Download podcast MP3 file.
Acecast #013 Mar 2006 (MP3, 128Kbps, 35.1MB, 38m:23s).
Download the MP3 file using the link or icon above.
If you have an MP3 player you might want to use a “podcatching” application to subscribe to Acecast (RSS 2.0).
You can also subscribe to Acecast podcasts in iTunes (4.9 or later) — use “Advanced/Subscribe to Podcast” and in the pop-up window enter
http://www.acecast.com/index.rss20 .
The St Patrick’s SXSW Special.
©Neck/Daniella
I am halfway through listening to the 941 tracks in the two SXSW torrents 2006 (free legal MP3s). Rather than wait until I’ve finished my listening (like last year), I’ve decided to get out some of the top tracks right now.
The show was recorded late on St Patrick’s Day, so what better way to start than with a rock’n’folk track called St Patrick’s Day from Neck. I continue with a couple of modern R’n’B/hip-hop/soul tinged tracks (let’s call it “nu-soul”, shall we). Deep’s lyrics are a bit stereotypical (“bitches” and guns and all), but the delivery is excellent and there’s some mean wah-wah guitar. Stephanie McKay’s Tell Him is just pure class.
I play three tracks that could all be classed as space rock. Lesbians on Ecstasy’s Pleasure Principle start out as raunchy electronica, but then the Lezzies pick up their copy of Hawkwind’s Quark, Strangeness and Charm (1977) to borrow the riff&whispering from Hassan I Sahba. I’ve seen Norwegian band WE live and on telly gigging in India and their full-on space rock (they call it “Cosmic Biker Rock’n’Roll” though) is a treat. I’ve always wanted to feature them on Acecast and now I can, since Catch Electrique is part of the SXSW MP3 showcase. The third galactic track comes from veterans Chrome fronted by Helios Creed (I had no idea they were still going).
If I had to select a favourite track [you’ve just done, Ed] from the 400 or so I’ve been through so far, it would be Gliss’s Blue Sky. Last year I opened with the vocal wonders of Erika Wennerstrom (Heartless Bastards) for my SXSW show. Just like Erika, Martin Klingman’s voice is what makes Gliss stand out from the pack, his sneery drawl sounds like he is the product of a foursome between Marc Bolan, (early) Tom Petty, Peter Perrett (Only Ones) and Courtney Love.
There was an abundance of good trad singer-songwriters in 2005; but so far this year (400 MP3 to go so I might still find some) I’ve struggled to find any. Not to worry, I’m a sucker for steel guitar and good female backing vocals, so instead I’ve dug up some classy country from Mando Saenz (think Lyle Lovett without the big band).
I finish the show with Australian vocal talent Sia. She’s been compared with Dido (ugh), but that’s off the mark. I would place her in better company, somewhere around Des’ree and Tori Amos.
More rock and less electronics&acoustics than normal on this Acecast, but I guess the SXSW festival is the sort of happening where you need to make a bit of noise to make an impact.
Special credits to Mando Saenz for having a good artist website (whoever set up Sia and Stephanie McKay’s flashy nightmares of sites could learn a thing or five from Mando).
External credits.
Only one external credit this time, the 2006 South by Southwest festival site. All tracks on Acecast 13 are taken from the SXSW showcasing artists providing free legal MP3s.
Production notes.
Kit: MXL V67 condenser microphone, Behringer UB802 mixer, Hercules DJ Console sound card. Applications: Audacity, iTunes, MP3Gain, MP3tag.
Copyrights.
All tracks played are free and legal downloads and were available at the time of production of the podcast. All tracks are copyright the artists and their record labels/music publishers.
Extended tracklisting for Acecast #013, 17 March 2006.
All artist links point to their 2006 SXSW showcase page, which have short biographies and links to their homepages.
Brief playlist for Acecast #013.
Previous Acecast podcasts.
Initial post: Sat, 18 Mar 2006.
