Crib Notes

Austin, Texas, garage-punk quartet the Strange Boys craft a primitive, lo-fi rock and roll sound that’s both dirty and addictive. At its most predictable moments, the group comes across like a Lone Star state little brother to the Black Lips. But when they’re on, they’re on. Their In the Red Records debut, The Strange Boys and Girls Club, unleashes a psychedelic post-punk jam that’s part Texas psychedelia and part slow, Southern post-punk. Carnivores and the N.E.C. also perform.

$8. 8:30 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404-522-3950.

Before their proper show at the Earl the Strange Boys are playing a free acoustic show across the street at Reactionary Records at 6:30 p.m.

“Heard You Want to Beat Me Up” mp3

(Photo courtesy of In the Red Records)

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“Haven’t you talked enough today?” Ian McCulloch, lead singer of Echo and the Bunnymen, asked the audience at Emo’s in Austin last night. He was in a typically dour mood, playing their late-night set clad in a pair of dark sunglasses and a heavy, black pea coat that didn’t make much since in Austin heat.

Despite all the industry schmoozing that seems to happen in the room of every single show at SXSW, Echo played an absolutely killer set to an otherwise rapt, packed crowd last night. FLickr has a ton of photos from the event.

The shows at Emo’s were among the biggest draws last night — a big line formed to see actress Juliette Lewis prance around in a cape with her new band Juliette and the New Romantiques. I wasn’t exactly impressed. The Leafy Green showcase next door at Emo’s Jr. had a great back-to-back line up, with sets from creepy folksters Larkin Grimm, recent Sub-Pop signees Vetiver, and San Francisco newcomers Sleepy Sun.

We missed Atlanta hero Janelle Monae last night, but we’re really happy to see Rolling Stone giving her some much deserved blog love.

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Austin Showlist is running one of the more accurate and discerning lists of shows taking place throughout the week at SXSW this year that won’t require SXSW credentials, and probably no admission fee.

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This week, half of the people who work on the Internet, half of the people who write about music in North America, and half of your friends are all going to head to Austin, Tex. for the sweaty, drunken party known as South By Southwest.

A few of us from Creative Loafing are making the drive and plan on watching about 1,000 bands, drinking 1,000 Lone Star beers, and swimming in the Barton Springs Pool. Out of all the bands playing, we’re excited about a few of them more than all the others. Check out more videos of our favorite new bands after the jump.

Sleepy Sun might be the best new rock band from San Francisco. They’re a bunch of young kids on their first cross-country tour, so expect some serious enthusiasm and a potential disaster wherever they go. This live clip is a psychedelic mind-blower.

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