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March 15, 2008

SXSW: Islands Are Awesome

It's in the blogger code to toss out superlatives with reckless abandon, but really -- we weren't lying when called Islands set at Cedar St. the best of this fest. (OK, maybe Fuck Buttons @ Volume today is a contender.) Yeah that's Nick strangling Subtitle with a drum mallet, and yes Nick was wearing white face. (Move over List Christee, there's no monopoly on theatricality.) Islands stormed the Cedar St. Courtyard with black outfits and a perfect mix of Return To The Sea + their excellent upcoming Arm's Way. But don't take these words for it: Stereogum videographer Matt Neatock (newly converted Islands fan #1) fought the crowd to capture three tunes of new and old. We start with set opener "Vertigo (If It's A Crime)":

Next up: the new single...

"THE ARM"

Now Subtitle gets choked on "Where There's A Will There's a Whalebone"...

"WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WHALEBONE"

And some photos:

Thank you for scrolling. Here's your gift.

Islands - "Arm's Way" (MP3)

Enjoy.

Posted at 4:47 PM in , ,
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17 Comments

I absolutely want to see Islands live. Nick Diamond's performances seem epic and i LOVE RETURN TO THE SEA

Posted by: dudethisrocks at March 15, 2008 6:35 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

i miss the unicorns.

Posted by: D at March 15, 2008 6:47 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

can't wait to see them with man man on tuesday...sensory overload!

Posted by: neversleeping at March 15, 2008 7:06 PM | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

I never noticed it before, but the walls of the text box swerve. Nice job stereogum.

Posted by: mn at March 15, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Arm's Way is going to be SO GOOD!

Posted by: Evan at March 15, 2008 7:15 PM | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

I am so psyched for this album. The performance is incredible

Posted by: Registered User at March 15, 2008 8:22 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Where's Patrick?

Posted by: Thrillhouse at March 16, 2008 8:49 AM | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

My gift is missing !!

Posted by: Kimberly at March 16, 2008 4:49 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

i second that, D.

Posted by: kurt at March 16, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

amen to that, D!
the unicorns > the islands.

Posted by: Nate at March 16, 2008 10:11 PM | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

did anyone else see them get cut off at Emo's? Nick threw down his mic and yelled "fuck south by south west, I hope I never play this..." and then they turned him off for good. crew members were literally walking on stage turning off amps, it was ridiculous

Posted by: daniel at March 17, 2008 2:26 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

islands came thru the SouthGate House and enjoyed the local opener so much they picked up them up for the last leg of their tour.... Pomegranates is the band. How exciting!!!!

Posted by: chris at March 18, 2008 2:26 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

despite how good the islands are...

"i miss the unicorns." - D

Posted by: andrew at March 18, 2008 2:50 PM | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

"did anyone else see them get cut off at Emo's?"
Found it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoYrSrs4ctg
so badass!

Posted by: Nathan at March 18, 2008 6:34 PM | Reply
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can someone please tell me the name of the violinist at this show/in these pictures?

Posted by: sivara at March 22, 2008 10:50 PM | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

so whats up with all the broken links stereogum? does Jim Jazwiecki and
Angela Williams really want to keep me from the mp3's you post as well as reading up on bjorks post en redux?

Posted by: quicksand at March 31, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

The violinist is Alex Chow of Quebec City Canada. He is quite the character. he turned down a job with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra because he thinks his talents would mature faster with Islands. Also, being of Chinese descent, Alex enjoys eating cats, so ladies if you do bring him home for a night of Hot Chinese Sex, keep wittle pussy out of sight!

But not yours of course

Posted by: Seb Chow at April 1, 2008 2:34 AM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

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