Meet the SXSW Band: Native Harrow

It’s here! Well, almost here anyway. Yeah SXSW is right around the corner you nerds and of course we are ready and prepping for the most exciting and enjoyable week of the year. We had a ton of fun with our “Meet the band” pieces last year and thought it’d be a great idea to carry on with them in 2024. Hopefully you find them as an interesting and brief peek into band life and what it means to play SXSW. We are super excited to kick these interviews off this week with responses from Philadelphia based outfit Native Harrow. You’ll find their responses, schedule, and tunes after the jump.

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American Trappist Share Nobody’s Laughing, Drop Poison Reverse

Today is the day you can immerse yourself in the splendor of the latest LP from Philly’s American Trappist, offering up a solemn bit of slowcore. I love all the space the band leave in this song, letting the emotion just drop through the speakers and seep into your skin. There’s something about it that reminds me of Mazzy Star in the vocals, even with a male lead as opposed to Hope; it has something to do with the way the notes just kind of hang in the air, floating like bubbles, waiting to pop as the melody hits your ears. Give Poison Reverse a listen and let the slow burn start your weekend.

Swim Camp Share Dougie (for Sharyl)

Pennsylvania’s Swim Camp are hitting all the right notes this morning. I was actually just listening to Coma Cinema the other night wandering where my weird popsters were, and then lo and behold, this jam comes on. I love that the verse is just a bit warped, working over a central strum and a looped hum from the distance. Then you hit the chorus, and instead of playing into pop tropes, you get this surprising burst of exhilarating noise; I love the ability to bounce between the intimate moments and the boisterous noise that makes this song a rocker. Look out for a new LP later this year.

Public Health Release Still Too Late Single

Somewhere out in Philly, Alex Moxam’s sitting in a darkened room, working on new material for his Public Health project. I imagine that there’s either a candle or a cigarette burned to the butt with ash (though I hope not because the band is called Public Health!), and Alex is just plugged into his four track, strumming these deeply emotional riffs. On the surface, things seem a little light, flourishes of ambiance leaking into the recording. Suddenly, it all comes together, and the guitars light up, with Alex reaching out to you with an intimate vocal performance. Ultimately, it feels like something David Berman might have left us, something personal and long-lasting. Give a spin.

Air Devi Share Ashrita Single

After sharing the last single from Philly’s Air Devi, seems like there’s no reason to back down when they’re writing great pop rock hits like “Ashrita.” While the song comes from a bit of heartbreak and disappointment in a fellow male musician (no surprise!), Devi Majeske turned disillusionment into a celebration of other artists who Devi admires for their own talents. I love the bite and growl that rocks in around the 2 minute mark, taking the pop hooks and really letting the angst flow through the speakers. As you’ll hear, there’s a bit of sweetness in the licks and melody, but a big old punch that definitely gives Air Devi the perfect bite to grab your ears!

Blood Share Luck Single

Formerly of Austin, now of Philadelphia, Blood are making music that seems destined to be overlooked, but highly revered by those in the know. They almost aim to turn you off at the get-go, with a stuttering guitar line followed by a squawking saxophone; the horn sets the tone for the rhythm section to slink into the track, wiggling its way beneath that funky guitar line. When the vocals hit, you’re visiting this heavy realm that’s reminiscent of Ought’s early work, when things rang out, but seemed discordant. Through it all, there’s an almost meditative nature to it, something that begs full immersion to really maximize your enjoyment; few bands are making track as compelling as this. Their Bye Bye 10″ is out June 3rd via Permanent Creeps.

Church Girls Release Telepathic Mind

Going back to my pop punk roots a little this week, so its great that this new Church Girls single dropped into my lap this morning. Honestly, it feels a lot like something that would have fit into the festival circuit in the early 2000s. It’s got these heavy riffs, mixed with speedier lead guitar, bordering on the harder brand of punk; the drums roll, emphatically crashing in these mathematical breakdowns. The vocals are all melody, punctuated by some screaming backing notes from the rest of the band. Sometimes you just want big hooks and a little rock n’ roll, and seems like this band has that in loads.

Blood Drop Brand New Single

Sadly, Blood is the band that Austin let get away (I blame Austin for that, but I’ll save my diatribe on Austin being basic-bitch indie rock for another day!). This is about the -now- Philadelphia outfit and their brand new single, which dropped a few days ago. Built atop a rolling drumbeat and these anxiety-inducing riffs, the song moves in and out of itself, slithering here and there. Frantic and emphatic, it opens up into this beautifully dreamy pop moment, offering up a mid-song ballad, albeit for a brief period of time before squirming in its seat all over again. This is why the band was always so fascinating, as they seemed indifferent to the rules and expectations…so good to see they’re still at it! They release their new Bye Bye EP on June 3rd.

SXSW Interviews: Grant Pavol

As we’ve previously mentioned, SXSW is officially just a few weeks away and it’s time for you to start making some plans if you hope to be out and about in the festival madness. If you’ve followed us over the years, you know we love the week and love providing as much coverage as we possibly can both before and after the festival. Today we shall continue our ongoing preview coverage with another interview, this time from Philly based artist Grant Pavol. You can check out the full interview with some music after the jump.

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New Tune From Big Nothing

Well it looks like we are all stuck inside for the day in Austin so what better time to site around and put some new music on as we try to find things to do. My pals in Philadelphia based band Big Nothing have this new song called “Still Sorta Healing” which should offer some brightness during our cold and dreary day. I love the dream pop vibe akin to say Alvvays but with a touch more of an ever so slightly distorted guitar to give it this nice, subtle edge to it at times. I think you’ll love it.

Big Nothing will release new album Dog Hours on February 18th via Lame-O Records.

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