SXSW Night 3: Trampled, Hounded and turned away

Great showings by Minnesota twangers: Our nighttime showcases kicked off with two twangy bands adored in their home state, Romantica and Trampled by Turtles (Charlie Parr also played same time as TBT at another showcase, sort of like booking Motorhead opposite AC/DC to young Minnesota acoustic fans). Romantica was a great fit in the dusty wooden Buffalo Billiards space, on the same bill as Shelby Lynne and playing up its twangy side with new gems such as "Cecil Ingram Connor," named after Gram Parsons. The Turtles (in the photo above) had a smaller space but an elbow-to-elbow crowd, also opening an impressive bill with Justin Townes Earle and Deer Tick. No kidding, each song in the set seemed to draw a bigger "yahoo" reaction from the crowd than the one before it.

First time I've been turned away from the door this SXSW: Smart planning on my part and at SXSW Inc. prevented it from happening until the third night, but it was inevitable. The act I wanted to see was London/Sweden band Fanfarlo, who packed the Ale House.

First time I've been surprised not to be turned away: Even if you take away one-third of the Dixie Chicks' numbers, the Court Yard Hounds have probably sold more records than anyone here at SXSW this year save for Ray Davies and keynote speaker Smokey Robinson (both of whom I had to miss, no dis on their legendary status). Silly me, I thought that would mean something. Either a sign of how much SXSW has moved away from its Southern-flavored roots, or simply of how no one knows who the group is yet, sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire drew a sizable crowd but didn't totally pack the quaint Beauty Bar Palm Door. Their set certainly suggested the upcoming album (May 4) could be huge, especially on the radio, as the songs were full of Sheryl Crow-style anthemic rock with more hints of twang here and there.

First time at church: Finally caught a show at Central Presbyterian Church, site of many memorable shows in recent years. Friday's midnight set by minimalist trio the XX was especially unforgettable. Dressed all in black and looking vaguely like vampires not afraid of the giant crucifix behind them, the way-young Londoners had the paritioners hypnoitized with their eerily reverberating guitar parts and confessional-sounding vocals. A perfect booking for them.

Best foreign interpretation of Babes in Toyland: I try to hit a random band or two in the Japan Nite every year, and this year like all the rest wasn't disappointing. Pint-sized all-female trio from Osaka called Red Bacteria Vaccum (in the photo below) looked cute as buttons, but they seriously screamed, howled and throttled in a total Babes vein.