This is fine.
We are still standing and still ready to rock. Most of us had a long one yesterday and into the evening, so yeah we saw a ton of bands on Thursday. We were mostly split up, all over town, and maybe hit a high note for the amount of unique bands our team saw during one day. It was a big one and we of course have some thoughts about what went down. After the jump, you can find our top bands of the day along with thoughts and of course, fancy photos.
Yesterday was a long one folks, and felt like the first REAL day for SXSW to get going with all the crew out and about covering whatnot. We covered a lot of ground, mostly around Red River and on the east side, and of course we have some thoughts to share this morning. For any haters out there, go out and give it a shot, bands are still playing, hungry, and put on some great sets. If you’re out and about, some say hi to the crew and we’ll buy you a drink or give ya s sticker. After the jump we have some thoughts, photos and various other hot things.
Next Friday the new Jeffrey Lewis album will drop for the masses, and before it hits, the label’s shared one more single to entice us, by way of a lyric video. After spending a lot of time this week watching rock n’ roll, Lewis’ style has this warming simplicity; it’s mostly operating with a heavy strum and a light tambourine jangle. His lyricism and distinctive delivery are on full display, with the lyrics rushing through to match the formatting of the video’s lyrical work. The tune is a reminder that adoring fans will be quite pleased when The Even More Freewheelin’ Jeffrey Lewis drops March 21st via Don Giovanni.
As you may have heard, SXSW kicked off this past weekend with some great local shows, especially our lil shindig over at Hotel Vegas with SOTO. Things continued into the early part of the week with most of us venturing out all over town to catch some bands before Austin gets truly wild closer to next weekend. We some bands, we took some photos, and as always, we have things to say. After the jump, you can check out some of our band highlights so far, along with fancy photos from our crew. Hit it.
Ya’ll know the ATH crew will always back some new music from the Night Beats. Danny Lee Blackwell has some masterful way of channeling all our favorites genres like old school R&B and psychedelia, then sprinkling it in with a bit of Texas flavor. This new single seems spot on for those descriptors, almost like it’s a channeling late-era Temptations, with the focus definitely revolving around the R&B realm; there’s this smoothness that I think Blackwell often doesn’t get credit for, at least in bringing it to his performances. Definitely a groovy number that reminds of his songwriting and continuous progression into all the things that make Night Beats great. A new limited 7″ is scheduled for release via Fuzz Club/Suicide Squeeze on April 11th.
South Korea is always churning out some incredible left of the dial sounds, and Munan is just another in a long line of artists that have caught our attention. On their latest single, there was an immediate familiarity to the guitar sounds, as it slides right alongside everything going on in the States today. Where they make it their own is turning inward with the vocals, sinking them a bit in the mix while the whole jam rolls over continuously; there’s something in their presence that feels like a little sparkling diamond in their textured sound. Propulsive, and yet, not. You’ll feel yourself lost in this one.
Maybe you thought we were done previewing bands for SXSW this week? Well maybe you thought wrong! We were not quite finished with all of our previews and have one more for you today coming from Australian based upstarts Hachiku. These are some great and thoughtful responses, and we super appreciate these and all of the responses we’ve received so far. See ya out there! Hit the jump for interview from Hachiku along with tunes and set times.
I don’t know what’s in the water, but the new Broncho stuff is totally my vibe right now. They’ve changed up the construction, and while there’s clearly their usual pop sentiment, there’s this fogginess that drips across the singles we’ve heard, like the tune below. They even take that into the way their video footage is being shot, incorporating that into the wash of the film. You’ll also find a slight little tonal shift around the 1:40 mark that really solidifies the track’s pop sentiment, twisting it into a momentary bedroom pop gem. They’ll release Natural Pleasure, the new LP, on April 25th. They’ve got huge tour dates from June through August, with a July 18th date here in Austin at the Mohawk!
When I ran through the new Stone Age Riot EP from Newcastle’s Baker Island, there was something that reminded me of Los Campesinos, though with a more sedated rock presence. Their verses are rather modern, kind of indifferent in their presentation, like the on this single down below; this approach allows the group to really set up the chorus, which is where their boisterous nature kicks into gear. It’s punchy, clearly moving forward as the entirety of the song just lifts off in the chorus; this is what big pop moments were made for, at least in my eyes. If you’re enjoying their spritely rock n’ roll, check out all of the new EP, available to stream now!
Long time friend Guy Blackman has long been a champion of our site, and we’ve been a champion of his label Chapter Music, as its introduced us to some great works…but today we celebrate Guy and his first solo album in nearly 20 twenty years. This first single from that new album is a sincere pop song, simple and earnest, carefully moving with the narrator’s detailing of appreciating the unsaid in their relationship. There’s something in its construction that reminds me of Jens Lekman at his peak, and yet, the chorus here is stunning, making me swoon. With the years and maturity to look back and realize there’s a new horizon, we wish Guy all the best on his musical endeavors. Out of Sight will be out via Chapter on June 13th.
