 "Photo: Photo Courtesy of Pretty & Nice")
Box Elders
Wednesday; 8 p.m. — Mrs. Bea’s
March 19; 8 p.m. — Moose Lodge
March 20; 4 p.m. — Beerland
March 21; 8 p.m. — Red 7
Though they only have one single to their name, the Box Elders have garnered quite a bit of support, most notably from Jay Reatard who has his sights set on recording them as part of his new imprint on Matador. Led by brothers Clayton and Jeremiah McIntyre, the Box Elders play disarmingly simple, catchy pop music, and it’s probably because of their very un-raucous recorded sound that audiences have been sucked in by their strength as a live band. With their repertoire of under-two minute, chant-worthy tunes, the Box Elders are a band you can expect to become slowly and hopelessly hooked on.
— Ben Cox
Cut Off Your Hands
Wednesday; 3:30 p.m. — Maggie Mae’s
March 19; 4 p.m. — Birds’ Barbershop
March 19; 11 p.m. — Emo’s
March 20; 12:30 p.m. — Stubb’s BBQ
March 20; 3 p.m. — Radio Room
March 20; 6 p.m. — NZ BBQ
March 20; 10 p.m. — Aces Lounge
March 21; 1:30 p.m. — Waterloo Park
March 21; 4:30 p.m. — Peckerheads
Despite having been signed to French Kiss Records more than a year ago and gaining recognition and praise from the international music community, indie pop/post-punk band Cut Off Your Hands retains a young-band mentality. This mindset has led Cut Off Your Hands to book almost a dozen shows during this year’s SXSW to introduce its music to new fans. Currently on a North American tour, lead singer Nick Johnston took a phone interview with The Daily Texan before a show in lovely Idaho.
The Daily Texan: How did the band come together?
Johnston: We were all in another band before this, which was fairly motivated. The singer/songwriter was a bit too over the top and ambitious, though. So when we decided to make our own band, we just wanted to have fun. We were so sick of being so serious all the time.
DT: Your latest album You And I introduces a new, deeper facet of the band’s sound. Can you share a little bit about what was going on in your life when you wrote the album?
Johnston: The majority of the record was written in the last year, which was an interesting time for us. … We were signed to a label, and yet a ridiculous amount of people we knew were diagnosed with cancer. ... Some of those almost bubble-gum pop songs, which were written a long time ago, give the album kind of a weird juxtaposition.
DT: The band changed guitarists right before you left to go on tour. How has the quick change fared?
Johnston: It’s been a bit of a baptism in fire for him. We’re playing in the Midwest now, so it’s been pretty trying. ... It’s always good when you go to where kids are really excited and have heard of you. But when you are playing in Salt Lake City for 10 people, it’s a different story. But he’s really good, and he’s picked it up very quickly.
— Mary Lingwall
Pretty & Nice
March 19; 9:30 p.m.
Radio Room
The Boston trio Pretty & Nice can’t be held down. The self-professed sweater lovers are itching to bring the pop and electric vibe down to the steamy mess that is SXSW. The band’s one wish for the perfect trip to Austin?
“Constant free barbecue,” bandmate Jeremy Mendicino gleefully wishes, like a child who knows his birthday is next week and is still salivating at the idea of infinite chocolate cake. And if SXSW is the party, Pretty & Nice is sure to bring the extra cups.
Upbeat and energetic tunes are sure to get your booty bumping and shaking, and this is all part of the plan.
“Each song is different,” said bandmate Holden Lewis. “We like to come up with abstract stories sometimes, or sometimes normal stories or scenarios are abstracted by the way we write the lyrics. I also really like to write songs by having a name for the song already.”
Be sure to warm up to the colorful tunes of songs such as “Tora Tora Tora,” “Lazy Lazy Bumble Bee” and “Piranha.” But whatever you do, don’t stop jiving.
— Mandy Spivey
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