The cursory soundchecks and the frenetic pace at which bands are forced load in and out of SXSW venues sometimes leads to some unfortunate sets. Such was the case at Blitzen Trapper [ tickets ]'s Thursday night (3/19) showcase.

Blitzen Trapper is a six-piece indie-rock band from Portland, OR--a group that isn't afraid to use any instrument it can get its hands on, including a melodica and a bubble-blower that makes bird sounds. The set-up proved too much to assemble within the standard 20-minute SXSW changeover. Bursts of obnoxious feedback and a poor mix that seemed to, by default, to put an old school Casio-like mini-keyboard front-and-center were the dominant sounds. About the only things that were right were the tight harmonies of frontman/guitarist Eric Earley and guitarist/keyboardist Marty Marquis, who somehow soldiered on despite the cacophony around them.

The set focused on last year's critically acclaimed Sub Pop album "Furr," but Blitzen Trapper wasn't going to create any converts this night. The familiar psychedelic-folk/pop strains from the album could be picked out from among the muck, but it was as if the whole band's sound was being filtered through a transistor radio. While the set began with a tent full of onlookers, the crowd thinned out considerably after a few songs, after it became clear that things weren't going to get any better. And most of those who remained were more engrossed in their own conversations that in the goings-on on stage--though you really couldn't blame 'em.

Disappointing, to say the least.