SXSW Overflow 2011: Day One (Driftless Pony Club & Heresy Theory)

Yep, it’s Day One of the Super Happy Fun Land SXSW Overflow Fest, and I have to admit, I’m kinda glad it’s a relatively “light” one, ’cause it’s been a hell of a week, and yours truly’s battling that don’t-want-to-do-shit feeling I get whenever I get sick like this.

The show’s apparently one lighter than it had been, btw, according to the schedule posted on the SHFL site; Wisconsinites Only on Tuesdays are no longer listed, and their Myspace doesn’t list any upcoming shows at all, so it’s looking like there’re only two whopping bands on the bill for tonight. (Which, really, after listening to some of Only on Tuesdays’ music, eh, no big loss…)

But anyway, I’m going to preview the shit out of those two remaining bands, starting right damn now:

DRIFTLESS PONY CLUB: Good one to kick off with, if you ask me. I’ve listened to a handful of songs by this Chicago quartet by now and have found myself continually hitting the arrows over and over again, enjoying the hell out of DPC’s seemingly effortless channeling of late-’90s indie-rock heroes like Superchunk, Poster Children, and (hell, yes) fellow former Chicago-dwellers Silkworm. “Legends of Archery” is nicely driving and half-mysterious, while “Inertia is a Bitch” is a jarring at points (like, um, when they sing about kicking some unnamed woman in the face) but rides a gorgeously swirly, almost Possum Dixon-like line.

The band’s got a brand-new full-length, by the by, Buckminster, that takes their earlier stuff and amps it up to 12 or so and sounds even more like Poster Children’s classic stuff (had that band traveled through time to hang out with OK Go, maybe). I’m seriously going to have to hear more by these guys.

HERESY THEORY: And then there’s, um, these folks. Tulsa’s Heresy Theory really couldn’t be more different from the preceding band if they tried (and that’s even counting the prospect of them becoming a Doc Marten-wearing ska band). This duo plays drifting, dreamy, somewhat Goth-y electro-pop with lots of keys, ultra-clean female vocals, and inoffensive, bubbling beats. Honestly, this isn’t really my thing, but hey, if that description sounds like it’s up your alley, there you go — they describe themselves as “Gothic/Industrial/Visual Kei,” if that helps any, although I’ve got no fucking idea what the latter part of that means.

phew. One down, 14 (14? oh, fuck…) to go. Get on out to the Super Happy and check out some bands you’ll likely never, ever, ever see ’round these parts otherwise.