SXSW 2014: 10 must-see bands beyond L.A.
Seraphina Lotkhamnga on
3
South By Southwest is less than a week away, and in addition Buzz Bands LA’s “Dear Austin: Love, L.A.” party at the Chuggin Monkey on Wednesday, March 12, we’re gearing up to see some talented bands who don’t hail from SoCal. Musicians from around the world still traverse to the annual Austin festival, and we plan on catching some promising acts.
We list 10 must-see bands beyond L.A. below. Are they on your SXSW schedule?
If you like:Â Fleetwood Mac and the Pretenders with a twist of Haim.
Why they’re worth your time:Â The Preatures played an impressive U.S. debut back at the Satellite back in October, and their “Is This How You Feel?” EP rings freely with classic rock-pop concoctions tossed back and forth between lead vocalists Isabella Manfredi and Gideon Benson. The Australian quintet also brings a sexy ’70s sheen to songs like the title track and “Manic Baby” where synths and guitars feel right instead of trite. “Is This How You Feel?” is out now via Harvest Records.
||| Stream: “If This How You Feel?” and “Better Than It Could Ever Be”
If you like: Shuggie Otis, TV on the Radio and Toro Y Moi-like tunes made for B-boys and B-girls.
Why they’re worth your time: Led by “J” and “T,” the London-based duo leads an artistic collective with powerful and modern soul music, which you may have heard in this viral video featuring 6-year-old B-girl Terra. Songs like the smooth “Platoon” and “The Heat” (out now on Chess Club Records) have a fire all on their own though, with sexy grooves and falsettos flying both high and low. Jungle may make a Google search a bit difficult, but it’s smooth listening once you get to ’em.
||| Stream: “Busy Earnin'” and “Lucky I Got What I Want”
If you like: Melodic, stripped-down brooding.
Why she’s worth your time: Move over, Jenn Wasner. There’s another girl who likes her simple chords and stripped-down vocals to bring everyone else down. There hasn’t been a female so forlorn and lost in emotion but so adept in melody since Wye Oak’s “I Hope You Die.” But along with her ability to making a crumbling world sound enticing, Olsen has also got guts and wit, which she showcases in songs like “Forgiven/Forgotten.” Her latest album “Burn Your Fire For No Witness” (out now via Jagjaguwar) certainly proves she’s come a long way from singing back-up for Bonnie “Prince” Billy.
||| Stream: “Hi-Five” and “Forgiven/Forgotten”
If you like:Â Your pop star with some gumption.
Why she’s worth your time:Â Like Angel Olsen, Jetta also formerly sang back-up. Her status as a session singer took her on the road with Paloma Faith and Cee Lo Green. However, her rich and powerful voice clearly needed more space to breathe, so the singer-songwriter could start performing her own songs. Having grown up with a mother who sang a cappella with three other strong females and a father who was a sound engineer, Jetta is an apple that hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. Her vocal stylings are reminiscent of Sia, where they can also immediately take command of any room she performs in. Jetta’s debut EP “Start A Riot” is out now via Universal Republic Records.
||| Stream: “Feels Like Coming Home” and “Start a Riot”
If you like:Â Kids who are snarky but can play a mean guitar lick.
Why they’re worth your time:Â The Orwells aren’t the only youngsters making a splash across the ocean with their exuberance and antics, both with their big stage personas and their bold statements in national publications. The Strypes, who name themselves in the same vein as classic rock bands like the Byrds, are still in their teenage years and telling everyone Simon Cowell is brainwashing youth with “unintelligent music.” The Irish quartet sticks only to rhythm and blues, and have not only impressed critics with their covers of big tunes such as the Beatles’ “Come Together,” but their debut “Snapshot” isn’t afraid to back the big talk with some brash tunes as well. “Snapshot” is out now via EMI.
||| Stream: “Got Love If You Want It” and “You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover”
If you like: Drum. Bass. And drum-and-bass.
Why they’re worth your time: Their viciously good first single “Out of the Black” caused quite a stir in the U.K., and now singer-bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher have been scooped up by Warner Bros. in the U.S. The have an EP due to be released the week of SXSW. Primal.
||| Stream: “Out in the Black”
If you like:Â Pavement and Helium with even more sharp-tongued wit.
Why they’re worth your time:Â First listen to “Tiger Tank,” and there’s no mystery as to why they’re currently on tour with Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks. Reminiscent of ’90s bands Pavement and Helium, Sadie Dupuis shreds and sings with the wit of Malkmus and the tone of Liz Phair. Angular guitars and out-of-box melodies are just a couple of examples in ways Speedy Oritz doesn’t settle for forumla or trends. Their last album “Major Arcana” spit out lyrics such as “My mouth is a factory for every toxic part of speech I spew,” and the latest EP, “Real Hair” expands on Dupuis’ strength as a songwriter. Speedy Ortiz is also preparing the release of another full-length this year.
||| Stream: “American Horror” and “Tiger Tank”
If you like:Â Melody with your punk.
Why they’re worth your time:Â Like Dinosaur Jr. and Superchunk, Montreal’s duo Solids know how to shake the cobwebs out of your ears. Raucous and unrestrained in sound but still melodically structured guitarist Xavier Germain-Poitras and drummer Louis Guillemette could easily pull in fans of Japandroids who are ready for something a little less pop-heavy. Solids live up to their name with dense rock music. Their latest album “Blame Confusion,” which was produced by Adrian Popovich – formerly of the Tricky Woo – is out now via Fat Possum Records.
||| Stream: “Haze Away” and “Traces”
If you like: Playlists that go back and forth between twee and R&B.
Why they’re worth your time: London four-piece Woman’s Hour may share a name with a BBC program, but their Google searching may getting easier by the minute as they’ve been signed to Secretly Canadian. Singles like the graceful and lush “Her Ghost” and “I Need You” are fragile but seductive are also helping the quartet rise to prominence. Woman’s Hour 7-inch “Her Ghost” is out now.
||| Stream: “Her Ghost” and “I Need You”
If you like: Bon Iver, Lo-Fang and everything in between.
Why he’s worth your time: Dallas’ Connor Youngblood’s latest EP “Make Me Faster” may or may not be a dig at labels who have not kept their word in the beginning. Either way, his time alone has worked out in his favor. Intricate and hypnotizing songs such as “The Warpath” and new percolating single “Confidence” are almost like whispered anthems on the cusp of full-fledged catharsis.
||| Stream: “The Warpath” and “Confidence”
Not sure Courtney Barnett will be there; she is touring Australia opening for Billy Bragg the week of SXSW. She was great at the Bootleg a little over a week ago though!
Ah my bad, Brendon. I swear I saw SXSW dates somewhere, but you’re right. Check out my next pick, Connor Youngblood.
No worries, Courtney Barnett will be at Coachella April 11/18; bet that’s what you were thinking of. REALLY solid band and worth seeing.