Tag Archives: thao

Jul 06 2015
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art, illustration, music, music festival

The Coathangers, Charan Po Rantan, Thao and the Get down Stay Down and PHOX at SXSW 2013

Here are five female fronted bands I saw at SXSW in 2013!

100_3873 100_3875The Coathangers are from Atlanta, Georgia and are signed to Suicide Squeeze records. They play Punk rock and people were moshing around me; so I made my drawing fast and loose. I think they had four members at this show but there are only three permanent members. I don’t know who I drew several times, they all have dark hair and wild haircuts. I saw them once in Brooklyn too.

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Thao is one of my favorite musicians/songwriters. This show was delightful. I was shocked when I heard an instrumental version of one of her songs advertising Ford trucks.

Look at this promotional photo and tell me I didn’t absolutely nail that bass player.

  
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I was going to leave after Thao was finished playing, but was oddly intrigued by the instrumentation that was getting onstage, banjo? clarinet? hmmm. I stayed and I’m glad i did. I was blown away by this ensemble from Madison, Wisconsin. They went on tour with Dr. Dog and with Deer Tick. Their album is great, and they made a complete album long music video, which is a great introduction to them and shows the house they all live in and the messes they make. Check them out online and don’t confuse them for Fleet Foxes or Foxygen.

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Charan Po Rantan play balkan circus klezmer polka, from JAPAN! They dressed in adorable costumes and danced around the stage. I saw them as a three-piece with a drummer, but on their record, and at some shows in Japan, they are joined by a full band and horn section. This is very fun, energetic music, and maybe not what you’d expect from a pair of young Japanese sisters. On Youtube, you can find videos of them singing American hit song covers. This site is in Japanese, but you can read a little more about them here.

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Sep 17 2013
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music

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down

Last week I got to see Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. The show sold out, and there were many people in line outside when the show began. I saw many of them pumping their fists with smiles, because of the window, they could still see and hear the show. Wow, her band sure looks humorless in my drawing. They do seem to be concentrating on the music while they play.

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Here are some drawings I made. I left a lot of the pencils in, because they contribute a great deal of excitement, action and fun. Image

Also, I drew Thao and her guitarist Kyle three times each. She doesn’t have a band made of clones, as my illustration might suggest. Her band plays very tight, I caught them play in Austin at SXSW at a show at 2pm with Phox. 

A highlight of the show was “Holy Roller” from her new album. It was especially fun when she got out an electric guitar and placed it on a keyboard stand and played it like a pedal steel. I do listen to her album “We Brave Bee Stings and All” all the time at home and it would be transplendent to hear her perform that album from front to back, but I really don’t mind her new material. She certainly performs with passion. Her crowd was enthusiastic. She played a fun 60s girl group pop song for a second encore.

In a bizarre coincidence, she is doing a show with my favorite comedian, Maria Bamford but it is in Minessota.

 

 

Deep Sea Diver also played. I liked them too; pop rock. Jessica Dobson played with the Shins, and Spoon. They are from Seattle. Alex on guitar is friends with Ian LeSage of Whisky Tango

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