The best bands I stumbled upon at SXSW2017 - part 1

The great thing about SXSW is that there are more bands converging on Austin that week than probably just about any other music festival in the world. And they're all on their A-game.

While of course I try to see bands I know and love, I leave a little room for spontaneity and wandering too (and free-drink-chasing!). Plus sometimes the lines are just too long to get into the shows you want to see (a problem getting worse and worse each year unfortunately).

But whether they were opening for bands I wanted to see, or I wandered into their show by chance, every year I discover artists that I'm really excited about. In past years, this list has included Fantastic Negrito, Magic Giant, Melanie Martinez, Joseph, Priory, Christine & the Queens, and more.

So without further ado, here is who I was most excited to stumble upon this year:

Lizzo

I was actually familiar with Lizzo before because I had seen her perform with GRRRL PRTY at Paisley Park for Prince's last album release party before his death. GRRRL PRTY sadly broke up last year, but Lizzo had a growing solo career even before they parted ways. This was the first time I got to see her live on her own and she was freaking incredible. She's a powerhouse with awesome style and dance moves. Plus all her music is very feel-good and upbeat so it's a really fun show in general. I wasn't surprised by her talent but I hadn't honestly realized she was part of the lineup (I had gone to see Sylvan Esso).

Good As Hell [Spotify - iTunes]

The National Parks

The National Parks might have one of the worst names I've ever encountered from a Googleability factor (and from a merch factor because a fan in the audience at the show I was at was wearing a shirt with their name but outside of their show, I imagine most people think it's a shirt for the National Park system of the US). That said, they were fantastic. If you like Ra Ra Riot, you'll love The National Parks. With a full, melodic folk-pop sound that incorporates violins, trumpets, banjos, and other instruments, their music tells contemplative stories. Fittingly, their songs are full of nature references and odes. I see these guys going on to big things if people can find them, haha.

As We Ran [Spotify - iTunes]

Close Talker

Canada House was one of the places with the most free drink events so I ended up there a few times when I didn't have other shows on my schedule. There were a few gems there, but my favorite was Close Talker. Catchy hooks, solid vocals, and syncopated rhythms make this trio one to add to your playlists. And good news: they're going on tour (mostly around Canada but there are US and EU dates too!) starting April 12th and releasing a new album on April 21st! So check them out, follow them, tweet at them, help spread the word about these awesome Canadians.

Waking Up [Spotify - iTunes]

The Britanys

Hailing from my former hometown of Brooklyn, The Britanys have a jangly, catchy, pop rock sound similar to The Strokes. From what I can tell they've only been around two years but I think they have a lot of promise and it seems other music publications agree. Check them out so you can say you discovered them before anyone else! 

Basketholder [Spotify - iTunes]

Part 2 of this list coming later this week! Stay tuned!

Joseph

I think my favorite find of SXSW 2016 was Joseph, whom I stumbled upon at the Universal Music Group showcase. Composed not of a guy named Joseph but of three sisters, their band is named in homage to their grandfather. The three sisters' voices compliment each other perfectly and their music is a wonderful blend of sultry, dramatic, dark, beautiful and soulful. They're as gorgeous as their voices are too, which doesn't hurt. I'm totally mesmerized by their music right now so check them out!

Cloudline [ Spotify ]

Hemlines at Fort Reno

I hit up as many of the free Fort Reno concerts as I could this July since it's all of 4 blocks away from where I live. I liked most of the bands, at least live. But the band that stood out the most, and who I'm most likely to make an effort to see again, was Hemlines.

A mostly-girl local punk group, their performance was edgy but between songs they were delightfully down-to-earth. And they rocked out hardcore. Lead singer Katie has one of the best screams I've ever heard, and she's a very charismatic frontwoman. And I have to give props to bass player Dana for having kickass hair with which she used in the best rock 'n' roll ways.

Check 'em out, and go support local music! (though they don't seem to have much trouble attracting an audience)

Check out this awesome 360° video of Magic Giant from SXSW!

Our sister company, Experience360, made this awesome 360° video of one of Magic Giant's performances at SXSW and just launched their YouTube channel. Look around and dance with the audience as the band rocks out!

While you can view it Chrome or Firefox and scroll around with your mouse, it's best used with your YouTube app on iOS and Android devices so that you can use your phones accelerometer to look around. If you have Google Cardboard, YouTube on Android is compatible!

AWOLNATION at SXSW

My favorite show during the music festival portion of SXSW was the 101X showcase, coincidentally at the same venue (ACL Moody Theater) as my overall favorite show, The Flaming Lips. I was there for Priory, Big Data (who is primarily who I was there to see), and AWOLNATION.

I had never heard of Priory before that night, but they were really fun. Although I'm sure I had probably heard Weekend and maybe even Put 'em Up before and just hadn't realized who it was by. They had a lot of energy, told stories between songs a bit, and the lead singer even crowd-surfed. By the end of the set, I really wanted to be friends with them because they seemed like really cool guys.

The lead singer of Priory crowd-surfing

Big Data, whose music I am a big fan of, was actually a little bit of a disappointment in comparison to Priory. They didn't have as much energy or stage presence. I really expected more, honestly. I still enjoyed their show and maybe had they not been in this particular line-up I wouldn't have felt the same but they were my least favorite of the three.

AWOLNATION, on the other hand, blew me away. Like many others at the show(much to the band's chagrin I'm sure), I only knew "Sail" when I walked in the venue that night. I wasn't sure if I would like the rest of their set but they were fantastic. They had so much energy, lead singer Aaron Bruno's voice has this amazing ability to go from raspy, dark scream to beautiful, smooth melody on the turn of a dime. Plus he jumped/danced his ass off throughout the show. Despite not having the crazy production value of the Flaming Lips, it was pretty epic just based on his performance. Definitely go see them if you have the chance. I will say, though, you can tell they're really sick of performing "Sail" - that was Bruno's least energetic performance and he pretty much left the stage the second he was done singing, despite the song not being over. So do them a favor and don't yell "SAIL!" throughout the whole show.

SXSW - Neiman Marcus Make Some Noise Party

My favorite "unofficial" party was the Nieman Marcus Make Some Noise Day 2 music line-up. I really want to be friends with whoever picked the artists on this one. I went to see Marina and the Diamonds so I decided to plant myself there for the day to make sure I got a spot and I enjoyed every single artist in the line-up. The only bummer was how short everyone's sets were because every single artist left me wanting more. Also, because of the rain, I didn't take many pictures so apologies that this is so text-heavy.

I got in toward the end of Meg Mac’s set, and I don’t remember much about it since I only caught the last few songs but I thought she had a great voice and the two songs I heard were very catchy. I added her to my Spotify playlist and have been quite pleased with everything I've heard so far.

Next was Christine and the Queens, the only act I saw at SXSW who had dancers. More artists/bands should really consider having dancers on their tour – it added a whole level of awesome entertainment value to an already high energy and fun set. Most of the dance moves she did herself were relatively simple but it looked totally killer when she and her dancers were in sync. She was super sassy and interacted with the audience a fair amount, which I always enjoy.

Next up was Melanie Martinez, who was delightfully disturbed. I have to say, I much preferred her manic, intense, full voice in-person to the breathy, child-like vocals on her recordings that I listened to after the fact. Her songs are very catchy but dark and quirky enough so as to set herself apart. I hope she moves her recording voice in the direction of her live performance technique – I’m not sure when she recorded the songs but from the looks of her videos she may have been younger (and she’s young in general) so hopefully this is a sign of a maturing artist and I look forward to watch her grow.

Milo Greene is a band, not a person. Or well, I think also a person. To be honest, this was the least memorable of the sets for me but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. There just wasn't really anything to set them apart the way there was for everyone else.

When Marina and the Diamonds came on, I swear to God, grown men in the audience screamed like teenage girls. It was intense. I will say, one thing annoyed me: every person in the audience just about had their cell phones up and recorded pretty much her whole (very short) set. LIVE IN THE MOMENT PEOPLE. Plus, I’m not here to watch her perform through your phone screen, thanks. That being said, she put on a great show. She danced quite a bit (she could’ve taken a note from Christine and the Queens and incorporated some back up dancers!) and seemed like she was having a really good time. Her joy was infectious but she was also seemed really humbled by the adoration of the fans. I will say, I knew a few of Marina’s songs but I was surprised at how bubble-gum-poppy some of them were, although there was still usually a little edge to them (there’s literally a song called “Bubble Gum Bitch”). Her voice is spectacular though. You can really tell she’s classically trained.

The Flaming Lips at SXSW (aka possibly the best show I've ever been to)

The concert I was most excited about at SXSW actually was not part of the music festival (though I will add that I didn't see a single bad show at the music festival and still had tons of fun). But I've been dying to see the Flaming Lips forever and this show was for free, as a SXSW Interactive party thrown by Spredfast & Viacom Velocity.

I was not at SXSW as press this year because going was a rather last minute decision but thanks to some kind strangers I got a kickass spot right up against the barrier. Future Islands opened, and I ended up loving them. I didn't realize they are based just an hour away from me in Baltimore! And I was most impressed with lead singer Samuel Herring's ability to dance and dance and dance and dance while singing for what was a pretty long set. They put on a fantastic, entertaining show.

I wish I had more to say about Future Islands honestly but even their show paled in comparison to the Flaming Lips. The Flaming Lips are known for their epic shows, and sure enough, this show had everything I ever wanted out of a show, plus a lot of stuff I didn't realize I wanted. For starters, there were giant dancing mushrooms and a giant dancing rainbow on stage for a majority of the show. They were later joined/replaced by two inch-worms wearing a crown (one of which wouldn't stay inflated) and a smiling sun.

The light show was overwhelming (in the best way) and there were shiny things dangling everywhere on stage - light ropes from the ceiling, confetti from frontman Wayne Coyne's microphone, neon fuzzy balls dangling from his... pants (which were also shiny)...

 

 

There were tons of giant balloons dropped from above into the audience, there was confetti that Coyne shot into the audience, and later in the show he literally got into a giant clear ball and rolled out into the audience.

 

And of course, there were sing-a-longs. I often forget that Do You Realize is even by the Flaming Lips because it's definitely not my favorite of theirs (though it's a great song). But singing along to this song, with the band and the whole audience, with everything else going on, was just a magical fucking moment. One of those transcendent musical moments that is truly spiritual - where you feel connected to everyone and you're filled with joy and, well, love.

My SXSW

This year I had the privilege of finally attending SXSW. I went for all three festivals (Interactive, Media, Film) and was there for all 10 days. It was intense. This was my SXSW:

• Those moments when people you've literally just met are so supportive of you and offer to put you in touch with so-and-so who might be able to help you with such-and-such.
• That moment when some kind strangers let you squeeze in next to them on the rail so you have a primo spot to see Future Islands and The Flaming Lips (the show you happen to be most excited about for the whole festival) and you bond.
  

  
• Those moments when you're waiting in line and it feels endless and you're thinking "I paid $1600 for this Platinum pass! How does that not give me line-skipping privileges?!" and wondering what it takes to be a VIP.
• Those moments when you think there's going to be a line but there's not and you waltz right in to whatever amazing thing you are attending.
• That moment when you’ve decided to take it easy for a night to recover a little and you’re in bed by 11pm but then can’t sleep, despite being completely exhausted, because your body is now used to staying up until 3am.
• Those moments where the panelists just say the perfect thing.
  

    

  
• That moment when someone you met on Friday invites you to his birthday dinner on Tuesday.
• That moment when you run into your college roommate from freshman year completely by chance in a food truck lot at 1:30am.
• That moment when you're so sunburned that it hurts to wear clothes.
  

  
• That moment when you're so hungover that it hurts to exist.
• That moment when you throw up in a trashcan outside your friend's apartment the morning after drinking and realize why people who live in Austin hate SXSW.
• That moment where you're sitting on a floor blindfolded with a bunch of strangers and eating an apple and thinking "this panel was not what I thought it was going to be."
  

  
• That moment when you really wish people would watch the show instead of recording the whole thing on their phone because you came here to see the artist in person and not through the person in front of you's screen.
• That moment when grown men scream like teenage girls over a musician.
  

  
• That moment when you're eating free ice cream in the rain.
• Those moments when no one will dance and you're so frustrated on behalf of the band because they're not getting any energy back from the audience.
• That moment when someone crowd-surfs and you really wish you weren't wearing a skirt so you could too. 
  

  
• That moment when you really wish people would stop crowd-surfing so you could enjoy the band without getting kicked in the head.
• That moment when some guys behind you are bitching loudly and you turn around and offer them a hug because their harshing your good mood and you actually turn the mood around and then you're toasting to how awesome life is
• That moment when you can tell you're getting sick because your body just doesn't want to do this anymore but there's still several more days of the festival so suck it up and take some vitamins.
• That moment when the party ends very abruptly and the staff is all "get the fuck out" and even take your drink away that you paid for before you can finish it because they are so over SXSW.
• That moment when someone friends you on Facebook and you realize you already have 11 mutual friends.
• That moment when you hang out and eat cupcakes with the band you just saw and wishing one of them a happy birthday.
  

  
• That moment when you get a Lyft driver for a second time and realize that's how long you've been in town.
• That moment where you realize you only saw one movie the entire time you were here.

• That moment when the Mexican restaurant hands you what you think is a poncho to keep dry from the rain and it turns out it’s just a trashbag but you poke a hole for your head and wear it anyway.
• That moment when people are dancing in the rain on 6th street and you would join them if there weren't so many cameras filming it and you didn’t want to be recorded literally wearing a trashbag.
• That moment where you pay $5 for a poncho so you look slightly less ridiculous than you do in a torn up trashbag and get the last ponchos at the store and everyone behind you in line hates you.
• That moment when you see a sign that says free ice cream and realize how jaded you are because at first you don't believe them.
• That moment someone you met 20 minutes ago tells you he thinks he loves you.
• Those moments when the audience does dance and it makes it a noticeably better show experience.
• That moment when you have to say goodbye to the wonderful people you've just spent 10 days with and you get a little emotional.

Check out the rest of our pictures here. And come back later for more on the specific bands we saw and loved!

Governor's Ball 2011

This Saturday, I trekked up to New York City for the Governor's Ball Music Festival. I came home exhausted from dancing and singing, and sunburned. It was an amazing festival.

The vibe of the festival was youthful. A majority of the crowd seemed to be in their 20's and just looking for a good time. Beer pong, sand volleyball and Frisbee were some of the music alternatives to entertain the masses.

The Passion Pit (minus three) DJ set was the first full set I saw. They mostly played mash-ups and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. However if you gave me a choice between seeing their DJ set and seeing a live performance with their full band, I would choose the latter. But I'm sure I'll have my chance to see the full group at some point.

The Neon Indian performance was one of the highlights of the day. They have a fun and unique sound. It's not quite as poppy as say Passion Pit or Empire of the Sun. It has a bit more of an edge but it still puts you in a good mood. They seem to have fun and experiment with sound.

The Empire of the Sun performance was ridiculous. The show they put on is half the fun. Their costumes are over the top with painted faces and backup dancers. It only adds to the music.

And of course, Girl Talk was a blast. This was the second time I've seen Girl Talk and both times have been at an outdoor festival setting. It's great to be dancing among the crowd. Very, very freeing.

Here are some other photos from the show:

This neck of the woods

I thought this time, instead of writing about a band or a show I will give you a quick review of the musical goodies, i.e. festivals, that are going to take place in this part of the world the coming summer. The reason why I am writing about it now is that out of the goodness of my heart I want to give you a fair warning, so that you may cancel your holiday plans and come to Eastern and Central Europe to enjoy the music and the culture for less. (I am pretty sure you can still get some discount plane tickets if you start looking now).

The list that follows is by no means complete or objective.

Heineken Open’er (June 30^th - July 3^rd, 2011), sponsored by the famous beer company, is a Polish summer classic, lastsing for 4 days due to the amazing number of performances. It takes place in Gdynia, which is a big sea-side Polish city, easy to access and great to visit (as it is part of what we in Poland call Trójmiasto, a combination of three wonderful cities: Gdynia, Gdańsk and Sopot – the last one features a pier way better than the one in Brighton). You can see the impressive line-up on their website. For me this festival is a sign that summer has started.

Next, just a wee week later you have Bazant Pohoda (July 7-9, 2011, Trecin Airport). Another beer-sponsored music event; this time held in Slovakia, where alcohol is always cheaper even though they use the Euro. If Opener is a classic than Pohoda is its quirky cousin. The two share some lineup, but the ambience is way different. Did I tell you that you can buy wine in pints there? And drink it while standing mere meters from the main stage?

If Slovakia is not Slavic enough for your taste, you can go to Serbian Novy Sad, for the EXIT Festival (July 7-10, 2011). In the beginning the event was a major political statement, a happy show in the mids of a post-war landscape, now it is just a huge celebration of music attracting tons of people from all over the world. Once you are there feel free to explore the rest of the Balkans.

For example, you can tour the land and get back to Serbia just in time for Guca festival (August 10-14, 2011, Guca) – the biggest trumpet festival in the world. A four day fest including loads of grilled meat, strong alcohol and trumpets. What’s not to like? The ultimate Balkan experience?

Not a fan of folk, yet dead set on something along the indie/alternative lines? Try OFF Festival in Katowice (August 5-7, 2011, yes, we are back in Poland, in Silesia, to be precise). Organized by the father of all indie music in Poland, the leader of the famous Myslovitz, Artur Rojek, this is the event for international and Polish indie fans. The atmosphere is any hipster's wet dream – a healthy combination of low-key with blaze and a big dollop of actual on-the-edge art. If you are looking for bands that noone knows yet, and want to be the first one to write them up on your bitchy music blog, OFF is the place for you.

And what if you are not so keen on just music? Well, may I suggest two more festivals that though sport quite a load of music events, focus on something slightly different. The Era Nowe Horyzonty film festival in Wrocław (July 21^st- 31^st, 2011) is any film lover’s feast. With screenings of films awarded at major international festivals, as well as retrospectives of famous or forgotten artists, this is the perverted and disturbing cinematic experience for you. But do not complain that I did not warn you – this is artistic cinema in its extreme. However, it is counterbalanced with some major cinematic venting opportunities in the form of the Midnight Madness series. Bear in mind that the ENH is not just films and their special events section includes gems such as a show by Grinderman, a Nick Cave baby.

If you are less keen on film, but still into arts, check out Maltafestival in Poznań (July 4^th -9^th, 2011). This event brings together theatres from all over the world, as well as music and dance performers whose art will blow your brains out. This year includes gigs by Portishead and Fleet Foxes.

So, cancel your Hawaii flight and come to Europe!

Austin City Limits 2011 lineup announced

Today the lineup for Austin City Limits 2011 was announced. Headliners include Coldplay, Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes. Other highlights (or at least my picks) include Cee Lo, Santigold, TV on the Radio, Iron & Wine, Broken Social Scene, Elbow, Sara Bareilles and The Antlers (who I am coincidentally seeing play in DC tonight! Yay! Look for that review later this week).