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The Pretty Please
Editor's note: Well, an updated list of confirmed acts for SXSW 2005 was released yesterday, and sadly, my two next picks -- Jens Lekman and Nouvelle Vague -- had vanished. I hope that maybe this was some kind of error and they'll be back on the list so I can pen my little write-ups!
There's a lot to be said for surviving the crunching, gaping maw of the music industry. Sometimes you make it out of the belly of the beast (that is to say, signing with a major label) semi-intact. Sure, your band may be history, your interpersonal relationships in tatters -- but there's always someone around to start a new band with.
Such is the case with The Pretty Please. They're three bona fide alumni of Austin's mid-90s school of rock: Singer/guitarist Carrie Clark, formerly of Sixteen Deluxe (whose tale of major label shenanigans is severely cautionary, to be sure); bassist Matt Hovis, formerly of Cotton Mather; and drummer Kevin Whitley, formerly of Cherubs and Ed Hall.
And, like another really loud band we love (don't worry, they're getting a writeup later!), a good portion of The Pretty Please's members are married. They have kids and serious day jobs. This is what happens on the other side of thirty.
Have I mentioned that The Pretty Please are loud? But also definitely poppy and sweet? Standing in a small crowd at The Parish this summer watching them open for The Fiery Furnaces, I was blown away. Figuratively and literally -- hair flying back, double whiskey sloshing over the edge of my plastic tumbler. As a matter of fact, I was so blown away that I left the show loving The Pretty Please to bits and was decidedly less impressed by the Fiery Furnaces.
The Pretty Please - The Rockstar Guide to Falling Apart
The Pretty Please - Falling Star
The Pretty Please's website is very pretty; this may have something to do with the fact that Hovis and Whitley are graphic designers. Their 4-song DEMONSTRATION EP is available from cdbaby.com.
Posted by Little Miss Rock'n'Roll at 02.13.05 at 2:59 AM
Comments
As for Jens Lekman, I think the post by Dave Doughman on the Yahoo sxsw list sort of explains the status (maybe there's hope yet):
"unfortunately, the annual Secretly Canadian Showcase was cancelled, so we are
not sure if we will get an actual "SXSW Showcase Show" this year. still waiting to hear from
festival organizers, though i do have a good feeling they will find a slot for us to play
during the evening."
Dave was talking about Swearing @ Motorists, but you might expect all the Secretly Canadian artists to be in more or less the same boat, eh?
Posted by: houstongoober at 02.14.05 at 6:09 PM
Thanks for the heads up -- Jens Lekman is playing here sometime before SXSW anyway, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on the schedule to see if I can recycle that entry if he or any other Secretly Canadian acts reappear!
Posted by: Little Miss Rock'n'Roll at 02.14.05 at 10:21 PM
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