Hard to believe that SXSW is just one more short week away right? Believe it or not, it’s all about to go down. We are of course not done with our pre-festival coverage and have more interviews, spotlights, and lists coming your way. Today I’m pleased to share with you a SXSW interview with Portland based group Summer Cannibals. This band is on my short list of acts to see during the week and I recommend that they make your list as well. Follow the jump for more.
There are some tunes that you click on and immediately you’re hooked. For me, this new Creepoid had it with that guitar sound; it opens carefully, swirling around your earbuds before bursting forth with a bit more distortion and volume. Here you’ll find that the vocals fit perfectly into the track, never overstepping the rest of the band, riding out the huge wave of post-rock that the band has set up. They’ve just signed to Collect Records to release their album Cemetery Highrise Slum; it’ll be out via the label on June 23rd.
When Freddie Gibbs first gained attention outside of his native Gary, Indiana with his mixtape The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs, he seemed destined for stardom. Five years, a couple EPs, and an independent album later Gibbs seems to be nowhere near the stardom some expected from him. There’s no doubt that the mainstream music audience noticed him; a member of the 2010 XXL Freshman class, a highly publicized friendship and then falling out with rapper Jeezy. So, why is Gibbs making EPs with lesser known artists like Statik Selektah and Madlib? Why did he only have mostly little known guest rappers on his album? Because he likes his specific brand of music and is clearly only interested in mainstream success if it means not compromising his artistry. Expect an authentic show to compliment his incredible delivery at his SXSW 2015 performance. Follow the jump for video.
It’s that time once again folks, the weekend! Now, SXSW is nigh so we sort of (not really) understand if you want to stay home out of the somehow still cold weather. But if you’re like us and just can’t resist the live tunes, here’s a list of the shows, in no particular order that you shouldn’t be missing tonight and tomorrow night.
Some tracks, you press play, and you go back over and over again. No matter what, the song supersedes anything else in your listening rotation, which is precisely the case with this new track from Chastity Belt. It’s got just the right amount of bounce to it, combined with the dreamy quality of the vocals. There’s a distance to the vocals, though that doesn’t prevent you from attaching yourself to the lyrics…and ultimately the tune. Look for this hit and more on the band’s new album, Time to Go Home, being released by Hardly Art on March 24th.
IAMSU! is one of the more talented acts to come out of the California Bay Area, post-Hyphy movement. IAMSU! has been making a name for himself on the west coast for a number of years and is also one of the founding members of the Heartbreak Gang (aka HBK Gang) rap group, which also includes Sage the Gemini, famous for the 2013 hit “Gas Pedal”. IAMSU! performed along with HBK Gang at Fader Fort last year and is returning for several shows this year. Confirmed performances include Bar 96 on 3/19 and Clive Bar on 3/20, along with another unspecified confirmation.
You needed something in the middle of the week to pick you up, right? Why not try on this angular new post-rock from Lazyeyes! It’s got these knifing guitar parts that cut back and forth through the song, almost creating a dancing euphoria, though the track’s pacing and vocals throw that a bit off-kilter. It’s filled with a hook, but it’s brevity makes it perfect in that you never grow bored, pressing play over and over again…just like this asshole. This is a brand new track, but if you like what you hear, then grab the band’s New Year EP…and see them at SXSW if you’re here with us.
Gengahr is building upon the hype they’ve been awarded in the UK, and now that they’ve got some acclaim overseas, they’re looking to make it big this year at SXSW…introducing themselves to US audiences. We caught up with the band briefly for a little history on their name and some other points that should get you ready to catch one of the hottest new acts in Europe. All answers come from Felix. Read more
In an interview during last year’s SXSW, California bay area rapper G-Eazy likened E-40’s influence in the bay area to Jay-Z’s in New York City. In terms of originality, innovation, longevity, relevance through several eras of hip-hop, and business prowess, it’s hard to argue 47-year-old E-40’s importance in hip-hop. This influence even includes E-40’s 27-year-old son Droop-E, who has been successfully producing for a bevy of west coast artists since 2004. One of my favorite revelations about E-40 came in 2014 when it was discovered that E-40 used more unique words in his work than Shakespeare in a side by side comparison of the first 35,000 words used in each artist’s work (he wasn’t the only rapper who out did Shakespeare, but definitely the only rapper in his genre of hip-hop). E-40 has been putting out a minimum of two albums per year since 2010 with his most recent album including guest spots from Dej Loaf, Ty Dolla $ign, Kirko Bangz, and others. And we all heard E-40’s verse on Big Sean’s break up anthem from 2014 “IDFWU”. E-40’s presence at SXSW is a huge deal and should not be missed. He’s scheduled to perform at The Roosevelt Room on Friday, March 20, 1:20 a.m.-1:50 a.m. E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go” from the height of the Hyphy movement is below.
SXSW is how soon you say? Hard to believe we are just a short couple of weeks away at this point. I’m not sure any of us are ever fully prepared, but we will find a way to power through. Speaking of powering through, I’m excited today to share with you a new interview with up and coming Chicago punks Typesetter. I’m personally pretty pumped to catch their live set during the week. Follow the jump to see what they have to say.
Hard to believe that SXSW is just one more short week away right? Believe it or not, it’s all about to go down. We are of course not done with our pre-festival coverage and have more interviews, spotlights, and lists coming your way. Today I’m pleased to share with you a SXSW interview with Portland based group Summer Cannibals. This band is on my short list of acts to see during the week and I recommend that they make your list as well. Follow the jump for more.
In an interview during last year’s SXSW, California bay area rapper G-Eazy likened 
SXSW