The Untitled Interview #107 – SXSW Edition: Starring Jessie Stein (The Luyas)

The days are getting longer, the nights are getting shorter and sweeter, and that, my little vixens, can only mean one thing: it's getting close to being almost time for the one and only SXSW. And of course, that means I had to ask some questions of the bands I'd sure want to see if I was heading down to Austin for the 25th annual SXSW-stravaganza.

I had the immense pleasure of seeing Montreal’s The Luyas live not too long ago, and my dear dearests they were sensational. Like many of their Montreal band brethren, the band traverses some interesting sonic territory, but they find a way to make their noise sound rather breathtaking at times. Believe you me. You have to see/hear/experience them for yourselves. Songstress Jessie Stein lets us in on her SXSW plans.

Les Enfants Terribles: How are you getting to SXSW: plane, train, or automobile?
Jessie Stein: Big decal covered diesel van.

LET: Inevitably, you will forget to pack:
JS: My sanity.

LET: How many showcases/parties will you be playing?
JS: 7 or so!

LET: Band you're most looking forward to seeing at the festival?
JS: Cass McCombs.

LET: What's the first thing you plan on doing upon arrival in Austin?
JS: High-fiving the dudes from Dead Oceans cause it's been months. After that, I want to eat a taco.

LET: What was the first festival you ever attended, either as a musician or member of the general public?
JS: The Royal Winter fair in Toronto is an agricultural festival that I was obsessed with from age 8-15. The first time I went to a music festival it was probably Canadian Music Week or something. I was underage and bands snuck me in back entrances of the clubs. It was awesome.

LET: Favorite thing about festivals?
JS: Getting to see and meet other bands, I guess.

mp3: Too Beautiful to Work (The Luyas from Too Beautiful to Work)

100 Shows of 2010 - #95: The Antlers/The Luyas @ Black Cat, 12/4/10

I'm gonna operate under the assumption that everyone knows what an antler is. But a luya? Let alone multiple luyas? Kudos to you if you knew the answer without looking it up. But I digress, as I so often do. All you really need know about The Luyas is that they, like The Antlers with whom they played this here show, are splendid. Delightful. And downright fabulous. It is a lucky girl indeed who can go to a show and experience one great band. But two? I consider myself unfairly lucky on this one, friends. Yessiree.

MINI RECAP: The Luyas = Lovely Loves! The Antlers = Astounding Astounders! Overall Score: A

The Luyas was already raring to go by the time I got parked and got myself out of the cold. To have been greeted by such a glowing, ethereal noise was a beautiful thing indeed. I found them both captivating and extremely interesting, these Luyas. They managed to call to mind my love of British bands of yore with the jangle of the guitar, while maintaining a lovely innocence and naïveté with pretty, sweetly childlike lady vocals. Their songs were complex in arrangement and beautiful to hear. They charmed with banter, too, relaying a hilarious story about hearing a "lucky couple" through the wall of a hotel while on the road who, when finished, put on some post-coital gangsta rap. After brief interludes like that it was back to the enchantment of their dreamlike, haunting tunes. Throwing in the odd dash of funk and fuzz just made me like them even more. Their set was such a delight, full of music with a twinkle in its eye and a skip in its step. It was like listening to a fairytale. As written, perhaps, by Sophia Coppola, perhaps.

When last I saw The Antlers, it was the end of February and they were opening for Editors over there at the 9:30 Club. It was a mighty fine show, and I was mighty looking forward to seeing them headline at the mighty fine Black Cat. And yes, it was just as mighty fine as I had hoped. I loved their set immediately, with the slightly sinister fringes building into one heck of a swell of lovely noise. They strike me as very theatric, this band, with their gloomy, brooding tendencies (in addition to their collective proclivity for making serious noise). I'm thinking I must have kinda forgotten just how very good they were when I saw them with Editors, because they about knocked me over, so fantastic were they. At times, they chased epicness, and it was glorious. Even the songs that weren't quite as sturm und drang felt solemn, but with a little bit of sunshine peeking through the clouds. But really, the bite of intensity this band gets when breaking into a spasm of extra serious rocking out? Sublime, darlings. Sublime.

In conclusion, I can say but this, friends. Goodness gracious me.

mp3: Tiny Head (The Luyas [newish song] - buy debut Faker Death)

mp3: VCR (The xx Cover) (The Antlers - buy shit here) (thanks to Captain Obvious for a mighty fine covers mixtape!)