Wednesday Evening Things from Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Daddy Issues

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires at Asbury Lanes in 2015.

Cool Stuff for a Hot Wednesday

Been running around a bit with some CDMHQ- and automotive-related annoyances today. My Internet connection has been acting up too, but I did manage to come across a couple of cool things to make it bearable.

This past March, at South By Southwest, I spent an afternoon at Side Bar where I got to catch sets from Alabama's Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and Nashville's Daddy Issues. Both of those bands were impressive on that day, and they both released some interesting stuff today.

Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, "Underneath the Sheets of White Noise"

Lee Bains III at Austin's Side Bar

I've had the chance to see Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires play live several times, including that afternoon in Austin; and, just about every time, they get my heart pumping and a lump welling up in my throat as they deliver a heartfelt message about breaking down society's power structures and resisting oppression. This all comes wrapped in the sounds of fiery southern rock.

With the first single from their upcoming release, Youth Detention, the band keep that up. "Underneath the Sheets of White Noise" rails against the systems, narratives, and stereotypes that are reinforced every day by TV news, tabloid journalism, and pop culture; while it acknowledges those people -- especially those people in Bains's home city of Birmingham -- who push against the inertia of those age-old systems every day. And like everything else Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires do, the song simply rocks.



Youth Detention is due from Don Giovanni Records on June 30th.

Daddy Issues, "The Boys of Summer (Don Henley)"

Daddy Issues inside at Side Bar

One of the first live shows I ever saw in my life was Don Henley on his Building the Perfect Beast tour with Katrina and The Waves. Back then, as a 14 year-old, I was in love with the Mike Campbell (Tom Petty's main Heartbreaker)-penend "The Boys of Summer." And, whatever you think of Don Henley, it's still a damn good song.

Daddy Issues lent their take on the song to the Cover Your Ass Vol. 1 compilation. According to a press release, "This first volume of The Cover Your Ass series is a tribute to the dedication shown by countless doctors and nurses who make real measurable differences in millions of people's lives." The series aims to support the goals of preserving women's reproductive rights and ensuring access to healthcare for those who need it. This first installment features additional contributions from Speedy Ortiz, Hinds, Porches, TEEN, and lots more. 100% of the profits from Volume 1 go to support Planned Parenthood.

Daddy Issues transform the cold distance of the original into something more lo-fi and organic. "The Boys of Summer" also appears on Daddy Issues' upcoming, Jake Orrall-produced Deep Dream; and the song displays a clear family resemblance to other stuff coming from the Infinity Cat label (Colleen Green, JEFF the Brotherhood). I like that.

Anyway...

Here's the song. Cover Your Ass Vol. 1 will be out via Lionfish Music on May 26th, and Deep Dream comes out on Friday.

Interview with High Waisted at SXSW 2017

High Waisted at Stay Gold in Austin, TX

Somewhere in Austin

I've written quite a bit about High Waisted here. The New York City band's 2016 debut, On Ludlow, with its surfy, spaghetti western vibe, is a favorite of mine. I'm also pretty sure that High Waisted's Jessica Louise Dye holds the distinction of being the subject of what I consider to be the best picture I've ever taken in my life.

Anyway...

One of my goals for SXSW was to hook up with High Waisted for an interview. I caught their set at the Cigar City Management Nochebuena Party, but they were playing so many shows around Austin that getting interview time with them was tricky. We managed to steal a few minutes in a lovely corner of East 7th Street somewhere in the vicinity of Side Bar, Empire, and Barracuda.

We had a nice chat about their life as an unsigned touring machine and the sacrifices they've made to make High Waisted their number one priority.

My guerrilla videographer skills need a little work, the sun was playing games with us, and my editing capabilities are almost non-existent; but I think you still get the gist of how hard these people work to try and make something happen for themselves. They also manage to be really enjoying the ride.

High Waisted are currently entertaining spring breakers somewhere in Florida. They make their way back home in early April. You can check out their remaining tour dates below and listen to / purchase their music over at their website, highwaisted.party.



High Waisted on tour

3/24 -- Kismet Vintage -- Delray Beach, FL
3/25 -- High Dive -- Gainesville, FL
3/26 -- The Souk at Wilbury -- Tallahassee, FL
3/27 -- Georgia Theater -- Athens, GA
3/28 -- Kings -- Raleigh, NC
3/29 -- The Southern Music Hall -- Charlottesville, VA
3/30 -- The Pompei Lounge -- Staunton, VA
3/31 -- Easy Greasy -- Harrisonburg, VA
4/01 -- House Party -- Richmond, VA
4/02 -- DC9 -- Washington, DC

SXSW, Day 6: Dozen Street with Little Dickman Records

A New Saturday Tradition

I just wanted to do a quick recap of my last full day in Austin before getting back to regularly scheduled programming here. I still have a few SXSW-related things to post in the coming days -- pictures, another interview -- but this will be my final recap before turning focus to this weekend's shows.

After spending Friday night with Mastodon, Beach Slang, and others, a nice day hanging with friends sounded fantastic. Chris and Amy Dickman are my partners in crime on lots of things back here at home. They spent their first two days in Austin driving me all around; and, on Saturday, they'd assembled a loaded bill of bands at Austin's Dozen Street. All of that, plus free pancakes had me showing up just as the doors for Rock Or Die IV opened.

Ex-Girlfriends, Pink Mexico, Dead Coast, Fruit & Flowers, The Off White, The Nude Party, The Blind FRIGGING Shake, Sharkmuffin, Thelma & The Sleaze.

Lots of friends.

Chris Dickman and Sean Jones of The Off White

Lots of bands I'd pay to see anywhere.

Pink Mexico

(creamy) Tomato soup bloody marys. (Uh, no thanks.)

Margaritas.

Lone Star.

Heather Cousins of Ex-Girlfriends rolling on the floor or climbing up on amps.

Ex-Girlfriends

Tarra Thiessen of Sharkmuffin and Caroline Yoder of Fruit & Flowers hanging from the rafters.

Fruit & Flowers

Sharkmuffin

Natalie Kirch of Sharkmuffin and Amy Dickman dancing with a dog.

Natalie, Amy, and friend

A DANCING DOG!

Amy Dickman smiling from ear to ear while The Blind Shake were playing.

The Blind Shake

Po' boys from the New Orleans-style restuarant next door.

Chris Dickman taking videos of everything.

The woman absolutely losing her shit to Thelma & The Sleaze.

Thelma & The Sleaze

No Fake Rockers.

It was a great, great day and something I hope can become a Saturday tradition for me as long as I keep making it down to South By Southwest. As funny as it may sound, maybe the best part of the whole trip was getting to hang with friends from back home in such a charged environment.

When it was all done, I headed back to my room, packed, tried to get ahead of some of what was waiting for me back home, and turned in early. I missed Saturday night; but, physically, it couldn't have happened.

You can see lots of the bands that played Rock Or Die back here in our area. Sharkmuffin and Ex-Girlfriends play this Sunday, March 26th, at The Saint with Kino Kimino, Lunch Ladies, and EVL MOMMZ. On March 30th, Fruit & Flowers play Langosta Lounge with tour mates Big Bliss and Joe P of Deal Casino. I can't promise that there will be any dancing dogs at either of those shows, but you can dance like crazy.

Interview with Baked at SXSW 2017

The Velveeta Room, Austin

I was running around South By Southwest this past Thursday focusing on a few of my favorite record labels. Merge Records held their showcase during the early part of the day, and the evening featured shows hosted by Don Giovanni Records and Exploding In Sound Records. Just prior to the EIS showcase, I managed to catch up with Baked (R.J. Gordon, Isabella Mingione, A.J. Pantaleo, Steve Hartlett, Jeremy Aquilino) for a little sit down before their set at The Velveeta Room.

Baked released their second album, Farnham, last month. I've spent a good amount of time with the record since then; and its combinations and contrasts make for an intriguing listen. Songs like "Wolf" and "Stay" weave between folksiness and swirling shoegaze. "Them" and "Two-Thousandths" are closer to straight-ahead country, but the latter still manages to work in a few noisy swells. The album hangs together nicely with as many references to Wilco or late-period Lemonheads as My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr.

During our conversation, we talked a bit about how Baked arrive at their varied sound. The band members are also mainstays of the Brooklyn DIY community that centers around Shea Stadium; and we chatted about that venue's future, the general state of DIY in the USA, and my weird, personal connection to one of Shea's co-owners.

Check out my shaky, handheld, highly-professional interview with the band below.

Baked embark on a tour in support of Farnham in May. That one includes a stop at The Saint on May 2nd presented by yours truly and Little Dickman Records.

SXSW, Days 4 & 5: Labels, Beach Slang, Mastodon

Mastodon

Saturday Catch-Up

I'm going to try and cover the last two days here so that I can get back on track. Sunday is going to be a travel day, and I just don't know if my brain could take recapping Thursday on Monday.

Anyway.

My hotel is a relatively short walk from what's arguably known as the best barbecue in America, Franklin Barbecue. I walked over and stood on the then pretty short line for a few minutes until someone from inside came out and told us they were out of food. Huh. Oh, well.

I made my way down Red River St. and got a not-the-best-barbecue-in-America brisket sandwich from a food truck. From there, it was over to the Merge Records Showcase at Barracuda.

Sneaks (a.k.a Eva Moolchan) were just setting up, Moolchan on bass and her partner on beats. Spare, short, jagged, confrontational songs that Moolchan delivers while playing bass or dancing to the beat. It was a good pick-me-up for a set that was, as Moolchan repeatedly described it, "early as fuck."

Sneaks

Coco Hames followed, and so did one of the annoyances of Barracuda. Hames and another guitarist played through a set of her country-tinged pop while the Secretly Canadian party went on outside. Every time someone opened the doors separating the spaces, Hames was nearly drowned out by the drums and rock happening on the patio. Still, she persisted; and her set was pretty enthralling. Similarly, Mark Eitzel -- solo, with just acoustic guitar -- had to compete with the noise outside, but his fans up front didn't seem to mind.

The final two acts of the day were two that I'd specifically identified as ones I had to see while here. Allison Crutchfield and The Fizz were great during a set that featured many of the songs from Crutchfield's excellent Tourist in This Town. The day, though, and maybe the whole festival belonged to Austin's own A Giant Dog.

Allison Crutchfield & The Fizz

A Giant Dog

The band tore through their 30-minute set of glam punk with an abandon I haven't seen in a long time. Singer Sabrina Ellis -- despite saying, "I'm pretty docile today" -- was absolute manic energy. Guitarist Andrew Cashen may not be as front and center as Ellis, but a glance over in his direction reveals that he's almost as kinetic. Their set was relentless with Ellis declaring that she nearly dies every time during one song or saying, "Ooooh, you really don't like me today," when the band called out another. I got a little choked up by their passion.

Sweaty and pulse still racing, I headed a block over to Velveeta Room to meet Brooklyn's Baked for an interview (yet another thing I have to edit). A couple of slices of from Hoboken Pie (not bad -- for Texas) and it was back to Velveeta for the Exploding In Sound Records showcase. I finally got to check out some Brooklyn bands that my buddy Joe is always raving about (Jackal Onasis, Stove); and I caught the set from Baked, whose Farnham, I've been enjoying immensely over the last couple of weeks.

Baked

It was nearing midnight, so I bopped over to Valhalla for the set from Aye Nako. I caught the tail end of Sammus's set; and, with fans in the crowd rapping right along with her, Sammus rode a real wave for those  last few minutess.

Sammus

Valhalla was bathed in red like some pizza joint from the fifth circle of hell, but that didn't phase Aye Nako who played through a set of their angular indie-punk to close out my evening.

I decided to give Franklin another try on Friday, heading over well before anyone would consider eating lunch, only to find a line of people who'd obviously been camped out in lawn chairs for hours. Defeated, I headed towards downtown and happened upon free breakfast tacos and beer provided by Comedy Central. Score.

Then, it was over to the Midgetmen's annual showcase at Side Bar for Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires. I could have seen them the night before in Satan's Sbarro, but I knew this one was on the schedule. A combination of southern rock and punk politics, they're another band that put a lump in my throat; and you just have to check them out when you can.

Lee Bains III

I hung around for the set from Colleen Green, who's been one of my personal favorites for the last couple of years. She was playing to tracks on her iPad but had to cut her set short when the device overheated in the sun.

Done there, I met High Waisted for another interview I'm going to have to edit and then took a dinner / shower / nap break to refuel for the evening.

It was back to Barracuda for a set from Louisville's White Reaper whom I've been trying to see again since they blew me away at Asbury Lanes a couple of years ago. I caught a few minutes of one of their SXSW sets last year from behind a bunch of Joe Jonas fans, but this was my real second time seeing them. Just good stadium-sized rock from a band in a bar. Fun.

White Reaper

Finally, I crossed the street to the Mazda / SPIN / Stereogum / Whatever space to catch Potty Mouth, Beach Slang, and Chastity Belt. Mastodon were headlining the evening, and almost every band I'd seen that day had asked the audience, "Are you seeing Mastodon tonight?"

I hadn't planned on it because I thought the crush would be too huge, but... ...It turns out I had access to the photo pit. I was thrilled to be able to bypass the crowds -- for the first three songs each anyway -- and get shots of all the bands. As usual, for Beach Slang, I was screaming along behind my camera.

Beach Slang

The crowd went absolutely apeshit for Mastodon. I'm not a metal fan; but, damn, were they good.

Mastodon

Things cleared out a bit for Show Me The Body. I'd shot the Queens hardcore band once before when they opened for Single Mothers at Baby's All Right. There wasn't a Mastodon-level crowd there, but the SPIN stage in front of the couple hundred people who remained was still an impressive step up from two years ago.

Show Me The Body

I lumbered back to my hotel and absolutely crashed. This afternoon, I'll head over for some pancakes and rock at Little Dickman's Saturday showcase. Tomorrow, it's back to frozen Jersey.

SXSW, Day 3: Music Journo Panel, Cigar City Management Party, Outer Spaces, Spiral Stairs

Hockey Dad

Doing Some Official Stuff

When I was in Austin last year, I made it a point to get out and start seeing bands before lunchtime. That often extended into the wee hours of the next morning. I decided to try and pace myself a little better this year and to maybe take advantage of some of the conference offerings. On Wednesday, I decided to head to a panel discussion called "How to Get Paid to Write About Music." THUMP editior-in-chief Emilie Friedlander moderated the discussion. Other panelists were Eric Sunderman (Noisey, EIC), Matthew Schnipper (Pitchfork managing editor), and Andre Grant (freelance).

Making money has never been a goal of CoolDad Music, so the panel wasn't as relevant to me as it probably was to aspiring music journalists; but it was interesting to get a bit of a behind the scenes understanding of how some of the publications I read on a daily basis select stories and writers. There was some discussion of "branded content" that I found kind of icky, but it's important to keep in mind that these are big, corporate entities who also function as ad agencies.

That done, I headed out for some BBQ before making my way to Stay Gold for the Cigar City Management / Nochebuena Party. That one featured lots of friends -- Sharkmuffin, High Waisted, Fruit & Flowers -- as well as a couple of acts I'd been wanting to check out for a while like DTCV and Australia's Hockey Dad. Also, there were really good margaritas.

High Waisted

Sharkmuffin

The two-piece Hockey Dad put a little bit more of an edgy spin on jangly, beach-inspired sounds... ...which totally works for me. DTCV were some pop, some post punk and just impressive. I almost left for a break during their set. Cigar City's Randy Ojeda convinced me to stay, and I'm glad I did.

Hockey Dad

DTCV

Fruit & Flowers' set was the highlight of the party. Not only were they as good as they always are, but the crowd also chanted twice for encores and were still shouting for more as the house music came up. It was a cool moment.

Fruit & Flowers

From there, I headed back downtown to catch the set from Baltimore's Outer Spaces at The Main. I love Outer Spaces' A Shedding Snake, and Wednesday night's set was easily the best I've seen from the band. The sound was great, and Outer Spaces had enough time to hit most, if not all, of my favorite songs from the record.

Outer Spaces

I was pretty spent at this point and started walking back to my hotel. I just took a glance at my phone and noticed that Spiral Stairs (former Pavement guitarist, Scott Kannberg) was going to be playing a set a block away. Kannberg and the band sandwiched new and old solo work between covers of Pavement's "Kennel District" and "Two States." A fine way to end another long day.

Spiral Stairs

I don't even have any idea what I'm going to do today yet. It's all becoming a blur.

SXSW, Day 2: Australia, Fruit & Flowers, Spider House, Roky Erickson

Roky Erickson

This Was a Long One

The Dickmans asked if I'd like to join them for blunch at Kerbey Lane on Tuesday morning, and I immediately accepted. They've been gracious enough to let me freeload on their rental car the last couple of days, and my feet and I are very thankful.

After some brisket hash, we headed over to B.D. Riley's to catch Go Fever at the Sounds Australia Showcase. The Austin-based band, fronted by Australian expat Acey Monaro, struggled through a few technical difficulties but ended up putting in a solid set of selections from their self-titled debut. They were followed by Sydney's Food Court. That band's loud garage rock did a pretty good job of rattling the Irish Pub.

Go Fever

Food Court

From there, we headed over to Kick Butt coffee where we arrived just in time for our very good friends Fruit & Flowers. They looked a little dazed following a travel day that involved canceled flights, re-routed flights, and busses; but, once they started playing, they were as mind-blowing as ever and just solidified their position as one of my favorite bands going right now.

Fruit & Flowers

Then it was off to Spider House where we caught Scottish post-punks WOMPS -- who play Little Dickman's first showcase today -- and Alabama instrumental post-rock band In Snow.

WOMPS

In Snow

Dinner break.

Finally, we headed over to Scoot Inn for another set from Brazil's dreamy, ambient, and extremely busy at SXSW psych rockers Boogarins. There was something even better about them in the evening, under the psychedelic lights.

Boogarins

The main event of the evening at Scoot Inn, though, was a set by psych rock pioneer Roky Erickson. I noticed a pit in front of the stage before Boogarins' set and asked if I could shoot from there. After showing my SXSW camera tag to security, they let me in; and I managed to shoot both sets from the pit.

Roky Erickson

Erickson's performance has been a highlight of South By Southwest for me so far. His band appeared to have some psychic connection to him, and the whole experience was an emotional one. Having such a close, unobstructed view of how the band played off of Erickson made it that much better.

We packed it in for the night after Scoot Inn. The Dickmans and I had been running around for over 12 hours; and, just speaking for myself, there was no way I could do anymore.

It was back after it on Wednesday, and I'll be back with my 1-day look into the past probably sometime tomorrow.

SXSW, Day 1: Travel Day & Hotel Vegas

Low Cut Connie

Heaven or Hotel Vegas (Legend has it that Amy Dickman coined this phrase which now appears on Hotel Vegas T-Shirts.)

This is a day later than I wanted it to be, but yesterday (Day 2) ended up being a long day.

Anyway, did you know that you can schedule rides from Lyft in advance? I found this out recently and thought -- since I used Lyft regularly and reliably at last year's SXSW and often use them to get home from Asbury Park in the wee hours -- it would be a great way to get to the airport. On Sunday night, I followed all of the steps in the app and set myself up with a 5:30am ride to Newark airport.

Whenever I have to travel the next day, I don't sleep particularly well. After tossing and turning all night, I received a text from Lyft at 4:23 that said:

"Reminder: Lyft pickup scheduled for 5:30AM-5:40AM at [CDMHQ]"

Shower. Final bit of packing. Wait.

5:25am:

"Your Lyft ride has been canceled as no drivers are available. This happens in rare cases, and we sincerely apologize for letting you down."

LOL WUT? Five minutes' notice??

I could handle this. I decided to take CoolMom's car to the airport and leave her the CoolVan for the week. Flat tire.

CoolMom drove me over to my parents' house and I borrowed one of their cars for the week. I ended up making my flight in plenty of time, but it was way too much hassle for 5:30 in the morning. I won't be using Lyft again for anything and neither should you.

OK. Negative Yelp review over.

I got to Austin at around 3pm local time; and, after settling into the hotel, went and picked up my credentials at the Convention Center. I availed myself of the daily free cocktail that comes with a badge and then decided to hoof it over to Hotel Vegas which looked like the most promising option for the day.

Recent Wonder Bar headliners, Leopold and His Fiction, were onstage when I arrived. The band are pretty straightforward garage rock combining rootsy blues with some of the proto-punk style that originated in Leopold's hometown of Detroit. I took a few shots in the bright daylight and was, once again, amazed at how well my little mirrorless cameras perform when fed plenty of sunshine.

Leopold and His Fiction

Next up were Brazil's Boogarins, a band I'd seen at The Saint a few months ago. They play swirling, psychedelic, almost ambient rock. After their set, I decided that Southwest Airlines peanuts and Ritz crackers had left me a little peckish; and I left to grab a burger and relax at the hotel for a while.

Boogarins

It was back to Hotel Vegas with Chris and Amy Dickman for the evening. We caught a few minutes of the wild and weird Golden Dawn Arkestra before heading inside for the set from Atlanta post-punks OMNI. They turned in a super-tight set, and I would definitely not mind checking them out again this week.

Philly / Jersey band Low Cut Connie had the main stage outside. Pianist / frontman Adam Weiner channels Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard during the band's wild sets, standing up on the piano and moving through the crowd. In between every song, Weiner shouted his love for Austin and the audience.

Low Cut Connie

Finally, LA shoegaze band, Cosmonauts, took over inside. If Low Cut Connie's was my favorite performance of the day, then Cosmonauts had my favorite sounds of the day. I last saw Cosmonauts in New Orleans in a very dark, very weird bar. I immediately lost myself in their sound, and they provided a great capper to my first day in Austin.

Cosmonauts

I went back to the hotel and slept like I hadn't in a long time. Even missed La Quinta's included breakfast and my chance to work the waffle iron.

I'll be back later -- or maybe tomorrow -- to tell you about Day 2. Meanwhile, I have some pictures to edit.

SXSW 2017 Aspirational Preview

Sammus

Second Time Around

I'll be heading to Austin for my second year of South By Southwest this coming Monday. The list that follows includes officially showcasing artists whom I've rarely or never seen and whom I'm going to do my darndest to check out while I'm there.

This is on top of the list of favorites like Beach Slang, Sharkmuffin, Fruit & Flowers, High Waisted, Ex-Girlfriends, The Off White, Priests, Downtown Boys, Bash & Pop, Outer Spaces, Jackal Onasis, Stove, Ovlov, Potty Mouth, The Blind Shake, Pujol, Ringo Deathstarr, Spoon, White Reaper, and more.

I'm also going to try and leave room for new discoveries and for general hang time with friends like Little Dickman Records who will be down there for another year of Dickman Does Austin.

And, and, and... ...I'm going to try and be less of a fan and more of a journalist while I'm in Austin. I'll endeavor to bring you some interviews and other cool stuff, so keep your eyes on the CoolDad Music Instagram and YouTube Channel to see if I manage to live up to that promise.

If you'd like a more extensive list of bands I'd like to see in Austin, you can check out the Spotify playlist I posted last week.

Allison Crutchfield & The Fizz

Snow and illness prevented me from attending Crutchfield's recent shows in Jersey City and Brooklyn, but South By Southwest is here to give me some more opportunities. Crutchfield's Tourist in This Town is still in heavy rotation for me. It's a collection of gems that showcases Crutchfield's evolution as a songwriter as well as producer Jeff Zeigler's facility with analog synths.



Aye Nako

Aye Nako's Silver Haze is due in April. If early single "Particle Mace" and recently-released "Spare Me" are any indication, then the album promises to be a collection of scorching, 90s-inflected rock. Through, at times, swaying and, at other times, jagged indie punk, the Brooklyn queer-punk quartet forcefully give voice to those often marginalized in popular music.



Baked

Brooklyn DIY five-piece, Baked, live somewhere in that space where shoegaze, noise rock, slow core, and country meet. Oh, you aren't familiar with that space? Take a listen to the band's most recent release, Farnham, and you'll become well-acquainted.



Big Thief

Some people whose opinions I really respect have been telling me for a while now how great Big Thief's Masterpiece is. I'm going to take their advice and do my best to check this band out in Austin. The title track from that album is titled appropriately, btw.



Charly Bliss

OK. OK. I know I've mentioned this Brooklyn band a few times in the last few weeks. I've still never seen them, though. Their combination of heavy 90s rock and bubblegum pop is right in my wheelhouse.



Chastity Belt

I've never listened to as much of Chastity Belt as I should have given my affinity for songs like "Time to Go Home" and "Cool Slut." There's this combination of shoegazy psychedelia and straight-up pop that I just find cool. The Seattle via Walla Walla quartet have a new record coming in June, and recent single "Different Now" is another winner. I'm going to make it a point to check them out in Austin.



Cosmonauts

A brief, dark encounter with this LA shoegaze band when CoolMom and I visited New Orleans last year was all it took to get me hooked. I went to the show on the recommendation of Chris and Amy Dickman; and it ended up being a highlight of the trip for me. I'm glad I get another chance to check these guys out.



A Giant Dog

I had my chance to see A Giant Dog at South By Southwest last year, and I blew it. Not this time. This Austin-based band really grew on me as I spent time with their gritty and glammy Pile. I hear their live show is really something to see.



Go Fever

I've been receiving a ton of email submissions in advance of SXSW, and it's honestly been pretty overwhelming. This Austin band stood out to me, though. The sound of Go Fever's s/t LP reminded me a bit of another Austin band, Tele Novella, with whom I became obsessed last year. Go Fever trades some of that band's retro surf for more new wavy pop, and Australian ex-pat Acey Monaro's big voice gives everything an extra punch.



PWR BTTM

Yet another band I missed at last year's festival. Queer pop punks PWR BTTM are just frigging fun, and I won't make the same mistake again.



Sammus

If I remember correctly, Sammus was the first act I caught during The New Alternative Music Festival. Ithaca, NY's Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo made the huge Convention Hall seem small during a set in which she rapped about both self-doubt and self-confidence, about feeling marginalized and taking power back.



Vagabon

I caught the tail-end, like maybe part of the last song, of Vagabon's set at September's New Alternative Music Festival in Convention Hall. Since then, the project of Laetitia Tamko released Infinite Worlds. Singles "Fear & Force" and "The Embers" are both standouts, and I firmly resolve to catch a set from Vagabon and to spend more time with the album.

SXSW 2017 Playlist

Beach Slang will be back at SXSW in 2017.

First SXSW Preview

I'm not buying this warm-ish weather / early spring thing. March definitely has another blast of cold in store for us, which is why I'm happy to be heading down to Austin, Texas in less than two weeks for some tacos, bbq, warm weather, and lots of live music.

Since I'll be spending almost a week away from the coolfamily, I'm trying to be a little more proactive this year in terms of coverage. Let's start easy with a playlist compiled from a list of artists I'd love to try and see, photograph, interview, whatever while I'm down there. There's absolutely no chance I'll get to see all of these acts, but it's nice to have high aspirations.

I left the really big names like Wu-Tang and Weezer off of here in favor of some friends, favorites, and recent discoveries that may not have millions of fans yet. You'll recognize some regulars from this site like Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends, Psychiatric Metaphors, The Off White, A Deer A Horse, Nicole Atkins, and High Waisted. Others I've mentioned before -- some many times -- like Priests, Sammus, Mal Blum, White Reaper, Yucky Duster, Stove, Downtown Boys, Outer Spaces, and Beach Slang. Still more are mostly new (to me) acts I discovered through the deluge of pre-SXSW submissions I've been receiving this year (Yes. I read them.) like Go Fever, Mise En Scene, and The Blind Owls. New Jersey puts in a strong showing on this list with some of the bands already mentioned along with The Moms, We're Ghosts Now, and Fun While You Wait.

The whole playlist is about four hours long. Stay tuned as I'll be giving a rundown next week of what many of these bands (and, therefore, I) will be up to down in Austin.