The Llano Idea

My first SXSW experience was in 2006. My friends and I reached Austin the day before the events started and we were wristband-free (which has proven to be the best way to save money, because most of the bands featured in this week-long event play numerous free shows during the day and at night). On the first day of this mind altering festival Austin received some rain in the morning, and most of the streets were surprisingly empty. My friends and I headed over to a little bar on East 6th Street called Mrs. Bea’s. My brother said he wanted to check out this band from Brooklyn. The vibe at this small little mom-and-pop bar was amazing the minute I stepped out of the car and started walking towards the back patio area, where I could already hear someone setting up their drums. Lo and behold it was Pterodactyl ,and my love for them has not stopped. Read more…

Music Brooklyn, Cardboard, Mrs. Bea's, Oneida, Pterodactyl, Records, SXSW, Todd P

FINALLY PUNK (www.myspace.com/finallypunk ) are a four piece band that scream out minute songs and switch instruments intermittently to bring the next dose of awesomeness. Many have put this band in the riot grrl genre, but in an article in the Austin Chronicle, Veronica Ortuño, one member of Finally Punk, says

“I definitely believe that riot grrl is relevant to culture today … I think some people hear the term and get the wrong idea of what it stands for. It’s like an automatic notion that it’s “anti-males” or something. There are a lot of males who support the idea of “pro-female” as a form of expression. A lot of my personal influences are predominantly female musicians, but my idea for Finally Punk is to learn my instrument and have fun with my friends. If I had to put it any way, I see us more as an existential punk band fronted by women.”

The band have a new EP out on Ann Arbor’s M’Lady’s Records (mladysrecords.com) called HYPERTENSION. If you want, follow the link and check out plenty of other releases that these fine folks have put out including TAMARYN and MUTATING MELTDOWN (which actually features two members of Finally Punk).

They are scheduled to play the KVRXplosion 2009 Party March 19th with Vivian Girls, Total Abuse, AIDS Wolf + plenty more during the SXSW festivities. If I could make one wish with the Make A Wish Foundation, I would want Finally Punk to bring their “twelve hits of acid, ice sk8rs, m.a.s.h., gg allin singing to a baby” influenced music out to Lubbock. Until then enjoy the videos!

-Snuffy

Finally Punk Vid 1

Finally Punk Vid 2

Music Abuse, AIDS, Ann, Arbor, Austin, Chronicle, Finally, Girls, HYPERTENSION, KVRX, Lubbock, M’Lady’s, MELTDOWN, MUTATING, Punk, Records, SXSW, TAMARYN, Total, TX, Vivian, Wolf