This is fine.
Who doesn’t love a good pop rock outfit from Scotland? Certainly not us, and certainly not you! Vistas are the latest Scottish outfit to bring huge choruses and big riffs overseas to SXSW. They’ll soon be releasing Everything Changes in the End, so let’s get to know the band a little bit before they hit the States…and before they drop that LP!
What on Earth is in the water over in Australia this week!? I’ve covered Sweet Whirl, Brain Drugs, The Great Divides, RVG…and now we’ve got the announcement of a new EP from Go Get Mum. The band have the muted jangles, akin to work from peers like Dick Diver or the Lucksmiths, but this song for me is all about the vocal work (which I’m assuming is Izzy). There’s this assuredness lurking in the melody, like the voice knows there’s nothing better in the world at this very moment; I love the slight pitch change right at the chorus (“When you go please mop the floor”) as the rest of the band joins in with backing vocals. What a great song to wrap up a great Aussie week…leading to the question and the title of the band’s new EP, Ok Now What…it drops March 20th via Meritorio Records.
Philadelphia based Beach Slang has long been a favorite around the ATH offices. Through some turmoil in the past, founder and leader James Alex has managed to persevere and create some killer tunes over the years. Of course this means we were overjoyed to have Alex answer our SXSW interview questions this year. You can find his answers after the jump.
Our friends in Big Bill have long been concerned with societal values, and while that’s largely the message in their newest single, this one’s even more political in nature…a direct attack on the DNC. The song came to the brain of guitarist Cody whilst watching the Iowa caucus debacle…so the band rushed to record this catchy punk anthem for you as quickly as they could; this is a matter of national importance! So, while they work on their new album, they want you to hear this jam with all proceeds going to their chosen candidate, Bernie Sanders.
I’m super happy that there’s a new RVG LP on the horizon; they were hands-down my favorite act at SXSW a few years ago…and as I recall their new single was part of those live sets. There’s a little more polish to this track, but I actually really love that about it; the guitars have more sheen, making them sharper in their soft rings. I think thematically, almost every human can relate to this concept, so you should universally love it! But, most importantly, the video does an exceptional job of capturing the passion in Romy’s performances; you’ll be hard pressed to find a performer putting that much soul into every song. Good news is they’ve just signed with Fire Recordings to release Feral, out April 24th!
Denver, by way of Brooklyn, based band The Still Tide is led by the enigmatic front woman Anna Morsett. Though she doesn’t always do things on her own, she is the brains behind the band. That said, we are pleased today to share with you her responses to our interview questions. We hope you will enjoy her take on SXSW and what it’s like being in a traveling band. Hit the jump for interview.
Public Practice is offering up something I didn’t know I needed on this rainy Texas day; they’re bringing me back to the pop side of old school punk rock. This song has these frantic jagged riffs and odd little time signatures, driving the infectiousness up a notch as your toes go tapping furiously. The vocal delivery has a bit of a stutter to it, which matches the video’s aesthetic as well; there’s definitely bravado too, building on the promise of exuberant live shows we fully expect from the group. Their new album Gentle Grip will be out on May 15th via Wharf Cat Records.
Last year’s Swim Team EP put everyone on notice, in Austin and beyond, of the powerful force that is Christelle Bofale. She’s got this incredible voice, slightly smoky and able to stretch to the highest pitches effortlessly. This tune opens up steadily, with Bofale offering up her voice atop measured guitar notes; there’s a gentle change in the winds just at the 1:11 mark that really illustrates what a gifted songwriter Bofale is. Those winds blow further with this incredible vocal breakdown over muted guitars in the song’s last minute; you’re going to want to be sure that you stick around until the end. She’ll be performing at SXSW, so if you’re here, go ahead and pencil in a performance or two.
It’s always great to find new stuff going on in the world, and this new single below has two great things to offer: 1) it’s the first release from new Aussie label Cannery Records and 2) Brain Drugs is a new project from Mike and Pete. Who are they? I can only surmise they’re the two hay-covered gentleman in the accompanying video (the costumes took 6 people and 2 weeks to construct!). Musically, they’re offering this sort of intoxicating instrumental synth and drum work; it’s rhythmic pulses find some magical way to crawl beneath your skin as you watch the grainy 8mm footage before your eyes. The steadiness and constraint are important, neither pushing or pulling the song in one direction, just holding the line, and you! Their debut album comes out this April.
When Standard Fare called it a day, Emma Kupa moved on to from Mammoth Penguins. I’ve been a huge fan from day one, and There’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win was one of my favorite LPs last year. All that said, I’ve never caught the band live, so I’m more than excited to finally get to see them at SXSW this year. We caught up with the group real quick to grab some answers to our little interview.
Oh…and if you’re so inclined…it’s tough to get bands from the UK to the US, so you can help by buying some Mammoth Penguins merch HERE.
