SXSW is more interesting than usual this year. First there was this fantastic rant by DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith:

“Hi Austin. Fuck SXSW. There… I said it.

Here, the music comes last. 5 minute set-up, no sound check, 15 minute set. The ‘music’ element is all a front, it’s the first thing to be compromised. Corporate money everywhere but in the hands of the artists, at what is really just a glorified corporate networking party. Drunk corporate goons and other industry vampires and cocaine. Everyone is drunk, being cool. ‘Official’ bureaucracy and all their mindless rules. Branding, branding, branding. It’s bullshit… sorry.”

And now the lead singer of Foxygen is having his turn. After announcing to the crowd that he was exhausted and that his voice was shot, a few people in the crowd began heckling him. Then this happened:

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50. Teen: Electric
49. Sun Araw: The Inner Treaty
48. Cat Power: Sun
47. Tallest Man on Earth: There’s no Leaving Now
46. Matthew E. White: Big Inner
45. Port St. Willow: Holiday
44. Flying Lotus: Until The Quiet Comes
43 Eternal Summers: Correct Behavior
42. Wild Nothing: Nocturne
41. Actress: R.I.P.
40. Metz: Metz
39. Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid, M.a.a.d City
38. Andy Stott: Luxury Problems
37. Dum Dum Girls: End of Daze
36. Japandroids: Celebration Rock
35. Sufjan Stevens: Silver and Gold
34. Magic Trick: Ruler of the Night
33. Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream
32. Jessie Ware: Devotion
31. Sonny and the Sunsets: Longtime Companion
30. Beachwood Sparks: The Tarnished Gold
29. The Babies: Our House on the Hill
28. Grizzly Bear: Shields
27. Iris DeMent: Sing the Delta
26. The Sea and Cake: Runner

25. King Tuff: King Tuff

24. Frank Ocean: Channel Orange

23. Jimmy Cliff: Rebirth

22. Lower Dens: Nootropics

21. Lambchop: Mr. M

20. Lotus Plaza: Spooky Action at a Distance

19. Woods: Bend Beyond

18. Allah-Las – Allah-Las

17. Weird Dreams: Choreography

16. The Shins: Port of Morrow

15. Wye Oak: Civilian

14. Spider Bags: Shake My Head

13. Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel…

12. Lone: Galaxy Garden

11. Action Bronson: Blue Chips

10. Frankie Rose: Interstellar

9. Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light

8. Ty Segall: Slaughterhouse/Twins

7. Diiv: Oshin

6. Beach House: Bloom

5. Tame Impala: Lonerism

4. Mac DeMarco: 2

3. Dent May: Do Things

2. Grimes: Visions

1. Chromatics: Kill For Love

Best EPs:
Mac DeMarco: Rock and Roll Night Club

Daniel Rossen: Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP

The Antlers: Undersea

Watch clips of Wild Nothing and DIIV playing River Rocks at Pier 84 last night. This was hands down the longest line I have seen for a (free) show since that infamous 77Boadrum performance in Dumbo back in 2007. Thousands of people. Good times.

Needless to say, we’re pretty excited about this one with three headlining artists on the same bill!

Grimes, aka Claire Boucher, is among the most talked-about musical artists of the year. Her live performances are both musical and visual, embodying art, performance, dance, video and sound.

Wild Nothing’s songs are inspired by a longtime love affair with nostalgia. Released this spring, Wild Nothing’s debut album Gemini is full of dreamy, carefree synth-pop songs that linger with an inexplicable sense of regret.

DIIV, the brainchild of Z. Cole Smith (Beach Fossils), crafts a sound indebted to classic kraut, dreamy Creation-records psychedelia, and the primitive-crunch of late-80’s Seattle – a perfectly fused patch of classic-underground influence.

More information at River Rocks.

DIIV

Grimes

Wild Nothing

DIIV will be performing for FREE at The Hester at 7PM:

THE HESTER is a progressive and constantly changing space that reflects the dynamic spirit behind the artists, designers, and tastemakers of New York. Bringing the best of innovative design, fashion, and art, THE HESTER will feature the cutting edge jewelry of Arielle de Pinto, the exotic fragrances of Six Scents, the garment district made and dip-dyed dresses of Lindsay Thornburg, the art objects of Kyle DeWoody’s Grey Area, and much, much more.

With interiors designed by Joel Fitzpatrick with furniture designed by Nick DeMarco, THE HESTER is about new experiences: new designers, interior layouts, products, performers, and DJ’s. The space will be as dynamic as the energy that inspires New York.

RSVP at rsvp@hesterstreetfair.com

Then, they’ll be playing with Cloud Nothings at 285 Kent Ave. Doors at 8pm, $12. Of course, Dan Deacon and John Maus are playing a free show too. And so is Neko Case. Decisions… decisions.

Formerly: DIIV’S ZACHARY COLE SMITH A 9-11 TRUTHER?

Meatball Shop to open in Bushwick, Life to Close

Bellwether Hires Dan Ross-Leutwyler, formerly of Fatty ‘Cue

Local faves DIIV get “Best New Music” review on Pitchfork

Mayor Bloomberg Huge Fan of Girls, a Show He’s Never Seen

Get some duds for McCarren Park Pool

East Williamsburg Loses Some of Its Grit

McCarren Park Pool Opens this Thursday!

Maybe he’s being ironic? We’re not sure, but we didn’t let Smith’s dumb sticker ruin the fun last night at Brooklyn Bowl. His band DIIV put on a great show and we’re looking forward to their debut Oshin which drops next month.

DIIV

*Insert obligatory comment about the long lines and overall poor-planning of The Great Googa Mooga HERE*

Alright, I’m glad we got that out of the way.  Let’s move onto something a bit more current.  Complaining about Googa Mooga is sooooooo four days ago.  Next thing you know, I’ll be writing an op-ed about the Facebook IPO!  Onto the Most Blogged Shows of the Week.

We all cracked on the name when we heard it (or read it, I guess), but it looks like DIIV has the last laugh as they’re this week’s MOST BLOGGED show AND my EDITORS PICK, and that’s for their free Hype-Machine-produced and Toyota Prius-sponsored show at Brooklyn Bowl tonight.  It’s my pick for a few reasons.

1)     It’s free.

2)     DIIV are actually pretty awesome, if you haven’t heard them (or seen them) by now.

3)     KILLER MIKE is also on the bill (holy shit!)

4)     DIIV are about to blow up, so who knows what kind of venues they’re going to play from now on?  And at what cost?  Not that Brooklyn Bowl is “intimate” or anything, but you understand my meaning, no?

5)     The openers, High Highs and Beat Culture are no slouches.

6)     The first 150 people get some kind of “League Night” gift bags chock full of target-marketed goodies!

7)     Did I mention it’s free?

Make sure you show up early (Brooklyn Bowl opens their doors at 6 PM.) I’d guess this thing’s going to be packed.  I wouldn’t recommended showing up if you haven’t RSVP’d either, and that’s all closed up now.  If you get turned away, The Deli Magazine’s Emerging Artists festival continues tonight at Public Assembly and Spike Hill.  ALSO, a couple of awesome bands that have shared the bill with DIIV about 74 times (Night Manager, Heaven’s Gate) play Cameo Gallery for just $5 with some solid openers as well (Yvette, Mala Strana.)

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