Pitchfork

Nellie McKay [Exodus; 7:45 p.m.]






Nellie's early evening set was rife with mysteries. Such as: why did Nellie have a grand piano for her silly Blender party set (see Wednesday) and only an upright at her official SXSW showcase? Why did she start 20 minutes late? Why did the entire front row consist of asshole photographers who never once stopped taking pictures (says the asshole photographer, who swears he only took those you see here)? And why the hell did folks who waited in a block-long queue outside Exodus get inside only to chat through Nellie's entire set? Surely they weren't waiting for...Peaches??

I won't harp any further on Nellie's talent and theatrical charm other than to remind the reader that she has both in abundance. Here, Nellie put those goods to work, playing tunes from across her two records, and debuting at least one new song. It's called "Oversure"-- a self-deprecating pun on overture-- and Nellie intends to open her next album with it. The night's highlight, however, was the impromptu medley Nellie tossed at us when her stagetime ran nigh: "Yodel" plus the pet hat trick of "The Dog Song", "Pounce", and "Ding Dong", weaved together effortlessly, with some hilarious ad-libbing from McKay when she forgot a few of the words.

Still, I can't help but think Nellie left this set feeling even more fed up with the confounded, doggone, ornery record business, as she might describe it, smile wide and teeth sparkling.

Georgie James [Bourbon Rocks; 9 p.m.]








Frankly, I wouldn't have expected the guy who used to drum in Q and Not U to move on to a pure pop outfit, but now we have Georgie James, John Davis' project with DC singer/songwriter/pianist Laura Burhenn. For this showcase set-- held in a rather bizarre space that resembled a tiny boxing ring-- Davis and Burhenn were joined by a bassist and drummer. The ensemble played remarkably well together (with Davis on guitar and Burhenn on keyboards), such that I was surprised to learn Georgie James is technically only a duo.

A good half of Georgie James' songs, however, lack a certain kick, and their best tunes thus far owe a bit too much to the pair's respective previous projects. "Need Your Needs", with its irresistible angular rhythm, could very well be an outtake from Q's swan song Power, while "Cheap Champagne", led by Burhenn's keyboard, harkens back to her own solo material. There's good reason to be excited for where this is going, but for now Georgie James need a little more time to gestate.

Essie Jain [Hideout; 10 p.m.]






Ba Da Bing-signed British transplant Essie Jain possesses a voice you will no doubt see described as "timeless". She sings in sepia. It's the way you suspect your grandmother might have sung, a sound one can't help but associate with 78s and old radios. In tone and phrasing, Essie also sounds an awful lot like Mia Doi Todd, if that helps any. Tonight she treated a small gathering of folks at the Hideout to several songs from her debut, We Made This Ourselves, including the transcendent "Glory". A respectful crowd is a wonderful thing, of course, but I think this one was a bit too quiet, as most of Essie's attempts at affability met deathly silence. But no bother; it was just a slight awkward strain at an otherwise marvelous showcase.

The Manhattan Love Suicides [Parish II; 12 a.m.]








Man, these UK kids sure take their devotion to the Jesus and Mary Chain extremely seriously, with bassist and guitarist each donning sunglasses in what must be a deliberate attempt to resemble/pay homage to the brothers Reid. An hour after their set, I glanced over my shoulder and the guitarist was still wearing them while bobbing his head along to Tullycraft. Maybe he has some kind of condition, or maybe he's just that cool.

Anyhow, the Manhattan Love Suicides have the JAMC noise down, and the look, although the attitude could use a little definition. It wasn't fuck-all enough to evoke the Reids-- the bassist stepped into the crowd for a few moments in a vaguely confrontational move, and the band seemed vaguely unfriendly (onstage-- I'm sure they're all fine folks elsewhere), but it wasn't engaging enough to be indie-pop either. Basically they need to decide whether they enjoy what they are doing, and whether they want to look like they're enjoying it. Otherwise, great tunes.

Tullycraft [Parish II; 1 a.m.]








What better way to close the night than with the least SXSW-y thing in town. Tullycraft, one suspects, aren't looking to network or get a record deal or even really promote their name all that much. Indeed, if Tullycraft got bigger than Tullycraft is now, Tullycraft wouldn't be able to play amazing shows like this, shows at which band and audience are completely on the same page, same paragraph, same sentence-- hell, same couple words: unabashed fun.

Yes, it's the esoteric world of too-clever, self-referential indie-pop, but hey, you can dance to it too. And dancing is universal, apparently. Or consider it this way: If Tullycraft swapped the jangle for rock riffs, simplified the lyrics, and declared them clearly instead of plowing through them at hummingbird pace, they'd be Art Brut. But as it stands, Tullycraft aren't going to win over the unfamiliar on the strength of a festival appearance or whatever; they're the sort of band that thrives on a given amount of listener understanding. And blessed tonight with an ideal audience-- one that included the Mountain Goats' Peter Hughes, hi-stepping it the whole while-- Tullycraft kicked some twee ass.