ATH Abroad: Primavera Sound
While we here at ATH usually like to stick to local coverage, sometimes it’s hard to hide that what we’re really after is world domination. This Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I’ll be in Barcelona, Spain to bring you coverage of Primavera Sound 2014, whose sick lineup and stunning location was enough to lead me outside Austin for a bit. While you can look out for live tweets and festival recaps starting Thursday, I wanted to give you a brief preview of some under the radar bands that would be easy to overlook in all the big names at Primavera. Check out my top ten must see bands that you may be unfamiliar with after the jump.
Top Ten Must See, But Potentially Overlooked Bands:
In no particular order…
Caveman — This Brooklyn indie-pop outfit have a catchy yet lush sound that comes from a groovy mix of battling synth sounds, jangly guitars and fuzzy percussion. Already on their second full-length album, they will be popping up in the indie-sphere in no time.
Rodrigo Amarante — Riding high off the release of his first solo record, Cavalo, earlier this month, it will be interesting to see this gentleman’s live set, especially since he is no stranger to the stage (Little Joy and Los Hermanos). His laid-back Dylan-esque mumblings are sure to be a sweet treat.
Nacho Vegas –Ok, you’ve probably heard of Nacho Vegas, whose work in the ever-enjoyable dance between folk and rock has pleased audiences for a few decades now, but that doesn’t make me any less excited to see this seasoned performer.
Black Drawing Chalks — A four piece from Brazil that gives you alternative rock with a slight metal twist. Gotta have the rock.
Majestad – This band hails from Madrid and I stumbled upon them while scoping out the lineup; regardless of your language of preference, its hard not to enjoy the build up of electronic and rock and roll vibes that they offer.
Natas Loves You — Self declared from lots of places, but officially from Paris and Luxembourg, this group doles out dance tunes a-la Pheonix. They’ve got a loose sound that bound and glides and should be fitting for a festival setting.
Mas Ysa — I’ll admit that it’s hard for me to get into electronic/experimental music at times, but Mas Ysa that comes from the U.S gives that empowered combination of emotion great songwriting that puts the umph in electronic.
Slowdive – Reunited and shoegaze never felt so good. It may be close to twenty years since the English band last released a record, but I bet they still know how to rock.
Belako — This band, from Mungia Spain, I’m particularly excited about; they’ve got this great lo-fi recording sound, killer guitar riffs, and female vocals that command their songs. What more can you want?
Say Yes Dog — More electronic music? Yes. A product of Luxembourg, this group will have you dancing to their synth builds and drops that reminds me a bit of Cut Copy. You bet I’ll be shaking it to this.
If you want to keep up with these bands and more, live stream the fest.