More retro 80s music. It's two Filipino brothers from Southern California. Their first song, "welcome and goodbye" went viral online. It is shoegaze mellow as is "Dream, Ivory". They use the indie guitar sound similar to Real Estate. After that success they're releasing their debut album. It's more synth-heavy and upbeat post-punk/new wave.
Monday, January 30, 2023
SXSW 2023: EKKSTACY
Post-punk by a 20 year-old from Vancouver. It looks like he's blowing up online. He played Pitchfork's Music Festival in London and is playing quite a few European festivals.
80s inspired sound. I hear lots of the Cure along with some Pixies guitar licks, especially on "I Gave You Everything". Something tells me he'll be at the big showcases and day parties.
Friday, January 27, 2023
SXSW 2023: Oracle Sisters
Folk pop from a trio now based in Paris . Two members are friends who grew up in Belgium and the third is from Finland. No sisters in the band. This interview says they are self-professed “creators of artistic dream rock”.
"Take the Lead" is a nice mellow tune and shows them performing live.
Their debut album comes out in April. "Tramp Like You" is their first single off that album. It's good.
This was a song of the day on KCRW.
SXSW 2023: Augustine
Indie pop from Sweden. I think the SXSW official bio has the best summary:
Songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Augustine made a global splash with his debut album ‘Weeks Above The Earth’ in 2021. Born out of a love for groovy 70s melodies, his lush blend of sunbleached indie-pop, soulful falsetto, playful soundscapes and fragile love stories has amassed 50M streams independently.
Augustine received two Swedish Grammy nominations for Best Album and Best Alt-Pop in 2022, alongside praise from Billboard, Rolling Stone, KCRW, EARMILK and Ones To Watch. The album was followed by a tour with sold-out dates across Scandinavia and Europe, as well as a show at Way Out West with 3K fans attending. In true DIY spirit, he has grown a dedicated fan base of half a million unique monthly listeners worldwide, with the US as his second biggest market. SXSW will be his first live show in the US, right on time for the first glimpse of his second album.
"Guts" is good but this is my favorite. I'd go see him.
SXSW 2023: Chiiild
R&B/Soul/Indie pop from Montreal. It's the moniker of writer/producer/artist Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal. This article says " Chiiild draws inspiration from a vast range of artists such as D'Angelo, Tame Impala, and Pink Floyd".
They opened for Leon Bridges on his last tour. Here is "Sleepwalking" performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
"Bon Voyage" is a nice chill song.
This is the new single. I like it.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
SXSW 2023: Micah Edwards
Retro-soul from Houston. As he told NPR for his Tiny Desk Concert entry:
Edwards takes influence from 1970s Texas soul artists, but also drew on many different sounds in crafting his album. "What I'm trying to create is a blend of that retro vibe with country and Americana," he explains — to "create that's uniquely my own and I could really be proud of," he says.
This is a good interview and breakdown of his latest album. It talks about "Girl from the Valley" which he wrote about his wife. Good song.
"I Never Like it When You Leave" reminds me of M. Ward.
Here's his Tiny Desk Concert song.
SXSW 2023: Jaz Karis
Mellow tunes from South London. As this site says:
The sweet tone to her voice tells the stories of her real life experiences through her soul, jazz and R&B infused music.
"Petty Lover" was a big hit on Spotify. It's really good. "The Waiting Line" is more upbeat. I like this song, too.
SXSW 2023: Cafuné
While we wait for the showcase and day party announcements I'll post some of the interesting bands I come across. This is an Indie pop duo that recently signed with Elektra Records. They met at NYU in 2012 and have been recording and performing since 2014. They went viral on Tik-Tok last year with this song and Elektra came calling. Since then they've opened for Chvrches.
As you say this is right up my alley. The video has 12M views.
Friday, January 20, 2023
SXSW 2023: Sug Daniels
It's time to start researching for this year's music extravaganza. The third round of artists is released next week so showcase announcements should pick up soon. The first showcase announcement I've seen was today for Don Giovanni Records on Thursday the 16th at The 13th Floor (formerly Beerland and Green Jay).
Our first artist profile is on that showcase. She's also the artist of the week for the Black Opry. She's originally from Delaware but is now in Philadelphia. She also plays in funk-blues-rock band Hoochi Coochi. NPR Music says:
She thoughtfully combines elements of folk, R&B, and low-fi alternatives to create personal and tender music interlaced with messages of truth and positive change.
Nice mellow sound. "Sitting Down" is good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)