xyx at sxsw 2009

I arrived at the L’Keg Gallery around 5PM on a hot and unusually humid Sunday in Los Angeles. The underground venue felt like a sauna and the stamp I received for admittance immediately melted into something resembling a black and purple bruise on my hand. One of the more popular bands to play was the Cobalt Cranes—their songs would start with a steady beat and blur into existence before fading out to the same beat. A girl I spotted wearing their t-shirt missed most of their short set but arrived near the end, waving a confused set of metal horns high and enjoying what little she saw. Maybe it was L’Keg finally turning on the air conditioning, but for me the best part of night was the last band XYX. Hailing from Mexico, the furious bass and drum duo absolutely killed—or they would have killed had it not just been me and maybe 15 people who were watching them. The diminutive drummer Mou worked his set like a pro, playing dynamic beats with incredible fills while singer/bassist Anhelo looped her rapid-fire vocals through a pedal. Her distorted bass lines gave the limited band a surprisingly full sound, which at times was as jazzy as it was punk. “He’s a machine,” a guy from the audience cheered. Even Anhelo’s garb—an oversized “Death to the Pixies” t-shirt and a pair of Everlast boxing boots—suggested XYX were equal parts pedigree and punch. They sounded chaotic but were always sharp. I smiled to see such a tight performance by musicians who were in tune with each other. “Gracias,” she said, and the night was over.

—Steven Martinez