SXSW 2010: Stricken City, Valhalla, Austin

feels like one of those avant-garde advertisements; the ones that go about 20 seconds too long and are full of young people looking bored and skinny and holding pieces of fruit. But the difference here is that the fruit is full of sand and keeping time to a deep (if not profound) sort of sound. Helmed by helmet haired Rebekah Raa, the trio paint an exploratory portrait of themselves. the band never settles into one type of groove for long, melting together melodies and creating a trancelike atmosphere, orchestrated by the Neptunian hand gestures of Ms. Raa.

Wrestling at times with itself, their performance shifted heavily between keyboard and guitar lead, while Kit Godfrey puttered about on drums. The self-aware tension wasn’t always a drawback however, as much of what can make their music compelling relies on the brackish interaction of their instruments. Still, in a live setting, those important sharp edges tend to blur and turn fuzzy, making it a bit more difficult to pluck out that something special.