Filmed by Geoff Celis, featuring performances by The Great Unwashed, Kilgore Trout Is Dead, and The Rabbits!

You may have noticed some issues with Pop Tarts Suck Toasted over the past week or two. Unfortunately the issues were problems with my web host and I had to make a move to a new host. That means that I lost all the e-mails you good people have sent to me RSVP’ing for the SXSW show! If you would be so kind as to re-RSVP sometime before next Tuesday we’d really appreciate it!

The show is completely free whether you have a SXSW badge or not, you just have to RSVP to it by sending an e-mail with your full name to RSVP@poptartssucktoasted.com.  Please note, due to limits of space entrance will be on a first come first serve basis and we will not be able to honor any requested +1’s! If you know someone who wants to go please get them to RSVP as well! Below you can check out the full lineup, more details will be emerging soon, and we hope to see you all in Austin!!!

Lineup:

8:45pm – MillionYoung
9:30pm – Dinosaur Feathers
10:15pm – Twin Sister
11:00pm – Songs
11:45pm – Bridges and Powerlines
12:30am – Princeton
1:15am – Drink Up Buttercup

Track of the Week:
RAAAAAAAANDY – “AAAAAAAANGRY”; In the lead up to the movie Funny People we were treated to a new character named RAAAAAAAANDY (with 8 A’s) played by Aziz Ansari. By most accounts this character and his 10-total minutes of screen time was the best thing about the whole movie (I disagree) and anyone that’s seen the end of Aziz’ new comedy special knows how funny this shit can be. Well Aziz is making a mixtape for RAAAAAAAANDY with Dave Sitek producing and the first tune from it is fucking amazing! Seriously this is hysterical. Try not to love it.
Grade: A++ (probably gonna be #1 at the end of the year)

Sounds Good:
The New Pornographers – “Your Hands (Together)”; Based on the track record of their first three records we expected a lot more of Challengers, and were surprised and disappointed when it didn’t materialize. What we were expecting was the triumphant, catchy indie pop we had come to adore, something more like “Your Hands (Together)” a tune that immediately recalls the high points of Twin Cinema while setting the tone for what will hopefully be a triumphant comeback. We are even further buoyed by the fact that this is a Carl and Neko number which means we have yet to taste what Dan Bejar has in store for us on the new record. You can consider us officially excited!
Grade: B+

Devo – “Fresh”; There is always a modicum of trepidation when a band that has been away for ages opts to comeback and release a new record. Sure, seeing Devo perform their hits on stage is still exciting and fun, but who would expect the band’s first record in 20-years to be worth hearing? Well based on the first taste, “Fresh”, we are in for a full on 80’s revival here in 2010. The band has returned and it’s almost as if nothing has changed for them, and that is kind of what you would hope for in this sort of comeback.
Grade: B

Roky Erickson & Okkervil River – “Goodbye Sweet Dreams”; Every time Roky Erickson sings “Goodbye sweet dreams” on this song or mind wanders to the unforgettable documentary on Erickson from a few years ago – You’re Gonna Miss Me. That film portrayed an artist that was so far removed from the world that no one could ever have predicted this sort of comeback for a man so far gone. So these lyrics seem especially poignant for that time in the man’s life. Okkervil River would make an incredible backing band for pretty much anyone, but with Roky Erickson’s raspy vocals leading the way it gives us chills every time we hear it!
Grade: A

Friendo – “Counter/Time”; Just to prove that everyone and their mother have side projects these days we present to you Friendo, a Canadian trio featuring Mike Wallace from Women. Yep, dude’s band just got noticed by bloggers and he’s already out here hyping some new project. Good thing for Wallace and his fellow band members that they manage to do a solid job of mining the lo-fi aesthetic and mixing it with their own little twists, most notable the unsteady guitar riff playing through the whole track and the half spoken, half sung lyrics found on the tune. That gives this track it’s own personality and we happen to be enjoying what they’re doing with it.
Grade: B

Free Energy – “Hope Child”; As the buzz surrounding the latest product of DFA Records has gone deafening we have had very mixed opinions on the band known as Free Energy. We’ve seen ‘em a couple times with mixed results, listened to some of their songs with the same result, so we’re right on the border between liking these dudes and being able to ignore ‘em. This first tune off their upcoming record is definitely one that will help push us closer to liking them. It’s a rocker and a stomper, the type of song that will get kids going crazy in the front row.
Grade: B

Cloud Nothings – “Morgan”; We have reached the point where all these lo-fi rock bands are like an aural version of heroin for us – we are plumb addicted to all of them and can’t seem to get enough of them. Cloud Nothings are just the latest in the series but this tune is so damn good they may quickly ascend the ladder of our favorites. You may be tired of it, but we say bring it on!
Grade:  A-

Passion Pit – “Sleepyhead (Starsmith Remix feat. Ellie Goulding)”; Anyone who follows the internet probably already knows that Ellie Goulding’s highly anticipated debut leaked to the internet this week and is getting a very mixed response thus far. We’ll have our thoughts on the record Monday, but at least this cover of one of the catchiest songs ever is adorable and as enjoyable as the single that propelled her to being so anticipated “Under the Sheets”
Grade: B+

Garotas Suecas – “Condimone Dinamite”; There really is no way to deny yourself while listening to this song, you simply must “dance to the music” and that’s a good thing. This Brazilian crew is proudly carrying the torch for their famed fore bearers found all over the Tropicalia compilation of a few years ago. It sounds like they bring the party wherever they go and we are psyched about seeing them at SXSW!
Grade: A-

Skip It:
Sweet Apple – “Do You Remember”; By combining J. Macis with anyone you all but guarantee yourself a lot of attention, but the first single from this brand new side project/”super group” is lacking in a lot of ways. “Do You Remember” spends most of it’s time sounding like the uplifting soundtrack to the credits of some cheesey 80’s movie, with it’s over played chorus and generic riffs. Yeah, J. Macis rocks the fuck out during the solo, but it’s just not enough to win over anyone especially not the people that own his Dinosaur Jr. catalog.
Grade: C-

Bonnie “Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang – “Play, Guitar, Play”; The good news is this tune won’t be on the new album from this new variation from Bonnie “Prince” Billy. While this somber little ditty follows suit in what Bonnie “Prince” Billy does we’ve started to fade a bit on the whole acoustic guitar, sad bastard lyrics motif and so we’re gonna dock this one a few points. Hopefully Will Oldham and his new company can spice things up a bit more for the new record.
Grade: C+

She & Him – “Thieves”; M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel have joined forces once again to bring us Vol. 2 of their She & Him project. Considering we weren’t big fans of Vol. 1 it should come as no surprise that we’re not particularly digging on the first tune off the new record. Once again Deschanel’s voice dominates the landscape, and while it’s not bad for an actress it’s not really the type of voice we can absolutely swoon over, though I’m sure more than a few of you will be. We tend to prefer M. Ward on his own with no folk monsters, no she’s, just him and his tunes. Also does this remind anyone else of a country version of The Pipettes?
Grade: C

Names of Stars – “Siren”; Listening to this tune is anyone else reminded of The New Radicals? You remember the band with the stupid hats that ran around the mall in that one video. Yeah, we’re reminded of it and we’re not enjoying the reminder all that much.
Grade: D+

Ellie Goulding – “Sweet Disposition” (The Temper Trap cover, via The Music Slut); Lately we feel we have abandoned our indie rock roots and given a front seat to the sweet sounds of pop that have been filling the web lately. We’re sorry if you haven’t enjoyed it but we’re not done with it just yet. On this little video, Ellie Goulding takes The Temper Trap’s radio friendly anthem and totally makes it her own, allowing her cute little voice to caterwaul through every minute of it and taking it to heartbreaking new levels. We dig it.
Grade: B+

El Perro Del Mar – “Shelter” (the xx cover, via Pitchfork); When it comes to the minimal pop of the xx I have made no grand secret of my dislike for their music. Not that it’s bad, it’s just not the type of thing I’d like to listen to over and over again. Adding El Perro Del Mar’s immaculate voice doesn’t really add much to my opinion of this tune so really it’s a take it or leave sort of thing and I think I’m gonna leave it.
Grade: C

Princeton – “Sugar Cube” (Yo La Tengo cover, via Daytrotter); Listening to the summery indie pop of Princeton I never would have pegged them for big Yo La Tengo fans, but I guess at this point everyone who happens to be in band has some positive vibes towards the indie rock mainstays. The band’s cover of “Sugar Cube” could not be more on if they tried. This song is a perfect rendition of one of my own favorite YLT tunes! Nice job guys!
Grade: A

Girls – “End of the World” (Skeeter Davis cover); Country has never really been my thing, but this cover of Skeeter Davis’ dreary, death obsessed little tune is so freakin’ awesome it may quickly move up the ranks as one of my favorite covers ever. Offered as the B-side to their UK single for “Morning Light”, this offers quite a stark contrast to one of Album’s more excited songs.
Grade: A+

Cymbals Eat Guitars – “Ballad of Big Nothing” (Elliott Smith cover); Speaking of bands making a B-Side from a cover tune, here we have Cymbals Eat Guitars doing an honest version of Elliott Smith’s “Ballad of Big Nothing”. The band keeps things pretty close to Smith’s original version, adding just a touch of keyboards and horns to the mix. Since we like Cymbals Eat Guitars and adored Elliott Smith it should go without saying that we’re totally enjoying this.
Grade: B+

Fucked Up – “Bodies” (Sex Pistols cover, via NYC Taper); Last Thursday I went to see Fucked Up at Maxwell’s but didn’t bring along my camera so there was no review of the show, but hey we’ve covered their live show a lot in recent months. The band did unleash an outstanding cover of The Sex Pistol’s “Bodies”, but we’re a little peeved about it now. Turns out Ted Leo showed up in Boston (?!?!?!) to help them sing this cover and we have searched high and low for evidence of that but have yet to come across any! If you have some please get in touch!!! I suppose we’ll have to make do with this solid bootleg of the song from Ted’s normal stomping ground for now.
Grade: B

Duo’s are nothing new to the world of indie rock, nor are lo-fi bands from San Francisco, but whatever The Art Museums are currently doing is working for them. Having just released their new mini-LP, Rough Frame, on Woodsist the band is starting to get their legs under them and starting to reach a much wider audience than they have thus far. Listening to the new record it all makes sense why these guys are poised to blow up in the next few months.

Mixing the sounds of 80’s pop and the lo-fi indie stylings of one Robert Pollard, The Art Museums sound familiar and different all at the same time. Their music hums along just like the early sounds of Guided By Voices, recorded with lots of fuzz and noises thrown in to hide the pop sensibility the band has. Luckily for the band all those pop senses can’t be hidden no matter how much fuzz is thrown on top of them. The music is catchy and sing-a-long worthy, and bubbling with the vibrant energy of San Francisco’s burgeoning indie scene.

Last year San Francisco gave us the inescapable sounds of Girls to pour over and fall for, this year it seems The Art Museums are poised to follow in their footsteps. If their live show comes anywhere close to the sound found on their record I think we’re in for a real treat. Unfortunately we won’t get to find out for a bit as it seems the band won’t be hitting SXSW and only have one current date (in San Fran) on their itinerary. Bummer, but at least we have their short little LP to keep us company until they finally decide to hit the road.

The Art Museums – “Sculpture Garden”
The Art Museums – “Rough Frame”
The Art Museums on MySpace

Following two records of solid indie rock, Parenthetical Girls opted to change things up for their last release Entanglements. On that record they went for a more orchestral sound, recording big compositions that were a little bit more daunting for the casual indie listener. To make it even more intense the lyrical content was mostly Joycean tale laid right out over the music. It was quite the departure, but it was certainly an amazing listening experience in its own right.

To follow that up Parenthetical Girls have returned to the more straight forward indie rock sounds they originally built their reputation on, but they are doing it once again in their own style. Rather than just release the record as one cohesive unit, Parenthetical Girls have chosen to put out the record in in 5-piece set with one section following the other every quarter for the next 15-months. It’s a unique way of getting your record out there, but by putting it out on their own Slender Means Society label they are making it abundantly clear that Parenthetical Girls fly by their own rules.

The first part, Privilege, Pt. 1: On Death & Endearments, was released yesterday as a limited edition (only 500-copies) piece of vinyl or as an infinite supply of mp3’s. The record kicks off with the tale of the famed Empire State Building jumper “Evelyn McHale”. Like the almost serene image of her lying on top of crushed checker cab, “Evelyn McHale” is a gentle work of pop perfection. The lyrics seem to romanticize her legendary fall and the music plays that notion up to epic levels. From there the band continue to push the envelop of indie pop with quiet orchestrations and subtle lyrics that bristle beneath the surface, barely holding back the potential to jump out and attack at any moment. They never quite explode, but they do offer a beautiful glance at the brilliant pop oriented minds of the band making them.

If you’re looking to collect all 5-short players and the fancy box that will accompany the fifth and house the other four you had better jump on that quickly. With only 500 copies being sold they should be gone before week’s end, especially when you consider the level of the music found within the first one. Now we just have to wait three more months for Privilege, Pt. 2.

Parenthetical Girls – “Evelyn McHale”

Yep it’s time for a corny, holiday related Blast from the Past! I know you guys love it when I act all seasonal, even if it is a week late. Yeah, I completely forgot that last week marked the national holiday known as President’s Day and that I wanted to take a look at the funky jams of The Presidents of the United States of America to celebrate. It’s a good thing George Washington’s birthday was only Monday or I’d look downright foolish! Anyway, on to the music!

Back in 1995, as a teenager, there really could not have been a better soundtrack to my sex addled brain than the funky, innuendo soaked sounds of The Presidents of the United States of America. Their tunes were immediately catchy, sing-a-long friendly, and loaded with references to vaginas. It makes all the sense in the world that a band like this would go one to be as big as they were despite never quite reaching the heights they did with their self-titled debut, hell they are still a damn good karaoke fall back for more than a few of us.

The word that gets kicked around when talking about The Presidents of the United States of America is novelty, and I guess that fits what they did but these songs were so much more than just novel hits to youngsters like myself. These were tunes that allowed us to sing at the top of our lungs about petting kitties or sticking our fingers into cans of peaches. It was the kind of tongue-in-cheek references we needed at that age and honestly I still get a kick out of singing along with all of these tunes.

As the years have gone on the band may have faded to a slight glimmer of what they once were but we should never forget the classic nature of these tunes. While some critics might place them in a low regard we’re gonna keep on remembering them as one of our favorite bands, even if it was all just some sort of sex fueled joke.

The Presidents of the United States of America – “Lump”
The Presidents of the United States of America – “We Are Not Going to Make It”
The Presidents of the United States of America – “Back Porch”

Who: Alex Gruenburg
Location: Washington, D.C.
RIYL: American Idol, Teddy Geiger, post-Brian Wilson Beach Boys
Thoughts: On Alex Gruenburg’s homepage he declare that he is on a mission to revive the pop sounds of the 1960’s, bands like The Kinks, The Beatles, and The Zombies. That’s a pretty lofty goal and I don’t know that Gruenburg has the chops to make it that far, but he definitely has some level of talent. His debut EP, Hey Katy Hey!, is definitely derived from the sort of pop rock he’s aiming for but for the most part it seems that he missed the point that those band were making statements with their music not just aping icons of the past. Still, in this age of American Idol pop stars Alex Gruenburg certainly could find a niche and might even do well if he were ever to stand in front of Simon Cowell and Ellen Degenres.
Listen: Alex Guenburg – “Hey Katy Hey!”
Grade: C+

Who: Forest Magic
Location: Chattanooga, TN
RIYL: Akron/Family, Oneida, Do Make Say Think
Thoughts: Don’t be fooled by the band’s own description of their sound on their MySpace and Facebook pages, this is not a Gospel/Crunk band, instead Forest Magic are making the type of swelling psychedelic music that immediately makes you feel as if you are dreaming. Slowly the songs build around you and you are transported to a land that is fantastic and mystical. It’s a trip for sure and the music certainly implies the possibility of doing just that. I gotta be honest and tell you the vocals aren’t immaculate but they don’t ruin the serene setting the music sets for you.
Listen: Forest Magic – “Wonder If”
Grade: B

Who: not an Airplane
Location: Sacramento, CA
RIYL: Deer Tick,  Wilco, Josh Ritter
Thoughts: The first track off the brand new album from not an Airplane, “As He Moved Away”, is the type of tune that would fit perfectly in a Wes Anderson movie. It bubbles with positivity and possibilities while giving us the perfect pop lilt to help soundtrack the amusing scenes that would be shown if such a movie existed. From there the album shifts to a more Americana like sound, going immediately into the banjo led “Resolution and Rage”. We tend to prefer the pop sounds normally found in Wes Anderson films, but not an Airplane find a way to ably mix that pop sound with the Americana that prevails for most of the record. Overall this is pretty good stuff and definitely deserving of a listen or two from you guys.
Listen: not an Airplane – “As He Moved Away”
Grade: B+

Drink Up Buttercup are not your typical, straight forward indie rock band. Like fellow Philly residents Man Man, Drink Up Buttercup make quite a spectacle of themselves on stage, banging on garbage can, dancing about, and bringing a level of energy and excitement to the live setting that few bands could ever hope to match. On record they are nothing like Man Man, opting instead to go for a level of pop rock that will be instantly familiar to anyone who has listened since The Beatles perfected the craft. On March 23rd the band will release their debut full length, Born And Thrown On A Hook, for Kanine Records. Before that they will be touring all over the place on their way to and from SXSW, including a stop at the Pop Tarts Suck Toasted SXSW Showcase! We had a chance to chat with the band about the record and live show and a whole lot more, check it out below!

Drink Up Buttercup – “Sosey and Dosey”

PTST: Did you guys find it difficult capturing the excitement and energy of your live shows on record?
Drink Up Buttercup: Honestly, capturing the live show was never our intent with the record. Although our live show gets a lot of attention, we believe we have some really great songs that people need to hear and sometimes they get overshadowed by our energy and presence on stage. Our goal with the album was to showcase the songs and make a listening experience with all different kinds of energies instead of just punching people in the gut like we do live.

PTST: There seems to be a lot of sounds similar to the joyous pop sounds of The Beatles, were you big fans of the band growing up? Did you consciously strive to attain a sound like that?
Drink Up Buttercup: Being the member of the band who wrote the vocal melodies and chord structures of our songs I can say that the The Beatles were not a big influence on my songwriting, but the comparison makes sense and doesn’t surprise me to say the least. Growing up I always just loved what was popular, whatever was on the radio, great pop or even crappy pop. The Beatles kind of laid that formula out there for everyone to follow and I feel like I picked up their influence via it funneling through pop music in general. I’m also kind of a weird guy, and I think that can sometimes come through in my music. The Beatles wrote great pop songs with weird undertones, or sometimes blatant weirdness. Kinda roundabout but makes sense.

PTST: On stage you are notorious for banging garbage cans but it sounds like they don’t make an appearance on the record. Any reason for leaving them out of the mix?
Drink Up Buttercup: We have different goals as a live band and a band on record. The trash cans, and just added percussion in general really add to the visually entertaining aspect of our band live. People pay a cover charge to get into our shows. We don’t want to just stand there and play our instruments for these people. We want to put on a SHOW. As I was saying before, with the record it was more important to create an overall listening experience for listeners. Maybe the simple way to answer this would be: See us live and have lots of beers. Listen to the record and roll something up and sit back.

PTST: Is there any song on the record that you’re particularly proud of? Any that you like playing live over the rest?
Drink Up Buttercup: I honestly look at the record as one big song. That was one of the reasons we created a few intervals to transition between the main 11 “songs”. We also kept the time between tracks almost at zero and connected sounds between some songs. I guess if I had to pick one it would be “Doggy Head”. That was one of the songs we wrote during the recording process and I feel like the energy of a fresh new song can be felt while listening to it. The end of Seasickness Pills is usually the most fun part of the show for me live.

PTST: What have you guys been listening to out on the road or at home? Are there current bands that you’ve learned from or been influenced by?
Drink Up Buttercup: On the road we’re usually watching VHS tapes or fighting over NES controllers. At home I’ve been pretty much solely listening to Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. It’s really nice to relax and have some drinks and food while listening, or just sitting and paying close attention to it and nothing else. It’s really beautiful. Although I used to have a better version than the one I have now. I lost the really good one I had in a move and can’t remember who performed the version I loved. It had a really different sound, as though it was being performed in the woods. If anyone knows the version I’m talking about, please leave me some info in the comments section of this post.

PTST: You’ll be hitting SXSW in a few weeks, any bands you’re looking forward to seeing or shows you’re really amped to play?
Drink Up Buttercup: Is Die Antwoord playing? If so, then we wanna see Die Antwoord.

PTST: Do you guys have a favorite venue to play?
Drink Up Buttercup: My personal favorite so far is The First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. The sound there is perfect for what our band is going for live. There are some videos of us playing there at YouTube. I think they sound better than most of our other live You Tube videos.

PTST: With all the moving parts on stage have there ever been any disasters, knocking each other around or falling off stage?
Drink Up Buttercup: Minor bruises, cuts, and bumps occur at pretty much every show. Maybe that’s not normal for most bands, but for us it’s nothing too much to write home about. Ben’s index finger has been permanently swollen since the first month we started playing out. We played a show in Albany in a basement that was really really freaking dusty. We move around a lot, so we were kicking dust up all over the place. Breathing the next day wasn’t really very easy for any of us.

PTST: Is there any venue you wish you could play at some point?
Drink Up Buttercup: Whatever Conan does next. If his new show still has musical performances, that’s where we wanna play.

PTST: You guys hail from Philly but spend a considerable amount of time in New York playing shows and whatnot. What would you rather have, a Philly cheesesteak or a slice of New York pizza?
Drink Up Buttercup: I go back and forth from hating and loving meat more than anyone I know. Pizza is always good all the time as all humans know. Cheesesteaks are really good when you are really drunk and don’t care about your life at all anymore though. This question is too hard.

PTST: Geno’s or Pat’s?
Drink Up Buttercup: We get asked this a lot. Geno’s and Pat’s both make terrible sandwiches. They both taste like they make them with Steak-umms or something. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat either if I’m really drunk and don’t care about my life anymore. But, the best Philly sandwich comes from Paesano’s in Fishtown. They have a beef brisket sandwich with an fried egg and a bunch of other good stuff on it. Really good even sober. We really better get an endorsement from this place soon.

PTST: If you had to name just one, who is your favorite Philly band right now?
Drink Up Buttercup: I’d have to go with Kurt Vile. Love the song “Freeway”. He is a great songwriter.

PTST: What about favorite label mate?
Drink Up Buttercup: The Sadies.

PTST: Anything else you’d like to add???
Drink Up Buttercup: Check out our video series Tossed Out into a Sea of Normal. Every week we release a new live performance video of each of the tracks off of our album, in order, leading up to it’s release on March 23rd. All of the videos are unique from each other and have interesting settings like old folks homes, basements overflowing with balloons, and churches. Check for a new video every Tuesday at drinkupbuttercup.com or Facebook.

Efterklang have been doling out amazing pop songs for ten years now and yet for whatever reason I never really took the time to listen to them before now. It is a huge oversight on my part, but one that I never knew of until I started listening to their third full length, Magic Chairs, which is out on 4AD today! Obviously their move to the more visible 4AD was a major reason for my new interest in the band, but after listening to the opening track “Modern Drift” there was little doubt that I would be thoroughly enamored with this record.

Sure enough the rest of the album is full of more pop gems than we could have ever hoped for. The songs are intricate and beautiful, with lyrics that gently flutter through you sending chills down your spine with each listen. Magic Chairs is a truly vibrant and colorful record with careful compositions and pitch perfect harmonies, in other words this is exactly the type of indie pop that normally makes us swoon.

If you already hit the record store today and forgot to pick this one up you’re gonna have to make a return trip in the next day or two. Not only is this one of the early front runners for album of the year, but it opened up a door to a band I fully ignored prior to this moment meaning there is even more fantastic music for me to sift through. Magic Chairs has been one of the most pleasant surprises we’ve come across this year and one that will be playing on regular rotation for quite some time.

Efterklang – “Modern Drift”
Stream It!