The Manatees - Beerland, SXSW, Austin TX - March 19, 2015

[Memphis] The band I was there to see. My newest Goner Records band, the label particularly famed for amazing artists like Lost Sounds, Jay Reatard, Alijca Trout, & Ty Segall. This disheveled bunch made me really happy. They were decidedly unhipster – actual social dropouts. The lead singer had a hand-made “Memphis Creep” t-shirt on and duct tape for a guitar strap. An older guy dragging around a suitcase with a towel strapped turned out to be the drummer. The guy with the Ramones haircut was visibly uncomfortable being on stage. There was absolutely zero audience engagement. Despite all that, or rather because of all that, they rocked. They had the Goner sound – nihilistic post-punk. Maybe distinguished themselves among the Goner bands for having lots of lyrics (nearly anarcho punk) and complicated guitar work. More shout-singing than singing. “Hey, hey, degrade the day” – god, this scene soothes me, and Memphis must be really fucked up. Note to self: “How rare are men who think radically and are still productive in life?”

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