SXSW 2023: Recap

 Monday March 13th

@GSD&M

Texas String Assembly
The Heavy Heavy
Devon Gilfillian
The Nude Party

Tuesday March 14th

@Waterloo Records
Good Looks

@Ray Benson's Birthday Party
The Tiarras
Asleep at the Wheel w/
The Shootouts
William Beckmann
Willis Allen Ramsey
Spoon

Wednesday March 15th

@High Noon
Devon Gilfillian
Andrew McMahon
Barrie
Kate Davis
Michigander

@Side Bar
Near Bear

@Cedar Street Courtyard
Lime Garden (partial)
Brooke Combe

@GSD&M Sonic Guild
Rattlesnake Milk (partial)
TC Superstar

Thursday March 16th

@GSD&M Bloody Mary Morning
Como Los Movies
Hermanos Gutiérrez

@Waterloo
Juliana Riolino

@Parish
Bartees Strange

@Inn Cahoots (Bose/BME)
Danielle Ponder

@High Noon (Paste)
Overcoats (2 songs)
Bonny Dune
Sunny War

@Cedar Street Courtyard (BME)
Far Caspian

Friday March 17th

@Luck Reunion
Bella White (Saloon)
Angel White
The Golden Dregs (Saloon)
Devon Gilfillian
The Heavy Heavy
Sadurn (Saloon)
Sierra Ferrell
Margo Price with Band of Heathens
Arcy Drive
Leon Russell Tribute
The War and Treaty
Spoon
Thee Sacred Souls
Willie Nelson and Family

SXSW 2023: TALK

 Also playing Friday at Whole Foods is this artist from Canada.  He plays at 5:45pm.  This article has a summary: 

Calling fans of Guns N Roses, Foo Fighters, and Elton John. In need of a bright and bold modern rockstar to spice up your playlist?

Well, 25-year-old independent artist TALK from Ottawa, Canada is just that. Plus, he writes, plays all instruments, and produces his own tracks.

 

SXSW 2023: L.A. Edwards

Friday at Whole Foods has a pretty good afternoon lineup. It has Krooked Kings at 4:15pm, Dream, Ivory at 6:30pm and this band in between at 5pm. 

This article sums them up:

L.A. Edwards is a Nashville-based quartet, comprised of brothers Luke (vocals, guitar), Harry (drums), Jay (keys), and Alex Edwards (lead guitar). The band imparts graceful Laurel Canyon songcraft on groove-driven rock with sun-soaked twang...Their debut record, “True Blue” (produced by Ron Blair of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) provides a fresh take on the Laurel Canyon sound, combining Eagles-esque harmony, Stones-inspired guitar weaving, the melancholy of Jackson Browne, and the working-class optimism of Tom Petty himself.

Sign me up.

 

SXSW 2023: Texas String Assembly

 This is the first band on the GSD&M party so they probably play first. Do512 describes them thus:

"They are exactly what they sound like - accomplished acoustic string musicians playing in the venn diagram of bluegrass, folk-country, and hippie jugband music - and they have a fast-growing fanbase."

It looks like they are from San Marcos.

Fun song.

 

SXSW 2023: Darling West

I finally found the Paste Magazine schedule. It's at High Noon on the east side. This is Friday's lineup:

12:00pm – C K Talkington + Renee Zellweger (you think it's the actress?)
12:40pm – TBA
1:20pm – Far Caspian
2:00pm – Fruit Bats
2:40pm – Why Bonnie
3:20pm – Darling West
4:00pm – Cheekface
4:40pm – Hannibal Buress
5:20pm – Death Valley Girls
5:55pm – McKinley Dixon
6:30pm – Ron Gallo

That Far Caspian/Fruit Bats combo could be worth the bike ride.  We saw the band after Why Bonnie, Darling West, at Whole Foods in 2017. It was on the small stage. I think they just did acoustic but I remember liking it.  They are described on do512 as "Norwegian Cosmic Folk/Americana.  

This is a new song.

SXSW 2023: Emily Nenni

Oh my goodness.  Someone took a picture of the billboard at the Yeti store of their SXSW day parties and the Friday show is incredible.  I haven't seen it announced anywhere yet but here are the performers:

Myron Elkins
Abraham Alexander
Bella White
Arcy Drive
The War and Treaty
Vincent Neil Emerson

Damn.  That's now my first choice. I really want to see Myron Elkins. No times listed but based on the order he may go first at noon.

The only artist I don't recognize is Emily Nenni. She's originally from the Bay Area but is now in Nashville. Here's her whole bio.

Classic country sound. Nice.

SXSW 2023: Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country

Jody Denberg has an introduction to this band from San Antonio on the KUTX "Ones to Watch" series.  He mentions this Rolling Stone article titled: "Meet the Texas Weirdo Mixing Kraftwerk with Doug Sahm to Create ‘Kraut-Country’"

They play White Horse Wednesday at 5pm, right before Carson McHone and Daniel Romano's Outfit.  

The song below is rocking.  "Gettin' Better" is more traditional alt-country. 

SXSW 2023: Say ZuZu

I discovered this band thanks to Dave Olbermann's friend Shawn from Old Settler's. He has a blog and just reviewed their new album. As it happens the band is at SXSW. No day parties yet.  Here is Shawn's description:

Thirty years ago a group of young New Hampshire musicians bonded over the burgeoning alt-country music scene. They formed a band, Say ZuZu, and met with success, putting out half a dozen albums over the next decade. But, as they say, life happens, and in 2003 the members went their own separate ways. Fast forward to 2020 and New West Records owner George Fontaine decided to follow up on a deal he didn’t get done earlier. He called two of the band members, Cliff Murphy and Jon Nolan, and signed the band to his own label, Strolling Bones. Fresh off a couple of reunion dates that energized the band, they went into the studio and made short work of cutting a new album, No Time To Lose.

He says:  "You can clearly hear the Tweedy and Farrar influences throughout the record. Climb in the River could be a Wilco number, while Old Soldier feels like an earlier incarnation of the alt-country vibe."

Right up our alley.  I'll keep an eye out for other shows.

SXSW 2023: San Soucis

 Dream pop from London.  This article is a good introduction: 

Sans Soucis is the project of Giulia Grispino, whose new EP is beautifully sparse and dreamy.  Italo-Congolese Sans Soucis is a vocalist, guitarist and composer based in London. 

In that interview she says:

Sans Soucis is the nickname my Congolese grandmother gave me when I was a child. It literally means “no worries’. She used to refer to me with this nickname because she believed I was fearless, carefree and joyful regardless of the environment I was placed in. I decided to keep Sans Soucis close to my image as an artist because that’s what I’m working towards everyday. In facts, my songwriting is heavily based on this attitude towards life.

We've heard her on KCRW.  This song is on their Top 30 Chart:

She plays at 3:50pm Friday at Cedar Street for the British Music Embassy party.

SXSW 2023: Jane Weaver

The White Horse has a day party Wednesday with Carson McHone at 6pm and Daniel Romano's Outfit at 7pm.  Their show at 3Ten was excellent. I could handle seeing them again.

This British artist is playing at 3pm. She has a long bio with multiple bands as well as solo and also runs a record label, Bird Records. Here's her Wikipedia entry.  Jeff McCord played her last night on "What's Next".

This was my favorite song.  Chill dream pop.

SXSW 2023: Ruby Red

This band plays after Krooked Kings Wednesday at the Yeti BMI party. It's composed of Daniel Laner and Fernando Fine who are an Oakland born and LA based indie-pop duo.

Nice mellow tunes. It could be fun to hang out at Yeti.

SXSW 2023: Krooked Kings

This band out of Salt Lake City is playing the Yeti BMI showcase Wednesday at 3:20pm after San Gabriel at 2:20pm. 

Indie pop. Nice sound. "'96 Subaru" was their first viral hit.

This song is more upbeat sounding.  

SXSW 2023: Been Stellar

Shoegaze/rock out of NYC.  They met at NYU and formed a band.  NME has their background.

They are playing the 3rd Man Records show Thursday at 13th Floor as well as Cheer Up Charlie's Friday. 

They are compared to Slowdrive and cite Television and The Strokes as influences. I hear Radiohead in there as well. 

"My Honesty" is ok.  I liked this one best:

Indigo De Souza

This name is showing up at all the big parties and showcases.  She's also on the Chronicle list.  They call her third album coming out in May a masterpiece. Damn. 

NPR talks about her song "Younger and Dumber" and the video here.

She's playing Mohawk every afternoon Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Her evening showcase is Saturday, also at Mohawk. Damn.

SXSW 2023: Bonny Doon

The Austin Chronicle just came out with their list of the 80 bands to check out at SXSW.  Perusing it I found this:

Waxahatchee tapped Bonny Doon to be her backing band for 2020's Saint Cloud. The Detroit trio captured Katie Crutchfield's attention with their 2017 debut, Longwave (Woodsist), a hammock-ready collection of elevated indie folk, and the band proved the perfect complement to the singer-songwriter's personal examinations of sobriety and the South. Crutchfield returned the favor on Bonny Donn's melancholic new single for Anti- Records, "San Francisco," which chronicles co-founder Bobby Colombo's move to the Bay Area.  

Sweet.  They are playing Cheer Up Charlie's on Friday at 5pm according to their Instagram.

"Long Wave" is a nice tune. We've had good luck at Cheer Ups on Fridays.

SXSW 2023: Alaska Reid

Sophia Alaska Reid was born in Montana but grew up in L.A. She's playing Cheer Up Charlie's on Friday but no times yet.  After that it looks like she opening for Maya Hawke (Ethan's daughter and on "Stranger Things") in Europe. 

Her new album is being released in July on Luminelle Records (Gorilla vs. Bear label). She also playing the GvB shows but they are on Thursday. 

I'd categorize this as dreampop.

SXSW 2023: Olivia Jean

I won't bury the lede: this is Jack White's long-time girlfriend and now wife. They got married on stage in Detroit last year.  Now to her: full name Olivia Jean Markel White from Detroit. She is in the "garage goth" rock band the Black Belles (along with Shelby Lynne) while also putting out solo work.

She's on Third Man Records (natch) and plays their day party Friday at the 13th Floor (formerly Beerland and Green Jay) at 4:15pm. She also plays SxSanJose on Saturday at 4pm.

She's also playing the Parish on June 3rd.

This is her newest song. I like it. Her third album is supposed to be released in May.

SXSW 2023: Baby Rose

I'll continue with the female artists for International Women's Day. Jasmine Rose Wilson aka Baby Rose is playing the BMI Brunch Friday at 12:50pm.  She's also playing on KUTX Wednesday. 

"Show You" was featured on Insecure. BMI says:

Baby Rose is a GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter and producer who makes healing music for the aimless and broken. Her uniquely rich voice lends itself perfectly to her smoke-filled ballads that lament lost love and broken futures, and her musical inspirations—Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Janis Joplin—are all present in her diverse body of work. 

Here is her NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Great voice.

SXSW 2023: Sisi

This is the first artist playing the BMI Brunch on Friday. She plays at 10:30am.  It's Sisi Berry who is/was the lead singer of local rock band Torino Black.  Here is a KUTX performance by them.  Her solo project has no website that I've found nor any videos.  She has two songs up on Spotify.  The BMI website says this about her:

The American-Venezuelan artist performed her first show at last year’s SXSW festival and has wasted no time in knocking out milestone after milestone. She has already released two singles, packed out several performance venues, and been a featured artist alongside Eric Tessmer at ACL, all while working on her debut album. 

Her new style is more R&B than rock from the two songs I've heard.  "Good Time" is nice.

This was my favorite song of the two but they're both good.

"Rich or Dead"

SXSW 2023: Sunny War

This artist may get the prize for most shows at SXSW. She's playing the SPIN Party at Stubb's, the BMI Brunch on Friday, the Luck tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe on Sunday as well as the New West Showcase, SXSW Day Stage, and the ACL Radio broadcast. Phew. Our best chance to see her is the BMI Brunch.  Oh, she's also playing Old Settler's so we've got that going for us.  Good job Talia.

It's the moniker of Nashville born but now in L.A. Sydney Ward.  She's now on New West Records. Her just released album has collaborations with Dave Rawlings and Jim James. Oh, and Allison Russell on "Love's Death Bed". Holy moly.

She is jamming on this song.

SXSW 2023: Brigitte Calls Me Baby

The Brooklyn Bowl Family Reunion is back and they are at Empire Control Room this year. They have the lineup for Friday and Saturdays shows but no times yet so I'm not sure which bands are playing which day.  There are some really good bands on the list.

This is a band out of Chicago.  Thanks to their Instagram I know they are playing Saturday at 1pm.  They only have a few songs out that I can see and not much press yet. Good sound though. Reminds me of Morrissey mixed with Orville Peck mixed with Roy Orbison. 

Here they are live doing a couple songs.  Apparently "Eddie My Love" is getting airplay on KCRW.

SXSW 2023: Free Range

I just found a day party at Continental Club on Wednesday that has Brooke Combe playing at 1pm. That is a great place to see her. 

Looking at the Wednesday SxSanJose lineup they have Charlotte Rose Benjamin, Ratboys, Bailen, Why Bonnie, The Lemon Twigs, and the Heavy Heavy.  That would be a great day.  This artist is listed second so she's probably playing at 1pm when Brooke Combe is playing.

This is the moniker of 18 or so year-old Sofia Jensen from Chicago.  Indie folk.  This article compares her to Julien Baker. Nice mellow tunes.

SXSW 2023: Bloomsday

Indie folk out of Brooklyn.  They are playing two shows on Tuesday. The first is up near Hancock Center at a house party that also has Why Bonnie, Enumclaw, and Barrie. Nice lineup.  They also play at Long Play East (formerly Stay Gold) at 5:30pm after Shooks (4:30pm) and Girl Scout (3:30pm).  

Reminds me of Big Thief.

SXSW 2023: Hayes Warner

Pop/rock out of NYC. She's playing the BMI Yeti party on Wednesday as well as the BMI Brunch on Friday.  BMI says she delivers:

a new sound full of electrifying beats and melodic strains that invoke the style of artists like P!nk and Fletcher.

This is her big hit. She's working on her first EP.  It definitely reminds me of P!nk.

 

SXSW 2023: Arcy Drive

This band out of Northport, NY (Long Island) calls their music "attic rock". They won the Luck contest to perform on the main stage at Luck Reunion so they play first.  They are also at the BMI Brunch on Friday at Hotel Van Zandt. 

Nice mellow throwback tunes. Kind of a mix between Vampire Weekend and Jack Johnson. "Orange" is good. His voice reminds me of Zach Bryan's. 

SXSW 2023: Zoe Ko

Wednesday at Yeti in partnership with BMI has San Gabriel at 2:20pm.  It also has Enumclaw at 12:45pm. This artist is playing at noon.  

Alt-pop is how she is described. She's out of NYC.  "Line" was her first single. 

This song is the best I heard. Catchy.

SXSW 2023: Izzy Heltai

 One more artist playing Friday at SxSanJose.  This article has a good bio:

Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, Heltai is the child of two mathematicians and first-generation European immigrants. “My parents worked really hard in very secure jobs, and I think they always wanted us to be able to do whatever we wanted with our lives,” he says. Heltai started on classical piano, but soon became fascinated by folk singers, and picked up the guitar. Inspired by Joan Baez and Simon and Garfunkel, he started obsessing over songwriting as a teenager, and soon realized that it was “the only thing I really wanted to do with myself.

It also says:

Heltai, who is trans, looks back at the way society fixates on his identity as the only story that he has to tell...“Being trans is a part of me that is worth talking about” he explains, “It’s a really cool thing that happened in my life, and informed a lot of how I see the world and how I know myself, and how I reflect on things... but as a marginalized individual, there comes a point where you feel commodified and exploited for your identity, and I’ve always had a fear, as an artist with many stories to tell, that my being trans is the only aspect of my work that people would take interest in”. 

He played ACL last year (2nd weekend only) so we missed him.

"Running Out" is new. Nice sound.  Indie folk/pop. 

SXSW 2023: Shadow Show

Another band playing the Friday SxSanJose show.  They are listed first so most likely they'll play noonish. If we were to head to South Congress I'd prefer to go early before it gets crazy. 

This is a trio out of Detroit. 60s era psychedelic sounds mixed with girl group harmonies. 

"What Again is Real" is good.  Here they are playing acoustic.  

SXSW 2023: Gypsy Mitchell

SxSanJose now has the daily lineups out. Still no schedule but they don't usually post those so it's best to get there early and take a picture of the set times.  Here is the schedule Friday with links for the bands I've previewed:

The Nude Party
Thee Sacred Souls
Gypsy Mitchell
Blondshell
Oracle Sisters
Izzy Heltai
Shadow Show

Gypsy Mitchell is also playing C-Boys on Saturday and Luck on Sunday as part of the Sister Rosetta Tharpe tribute. Fitting because he looks to be quite the guitar player. 

There isn't much on him online. The only bio I found is on Facebook for his Antone's show. It says:

Gypsy Mitchell’s psychedelic, open-tuned guitar was first heard on record in 1970, when he co-wrote and recorded “Walking On” and “Speak to Me” with Dallas gospel funk act The Relatives. This highly-collectible 45 was reissued on the 2009 Heavy Light / Light in the Attic compilation “Don’t Let Me Fall,” and later as a single by Daptone / Ever Soul.

Aside from a stint touring with Buddy Ace in the 1980s, he mainly performed in the Dallas area before rejoining The Relatives for their 2016 Ubiquity LP “Goodbye World.” He makes his live debut as a frontman at Antone’s on Saturday, July 23 opening for Tomar & the FCs, performing brand-new funk and soul material he is currently recording at Arlyn Studios.

There isn't a video or any music online, just an Instagram post of a song he played at Antone's.  The hashtags were: 

#funk #soul #funkguitar #antones #isaachayes

Here is "Walking On" from The Relatives. It is a cool psychedelic guitar sound. I'll post another Relatives song. Nice.