The music world converged on Austin, Texas today for what is generally viewed as the biggest, bestest music industry event in the world. The thing that makes SXSW so unique is that you not only know you’re going to see some great bands you’ve had your eye on, but you’re also going to discover some great new bands. There are so many playing all over town all day for four straight days, so you can’t help but just stumble upon some cool new sounds.

This was the case early on when the line to try and see Broken Bells’ 1:00pm Red River garage show was too long to get in. I wandered over to the Mohawk up the street and there was a band throwing down a strong sound with some Neil Young/Crazy Horse vibes, and some of that My Morning Jacket kind of vibe. It was Yukon Blonde from Vancouver BC. Good stuff.

The line at the Forcefield PR/Terrorbird Media day party at Red 7 was also way too long, so again I wandered up the street and heard some Beatles coming out of Jaime’s Spanish Village, a Mexican restaurant across the street from Stubbs BBQ. It has a small patio where The Eggmen where dishing out the Beatles tunes, which sounded great on a warm sunny afternoon. It was a rotating lineup, with seven musicians up there for great readings of “I’m Only Sleeping,” “Fixing a Hole,” “From Me to You” and “All You Need is Love.”

I waited in a crazy 45-minute line to get into the Levis/Fader Fort, because I wanted to see Philadelphia band Free Energy. The band’s studio stuff sounds amazing, but it was too bad they didn’t seem able to match it live. They have great gear, great looks and a great name, but something in the musicianship seemed lacking. Maybe I’ll give them another shot on Friday. The venue was pimped out though, dubbed by one fan as “a funhouse for hipsters.”

Walking past the Independent up the street, I heard the call of a bluesy sound, the Maldives from Seattle were rocking out, also with a Crazy Horse vibe, and maybe some Ryan Adams & the Cardinals influence. The Canadian Blast tent outside by the registrants lounge closed out with Plants and Animals, who blended reverb-y vocals with a cool groove to close their set. Austin’s own Strange Boys packed Emo’s Jr for an 8:00 set of their retro ’60s-style garage rock. There were moments, but I don’t think it was really my thing.

Jonneine Zapata out of Los Angeles caught my attention first with her name and then with her powerful voice at the Red Eyed Fly. This is a great little venue with nice outdoor stage where Zapata and her band rocked the stage with a powerful bluesy sound that recalled Concrete Blonde.

Here We Go Magic packed Club Deville for a 9:00 set. The sound was excellent although the songs kept seeming like they were building up to something that never came. They were doing something right though, as the indie rock crowd seemed to dig it.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings tore up the stage at Stubbs BBQ, with the great band throwing down ’60s and ’70s-influenced funk behind the soul queen. This was the first major highlight of the day.

I caught up with Broken Bells when they followed Jones at Stubbs and James Mercer of The Shins led the band through a collection of tunes that sounded pretty Shins-y, with maybe more synth and less guitar. But when they added some more guitar toward the end, it was even better.

I bailed waiting for Spoon at Stubbs to go back to Emos main for Nas & Damian Marley. Mixing the hip-hop with the reggae was a slamming formula for the really packed crowd, who loved every minute. This is the new duo to watch out for in 2010, what a great set! It was all too brief though, leaving me able to catch the end of Spoon’s set. These guys confuse me. They play three songs in a row that are kind of blah, and then just when you’re about ready to give up on them they throw down a great rocker. Then they play two or three more blah, than some dope groove. Strange formula.

Compared to last year, this first day was so-so at first, picking up toward the end. Things looked primed to pick up tomorrow though, stay tuned…

RIYL: Mark Ronson, Al Green, Elton John

It is said that late is better than never, but in an industry where timing is everything, the decision to push Love & War, the solo debut of Australian soul singer Daniel Merriweather – it is actually his second album; his first one remains unreleased – to 2010 is a curious one. If memory serves, the first word to come out about the album dropped in late 2007, presumably to take advantage of the buzz surrounding Merriweather’s performance of the Smiths’ “Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” on Mark Ronson’s album Version, released earlier that year. So what gives?

Our best guess: too many ballads. Love & War sounds exactly like you would expect a Mark Ronson-produced Daniel Merriweather album to sound. The arrangements are vintage soul and cutting-edge recording techniques at the same time, and Merriweather, who sounds like a soulful version of UB40’s Ali Campbell, emotes the ever-loving daylights out of these songs. The results are consistently pleasant and occasionally stunning, notably the horn-drenched “Change,” the Al Green-ish “Getting Out,” and the “California Dreamin’”-cribbing “Could You.” Give Merriweather credit for aiming high – the opening track “For Your Money” sports half a dozen key changes – but a few more shifts in tempo would have worked wonders. (J Records 2010)

Daniel Merriweather MySpace page
Click to buy Love & War from Amazon

RIYL: Tom Tom Club, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, the Boneshakers

In a perfect world, Was (Not Was) would be celebrating its 30th anniversary with something other than a vault-polishing compilation on a label known for reissuing old K-Tel records and The Best of the Five Man Electrical Band – but then, this is a band that has always reveled in the odd and inappropriate, so it’s only fitting that the band is celebrating its most recent milestone by giving us Pick of the Litter 1980-2010. It isn’t as good as a new album, but as far as reheated leftovers go, Litter ain’t bad, either in terms of breadth (19 tracks, culled from across the band’s entire catalog) or selection (five non-album mixes, including the 12â€� version of “Wheel Me Outâ€� and the 7â€� version of “Out Come the Freaksâ€�). Was (Not Was) has also never received a proper anthology, so this set actually fills a need for that small subset of the population that has warped enough taste to appreciate the band’s cracked dance music, but has somehow never bought any of its albums. A microscopic market, maybe, but Pick of the Litter still hangs together better than it has any right to, considering it contains vocal performances from Mel Torme, Leonard Cohen, Kim Basinger, and Ozzy Osbourne – and still makes plenty of room for the peerless Sir Harry Bowens and Sweet Pea Atkinson, whose dash of grit was always the cornerstone of the band’s appeal. Novelty tracks aside, Was (Not Was) helped keep soul music alive in the ‘80s. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about those “Walk the Dinosaurâ€� guys, here’s the perfect place to start learning. (Micro Werks 2010)

Was (Not Was) MySpace page

RIYL: India.Arie, Des’ree, Roberta Flack

Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled debut was a Starbucks hit, selling nearly two million copies on the strength of the immediate chord it struck with fans of vaguely jazzy, vaguely folky pop singers like Norah Jones. It also took its share of lumps for being yet another in the chain of politely soulful albums that have flooded the marketplace over the last five years or so; though it showed flashes of real talent, VH1-ready singles like “Put Your Records On� put Rae across as pleasant at best.

Well, whatever else you might be able to say about it, Rae’s sophomore effort, The Sea, isn’t pleasant – like the body of water it’s named after, this is a collection of songs that might sometimes seem placid on the surface, but which boast unfathomable, often stormy depths. It’s an album steeped in grief, shadowed by death, and wrapped in yards of delicate, folk-and-jazz-tinged arrangements. Even on the album’s more up-tempo tracks, such as “Paper Dolls,� there’s an overwhelming sense of something – probably Rae – about to break. Even if you just play The Sea in the background, you’ll catch hints of its disquieting vibe.

All for good reason, of course – as you may recall, Rae’s husband died unexpectedly in 2008, and many of these songs find her coping – seemingly quite directly – with her loss. It’s always a mistake to treat albums like these as the artists’ personal diaries, but when the first track is titled “Are You Here� and features lines like “Are you here? Because my heart recalls that it all feels the same�…well, you get the idea.

So yes, The Sea is a rather dark and stormy record, but it’s never maudlin; partly on account of Rae’s vocals, which are lighter than air at their heaviest, the music’s grief never threatens to overwhelm the songs. That being said, a little overwhelming might not be such a bad thing – Rae’s aesthetic is one of slight shifts and slighter melodies, and if you’ve previously dismissed her work, it’s hard to hear much here that’ll change your mind. Perhaps more importantly, if you loved Corinne Bailey Rae, this album’s darker tone might be off-putting. Rae deserves applause for pouring so much of herself into these songs; still, even after you’ve plumbed its depths, it’s hard not to wish The Sea’s surfaces weren’t so calm. (Capitol Records 2010)

Corinne Bailey Rae MySpace page

RIYL Cassandra Wilson, Grace Potter, Patty Larkin

Advance word to the contrary, Norah Jones’ fourth album shows a marked change in approach but little difference in attitude. Stirring up the ambiance with synths, effects, beats and a general trend towards more modern programming tools, Jones lays out a steady series of laments about traitorous lovers and ruined relationships with a distinct emphasis on disillusionment in general. Titles like “Stuck,â€� “I Wouldn’t Need Youâ€� and “You’ve Ruined Meâ€� offer an early hint of her malfunctioning mindset, but lines like “If I touched myself the way you touched me…then I wouldn’t need you,â€� speak directly to her disappointment. Conversely, the carnival-like atmosphere of “Chasing Pirates,â€� the practically jaunty “Tell Yer Mamaâ€� and the propulsive duo of “Young Bloodâ€� and “It’s Gonna Beâ€� prove a welcome respite from the deathly serious tact that Jones helped trademark on her three earlier albums.

And while there’s still ample evidence of that wounded, torch song set-up imbued in “Manhattan,â€� “Even Though,â€� “I Wouldn’t Need Youâ€� and “Waiting,â€� even her more sobering perspectives seem somewhat more illuminated, given fuller arrangements that detract attention from her solitary keyboard and instead steer the proceedings towards the emphatic strum of her electric guitar. Ending the album on a lighter note that finds her offering an ode to her dog – the winsome “Man of the Hourâ€� – shows that for her all her trepidation and turmoil, Jones has the capability of picking herself up, no matter how serious the fall. Blue Note 2009

Norah Jones MySpace page

RIYL: Sam & Dave, Al Green, Solomon Burke

In an era when pretenders to the R&B throne spring up like swine flu in the local emergency room, it only takes a glance back at Otis Redding’s career to remind us that no one has ever managed to recapture his electrifying, unfettered energy and passion. Like Sam Cooke, James Brown, Aretha, the Four Tops, the Tempts, Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke, Otis was one of a kind: a man who relied not on gimmicks or false sentiment, but a genuine, explosive talent that took every song to the precipice between triumph and tragedy. From the stage at Monterrey to ballrooms across the nation and venues around the world, Otis proved he was the ultimate interpreter of gritty, sweat-stoked, heart-wrenching soul, a man whose fiery appeal transcended race or nationality, rock or R&B.

As with many other incendiary talents, Redding’s career was an abbreviated one, cut short in a tragic plane crash in December 1967 — mere months after he electrified a mostly white Monterey audience that had also witnessed Hendrix, Joplin, the Byrds and the Springfield. Ironically, his biggest breakthrough, the moving “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,â€� wouldn’t even pierce the charts until after his demise. Still, the classics he left behind in a relatively short period earned him a permanent presence in the lexicon of great contemporary singers — one who is yet to be bested, and likely never will.

Shout/Rhino’s new two-disc compilation — boasting a CD of greatest hits and a DVD of live performances captured the year before Redding’s death — provides a brief summary of the man’s brilliance; a mere introduction at best. The numbers forever identified with Redding make the cut: “Dock of the Bay,â€� of course, “Respect,â€� “Try a Little Tenderness,â€� “I’ve been Loving You Too Longâ€� — the better-known songs that defined Otis’ magnetism and his ability to adroitly shift from finesse to frenzy. Watching him drive himself with such exhilaration and determination, as seen on the video performances of “Shakeâ€� and “Satisfactionâ€� (each included twice on the DVD for good measure), verifies the emotion he exuded each time he took the stage.

A singer for the ages, Otis had a talent that was eternal. In the face of such greatness, “brilliance” is an adjective that doesn’t even begin to suffice. Pick up this package, and you’ll quickly understand why. (Shout! Factory 2009)

Shout Factory website

RIYL: Temptations, Mavis Staples, Al Green

Long revered in gospel circles but never more than teetering on the fringes of popular appeal, the Blind Boys of Alabama opt for a strategy not unlike others in the same predicament, namely, to co-opt some popular names and join forces in a series of duets. While such a stance often diminishes the artists in question, here they find some favorable symmetry even though they’re mostly forced to take a supporting role in the proceedings. The mesh is especially ideal when they’re paired with reggae great Toots Hibbert (“Perfect Peace�), Solomon Burke (“None of Us Are Free�) and Ben Harper (“Take My Hand�), each of whom possess the power, conviction and singing style as their musical hosts. Likewise, its no wonder that Lou Reed’s “Jesus� is the most stirring song he’s offered since his days with the Velvets.

Unfortunately, handing the spotlight to guest stars does have its drawbacks; when lumped in the company of other eloquent voices – Susan Tedeschi on the powerful “Magnificent Sanctuary Band,â€� Bonnie Raitt with the eloquent “When the Spell Is Brokenâ€� and Timothy B. Schmidt on the ballad “Secular Praiseâ€� – it’s hard not to shake the impression that the Blind Boys are merely along for the ride, relegated to the role of hired hands on their own album. Wisely, the producers confine most of the material to an inspirational context, those soaring gospel harmonies being at their best in the service of faith and belief. Here’s hoping that by linking their fortunes to these marquee names, the Blind Boys of Alabama not only rally their faithful but rouse non-believers as well. (Saguaro Road 2009)

Blind Boys of Alabama website

RIYL: Aretha Franklin, Christina Aguilera, Sly & the Family Stone

British soul singer Joss Stone’s fourth album finds her mining some familiar territory, but also stepping out with a variety of collaborations that touch on fresh ground. Opening track and lead single “Free Meâ€� sets the tone with a feel-good, funky soul rock number that Stone does as well as anyone these days. Later tracks like “Incredibleâ€� and “You Got the Loveâ€� also mine upbeat funky grooves where Stone’s dynamic voice really shines. The sounds of the early ’70s are well represented on R&B lament “Could Have Been Youâ€� and “Parallel Lines,â€� which opens with some electric piano funk that recalls Stevie Wonder’s classic “Superstition.â€� No less than Jeff Beck adds tasty guitar fills while Sheila E. provides the backing vocals for one of the album’s best tracks.

“4 and 20â€� is a playful ballad not about the sweet leaf, but Stone’s desire for a man to prove his love 24 hours a day. Raphael Saadiq chips in vocals on “Big Ole Game,â€� a funky mid-tempo tune with a sexy vibe, while hip-hop ace Nas helps Stone out on “Governmentalist,â€� a socially conscious number with a dirty blues-funk sound that would fit right in on the “Dead Presidents” soundtrack. “Trying to find the truth behind the lies,â€� sings Stone, before Nas comes in to talk smack about cops, the FDA and others who try to keep the people down – “Governmentalists killed the Kennedies, I heard that Joss Stone got the remedy,â€� raps Nas. David Sanborn contributes some big sax lines to the old school Bo Diddley-type blues of “I Believe It to My Soul,â€� and Jamie Hartman trades vocals with Stone on moody ballad “Stalemate.â€�

Colour Me Free finds Stone, still just 22 years old, continuing to expand her sonic palette in a world that would seem to be her oyster. The fact that she’s also willing to take a deeper look at that world on a tune like “Governmentalistâ€� shows that she’s got a lot more happening upstairs than most of her pop contemporaries as well. (EMI 2009)

Joss Stone MySpace page

The eighth annual Austin City Limits Music Festival was apparently unlike any that preceded it, due to the dates being pushed back from September to early October. This meant that temperatures were not sweltering into triple digits. The lawn at Zilker Park had also received a fresh facelift of “golf course�-quality grass, to help cut down on dust complaints. This made for an idyllic first day of the festival, when the high temperature was just above 80 degrees. But persistent rain on the second day brought a new obstacle to deal with – mud, and lots of it. Much of the park was a mucky mess by the third day, even after the rain had stopped, although without the new grass the park probably would have been one giant mud pit. No one was really complaining about the rain though, since Texas has been suffering through its worst drought in 50 years. Neither rain nor mud nor fatigue would deter 70,000 music fans from getting their fill – this is, after all, the “live music capital of the world,� due to the fact that Austin hosts more music venues per capita than any other city.

The festival featured an incredibly diverse line-up, covering just about every genre under the sun. Those with the stamina and inclination could also check out after-show parties, featuring a number of festival bands playing late night shows at clubs around town. And in one of the greatest festival amenities of all time, ACL even had a football tent that made it possible, at certain times, to watch football and music at the same time! With eight stages (if you included the Austin Kiddie Limits stage), it was a weekend of tough choices – Ghostland Observatory vs. the Dave Matthews Band, Coheed and Cambria vs. Phoenix, Medeski Martin and Wood vs. the Avett Brothers, the Decemberists vs. Sound Tribe Sector 9, Ben Harper & Relentless7 vs. Dead Weather, etc. But having too many options is all part of the fun.

Friday, October 2
School of Seven Bells, Livestrong Stage
The combo of twins Ally and Claudia Deheza with former Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis makes for a trio that puts out a big sound despite taking the stage with just two guitars and a synthesizer. The Deheza sisters deliver dreamy harmonies that resonate in majestic fashion when mixed with a variety of synthesizers, mostly up-tempo beats and lots of echo and reverb. Their voices were occasionally in danger of getting obscured in the wet sound mix, but the overall effect was impressive in the way the sisters’ voices approximated an angelic choir.

Blitzen Trapper, Dell Stage
The Portland-based sextet has been building a strong buzz over the past couple years and this drew a big crowd to check out the band’s rootsy but still rocking sound. Some of the tunes were more acoustic-flavored, while others had an Americana blues rock flavor that recalled Ryan Adams & the Cardinals or Conor Oberst. The band’s melodic hooks and soulful vocals were a hit, with “Big Black Birdâ€� making a particular impression as electric guitar, harmonica and melodic vocals combined for one of the set’s catchiest tunes.

The Avett Brothers, AMD Stage
This was the second biggest stage and while the Avett Brothers’ unique brand of Americana, melodic pop and punk energy has made them a rising buzz band, their sound didn’t seem to translate so well to such a large venue. Playing to tens of thousands of people with just banjo, upright bass and acoustic guitar is definitely a challenge. I would have ventured closer to the North Carolina band to see if that made any difference, but I couldn’t help but feel pulled away to the Livestrong Stage.

One of the many undeniable appeals of New York singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw is his sultry, soulful voice, layered with a raw poignancy and surprising sincerity, that’s effortlessly wound around every melody to seep through his lips.  The J Records superstar has been on a decidedly major-label track since his debut release Chariot in 2003, and made the choice to scale back the production on his latest LP, Free.  DeGraw told Billboard,

“I just wanted to make a legitimate record, an artist’s record for an artist’s fans.  I didn’t want to saturate the tracks with overdubs and flying guitars and unicorns and shit. I wanted to keep everything out of the way and allow the songs to really be about what the songs are fundamentally, which is music and lyrics.”"

The result is a ten-song deep journey into DeGraw’s soul that may not find a place on the charts immediately, but will definitely satiate even the pickiest of fan pallets.

Billboard.com wrote,

“While making “Free” DeGraw reached back into his catalog to include early compositions such as “Dancing Shoes” and “Glass,” which have not been released but have become fan favorites through his live shows. He also finished a couple of songs, “Mountains to Move” and “Stay,” in the studio, [and] covered the late Chris Whitley’s “Indian Summer” as the album’s opening track.â€�

The combination of old material and newly reconstructed studio tracks suits DeGraw perfectly, and certainly lends to his credibility as a songwriter.

Free begins with a cover of the late Chris Whitley’s “Indian Summer,� a song that Entertainment Weekly called, “slow-burning.� There’s definite passion in DeGraw’s vocal that carries magnificently to the other nine tracks.  The title track follows with heartfelt lyrics like, “I am heartbreak and romance/the feather and the stone/I feel crowded/and alone/and I wanna be free…� His voice is pristine on Free but there’s still a sexy edge that leaves you wanting more.

The unfortunate draw-back to Free is the lack of tempo change.  Song after song is undeniably passionate and from the heart, but there’s little excitement in the arrangements, save a few shining moments on, “Lover Be Strong.�

DeGraw did manage to save an old gem for this record that’s reminiscent of Mark Cohen’s, “Walkin’ In Memphis.�  “Dancing Shoes� begins with a delicate piano and escalates into one of the only piercing hooks on the record.

While this may not be an official follow-up to hi 2008 release, Gavin DeGraw has proven his staying power with Free.  The label surprisingly supported it, critics seem confused by it, but fans love it, and in a world without frills that’s all that matters.  DeGraw’s brooding melodies and soulful expressiveness have satiated pop/rock appetites with for years, and Free is no exception.  A little old school, a dash of new, and heaping spoonful of authenticity makes this relaxed-fit album the perfect addition to his catalog.

If you’re into smooth melodies and passionate lyrics, make sure you check out this album, and please, do yourself a favor and give it more than just one listen.  Free is definitely worth it.