Austin Sound

The way you feel about the set from Animal Collective’s Deakin will likely depend on how hard you partied the night before. On the one hand, it was nicely subtle and mellow that we sometimes wish AC were still; on the other hand, it was hard to make it through with the hot sun blazing down, our heads hungover, and bodies beaten and dust-covered. With all of the energy starting off the morning, this was a huge comedown - but if we’re going to take it down a notch, this was one helluva hypnotically beautiful way of doing it.

Black Nasty - what else can you say other than he does the city proud? With support from sister Pink Nasty, Austin’s most irreverent and don’t-give-a-fuck rapper laid down some heavy, and times even funky and rocking rhymes. There were, of course, plenty of odes to sex of every position and style, AIDS, and a heartfelt tribute to Black Nasty’s understandable hero, Easy E. We really wonder what folks that didn’t know what to expect thought of the set - because there is nothing like a virgin of a Black Nasty show!

Fun Fun Fun Fest and Transmission Entertainment have finally figured out how to get the Black Stage crowded early on a Sunday—put the aliens via Japan known as Peelander-Z on the stage! Who knows if folks in other cities eat this shit up the way Austin does, but who cares. There has never been a bad Peelander-Z show. In the first 10 minutes of their set, the band had climbed into the crowded, posed for a picture on stage, lead the crowd in calisthenics, and – seemingly – stolen the Texas Rangers’ “Claw and Antlers” and rebranded it as the “Mad Tiger”. And that was before the entire crowded whipped itself into a frenzy, moshing, jumping, fist pumping, and sweating everywhere.

Tried to hustle and catch a few early acts, but it was rough. Surprisingly, I was able to see the last song by Crew 54 (well done hip hop, backed by a bunch of nerdy white boys playing horns), overheard Mother Falcon’s final song (not sure the music holds up to the local press for the players’ ages, numbers, etc), saw a few of Cool Kids songs (great dreamy indie rock and perfect for a balmy Austin fall day), and witnessed the final songs of Junius (hard and gloomy melodic sludge). All in all, it was a great way to shake off the hangover this early.

Houston’s Indian Jewelry literally pushes everything to the front, with all four members lining across the edge of the stage and blowing out a droning rush that can be as enveloping as it is shattering. Like Woven Bones with a bit harder and deeper pulse, Indian Jewelry fit in well with the resurgence of pummeling psych-drone in Texas. And kudos for actually pulling of an effective light show in the hot hot afternoon.

Unfortunately, they seemed to spend more time sound checking the drums than perhaps remembering some of their seminal classic songs. On the other hand, the new songs - did you know they have a new album? Frontman Greg Gaffin only mentioned it a half dozen times! - sounded exactly the same as their old ones. Fiery, political, breakneck speed, singalong choruses. The Bad Religion recipe for rock hasn’t changed over thirty years. And some of the old songs, “American Jesus” in particular, still ring true.

We won’t try to describe Gwar. Blood. Guts. Semen. Feces. Rock and humor. It was all there.

Man Man, as always, were a fun time as they brought their clanking Tom Waits-esque gypsy party to the Orange Stage. Earlier in the day, younger fans began to trickle into the park with face paint on, mimicking their Man Man favorites. By the time the band took the set, the kids were more than alright; they were loving it. Good times to say the least.

Man oh man. Sometimes, things just don’t age so well. These year’s FFF Fest winner of that aging poorly award goes to Cap’n Jazz. A couple hundred die hard fans loved these guys; the rest of the crowd was left wondering what all the screamo fuss was about… and why we were subjected to a brutal version of A-Ha’s “Take On Me”.

Israel’s finest garage rock spectacle, Monotonix, followed Anarchy Championship Wrestling on the Yellow Stage. Coincidence? Probably not. Monotonix are the musical equivalent of anarchy and wrestling. From the get-go, the band was flailing around in the crowd, surfing over people, throwing themselves with reckless abandon, tossing their instruments sky high as the crowd bounced around. Like a bearded pied piper, the band’s lead singer lead the crowd from one corner of the stage area to the other repeatedly. Musically, not so interesting. Spectacle wise, Monotonix is not to be missed – ever.