SXSW 2012: Joining the Slow Club, sipping Alabama Shakes and late nights with Gossip’s Beth Ditto

Seraphina Lotkhamnga on March 16th, 2012

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@Seraphina_L on Thursday at SXSW:

U.K. duo Slow Club opened their set with a couple of intimately twee songs at the Parish, but it didn’t take long for Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor to fill out their alt-folk sound with a full band. Taylor especially showed her versatility as she also took on the guitar and two drum sets while she belted out melodies with vocals befitting a pop diva. But that’s the charm of Slow Club; their skills could easily be used to write songs catered to the mainstream realm, yet they choose to steer clear from pigeonholed folk for the likes of Mumford and Sons fans.

Quirky but rich, Watson and Taylor’s brand of folk is accessible to pop and pseudo-punk fanatics, and their live show encouraged everyone to lay down some moves. Playing songs from their highly-regarded 2009 debut record “Yeah So,” Slow Club ended Thursday night’s performance with the horn-heavy tune “Two Cousins,” off of “Paradise.” For touring in support of an album which actually circles around the doom and gloom of life, Slow Club’s set was deceivingly optimistic and colorful.

Also notable . . .

Victoria Bergsman, the former lead singer of the Concretes, took to the stage under her moniker Taken By Trees. Following up their warm-up show in Los Angeles show at Bootleg Theater, Bergsman and her live band (which included L.A. talent Dan Horne, Lewis Pesacov and Matt Popieluch) played Under the Radar’s day party in a small breezy venue that allowed the fog machine to distribute its effects on and around the stage. The band’s set was heavy on new songs from a record due out later this year on Secretly Canadian. The days of the Concretes (and perhaps her days of singing duets with Peter Bjorn and John) may be over, but Taken By Trees has taken everyone by surprise with Bergsman’s delicate vocals and indie-pop arrangements.

It got crowded at Hype Hotel on Thursday as Alabama Shakes continued to chug along with their several SXSW shows. Back when Buzz Bands LA first wrote about the Southern rock quartet, they were just the Shakes and still making their way through the blogosphere. Now, after playing on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and getting signed to ATO Records, Brittany Howard and her boys have quickly become the buzziest band in the land. Bringing their fusion of blues, Americana, soul and garage rock to cap off the early evening, it was clear that the Alabama Shakes will be in high demand for quite some time. Storytelling is seldom executd so so beautifully naked and raw, and the band has their fans just where they need them in time for the release of their forthcoming album, “Boys & Girls” (slated for an April 10 release).

It had been a while since we had heard from Olympia, Wash.,-based rockers Gossip but Beth Ditto and company have never stopped moving and packing rooms to the gills since their 2006 breakout album “Standing in the Way of Control.” As the last band playing Chop Shop’s bill, fans rushed to the front of the stage to eagerly wait for Ditto. But many were still shocked as she took to the stage early. Rather than wait for the band to finish playing her intro, Ditto announced “she was bored” and immediately sparked the dance-punk fire. Strutting in an black an gold outfit that sparkled as much as her outrageous eye makeup (and her hair) did, Ditto sang old hits in addition to new tunes from their upcoming album “A Joyful Noise” (out May 14).

Quote of the Day . . .

“Are you hungry? I have some cookies if you want them. I got them for free when I was waiting in line for something.”
”“ Taryn Alper of Taryn In Stereo at Hype Hotel when they ran out of complimentary Taco Bell every five minutes