Friday Breakfast Taco

Today's breakfast taco is brought to you by Maria's Taco X-Press, where the migas chorizo taco ought to come with a lifetime supply of Metamucil and a coupon for a colonoscopy, but doesn't.

So it is a sunny Friday in March and anyone in Austin not playing hooky is presumably already unemployed. During Lent season, March Madness, SXSW and St. Patty's Day preparation are the March trinity of slackerdom in a city that, having been where the original Slacker was filmed, is a qualified expert on the matter.

So, with my apologies for being so late in posting, here is today's guide on where to get your slack on in the ATX. Those chained to their cubicles probably already know about this, but if not, CBS is streaming March Madness live here. I found out about this late and am currently #8,753 in waiting to get admission. Yay, streaming video!

Regardless, your SXSW plat du jour:

For my money, which is couch change, the parties are the way to rock econo. Pretty much any band you'd want to see in the evening is playing for free during the day and, as often as not, you don't need a pass, RSVP or anything else to get in on some free beer and music. This tidbit was not lost on a few homeless types, who made it into the IODA showcase and helped themselves to some free tamales, quesadillas and Tecate.

Of the parties, my recommendations are:

The Jane Magazine party on 401 Guadalupe, which will feature Sloan, who are great, have been around forever and yet never get their due, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that they're from someplace like Labrador or Newfoundland. Edit: Dang! Just noticed that this is invite only.

Sinister Records, The TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls and OmniRox Entertainment are throwing down at Momo's on 6^th. On tap are several bands I've never heard of and, more importantly, the chance to "meet and hang out with your favorite TXRD Lonestar Rollergirl." Sold!

Texas Roller Derby: Feel the love.

Four blocks west on 6^th, at Friends, the Berklee College of Music presents Heavy Rotation Records release party for Dorm Sessions IV with Kid:Nap:Kin and Madi Diaz (as seen in the film Rock School) and the Pete Townshend Rewind, which features "rock, rap, folk, and jazz alumni re-arranging and windmilling through Townsend and Who album cuts and classics." Performers include Melissa Ferrick, the Scot Amendola Band, Amanda Mosher, Cassavettes, Death Ships, Steve Dawson, When Girls Collide, Stephanie Delk, Sarah Sharp, Audible Mainframe, and more.

The Aussies usually thrown a quality SXSW and this year's edition sounds promising: at Brush Square Park, the Australian Music Collective ("the engine driving Australian music to the world") will feature I Heart Hiroshima, Panda Band, Dallas Crane, Children Collide, Expatriate, Hoodoo Gurus, You Am I, Airbourne, Wolf & Cub, Spod, and Beasts Of Bourbon. Dallas Crane cameo'd Wednesday at a party at the Scoot Inn on the east side and, in spite of it being an impromptu performance with someone else's instruments, they killed. Hoodoo Gurus are a sentimental favorite from my days as a junior-high alt-rock geek in the late '80s. Show me some emotion, bitches!

A Clueless Outsider’s Guide to SXSW, pt. duh

Zounds! Two days, two posts. I'm bordering on the prolific here, although that border is still an ocean. Anyway, rock 'n' roll and a ravenous – albeit minute – readership demand more guidance on where to its wrists stamped at South By Southwest. With Wednesday's SXSW installment in the can, onward to Thursday's meager-by-comparison South By shenanigans.

The Austin Music Hall brings a triple dose of Alejandro Escovedo – quadruple when you count Buick MacKane, which you should. The AE String Quartet starts things off at 7 p.m., followed by Jon Langford and Sally Timms "recalling the Mekons" (no indication of whether that means a live dose of Fear and Whiskey or just some fond remembrances). Al retakes the stage at 8:15 for what looks like a 15-minute solo set, followed by Future Clouds & Radar (again, no description given). At 9:30 Al takes the stage again, this time with his acoustic band, for 30 minutes. Poi Dog Pondering plays an hour set at 10 p.m. And then we get our rock on, as Buick MacKane, Al's erstwhile glam-punk project, gets on at 11 p.m. I missed Escovedo's set with Ian Hunter at SXSW '05 or '06, which I'm sure was epic. But this might be the next best thing for those of us who love Al's Stooges-Velvets-Mott side.

The Blender Bar at the Ritz features The Sights, Robbers on High Street and Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. I've heard good things about VietNam, who are playing as part of the Kemado showcase at Bourbon Rocks on 6^th.

Buffalo Billiards is noteworthy for featuring '80s indie vet and '90s alt-rock casualty Bob Mould, who will go on at 9 p.m. Following him is a showcase for Barsuk Records, who gave the world Death Cab for Cutie. I don't know any of the bands playing this time around, but that's nothing new. Chances are, if they're on Barsuk, they'll be a good name to be dropping six months from now, or sooner.

Yep Roc will bring their customary dose of Americana thunder to the Continental Club, with Jim Lauderdale, John Doe and Los Straitjackets closing things up in that order, starting at 11 p.m.

Thomas Dolby, of "She Blinded Me With Science" fame, will be at the Elysium on Red River at 9 p.m. Sheesh … did I mention that the new season of The Office starts on Thursday night? I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin' …

There are signs of life at La Zona Rosa, where Architecture in Helsinki and What Made Milwaukee Famous are playing. Also, someone who took a sensational name from right under my nose – Elvis Perkins – is playing as well.

The Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar and Dead Oceans labels are hosting an interesting showcase at Mohawk Patio on Red River at 9^th, featuring I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness and Okkervil River.

Ah, here's something worth coming out for: The Norton Records showcase at Red 7 on East 7^th. I want to give special mention to the Reigning Sound, gods of the Memphis garage rock scene who apparently relocated to Asheville, NC, in 2004. Given Asheville's hippie leanings, I'm a little mystified by the move, but, judging from the band's MySpace page, the granola doesn't seemed to have dulled the band's edge. Frontman Greg Cartwright also founded Memphis legends the Oblivians and the Compulsive Gamblers. Fans of Mitch Ryder-style blue-eyed soul and Nuggets-style garage-psych will anoint the Reigning Sound the best thing that's ever happened to them. Also on the bill is the Dexter Romweber Duo, which I would expect doesn't venture too far from the footprint of Romweber's old band, Athens stalwarts the Flat Duo Jets. And then there's Sam the Sham of "Woolly Bully" fame and The Alarm Clocks, who you've probably never heard of but who gave us "No Reason to Complain" in 1966. Seems like a can't-miss show all around.

Bloc Party are at Stubb's. I'm kinda over these guys, not that I'd be able to get in there anyway.

Iggy lurks, Champeen roars and Charlie Louvin is among us. Are You? A Clueless Outsider’s Guide to SXSW ’07, pt. 1

It's March in the 512, which means Austin is fully in the throes of the glorious schmoozing orgy of indie rock-film-interactive goodness that are the South By Southwest Festivals. I haven't been since 2004, when, under the pretense of being a "consultant" (I use that word loosely, but, then again, doesn't everyone?), I had a platinum pass and thus carte blanche to pretty much everything, unless Modest Mouse was playing at La Zona Rosa and the other thousand people in line also had the same carte blanche.

Regardless, I'm rolling proletariat-style for this year's SXSW, mostly trying to scam my way into a few parties, hitting a few free events and generally looking from the outside in. Which is fine, because, when you're in your 30s and employed full-time in something besides the music industry, most of what goes down at SXSW will fly right over your head.

Take the lineup for Wednesday, when things really get going: The Merge showcase at Antone's will get its share of the hipoisie and I've heard of Ladybug Transistor and Imperial Teen. I'm guessing the "Special Guests from Austin TX" playing at 1 a.m. are Spoon. It's probably worth gambling on a day pass to find out, but, then again, if I'm right, no one with a day pass is getting in there.

The Austin Music Awards is solid and old-school. I only know Bobby Whitlock from Derek and the Dominoes, but the Tex Mex Experience with the Texas Tornadoes and Sam the Sham sounds too cool to miss. That's at 10:05 p.m. at the Austin Music Hall. Also noteworthy are Ian McLagan and the Bump Band. As a big Faces fan, I'm ashamed to admit I haven't seen McLagan yet during my time in Austin.

As per usual, the Emo's will be cooler than Lou Reed stranded on Pluto. I might skip the Victory Records showcase Wednesday evening at the Annex (but that's a personal preference), but the Annex will be rocking in the afternoon thanks to IODA's opening day bash. Yes, I'm shilling for a client, IODA, but the event is also a great cross-section of IODA's considerable roster and is not limited to a single label. Do it. Also within the Emo's footprint is the Sub Pop showcase at Emo's IV Lounge, the Beggar's Banquet showcase at Emo's Jr., and the 4AD showcase at Emo's Main Room, which will feature the only band I've heard of at Emo's: The Mountain Goats. As this will be the Goats' only set at SXSW (although they might play some satellite parties that I'm not cool enough to know about), I doubt many day pass holders will bear witness to their spectral majesty. Or see their set.

Hollywood Indie Dim Mak, which broke Bloc Party, will be kickin' it at Flamingo Cantina. I've never heard of any of their acts, but label honcho Steve Aoki will be spinning between sets as DJ Steve Aoki Kid Millionare, so there's that.

The White Ghost Shivers are playing Molotov Lounge and I can recommend them pretty heartily, especially to anyone who's a fan of any combination of Depression-era jazz, honky-tonk and burlesque.

And then there's Charlie Louvin, who's playing the Parish at 8 p.m. If you haven't heard of him, you've probably heard his songs performed by Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Uncle Tupelo and all of their alt-country progeny. I don't have the space to do justice to the Louvin Brothers' legacy and their impact on country music, but I'll note what a colossal blessing it is that Charlie, who pre-dates Johnny Cash and who will turn 80 in July, will be with us in Austin this year. Definitely a must-see. Also on tap at the Parish is the Wylie Lama himself and author of the immortal "Redneck Mother," Ray Wylie Hubbard, who takes the stage at midnight.

Tearing it up at Room 710 on Red River will be the In Music We Trust showcase, which I recommend principally for Grand Champeen, former high school classmates of mine who carry the flag high for Bob Stinson-era Replacements, cheap beer, dive bars and sweaty riff-rock. Battle Cry for Help and The One That Brought You are the kinds of offhand classics you wish Paul Westerberg remembered how to make. Check out their performance from last year's SXSW at the Red Eyed Fly in my VodPod section along the left of this blog.