ACL Radio dropped their band list for their shows at Hotel Van Zandt. This band is on their schedule and is also playing SxSanJose. It looks like she played Weekend 2 of ACL Festival as well.
It's the moniker of Sabrina Teitelbaum. She was raised in New York but is now in L.A. This article compares her to Phoebe Bridgers and Soccer Mommy.
Brooklyn Vegan calls her one of the "15 artists to watch in 2023". Girl Scout is on there, too.
She has a song called "Veronica Mars". Sweet.
This is good.
The big daytime shows are dropping fast. CheerUpCharlie's Friday show and SxSanJose both announced their bands. This band is playing both. It's a trio out of Brooklyn. They're getting lots of buzz.
Loud noise rock. Reminds me of Nine Inch Nails. "Crossing Guard" is a mix of them with an LCD Soundsystem beat. What's old is new again.
More music at Waterloo Records. They play at 11am on Friday. The description under their Youtube video sums it up:
Oakland, CA-based ensemble Orchestra Gold offers up a kaleidoscope of sound deeply rooted in the Malian tradition while introducing a genre-bending nod to the future through their rare and artful fusion of African Psychedelic Rock.
Spearheaded by the dynamic Mariam Diakite, whose lyrics are delivered in the highly symbolic Bambara language and supported by heavy swinging rhythms, a funky fresh brass section, and cosmic guitar licks, OG is a testament to transcendence made possible when worlds collide only to arrive at common ground.
Here they are performing live.
Soul/R&B out of San Diego. They're playing the Revival Stage at Luck Reunion. They seem to be blowing up. Here's an article on their origin story.
Definite throwback sound. Marvin Gaye, Smoky Robinson. "Easier Said Than Done" is nice.
This song has 3.3M views.
Playing the Revival Stage before Sir Woman and Wild Child is this band out of Oklahoma City. NPR describes their music:
the album represents a melting pot of influences: the heartland sweep of Tom Petty, the story-driven Americana of Jason Isbell, the nostalgic hooks of '90s country music, the sharp songwriting of James Taylor, and John Prine's lyrical mix of cutting insight and laugh-out-loud humor.
That link has a live performance on KMOT. It's a good set. Probably more mellow than they'll play at Luck Reunion. His voice reminds me of Steve Earle. The second song in that set, "Sleeping Easy", is great.
This is a little more rocking.
Another song swap on the Revival Stage at Luck Reunion. This has three artists sharing the bill. The 1st artist is probably the biggest draw: Bella White. She's originally from Calgary, lived in Boston and now lives in Nashville. Here's a good article about her. Her first album was self-released and became so popular Rounder Records signed her and re-released it. It was heavy on bluegrass and mellow acoustic. "Just Like Leaving" is really good. A mix of Sarah Jarosz and Sierra Ferrell. Perfect for Old Settler's. Maybe next year. This is a new song which is more honky-tonk.
Next up is John Baumann. He's originally from San Antonio but now resides in Austin. Bruce Robison has this to say about him:
John Baumann has that songwriters eye. His songs are populated with those little things from life. Familiar things that draw you in, paint pictures in your mind and make you say, "wish I would have thought of that". That's the great thing about this kind of songwriting, it’s not flashy in any kind of way, except it’s emotional depth.
John is sure making a name for himself and we are so glad he stopped by the Waltz. I am such a big fan I have asked him to come on tour in March and April 2018. Hope you come see us.
High praise indeed. Get out the Kleenex for this one.
Time to cover the Revival Stage at Luck Reunion. This was my favorite stage last year. The first show is from the Black Opry Revue and showcases four singer-songwriters. I assume it will be a song swap style. The Black Opry Review played 3Ten last March and it included 3 of the 4 artists on this bill. The first artist, Sug Daniels, was not on that bill. She was the first artist I profiled to kick off this year's SXSW previews. I liked what I heard and I guess so did Luck Reunion.
The second artist is Aaron Vance, Here's a video where he talks about himself, the Black Opry, and includes a performance of his song "Cabin Fever". Here's a bio on his background. No Depression says:
When Vance puts the party on hold in “Five Bucks Says,” we’re confronted by the undeniable fact that Vance is one of the best songwriters in Nashville right now.
"Five Bucks Says" is below.
As the daughter of a minister and kin to a lot of church folk Nikki grew up listening to traditional gospel/christian music and spent much of her grade school days involved in school band playing clarinet and oboe. But, despite her early exposure to music, it wasn’t until the tender age of 28 when she finally began to start making music of her own.Nikki was born and raised in North Carolina but Chicago is where she found her first home as a performer and songwriter.
She just released a new song: "24 Hours". It's good. Worth a listen.
Here's her submission to NPRs Tiny Desk contest.
Beyond the high energy of Lonely Horse, Nick Long also performs solo under the name We're Brothers We're Brothers. On his three-dollar twelve-string guitar, Long sang his heart out in the TPR studio [video below]. As an Air Force kid who moved around for much of his younger years, Long grew up listening to Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, and watching black and white movies with his grandparents.
Speaking of Woody Guthrie, as Nicky Diamonds he has played shows with Folk Uke (Amy Nelson and Cathy Guthrie).
Here is an interview with him. He mentions his father was a preacher. Three of these artists were children of preachers. Interesting.
This is what I found of him performing as Nicky Diamonds.
This is the closing act on the Chapel stage at the Luck Reunion. Willis Alan Ramsey is a legend that once again I have never seen. This is a great article from Texas Monthly that chronicles his musical legacy as a songwriter's songwriter.
Dallas Burrow is a singer/songwriter from Central Texas (I'm pretty sure it's New Braunfels) whose career is rising. I'm not sure how he linked up with Willis Alan Ramsey but that's quite a coup for him. "Guitar Man" is a good song. The video was filmed in Dallas. That bar may be Adair's. The bathroom sure looks like it.
Breakout alert. He's playing the Chapel stage at Luck Reunion. Both whiskeyriff and survivingcountrymusic are heralding him as the Next Big Thing. He's got some big names helping him out. As SCM says:
producer Sadler Vaden of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit employs his fellow 400 Unit members Chad Gamble (drums) and Jimbo Hart (bass), as well as pianist Peter Levin and violinist Kristin Weber to bring Drayton Farley’s songs to life. Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield also appears on a song.
A definite similarity to Jason Isbell in both songwriting and sound on the song below. He's also from Alabama. "Pitchin' Fits" has a Tyler Childers feel. Really good.
"American Dream" is wonderful. Chorus:
'Cause it's a hard up kinda lifeWhen paying your dues don't get you byYou're working all week to make some overtimeTo pay for this bullshit American dream
If there's anyone I'd wait in line to see in the Chapel it would be him.
Solo set on the Chapel stage at Luck Reunion. He plays after Katie Pruitt. Despite being around since 1997 I've never seen this band. It's the moniker of Eric D. Johnson who has played with The Shins and is also part of Bonny Light Horseman (we saw them at Red Rocks). As Fruit Bats he had success on Sub Pop records in the early 2000s, joined The Shins while continuing to put out albums as Fruit Bats, then decided to retire the band. However, in 2015 he resurrected the name, toured with My Morning Jacket (at Austin Music Hall. We arrived late and missed their opening performance. Darn it.), and signed with Merge Records.
Really good sound. Indie folk. Here he is playing for KEXP at Pickathon. I'd like to check them out at some point. Since the Chapel is so small it may be tough to see him there. I'm going to keep an eye out for more shows.
Next stop at the Luck Reunion is the Chapel. Jaime Wyatt leads off followed by this country singer from Kentucky. He has opened for Darius Rucker, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith, and Lady A, to name a few.
Straight up country. This was his breakthrough hit. I was cutting onions listening to it.
This Austin band has been playing all around town, including at ACL Festival. They are playing the Saloon stage at Luck Reunion after Matthew Logan Vasquez and before The Band of Heathens. The saloon has a great lineup.
This article has a nice summary of them:
Although their music is rooted in indie rock, Night Cap will never conform to one genre.
Inspired by musical artists including Kings of Leon, Cage the Elephant, The Strokes and Local Natives, who are known for adding a mix of different styles into their songs, Night Cap is growing and evolving with each new single.
"Sentimental" has a Kings of Leon feel.
This is more dance-oriented.
The announcements are picking up so I'm getting a little anxious. So much to cover. There are a few bands that are popping up at multiple big parties so I'll try to preview them all.
These brothers are playing the Saloon stage at Luck Reunion after Sadurn, The Golden Dregs, and Rattlesnake Milk. I'll let NPR describe them:
Hermanos Gutiérrez's origin story is as intricate as the guitar playing styles of its two members. The brothers have roots in both Switzerland and Ecuador, and the time spent in those two very distinct cultures and geographies gives their sound a tempered European coolness, coupled with a warm, playful energy.
They were born in Ecuador and raised in Switzerland. Here is their Tiny Desk Concert. In it they mention working with Dan Auerbach. They are signed to Easy Eye Sound Records (Yola, Dan Auerbach, Hank Williams, Jr.)
Instrumental. Very nice sound. Great road-trip music. I'm going to add their album to my traveling playlist.
They are also playing the ACL Bloody Mary Morning party and Waterloo Records Friday at 1pm.
This is a band out of Philadelphia playing the Saloon stage at Luck Reunion. Paste calls them "The Best of What's Next"
Wikipedia has their background:
The band started as a solo project of Genevieve DeGroot in 2017 shortly after they had begun learning guitar and writing songs. Jon Cox joined the project later that year on accompanying guitar...In 2020, the duo expanded, with DeGroot's friend Amelia Swain joining as drummer as well as Tabitha Ahnert as bassist
Nice indie folk sound. Here is a live set. I like the pedal steel guitar.
This song reminds me of Gillian Welch's "Look at Miss Ohio".
More Luck Reunion. It's looking like there are going to be some conflicts and choices to make over who we should go see. This band is playing in the Saloon which requires an investment in time to get in. If we don't see him there we may want to look for him at another day party.
It's the moniker of Benjamin Woods of Cornwall, England. He is signed to 4AD Records (Big Thief, The National). His new album just came out and is getting great reviews.
He's compared to Leonard Cohen, Bill Callahan, and Matt Berninger of The National. "Before We Fell from Grace" highlights those similarities.
I like this.
More Luck Reunion. This is a great story. The title of this article give you a hint: "The Nashville Man Who Used To Be A Country Star — In West Africa"
You need to read it but to summarize: Peter was a folk/country star in the Ivory Coast in the 80s who decided to emigrate from his home country to Nashville. He never got a break there so he took a job as a nurse in a nursing home to pay the bills to support his family. Years later fate and luck came his way and his music was rediscovered (shades of "Searching for Sugarman") and he is now playing his music again to American audiences.
This reminds me of The Byrds/CSN&Y.
He's playing the beer hall stage and based on the order he may be first so we'll have to get there early to see him.
More from Luck Reunion. He's out of Dallas and that's about all I can find. He doesn't have a Youtube channel or any videos online other than some live tapings done at Sofar in Dallas. Sofar's bio of him says:
Angel White is a singer/songwriter from Dallas, Texas whose music blends R&B, Pop, and Western influences in a new and unprecedented way. Angel spent his formative years busking on the streets of Deep Ellum, learning the power of his voice and how it could touch the people around him.
Great voice. Reminds me of Michael Kiwanuka. Here's his live performance:
More from Luck Reunion. It's the moniker of Brooklyn-based Nicole Rodriguez. This site says:
Pearla’s music is a rich blend, rooted in the folk canon of Neil Young or Joni Mitchell, embracing the darker quirks of a Connie Converse, Bjork, or Will Oldham, and pulsating with the emotional palpability of an Angel Olsen or Sharon Van Etten.
Throughout, dreamy synths, Rhodes and Wurlitzer keys, and a robust brass and string section balance out the folk and country textures, joyously filling out the imaginative spaces of Pearla’s songs and mirroring the emotional terrain mapped in her lyrics.
I hear some Big Thief as well. "With" is good but this was my favorite.
Another artist on the Luck Reunion lineup. She has quite the background. I can't do it justice so here's a NYTimes profile on her. Suffice it to say she has gained a large enough following to warrant a NY Times article.
What I've heard is dreampop/mellow Phoebe Bridgers sound. I also saw a comparison to Lana del Ray.
"American Teenager" is good. Here's she is performing for KEXP.
It looks like she was here in September opening for Courtney Barnett at ACL Moody. I'm sure we would have been there but we were out of town.
This song has almost a million views.
The Luck Reunion lineup is out. As usual it's outstanding. I'll cover the bands I don't recognize. This band has been playing around town (Sam's Town Point, Sagebrush, Continental Club) but I have not heard their music until now. How does something right up my alley go unnoticed in my own backyard for so long?
I'll let Savingcountrymusic introduce them:
What or who is Rattlesnake Milk? There’s no real definitive answers, aside from the joint appears to have formed in Lubbock, TX about 2012 around a singer named Lou Lewis who made some crude demo recordings while farming cotton, eventually forming a band with fellow Lubbock residents Zach Davis, Andrew Chavez and Brad Ivy, playing shows randomly, sometimes uninvited, and often unannounced, taking on a form more akin to an apparition than an actual band.
He really likes them. His review of their last album ends with: "Completely underground and outright repulsed at the idea of popularity, you have to happen upon Rattlesnake Milk to find them. Lucky for you, you just did."
It looks like they've released two albums, the last in 2022. They are also playing the Sonic Guild day party at GSD&M the same day so I assume they'll be playing Luck Reunion early.
"Come on Home" is good.
This song has a Dire Straits sound.
The Wednesday British Music Embassy day party at Cedar Street may be the place to be. It also has Jaz Karis who I previewed earlier. I like everything I've heard. This is the last band. This site has a good summary:
Prima Queen is an all female indie/alternative rock band fronted by songwriting duo and best friends Louise Macphail (Bristol, UK) and Kristin McFadden (Chicago, USA). Combining vulnerable and nostalgic story telling with light-hearted lyrical imagery, their bitter-sweet and gritty style draws influences from artists such as Alvvays, Julia Jacklin, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.
That's quite a list.
I like both of these songs. "Eclipse" is good but I love the video and song for the one below. So cool. I had to do some research to find it was filmed at Canary Wharf in London. We didn't get that far east to see it.
Another band playing the Wednesday British Music Embassy day party. This article has their origin story:
Lime Garden formed in Guildford via chance Facebook meetings and a love of Courtney Barnett and Talking Heads. When Chloe Howard (vocals/guitar), Annabel Whittle (drums) and Leila Deeley (guitar) moved to Brighton after college, they soon cajoled new housemate Tippi Morgan (bass) into learning to play.
"Clockwork" is good. "Marbles" has a nice dance-pop sound.
This is a new one. Catchy.
You're going to need to listen to this. She's blowing up in the UK and I can see why. She's playing the Wednesday Cedar Street day party but she's also tapped to play the opening night party on Saturday the 10th.
Born in Edinburg, she won "Best Female Breakthrough Artist at the 2021 Scottish Music Awards" and is signed to Island Records so expect major label promotion. Grammys next?
In this interview she cites as inspiration:
There are a lot of artists and bands that inspire me musically, but I’d say some of the main ones growing up were Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Amy Winehouse... the list is endless. However, the main theme throughout them all is soul.
"Impress You" is good. "Miss Me Now" is a little poppy for me but "A-Game" is nice. She reminds me of H.E.R.
This was my favorite.
The British Music Embassy just announced their band showcases for the week. I'll focus on the day parties we can attend. First up is Wednesday.
This is a band from South London that has a cult following due to their rambunctious live shows according to this article. In it they describe their music as art-pop. The SXSW bio says: "It’s the methods of Björk, Fever Ray, LCD Soundsystem and Arthur Russell." "Still Life" definitely has an LCD Soundsystem feel. It also reminds me of the Eurythmics.
"TV Dinners" is a nice mellow tune. They seem like a cool band.
This was my favorite. Reminds me of Madonna's "Ray of Light" era (especially "Swim") with the William Orbit synth sounds in the background.
The British Music Embassy is going to be back at Cedar Street which is great news. Their first day party was announced for Thursday the 16th (we'll be at Luck Reunion, though.) The lineup includes the moniker of Irish musician Joel Johnston.
I really like this. They are compared to Dayglow but it's more mellow than that. I listened to a live set that is excellent. The first few songs remind me of old Radiohead (bass and guitar licks along with tempo). If you don't listen to the whole thing at least skip to "Plans". Nice.
They're on my must-see list.
A 3-day music and art showcase benefitting SIMS was just announced. It's the weekend before SXSW March 10-12th. New Bloom 2023. If you scroll down you can see the daily artist schedule. Lots of up-and-coming Austin artists.
This singer-songwriter out of Brooklyn is playing on Sunday along with Daniel Fears. Mellow indie folk.
"Glitch" is good. So is this.
I stumbled on this London-based musician thanks to Operation Every Band which does yeoman's work in listening to every band. I could never do that. They gave him a 9 out of 10 rating. After further research he's a viral hit on TikTok with over 3M followers and is apparently huge in Australia. He hasn't even released an album yet.
His voice and accent remind me of Jake Bugg. I like the lyrics on this song except the part where he says:
I always loved your mother but she never liked meEven tho I told her she looked great for nearly 53
Still waiting for some announcements so I'll continue with more viral breakouts. This is the moniker of 22 year-old Erin Doyle from England.
"Low Down" is good. Starts off slow and builds up.
This video has 5.2M views. Hip-hop/bedroom pop. It's her breakout song.
