March in the actual world might be known for St. Patrick’s Day or warmer weather (hopefully), or a certain kind of basketball madness, but in the music world, it’s all about one thing: the SXSW music festival and conference in Austin, Texas. Perhaps the biggest and most indulgent exercise in industry self-love ever to be conceived, it’s basically filled with huge megastars performing for record execs while unsigned bands slog it out for hipsters following the trail of free Tecate. With the official SXSW website now boasting the truly absurd—1800 bands!— this translates into literally every band in the world being on the road. Iowa City will catch some acts coming and some acts going, but either way March is rich with national talent and local gems.
The most noteworthy show of the month has to be Bonnie “Prince” Billy at The Picador on the 17th. The Kentucky-born songwriter is perhaps best known for his masterful album I See a Darkness, released way back in 1999, or his collaboration with Matt Sweeney, Superwolf. Recent years have seen slew of Bonnie “Prince” Billy releases, however, including last year’s excellent Lie Down in the Light. Amazingly, he’s already prepared the follow up to that record, Beware, which comes out on Drag City the same day as this show.
Also touring behind a new record is Canadian rocker Dan Boeckner and his wife Alexei Perry, who perform as the Handsome Furs. You know Boeckner from his other band, Wolf Parade, but that expansive indie rock sound is swapped out here for drum machine, synthesizer and guitar. The minimal instrumentation and dark sound really highlight Boeckner’s talents as a songwriter. Their excellent new record, Face Control, comes out on Sub Pop records on the 10th, and the band will take the stage on the 28th at the Mill.
If your leanings are more experimental, two shows at Public Space ONE this month will highlight the best in what’s new and weird. On March 15th AIDS Wolf (also Canadian!) will perform their brand of punk/noise rock, which is different from but related to their Lovepump United label mates, HEALTH. AIDS Wolf (and, I mean, that name: love it or hate it?) is touring with tape/experimental musician U.S. Girls, who floored everyone with a show at PS1 back in August. It should be a welcome return. Local band Wet Hair, self-described as making “synth pulse annihilation pop tuners,” will open the show. On the 24th the critically-loved Crystal Stilts will bring their hazy, noisy, surf-influenced pop songs to PS1 along with Woods. Should be pretty far out.
Speaking of welcome returns, everyone’s favorite giant-mohawk sporting badasses, the Bad Fathers, are coming back to town and playing The Picador on the 12th. Known for their antics as much as their brand of rap-rock/hip-hop, all I know is that they moved to Los Angeles, are coming back with a new album in tow, and that something will probably get broken. Do they still have the mohawks? Are the new songs good? Are they reggae jams? Expect the answers to all of these questions, as well as an overabundance of shirtlessness. Also, if you’re into reggae and hip-hop, you need to catch Heatbox at the Yacht Club with Public Property on the 6th. Heatbox is like Rahzel crossed with the sound effects dude from Police Academy, with a love of reggae, hip-hop and dub. There’re YouTube clips aplenty.
If you like your music performed with actual instruments—made out of wood!—then there is, as usual, some great shows this month. Po’Girl (guess what? Canadian!) are a roots/acoustic/folk trio that have a really strong sense of melody and delicateness in their arrangements. If the title track from the upcoming album Deer in the Night is representative, then fans of everyone from Patti Griffin to Neko Case to The Boy Least Likely To will find something to love. They play the Mill on the 4th. Classically trained cellist and violist Anna Rossi will play Public Space ONE on the 6th, touring behind her new album, Rockwell, which was produced by the legendary Steve Albini (!). Local songwriter Alexis Stevens will play the show, along with upright bass loop artist Olivia Rose Muzzy.
And—blimey!—there is St. Patrick’s Day madness going down all over town, with perhaps no one doing it in truer style than the Yacht Club, which will open their doors bright and early at 7am and keep going until bar close at 2am. If someone makes it all day, they get not only special prizes, but the kind of respect that comes mixed with disgust by all of their peers. A full lineup of bands, including Ed & The Reds, The Mayflies and Hunab, will start around 4pm. Later in the evening, local whisky-soaked fist-pumpers The Broken Spokes will bring their Ireland-via-the-Java House Celt-punk to the Mill as part of the ongoing Tuesday Night Social Club.
