- Don’t forget to RSVP to our party tomorrow.

- Be sure to download our March music sampler to rock out to while you wait in that Fader Fort line.

- Also be sure you load up our handy SXSW guide on your fancy iphone.

- New sponsor alert! We also just got word that Zico Coconut Water will be on hand handing out all kinds of free Coco water.  Tassstttyyyy.

- Keep it real!

Download: The Happen-Ins – Be Yer Fool [MP3]

ATH: So.  You know we have to ask… What do you think the song on “New Moon” did for you?  Do you think it gained you some new fans or are you just “that cool song in the movie”?  AND ever watch the film?

Steve: Wow right out of the gate with this one! The movie has obviously helped. We did some shows in malls to promote it, and we just got back from India. I don’t think that trip would have happened without the movie. It’s still a little soon to know how many of the people we have met will stick with the group. We are doing our first tours this spring and we will see how it goes.

ATH: What’s the plan after SXSW?

Steve: US tour in April opening for Blue October, then another US tour in May headlining small clubs. There is also the possibility of some overseas dates.

ATH: If you were creating a festival, who are the headlining acts? Who would never be allowed to play?

Steve: Hmm do they have to be alive now?? The most enjoyable live shows I have ever seen have been Radiohead, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, The Mooney Suzuki, all for different reasons. Can they all open for Led Zeppelin?

ATH: Seeing as the whole music industry is in town for SXSW, what you think about the current state of affairs with the music industry?  Does it need to be fixed? Any ideas on how to do that?

Steve: My friend Damian in OKgo just wrote a great NY Times piece about how record labels are shooting themselves in the foot trying to make money off of the internet and YouTube. For a few years now I have felt like the music industry is in the midst of a massive land grab, the real estate being intellectual property and in some cases physical records. The only thing I am sure of is that if it comes down to pure survival, it is going to come down to who owns the stuff. The people writing songs and making records need to understand that – you need to try and own as much of your output as possible. But I don’t know that there is anything to “fix” right now; eventually things will even out. And again, the people writing songs and actually creating music will survive. They can’t do it without us.

ATH: Album of the year so far… GO!

Steve: Spoon, Transference. This IS Austin.

Thanks again Steve for making the time to do this.  Hurricane Bells free show:

Fri. 3/19 – Consequence of Sound day party @ Republic Live(301 W. 5th st.) 12-7

Rare Party @ 4th Street Fort (216 E 4th st.) – 12:30am

Dirty Boots Showcase @ Wave Bar (408 E. 6th st.) – 3pm

Download: Broken Records – Lies [MP3]

It’s heating up around Austin with SXSW right around the bend and with spring weather here, wildflowers across the state spring to life.  Nevertheless, Seabear is coming through town to cool things down a little. Icelandic septet Seabear, led by soothing songster Sindri Már Sigfússon, is set to release their nature-infused sophomore album, We Built A Fire. Iceland is renowned for its otherworldly landscapes and ethereal musicians (i.e. Bjork and Sigur Ros), but this record hits a familiar chord closer to home.

The release is premium indie-folk and shows the “Icelandic Beck” at his whimsical, yet haunting best. Although based in Iceland, Seabear’s lyrics are all in English; which makes it a surprise that this year marks the band’s first trip through North America, starting with SXSW. Beginning as a lo-fi solo project for Sigfússon, Seabear has expanded to a full 7-member band with the emphasis on the collective creative process. Their first release, The Ghost That Carried Us Away, was a much more intimate release with delicate, orchestral arrangements containing many indie-folk gems. Similarly on their latest, there’s no shortage of them. This time around, mutual input in the writing process was the modus operandi and what materialized is an improved confidence in all the parts. This translates into a stronger sound and superior effort as a whole.

Sigfússon songwriting talents (whose last solo effort came under the moniker Sing Fang Bous) is in full bloom starting with the opener, ‘Lion Face Boy’. His voice is a force, both full and soft simultaneously, driving the tempo throughout the track and ultimately the extent of the record.  ‘Fire Dies Down’ is a more up-tempo and moving track, displaying the rest of the group’s expanded instrumental vocabulary.

The pseudo title track and first single ‘I’ll Build You A Fire’ is a stand out track with wonderful harmonies. On Sigfússon’s 2009 solo tour, he was joined by headliners and fellow Icelandic indie poppers múm, and it’s obvious that a little rubbed off. ‘Cold Summer’ begins with a poignant piano intro. Then the vocals and cello drift in and out like a summer breeze over an Icelandic meadow. The depth and soothing nature of his voice prove to once again be the driving force followed by the country influenced ‘Wooden Teeth’; which is one of the more joyful moments on the record. This country influence continues into ‘Leafmask’ with a guitar intro displaying true country roots, before Sigfússon slows things down and emerges with one of the more impressive vocal tracks on the album.  After ‘Softship’, the album loses a little momentum and becomes more introverted before the back and forth crescendos and decrescendos of ‘Warm Blood’.

Seabear brings the tempo back up for the final track ‘Wolfboy’, completing one of my favorite releases of the year. We Built A Fire is thought-provoking music while physically moving to boot, and we can only hope their tour is so successful they return with more dates for years to come. Amazingly, this time around Austin gets 4 (yes 4!) chances to see them. You will not want to miss at least one of these free sets:

March 17th @ Epoch Coffee (221 W North Loop) – 7:15pm

March 18th @ Scoot Inn (1308 E 4th st.) – 1pm

March 18th @ The Hideout (617 Congress Ave.) – 1am

March 20th @ Cafe Mundi (1704 E. 5th st.) – 2:45pm

Download: Seabear – I’ll Build You A Fire [MP3]

One of the most recent signees to historic Sub Pop is a relative newcomer to the music scene.  Happy Birthday, for those of you stumbling upon the band, just formed in 2008, and their self-titled album is their first official recording.  This album fits nicely into the new fascination with fuzz-riddled guitar pop, though the band isn’t just a one trick pony.  While the majority of the album is filled with charm, there are a few missteps that keep it from taking off.

Happy Birthday kicks off their debut with one of the catchiest tunes of 2010, “Girls FM.”  Jangling guitar rings hollowly in the background as Kyle Thomas wails a bit, just before the drums are added.  Once you get to the chorus, where Ruth Garbus joins Thomas, you can’t escape the sugary sweetness.  Placing this song up front establishes a lot of the music as surf-pop, though the group does go in different directions at times.

One of the tricks the band employs to great effect is to have Kyle’s vocals carefully backed by the warmth of Ruth’s voice.  ”2 Shy” utilizes this tool, and it moves the music away from garage band to polished power-pop.  Such a combination creates blissful moments for the band, and they pull it out just often enough to make it memorable. You’ll see the same elements in “Maxine the Teenage Eskimo,” which might be the secret gem of this album.  It’s late in the collection, and this general sweetness comes in a bit later in the song; stay with this one folks, as you’ll be rewarded greatly.

Interestingly, there are some odd Marc Bolan-esque vocals floating throughout spots on this record.  ”Subliminal Message” has that trademark T. Rex guitar, and Thomas seems to channel a bit of Marc’s vocal inflections on his delivery–this actually makes for a really fixating slow jam.  Unfortunately, they return to this same formula for “Pink Strawberry Shake,” at a point in the album when you’re really looking to be revitalized by something new; you might find yourself bogged down at this point.

Still, a new band has to have some drawbacks, right?  Well, this is true of Happy Birthday.  At times, they seem to have a little bit too much simplicity in their songwriting, which can be translated to childishness.  ”Zit” is just one of those songs that demonstrates some of these weaknesses; it’s a juvenile song, both lyrically and musically.  While the lyrics throughout definitely hint at the unpolished quality of the group, this song takes it a bit too far.  Clearly, there is room for simplicity and youthfulness, but it kind of goes too far at points on the album.  This is just another factor the band will eventually work out on the next album, as they sometimes don’t seem to know when to hold back, pushing songs beyond a point of impact for the listener.

However, don’t end the album without listening to closer, “Fun.”  Yes, it does use that recently popularized style of mundane lyrical songwriting, but there is a touch of real brilliance here.  Some might recall Superdrag or Teenage Fanclub, and fans of those bands will surely love the ending to this album.  All things considered, Happy Birthday’s debut has demonstrated room for growth, with touches of brilliance throughout, so we should expect a solid second outing based on the charms of this beginning.

Download: Happy Birthday – Girls FM [MP3]

Download: Sweet Apple – I’ve Got A Feeling (That Won’t Change) [MP3]

ATH: We’re still rather early in 2010, so what are your band’s expectations or hopes for the rest of the year?

Mike: Some time off!  We did some working out – we’re on tour in the US now and we worked out that when we get home we’ll have had 6 weeks off in the last 7 months!  A couple of weeks of not playing our songs, then a Europe tour in April with our friends Dupec, which we’re very excited about.  Then some new album writing and some summer festivals, then some more writing, then (hopefully) some recording.  We’re pretty excited about all of that…

ATH: Scotland seems like a hotbed for indie acts right now?  How do you fit in and what is the scene really like?

Mike: We really don’t know.  It’s just where we live.  It’s hard to put it in to context because we’ve never lived in Brooklyn, or wherever people say there is a good scene.  There are a lot of bands who do it because they want to be super famous, and there are a lot of bands who do it because they love it, and hang out with each other.  It’s hard to say if that’s what makes a “scene” as you have to assume it’s the same everywhere.  Sorry, this is a stupid, longwinded way of saying “don’t know”!

ATH: There are all kinds of places to play during SXSW, like patios, tiny clubs, large clubs, fields, etc?  Which would you prefer to play in and why?

Mike: It’s nice to have a good mix!  We did a bunch last time, and there was only one we didn’t like that was outdoors.  The show itself was pretty good, but we had an unlucky time with the sun shining on our eyes.  We couldn’t see the lights on our pedals as the sun was shining on them, which doesn’t sound like much but was a bit of a stress.  Playing to a lot of people is amazing but we’d rather play to 10 people who care than 1000 who don’t.

ATH: Are there any bands you want to see why you’re in town for SXSW, or are you just going to go with the flow?

Mike: We learned last year that you have to just “go with the flow”.  We’re playing some shows with our friends Frightened Rabbit and we can’t wait to see them again.  We’re in the second part of our headlining US tour, and the bands we toured with Bad Veins and the Royal Bangs are both playing.  Can’t wait to hang out with them again.  Oh and Bear Hands, who are with us now.  As for people we don’t know, Born ruffians, Japandroids and Holy Fuck would be cool to see…

ATH: You have one twitter post to promote your band at SXSW, what does that post say (140 characters)?

Mike: If you want to see us at SXSW, you can.

Thanks again Mike for answering these questions.  Some free chances to see WWPJP:

03.17 – 3:45pm @  Fader Fort – Fader Party
03.18 – 5pm @ Yard Dog Gallery (1510 South Congress Ave.) - Schubas/Spin Party
03.19 – 1pm @ Mohawk (912 Red River st.) - The Onion / Flower Booking Party (Info. Here)
03.19 – 5pm @ Emo’s East (600 Red River st.) - AAM SXSW Extravaganza (Free with no RSVP)

Download: We Were Promised Jetpacks – A Far Cry [MP3]

Download: Wye Oak – I Hope You Die [MP3]