As the stage was being set up and a cello and an accordion came onto the scene, I knew I was going to love Murder by Death. I wasn’t wrong, as they opened with a rousing song about “Kentucky Bourbon,” that got the audience jumping and clapping. Throughout the entire show they delivered an energetic performance that utilized their diverse instrumentation in a unique way. Plucked cello lines harmonized with subtle accordion and keys to create the backdrop for energetic acoustic guitar strumming, bass and drums. One unique feature of Murder by Death’s live shows is that they prefaced a lot of their songs with the story behind them. “I Came Around,” one of the band’s newer releases, recounted the story of “going to the funeral of an asshole just to spite him, only to later find out that you were wrong about him.” Instrumentally sound with a strong storytelling heritage, Murder by Death delivered an honest and sincere performance of good old american folk music.

Post by Kyle Henson. His DJ show “The Roots of Pop” airs Sundays at 6 p.m.

One would not expect that a girl as small and cute as the Joy Formidable’s Rhiannon Bryan would be able to rock as hard as she did last night at the Say Media Party at the Speakeasy. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from the Joy Formidable, but they delivered one of the tightest, most intense performances I’ve ever seen. Song after song seemed to die down and come to a close, only to be revived in a flurry of cymbals and catchy guitar melodies that got the audience more amped than any that I’ve seen. What impressed me the most about the Joy Formidable wasn’t the energy they exuded or that both the bassist and guitarist boldly pounded on the drum kit’s cymbals with their fists; the unbelievable chemistry between the three members of the Joy Formidable was simply inspiring to see. They were all perfectly in sync with each other, they fed off of each other’s energy and they were having a great time not just performing, but performing with each other. After opening with a slew of loud, harder songs, they gave themselves and the audience a much-needed break with a sweet acoustic track called, “Silent Treatment.” After the song ended, they brought the energy right back with a rousing drum fill that later joined the bass and electric guitar to created the deafening, energetic symphony of distortion that we had become accustomed to.The Joy Formidable are great performers and anyone at SXSW should definitely go check out one of their live shows. They don’t disappoint.

Post by Kyle Henson. His DJ show “The Roots of Pop” airs Sundays at 6 p.m.

Anamanaguchi: Two Opinions

Mohawk Austin is a derelict, intimate venue on the corner of Red River Street and East 11th St. While the inside was trendy and welcoming, I can’t say the same of the crowd and the music. Monday’s free showcase, hosted by Tumblr, featured artists such as Portugal.The Man,Cloud Nothings, UME, and Orthy; these acts sounded alright for the two hours I spent in line, but once inside, I was disenchanted with the quality of both the audience and the performers. The headliner on the inner stage was Anamanaguchi, a chip rock band from New York City that makes synth-based on tropes from 1980s video games (you can check out more of their music here). Besides the fact that their songs were abrasive and repetitive, the crowd was rowdy. For 15 minutes I pushed my way to the front, only to be tackled by two crowdsurfers and an over-zealous mosher, and I left at 1 a.m. drenched in beer, water, and other people’s sweat. I can respect other people’s appreciation for this kind of music, and I think that, had I been a couple of beers deep and earlier to get to the show, I might have reacted differently. Despite my negative review of the show, I will say this:  Mohawk’s charm alone is enough to bring me back. I’m looking forward to some of the more low-key performances that will be held here throughout the festival.

— Chloe Lula

Last night, Anamanaguchi performed live at the Mohawk, courtesy of the Tumblr Party. The crowd, which had been relatively passive for the act beforehand, erupted with excitement. While the people I was with stayed towards the sides and the back of the room, I jumped straight into the throng of the mosh, which was in full swing as soon as the first chord was struck. Compared to the bodies being thrown around in the crowd, the band seemed relatively calm, even though they were all doing their separate jigs around the stage, with the exception of the drummer, who seemed to have a different article of clothing to take off per song.

The band played a lot of new songs from their forthcoming album, Endless Fantasy. They claimed it was their first time playing a few of them and that was a bit apparent at some points, since there were a couple missed cues and dropped notes, but they typically went unnoticed by the crowd, and I often attributed to the minor mistakes to the band just being awkward (which I expect from a bunch of white guys making video game music). They also played some older songs, to which the crowd greeted with great fervor. Among these were “Helix Nebula,” “Airbrushed,” and their most recent single, “Meow,” which was the closer.

By the end of the concert I was drenched in sweat (provided by me), water (provided by the band), beer (provided by the crowd), and more sweat (also provided by the crowd). It wasn’t the wildest mosh I’ve ever been in, partly, I’m guessing, due to what I’m pretty sure were high school-aged kids in the crowd, but that didn’t bother me in the slightest. If anything, I appreciated it, as it meant I could listen to the music and watch the band play, rather than endlessly worrying about someone knocking off my glasses with a loose elbow. It was a good show, and no one died (thanks to me, of course). Anamanaguchi is playing five other shows this week, so I would be surprised if I didn’t see them at least a second time.

— Ryan Black (His DJ show “Zusammenschluss” airs Sundays at 5 p.m.)