This is fine.
You may have thought our SXSW interviews were over, but you thought wrong! While most of these bad boys ran prior to last week, I did pick up a couple near the end of the festival. This one comes from Glasgow based group The Ninth Wave, who also appeared on my Top 6 to watch list. Ready for one more? Hit the jump.
My Mammoth Penguins fandom knows no bounds, but that’s only emboldened when the group unleash great tracks. They’ve slimmed back down to a three piece after releasing the ambitious John Doe LP; this seems to have given them this boundless energy that bleeds through your speakers. Emma definitely has a spectacular vocal performance on this new number; her voice is given lots of space to soar atop the instrumentation, driving home the lyrical content. And, as much credit as I want to give Kupa here, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how spot on the rhythm section is on this track; the drumming alone is standout work…driving the track forward. There’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win will be out April 26th via Fika Recordings.
Dear Laz,
I just wanted you to know how happy I am that you and Bubblegum Lemonade are back with new music; I feel like it’s been a few years since we last spent time together. There’s something so timeless about the way you construct your songs that inevitably leaves them stuck in my brain. On first listen, people might overlook the way you add in these textured vocal harmonies for emphasis in “Our Mother’s House;” it’s so light that one might barely notice if they’re staring out the window nostalgically…as many of your fans are likely to do. I’m so excited that Desperately Seeking Sunshine is right around the corner (via Matinee Recordings), but I’m even more thankful that you tossed in some exclusive B-sides on this EP. Anyways, just wanted to reach out and tell you I love your work.
I remember when all my friends were raving about Nirvana, I was sitting at home raving to my sister about Republic by New Order. Somehow, the music of French outfit Marble Arch always reminds me of that tape, especially their new single. The entire first minute is filled with this propulsive post-punk, wrapping guitar chords angularly around one another as the listener becomes intoxicated by the sound. Once there, the band operates back and forth between the energetic pop and the dreamy state of the vocals, keeping you forever unbalance in the most loving way possible. For real, if New Order had a child, then this band is it; hear for yourself when Children of the Slump drops Friday via Geographie.
Late last summer, New Jersey outfit Dentist released Night Swimming via Cleopatra Records. We gave the album and its singles solid praise when it dropped, and we were super fortunate to have the band play our ATH Day Party this week at SXSW. Now, the band have a brand new video for standout single “Alone in the Garden.” The video’s mostly a performance video, shot in various ways with fun little elements thrown into the mix; the song is a blistering bit of power pop, with just the right hint of dreaminess thrown in for good measure. The album is available to buy directly from the band HERE, or you can grab it from Cleopatra.
And…if you’re in Austin right now, they’ve got a show at 2 PM at Side Bar, and at 6 PM over at Hard Luck Lounge!
I think this might be the last interview of the SXSW season; everyone’s in town, so you should read up on last time, grab your friends and go see as many wonderful people as you possibly can. We present you with DISQ, who is high on everyone’s list, so do your best to see them before they’re too big to play your backyard BBQ!
We’re in the thick of it, and yet it’s just started. Me? I’ve already seen 45+ bands in the last three days, so I plan to keep that going. One act on my radar is definitely Living Hour, and they’ve quickly thrown back some answers to our questionnaire. Read more
Many of you are likely out and about today hitting up SXSW shows, though some of you might not quite be done with work. For those of you still stuck at your day job, I have another interview for you from St. Louis based group Shady Bug. Crazy enough, I just featured them on my Top 6 to watch post so of course I was excited to receive our interview questions back from them. Hit the jump to see the responses.
Everyone is buzzing about the city as we speak, clamoring to find the cool thing to do. Well, luckily, we’d like to bring you a cool hang session with some really great music over at Barracuda on 7th Street. We’ll open doors at 11:30 AM, that way you can be the first to see the greatness that is Daphne Tunes. Check out the line-up right below, and a nice little playlist to familiarize yourself with the band gracing our stage! Also…word on the street is there’s some giveaways to the first 50 or so folks coming our way. It’s free, it’s all age, so come be our friend.
Inside Stage:
12pm Daphne tunes
1pm Sudakistan
2pm Weakened Friends
3pm Murray A. Lightburn
4pm Jackie Mendoza
5pm Boogarins (photo by Dylan OConnor)
Outdoor Stage:
12:30pm Seazoo
1:30pm Henrik Appel
2:30pm Dentist (Band)
3:30pm Pool Holograph
4:30pm Rosie Tucker
5:30pm Deeper
Well SXSW music is officially here, and as I sit and ponder my existence while at work, I thought it would be fun to share some advice on bands to watch for the week. Of course you know how many bands are in town so the list can be incredibly overwhelming and daunting. After a quick scan, I picked out 6 of my “must sees” for the week in hopes you might find something to seek out. Why 6? I have no idea honestly but it seemed like enough to kick start your brain. Hit the jump for my list with some music samples.
