Casxio

Here are some articles/blog posts I've read recently that I think are worth sharing:

I find this interesting: all Rivers Cuomo had to do was change the basic content of his lyrics, and suddenly Weezer transitioned from making songs that Converse-wearing kids wanted to quote in their Livejournals, to making songs that you’d hear blasting in the background of the trailer for American Pie VI: Wet Hot American Teenage Free-for-All featuring Campus Girls Gone Wild.
“On Whom Can You Depend?”

South By Southwest has become a popular spring-break destination, Mardi Gras for collegiate hipsters.
Letter From Austin | SXSW Standouts

He will escape from whatever “corner” you’ve got him in, he will find you, and he will kill you in some horrific and punning fashion – like dropping you into a pool of liquid nitrogen as he tells you to “Chill out.”
Writer gives tips for surviving Schwarzenegger

It’s the cinematic equivalent of a Hummer with both “Support our Troops” and “No Fat Chicks” bumper stickers on it.
Unlikable actors take all the love out of Paris

20 Watt Shed was our name and we were probably about as good as our name would suggest. Anyway, we were young, we were loud, we were in a band, and we had a demo tape.
I'm still totally fine with playing shows for Church youth groups.

Just outside Shangri-La, I heard a big funky bass. Accompanied by the sung words, "I JUST WANNA HAVE SEX WITH YOU." I thought: "I will check this out."
SXSW 2010 recap: Meet Casxio, our favorite musical discovery.

Finally, here is the list of winners my newspaper, Accent, won at TIPA. Yay team!
Online Video, Third Place - Sarah Vasquez <-- That's me! Here is the video that won.
TIPA 2010 Awards

I interviewed Casxio in the back alley of Barcelona after their SXSW showcase. Sitting on amps, the guys and gal gave me an insite on the recording process for the upcoming album and the story behind this band.

Click here to read more previous articles about Casxio.

First off, how is South by Southwest treating ya so far?

Lucas: It's been good so far. It's like a big party of course and it's all a blur so far to tell you the truth.

Eric: It's good. We're out of LA and we're playing music in Texas in front of a lot of Texans and people from all over the world. So that's the best part about it is that people that we've been talking to like yourself and some people from New York and even England are coming out and they can see the show in person. so that's the best part about it.

And I saw Perez Hilton in the audience. He was standing behind me so that was kind of cool.

Eric: Actually Andrea's been talking with him because we played a show last week in LA. We opened for Yelle. Perez came out and introduced Yelle so she emailed him and they've been talking about it. We're going to go to his party later and everything. Talk about celeb gossip.

How are people responding to your shows so far? The music is kind of different than what's out there.

Lucas: Yeah, it is. Sometimes it takes a second or a couple of songs for them to really give a response that we want, but eventually we get that response. It's been positive at this point.

Eric: It takes one drunk guy dancing on the floor to open it up for everyone.

Lucas: That's right.

All: Jordan.

And you mentioned Phil's producing your album.

Eric: Yeah, Phil's producing and helping us out with the sound while we're here in Austin. Then he's helping us record all our new tracks and everything.

Lucas: Yeah, we're recording in his studio, Hanger 1018, in downtown LA. Amazing studio.

So you're currently recording right now?

Lucas: Yeah. We're aiming for the end of this year for the release of the first Casxio album.

Eric: Christmas. It's actually going to be our first Hanukkah album.

Ok and how did this band come about? How did ya form?

Lucas: We formed about two years ago. I basically recruited these folks to my band. They were more than happy to do so, I guess, because they're still here.

Andrea: We were playing pool and then he came over. He saw my keyboard and that was it. That was the beginning.

Lucas: Yeah and Eric here came from New York. Came down here and didn't know exactly what to do with himself. He was slumming it. Slumming it. Living under a bridge somewhere.

Eric: And Lucas saved my life.

Lucas: And I saved his life. I did. Gave mouth to mouth.

Ok. I'm sure you get asked this a lot but the meaning behind the name.

Lucas: You know, that's a tough one. Because there is no meaning behind the name. It's just a cool sounding name.

Eric: It's a word that was kind of out there but the point is to put that music, that sound like you said you don't hear it too much and brand that name with that sound.

Andrea: I just think it sounds sexy.

Lucas: I think so too. I think it sounds sexy.

Andrea: It does. It really does.

Lucas: And I think that's why I like it.

It matches the music.

Eric: Exactly.

Lucas: Yeah, absolutely.

Now we're going to have fun. If you were a superhero and could have any superpower, what would it be?

Lucas: Did we talk about this?

Eric: I think we did? I think we did this once.

Andrea: I feel it's a question too.

Lucas: Wow, I think we've answered this before. I don't remember what I answered. If I could be a superhero, I would want to be able to fly one inch off of the ground. That's probably it.

Eric: Just hover?

Lucas: I'd just like to hover one inch off the ground but be able to control where I'd go. Not like I'm hovering and you push me and I float away, but I want to be able to control that. I think that'd be really kind of cool. It'll look like I had those skating shoes on all the time, but I wouldn't need to go out and buy them so I'll be saving money.

Eric: Teleportation.

Andrea: Ok my turn. I would like to change little things on a cellular level with my eyes so I can like shape shift things with my mind.

Eric: Dr. Manhattan?

Andrea: Yes. But you know what though, I could also cure cancer if I did that. Like I could look at it and would change the cells in my mind and be like “oh, your tumor is gone.”

Lucas: That's amazing.

Eric: I think you would be Jesus if you could do that. You could turn water into wine and shit.

Andrea: I'm choosing my super power.

All right, what's next for you after South by Southwest?

Lucas: We have a few shows lined up in LA. One in Spaceland. I dunno. We're working on it. The main priority right now is working on the album. Yeah, so just working hard with that.

Eric: Yeah, we'll be playing shows in LA. Just building on what we're building on in LA and getting ready for that album.

Andrea: Dance party Casxio. Dance party 2009.

Eric: We're looking for a pet DJ. Right?

Andrea: She said what are we going to do? That's what we're going to do.

Anything you wanna add?

Lucas: Work hard. Study. Graduate. Go on to bigger and better things.

Andrea: And don't do drugs.

Lucas: Oh yeah and don't do drugs. Drugs are bad. Yeah, that's about it.

Thursday was not as successful as Wednesday. Mainly because I was so exhausted walking and standing around all day Wednesday. My shoulders were sore from carrying a heavy bag, my feet were in pain from all the standing, so I didn’t enjoy SXSW as much as Wednesday.

I got downtown later than I wanted to because I forgot my bus pass at home. I was in such a rush to get to work, I forgot my wallet. When I discovered this after my shift, I had to rush home and get it. I was a little annoyed to say the least.

Click here to read the rest at my Accent's SXSW blog.

Walking around aimlessly downtown during last year’s SXSW, I overheard this band playing through a speaker from the venue. Intrigued by what I heard, I walked upstairs of Nuno’s to see Casxio playing on stage. Unfortunately, I only caught the last two or three songs from their set, but the funky soul pop music impressed me. I grabbed a free sampler they were handing out and left.

I guess the selection committee for SXSW felt the same way as I did because although, this is their second year performing during the festival, this year is the first year they are an official showcase band.

Click here to read the rest at my Accent's SXSW blog.

For The Accent, I was one of the five staff members selected to cover 2009's SXSW Festival with a free photo pass and music wristband. Our requirements were to post a recap of what we see on a blog they created for us, upload the photos we took onto the Accent's Flickr account and then a pre- and post-article for the print edition. Needless to say, I was very busy but it was a lot of fun, saw some great bands, hung out with old and new friends and the list goes on.

So instead of posting everything here one post after another, here are some links. I will be posting some of my SXSW blog though as separate posts.

Click here to read my SXSW blog.

They reposted our first blog here.

Click here to go the Accent's Flickr page where my SXSW photos are posted.

Click here to read "Accent Bloggers' SXSW Live Music Highlights"