So Many Bands

So how did the Accent team put together our cover and double truck for SXSW shown in this post? Watch the video below.

The making of Accent's SXSW pre-coverage layout for Issue #3 from Sarah Vasquez on Vimeo.

I'm competing in a video contest so I used this as a chance to get some practice before the journalism conference after SXSW. I filmed most of the clips except for the ones I'm in, of course. The video was shot on my Flip Mino and edited myself in iMovie.

Thanks again to the bands that gave me permission to include their songs:
Love at 20
Quiet Company
SPEAK

So it begins. Accent is ready for our SXSW coverage. We did a whole package for pre-coverage which can be found here.

Isn't this banner freaking amazing? Our web editor, Hanlly did a great job with the banners on the site. I love it! I have a feeling walking around 6th street or ACC campus is never going to be the same again. But it's part of the job. And if it means bands approaching me more for coverage, then I'm all for it.

Check out my awesome bio Life & Arts Editor Devon wrote for me. I surely couldn't have done it better.

Hola amigos, this is Sarah Vasquez checking in. When I’m not clocking campus news for the Accent, I also moonlight as a professional music writer at Austin Vida. This is my sixth SXSW, so I’ve got the experience, the knowledge, and the stamina required to tackle a festival of this magnitude. While all you amateurs are suffering from heat stroke and blown ear drums, I’m going to be front and center, taking video and photos of the hot acts descending on Austin’s downtown. From off the map parties to wild and raw day shows, I’ll be proving that, here at the Accent, we don’t need no stinking badges (though I will have a full music badge).

I wrote the caption for this: Use a QR code reader on your smartphone to take a photo of the above code which will then directly link you to our specific SXSW coverage page on www.theaccent.org. Because typing the url is so 2009.

Everyone with a SXSW badge is going to have this type of code on it so when you meet someone you want to keep in touch with, you just scan the code on your smartphone and the info is stored. Cool but creepy technology.

Then Devon and I wrote super short briefs on unofficial shows/parties to check out during SXSW. Here are my contributions:

5. Red Gorilla Fest
Since 2007, this festival has expanded to a multi-venue display of up-and-coming independent music. Former alumni that have performed in RedGorilla Fest include Cage the Elephant, Dead Confederate and Family Force 5. Centrally located on downtown 6th Street, fans can enjoy bands and musicians from a variety of genres such as acoustic, blues, hip hop and punk. March 17-21, Venues TBA

6. FUSXSW
With the abundance of cliched indie rock scheduled during SXSW, Giant Steps Productions provides a much needed relief with a week of loud, in your face rock bands. Located in the small confines of Plush Bar, the lack of stages gives a more intimate feeling as the fans are right there rocking with the performing bands.
March 14, Beerland, March 16, The Parlor, March 17-20 Plush, March 20 Music Gym

7. The Versatile Cache: Volume 2 Release Party
To celebrate the second volume of their compilation, Versatile Syndicate is throwing a day long showcase at Hole in the Wall. Bands featured on the compilation such as Prayer for Animals, and Obsolete Machines perform on two stages at this free show.
March 18, 12 p.m. Hole in the Wall

8. Octopus Project’s Hexadecagon Show
The Octopus Project are bringing another visual experience to the masses during SXSW. The band is joining forces with visual artist Wiley Wiggins, who some may remember as the upcoming freshman in Dazed and Confused. The audience will be surrounded by eight speakers set up in a circle as eight images will project over their heads.
March 16 7:00 p.m. and 9 p.m. Whole Foods Rooftop

All that's all for now. Be sure to bookmark my Accent SXSW blog which can be found here.

Smile Smile’s newest album Truth on Tape reveals an open letter from the heartbroken vocalist/guitarist Ryan Hamilton to the woman who caused these scars. His lyrics portray the hurt and longing of his former lover. They are accompanied by a simple acoustic piano backing or a head bopping ditty complete with a full band.

The woman who is Hamilton’s muse of these public proclamations is Smile Smile’s keyboardist herself, Jencey Hirunrusm. Hirunrusm even provides backing vocals to the angsty lyrics written about her.

Click here to read the rest at Accent.

Editor's note: Sometimes these stories just write themselves. I stumbled across this band at a show a friend of mine wanting me to tag along with (which later on, she bailed on me and I was at the show alone). After a spontaneous interview with SPEAK that night, I decided to feature them months later after they had just released their EP. So another follow up interview was done and I was immersed in SPEAK for about two weeks. Writing this feature made me realize how much I miss writing them. Lately I've really only had time for Q&A's and album/show reviews, but now, I'm definitely going to take the time and effort to write more band features. Of course, after SXSW is over and done with.

SPEAK immediately got the Antone’s crowd dancing through their shyness at a December show with their 80’s reminiscent indie pop. These four baby-faced guys looked like they weren’t born to enjoy that music when it originally debuted but the lack of black x’s on their hands proved they are much older than their looks insinuate.

Those young looking kids are really vocalists Troupe Gammage, guitarist Nick Hurt, drummer Jake Stewart and bassist Joey Delahoussaye.

Click here to read the rest at Accent.

By the way, here is the video for "Carrie" that was discussed in the feature.

And for those that haven't read my show review/recap on Digital Love (SPEAK's EP release), that link is here.

So for this issue of Accent, we decided to make our SXSW coverage the cover story. Since three editors are covering the festival (Devon and Chris: film and me: music), we had our pictures taken by Tea, the photo editor. The photoshoot was awkward because I haven't really done anything like this before but the photos came out awesome.

Preview of the cover

Preview of the double truck

Doesn't that layout look pretty sweet? I love it.

Anyway, You can check out the entire issue online here or you can pick up a copy of the physical issue on Monday. I'll post the links of the actual stories I contributed once those get posted on the Accent's site. I'm so ready for SXSW. Bring it!

I've been keeping track of every interview I've done since I started this site on this excel sheet. After my interview last night with The Pack A.D., I'm happy to announced that I've conducted 200 different music interviews! I'm so proud of myself.

When I started SoManyBands.net, I really just wanted an outlet to write about music on my personal site which I was bored and unemployed. I seriously had no idea it would be where it is now. I've made tons of friends, hung out with cool bands, saw some memorable shows and have many stories to share if I ever decided to write a book. For those of you that have been sticking by me throughout the years, THANK YOU! You rock.

Maybe I should have saved this post for my seven year anniversary next month, but it's during SXSW so I'm pretty sure I would have either been too busy or exhausted to remember to post this. Therefore, here's an early Happy Anniversary SoManyBands! from me.

FYI: The 200 interviews include musicians, bands, record labels, pretty much anything that has to do with the music scene. This number also includes interviews that weren't just for SoManyBands but for other publications I write for. And the last thing to note is that this number doesn't include multiple band interviews. So if I interviewed a band and I ended up having to do a follow up, this wasn't included.

I headed to The Independent for the first time on Friday night. SPEAK was releasing their debut EP "Hear Here." Love at 20 was debuting live for the first time ever. This would be my first time seeing Josh Mills' new band Missions. A night of firsts all around.

My overall impression of The Independent is that this is a cute little venue. I love that I don't have to cross I-35 to get to there. It's a quick ride from my house and that equals WIN. The intimate room is perfect for shows like this and the stage lighting gave me some awesome photos.

Love at 20
For this show being this band's debut, they were on top of it. I've heard their album "Time to Begin" many times so I was really familiar with the material and more or less knew what to expect. I chatted with drummer Mark Toohey waiting in line for drinks and he mentioned that the band got together in December and had to learned the entire album. Very impressive first show. The addition of female vocals from Amber Zook gave the songs a nice touch. Frontman Mike Groener had a little trouble with those high notes but I'm sure with more practice and less nerves, he'll be fine at future shows. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Missions
This band was interesting to say the least. Not saying I didn't like it, but after seeing Mills performing in a clap happy dance band in the previous years, this was an unexpected change. Missions still has that dance capability to them but compared to Clap!Clap!, it's like a darker goth-like electronica band. It seemed with the crowd that they either loved them or wanted them to get off the stage so they could get their sugary fill from SPEAK.

SPEAK
What can I say about this band? This is my third time seeing them in the last 3 months. As always, they delivered a fun show. What makes them great in my eyes is that they obviously enjoy performing whether it's their originals or their covers. Guitarist Nick Hurt and bassist Joey Delahoussaye are so enjoyable to watch as they continuously shimmy their glasses off their faces.

By the way, how awesome are those names? These band members have great distinguishable names. Alongside Hurt and Delahoussaye, there is also vocalist Troupe Gammage and drummer Jake Stewart. And I learned that Gammage is a IV which mean there are 3 other people out there rocking that name. Amazing.

Anyway, SPEAK did a two part set which means after they did their first set of originals including songs from the new EP and an awesome rendition of Simple Mind's "Don't You (Forget About Me)," the guys took a short break before coming back with a new wardrobe (most likely as a refreshing change from their sweat drenched clothing) and did an entire set of love-themed cover songs in honor of Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately for me, I have Saturday morning class. (Yes I know and lesson learned: I will never ever schedule a class on Saturdays again.) So that meant I had to leave early and ended up missing the entire covers set. I did catch the first song which was Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" but keeping up with twitter, I learned that I missed Britney Spears' "Toxic" and an amazingly on point cover of "I Will Always Love You." The fact that I didn't witness this is now included on my list of "life's biggest regrets" for sure.

Austin Vida is at it again with another awesome showcase. Tomorrow night at La Casa (where Troubadour Saloon used to be), two awesome bands will be performing, In Situ Sound and Hydra Melody.

I caught In Situ Sound during Free Week after hearing my editors, Ian and Ajay, go on and on about how amazing this band was. They were right. They were amazing. Totally worth freezing my ass off to see.

Then the other band playing is Hydra Melody who I am excited to see live for the first time. Ian forward me the myspace link months ago to see what my thoughts were on this band and I immediately called dibs for an interview. You can check out that interview here.

So come on tomorrow night. Hang out with us. I've been told that there will be drink specials: 50 cent well drinks until 11. The cover is really affordable: $3 for 21+ and $5 for you youngins. What more could you want? Oh yeah, tamales.

Click here for the Facebook event's page.

News Briefs for Accent's second issue:

Students participate in mock health care panel at State Capitol

Pinnacle Parking Lot update

Spring Enrollment Increases

I wrote about the Fashion Freakout twice. One more in-depth than the other.

For Austin Vida:
Photo Gallery: Fashion Freakout 2010

Another for Accent:
Fashion Freakout

San Diego-based Blessure Grave started when frontman T. Grave began working on a side project, taking a break from his band Night Wounds. Bandmate Reyna Kay soon jumped on board the new Goth-pop outfit to contribute lyrically and vocally. With the help of several indie labels, the band gained an underground following from vinyl and tape releases of their songs. Their debut album, 'Judged by 12, Carried by 6,' was released on Feb. 9. Recently, T. Grave talked with Spinner about his band and his thoughts on Blessure Grave's upcoming debut at SXSW.

Click here to read the rest at Spinner.