finally some solutions (thanks, Neil Young)

As music biz execs have spent the last three and a half days at the South by Southwest music festival and conference in Austin, Texas, debating new models and how to survive in the economic downtown, few tangible solutions had been presented. That was, of course, until this afternoon.

At a panel designed to showcase Neil Young's upcoming 10-disc package, "Neil Young Archives Volume 1 [1963-1972]," something else was revealed: innovation. While much of the details on the set had been announced before SXSW, it's a fascinating package for fan, and one being released in three formats -- Blu-Ray, DVD and CD. The Blu-Ray set will run $299, the DVD package will sell for $199 and the CD set will carry a $99 price tag. Each piece of the package also will be available individually on June 2 -- including the discs and the large booklet.

Perhaps most enticing to fans, however, is the ability of the set to be continually updated, at least for those with the Blu-Ray edition. The interactive content on the Blu-Ray version will allow for downloads of new content and songs as they become available. Granted, it's a concept more fit for an established artist than an up-and-coming one, but it was one of the few panels in the Austin Convention Center that revealed some workable ideas to give fans more value.

The Neil Young discussion was running concurrent with a debate on collective licensing for peer-to-peer file-sharing. Bouncing between the two, I spent the majority of my time at the latter. It's an intriguing idea: Charge users a small fee -- added to a cable or Internet bill -- that allows users to download whatever they want. But it's one that still doesn't appear close to becoming a reality.

SXSW: Is Austin excited about Kanye West?

Superstar Kanye West will perform in Austin, Texas, tonight, appearing at an unofficial South by Southwest corporate-sponsored party. Pitched as a showcase for his GOOD Music, the event will showcase Kanye-associated rappers such as GLC and Consequence, as well as star-to-be Kid Cudi.

Billboard spread the rumor that Chi-Town pal Common would also be appearing, but when seeking confirmation on that, Pop & Hiss has received only quizzical looks and an "I don't think so." Although, for the record, we'd be happy to be proved wrong on this one.

West will perform at the popular Fader Fort, a long-running non-sanctioned SXSW event that doubles as a concert venue and a denim shop. It's free for those who RSVP'd before making the trek to Austin. Those who didn't? There's Craigslist. So what's the going rate for one of the world's most popular artists at SXSW? About $40 or $50, a fraction of what it would cost to see him on tour.

But one thing's for sure: Kanye will have the attention of nearly every journalist in Austin tonight. Here's hoping he makes the best of it, as the three-hour window in which he's scheduled to perform will be pulling attention away from the hundreds of artists aching for a piece of the spotlight.

Those not in Austin can stream it on Kanye's site.

-- Todd Martens

(Photo: Kanye West pictured at The Metropolitan Opera's 125th Anniversary Gala. Credit: Rob Loud /Getty Images)

SXSW Day 3 report: Silversun Pickups, Metallica and an unexpected discovery

The Silversun Pickups certainly lucked out Friday night in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest music festival and conference. Here's a way to guarantee that not only your show will be packed, but kids also will be watching from the parking garage rooftop across the street: Play the opening set on a not-so-secret show by Metallica.

Unveiling five of 10 songs from its forthcoming April disc "Swoon," the Silver Lake-based rockers more than held the attention of the crowd, arriving in Austin with a fiercer, more atmospheric sound. It was good news for the band when its hit 2007 single, "Lazy Eye," felt like the set's lightest, most undemanding cut, hopefully foreshadowing a bit of a growth spurt for the band.

New single "Panic Button" had more life on stage than it does on the radio, with Nikki Monninger's bass playing the steady but spirited counter to the swirl of fuzz-drenched guitars that threaten to engulf everything in sight. Brian Aubert's muted, scratched vocals are echoed by the guitar line, which seems to gradually drift from the melody, giving the band a grander, more spacious sound.

But even better was set closer "Growing Old is Getting Old," a murkier, slower and far more mysterious song. It's a cut that's all atmosphere, with a night-crawling bass that swamps its way through the keyboard mist, and a guitar riff that teasingly feels leashed in. It was an exercise in tension. More important, it revealed a band that isn't afraid to challenge itself.

More notes from Night 3 of South by Southwest: