ATG.ATG.ATG.ATG.ATG.

AThousandGrams offers a streamlined collection of music that my friends tell me about.

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Photo from Callie Richmond's iPhone. South By Southwest 2014 was an historic marketing orgy, buried in tragedy, spurned by critics Monday in respective postmortems (generally plenty tolerant of branding if it means unique opportunity sets). We all left with a sour taste. Friday afternoon I'm writing up a showcase and Twitter has news that a third victim in critical condition from Wednesday night's tragedy is on his way out--the Spin party felt especially pointless. Anyway, this is what I wrote for the Austin American-Statesman during the week. More impressive: I did it all on my white iPhone 5S. 10 punk bands to check out at SX SXSW Music: Tuesday critics' picks Sleepy, but comfortable wait in line for Kanye West and Jay Z tickets SXSW Music: Wednesday critics' picks SXSW scene report: Def Jam anniversary party Six bands that already broke out at SXSW SXSW Music: Thursday critics' picks NPR Showcase: Perfect Pussy plays palatable punk Kanye West, Jay Z defend the throne at Austin Music Hall Interview: Soundgarden SXSW Music: Friday critics' picks Scene report: Tinashe at the Hype Hotel Thursday night SXSW Music: Saturday critics' picks Scene report: Soundgarden on a roof Scene report: Spin day party White Denim and Turkish wraps The Toadies are rock gods: Deal with it, America The Orwells rock out SXSW with heavy, satisfying set

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"B.O.B." was named song of the decade by Pitchfork a few years ago and to date this is my favorite bit of writing the music criticism site has published.

---- So you've spent the past five days clicking through pages of this countdown only to find out that the best single of the 2000s was released just 10 months into the decade. (To the ensuing nine or so years of music: thanks for showing up.) And that it's the very same song that topped Pitchfork's Best Songs of 2000-2004 list from five years ago. Now you know how your parents feel when they tune into a long-weekend classic-rock radio countdown for the inevitable valedictory spin of "Stairway to Heaven".

But really, do we have any other choice? "B.O.B." is not just the song of the decade-- it is the decade. Appropriately, the contemporary hip-hop act most in tune with the Afro-Futurist philosophies of Sun Ra, George Clinton, and Afrika Bambaataa, wound up effectively crafting a fast-forwarded highlight-reel prophecy of what the next 10 years held in store. The title-- aka "Bombs Over Baghdad", a phrase that sounded oddly anachronistic in 2000, sadly ubiquitous two and a half years later-- is only the start of it. In "B.O.B"'s booty-bass blitzkrieg, we hear an obliteration of the boundaries separating hip-hop, metal, and electro, setting the stage for a decade of dance/rock crossovers. We hear a bloodthirsty gospel choir inaugurating a presidential administration of warmongering evangelicals. We hear André 3000 and Big Boi fire off a synapse-bursting stream of ripped-from-the-headlines buzzwords ("Cure for cancer/ Cure for AIDS"), personal anecdotes ("Got a son on the way by the name of Bamboo") and product placements ("Yo quiero Taco Bell") that read like the world's first Twitter feed. We hear four minutes of utter fucking chaos yielding to a joyously optimistic denouement (a point reinforced by the Stankonia cover's re-imagination of the American flag, which anticipates a White House set to be painted black).

Of course, there is a downside of being ahead of your time-- upon its release, "B.O.B." didn't even dent the Billboard Hot 100, and merely peaked at No. 69 on the Hip-Hop/R&B Chart. But unlike OutKast's subsequent number one singles ("Ms. Jackson" and "Hey Ya") "B.O.B." is too disorienting and exhausting an experience to ever succumb to over-saturation, and its majesty has never been diminished by ironic cover versions from cred-hungry rock bands. Because even after a decade that's seen the act of copying music become as easy as a mouse-click, and the process of performing simplified for toy video-game guitars, the future-shocked ferocity "B.O.B." is something that just cannot be duplicated. --Stuart Berman

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This is I wrote during Fun Fun Fun Fest for the Austin American-Statesman. Sunday scene report King Khan Dessa Cayucas Twin Shadow Craig Robinson Jenny Slate Tenacious D Ice-T #FFF8 playlist Interview: Travis Morrison of Dismemberment Plan

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Chamillionaire featuring Kanye West, Stat Quo -- "Call Some Hoes" Mixtape Messiah, 2004 

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Young Thug f/ Jose Guapo & Peewee Longway - “Sitten On It" (Internet, 2013) Only rapper alive.

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Squadda B is a really great cloud rap producer.

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Pity Sex -- "Wind Up" Feast of Love Run For Cover Records 

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Ovlov -- "Grapes"

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FROM THE UPCOMING SUBSCRIPTION SERIES #2 BOX SET

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CFCF -- "Beyond Light" Outside Paper Bag Records 

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High Water -- "Someday" 

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Audacity -- "Couldn't Hold a Candle" Butter Knife CD/LP/DIG Suicide Squeeze Records

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Here is what I wrote during Austin City Limits for the Austin American-Statesman. All of the on-site reviews were knocked out on my miniature touch screen: Wild Nothing, Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, Parquet Courts, HAIM, The Mowgli’s, White Denim, Lionel Richie. I also chatted with Toro y Moi and Passion Pit. There was also a scene report from the Divine Fits pop up show.

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Shout out to Taylor for the epic gloom.

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I was in a fantasy football writing contest this time last year and it was a lot of fun. I think I finished in second place out of 4,000. Maybe third. Relive the magic: Grantland's Intro The Field Setting the table with our rosters Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Thanksgiving break Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Major label solo debut. The sophomore LP.

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Four spins in and it's alright. GO AHEAD AND PIRATE IT. .

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From Infinity Pool out May 2013 on EMI Music & !K7 Records.