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Over a week ago and 45 bands later, I definitely had a busy SXSW but it was totally worth it. I had a great time even though I didn't get to see some of the "big" bands I was really interested in, I did discover some new bands and of course saw my top bands that I had a feeling were going to be great live. I am only listing the top live bands I saw out of the 45 I did end up seeing so keep that in perspective in terms of the thousands of other bands that played the festival that I wasn't able to see.
I rate a band as a whole for how well they do live - how is the sound, the vocals and the energy or chemistry of the band. I will also list three surprise bands I wasn't familiar with that impressed me live. Sometimes you just happen upon a few gems while you are waiting for the other bands you had on your list to see. Once again, I'm doing alphabetical order because I just can't choose one over the other - I like so many different styles of music it really wouldn't be fair. If I took pictures or videos I will link here. Also feel free to join a great Facebook music page I'm a member of - we share new music, throwbacks and up and coming bands that are in the Alternative genre. It's a great page and one of the ways I discover new music - New Music Alternative Page
Band of Skulls
Unfortunately I only caught the last two songs of these guys and have no video or pics - but I'm glad I did. They are great live and I have already been digging their music - If you can ever catch them live - do it!!
The Crookes
These guys were great live and even cooler to meet afterward. I can thank 103.1 IheartAustin for playing these guys - this station actually has a great playlist so check them out if you are looking for an actual alternative playlist. The Crookes are from England and are a great rock band with a unique sound and they didn't disappoint me live at all. My favorite song right now by them is Afterglow but they will be releasing a new album in April and now have representation in the US By Modern Outsider. I am excited to see what these guys do with their new album that comes out next month. It was super cool to say hi and get a picture with them afterwards. I hope they can make it back to the US soon.
Ian Moore
The majority of the bands I saw are from overseas. In my opinion SXSW is the perfect opportunity to see really great bands from overseas that are already popular over there but just not well known in the US. Ian Moore is my US exception - he is killer on guitar and originally from Austin so it was only fitting for my last night out being spent seeing Ian Moore tear the roof off The Continental Club. He has such a wide range of songs from really great rock to just really great singer/songwriting. He has been playing for years and it was great to see him rock it out and say hi afterwards. If you need to know the rock side of Ian Moore, check out this live video of Closer and Let me out. He will be touring soon - one with an acoustic set and the other one with a rock set. Great musician and songwriter, follow him on FB and check him out live sometime.
Max and the Moon
This is the second of three US bands on my list. Max and the Moon are from California and I feel it's only a matter of time before they get more radio play. I already did a blog post about them and was glad I got to see them live and meet them afterwards. Crazy and Losing the Agreement are my favorites right now and I hope they get to release a full length album later this year as well. John the singer had mentioned he wasn't feeling that great at the show but I did not notice at all. I really have a good feeling about these guys. My google drive back up does this cool thing with making gif's on it's own if a certain amount of similar pictures were taken together in sequence so I put our sequence of pics up...kinda cool.
Morning Parade
These guys were on my list and really great live. I'm glad I stumbled upon them instead of trying to go to the crazy packed showcases where tragedy struck :( After Morning Parade, I went home and so thankful I did because that was the night the crazy driver mowed down a bunch of people in the street. One of the showcases I had wanted to see was on that street. If anyone wants to donate to the victims - the website is here: SXSWCares. If you are not familiar with Morning Parade, check out Alienation.
Mozes and the Firstborn
Mozes and the Firstborn is a great garage/60's sounding band out of the Netherlands - they were really good live, too. They were on my list of bands I wanted to see and the showcase was the perfect size and not too crowded. Check out Bloodsucker if you are not familiar with them. Who knows when they will ever be back to Austin but glad I got to catch them at SXSW. They are super cool, too.
Public Service Broadcasting
So I ended up seeing these guys twice. I was at a day show and they played without their video screen and then saw the full night experience with their visuals and I'm so glad I did. They are unique, different and quite mesmerizing. I was not sure how they were going to be able to present their recorded songs live but man they did it - super cool dudes, too! I was really glad to meet them and see both live sets. I will definitely catch them if they ever come back to Austin for a tour. You need to check them out if you haven't heard of these guys - so unique and awesome!! I did video Everest at Latitude 30. I love it when a band comes along doing something I haven't quite seen before. I am now a big fan of PSB thanks to SXSW.
Royal Blood
I was probably most excited about these guys from the UK. I had to confirm they were actually coming because there are 2 other bands with the same name. After they confirmed via twitter..I started trying to find as many songs as I could by them. 5 tracks later and I couldn't wait to see their live set. They already have a ton of buzz in the UK and are starting to slowly get some radio play over here. ROCK is back...I have not seen this solid of a live rock show in many many years. I saw them twice - well technically three times even though one time was from the outside of the club ha. I can't wait until a full length album comes out. I did get video of Out of the Black even though I really wanted to head bang and jump around haha. I actually had expectations for this band live and they actually surpassed them, they are that good. I have a feeling they are going to blow up over here and soon. They are playing Lollapalooza this year. If they ever come back for a US tour - you do NOT want to miss them live!! They will be opening for Arctic Monkeys this summer in the UK so it's only a matter of time before everyone knows about the awesomeness that is Royal Blood.
SPEAK
I have seen SPEAK a few times now and they are always great live, I did say hi to Troupe after the show but they had another gig in 3 hours - It might be possible that SPEAK had the most shows during the week of SXSW. I think it was 14 or something, just crazy. Anyway these guys need to be more well known. One of my favorite local bands and I can't wait for their album to come out later this year. If you haven't heard about these guys yet, you will. Check out my favorite track from them right now Peaks. They are a great solid band live.
The Standards
There will be another post about this band later, it will take me a while to compile everything I have to share during the week of SXSW regarding this band but let's just say I seem to like a band even better when I kind of know them or have a connection. Check out my post on My Week with The Standards if you want to find out a little more about them. The Standards are from Bangkok, Thailand and came all the way over here to rock it in America. I also had to make sure they were coming to SXSW via facebook and twitter and that later led to me helping them out and they stayed at my apartment while I was house sitting for my sister. I'm glad they made the trip to Austin and their live set was not a disappointment. I wish there would have been more time and I would have taken more time off to show them a little bit of Austin. I did video their track Never Go Home that was played at BD Riley's. I had a lot of fun with these guys. A SXSW I won't soon forget. Another great track by them is The Fall.
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Strange Talk
I have known about Strange Talk for a while. Their songs are very synth driven so I wasn't sure how it would come across live (totally great songs for dancing or working out). I am SOOO bummed my phone died by the time they came on because they were solid live! So much energy, and actually surprisingly a good amount of rock coming through in their live set. I was actually surprised how great they were live. I did get to talk to Stephen before they played - actually there is a photo of me and him somewhere on my friends cell phone. Ha. Very cool guys - super cool show. My plan was to see them again during the week but it just didn't work out. I leave you with a live version of Climbing Walls and if they ever are touring in your town - check them out. Stephen's voice is soo good live! It was a great show and they are all sooo um good looking too :)
Temples
Everyone already seems to know about Temples and it was super crowded. I have a really crappy picture of the show because I was way in the back. They were really good live and I am completely digging their sound. I would definitely like to see them come back to Austin on a tour. If you haven't heard of Temples yet, you need to check out Keep In The Dark Their entire Sun Structures album is great.
THUMPERS
I wasn't super familiar with THUMPERS, just knew they were coming on before PSB and Royal Blood at the British Embassy showcase. I had no expectation for them live but they really impressed me with their show. It was very upbeat, high energy and I am now a fan. They all jump around so much I am posting the least blurry picture ha. If you haven't heard of THUMPERS check out their track UNKINDER - this was a great song played live and I look forward to what this band will do in the future.
We Were Promised Jetpacks
I have known a few songs by this band but wasn't a super fan or anything. I actually happened along at this day show because the other one I wanted to see was at capacity (Phantogram) so unfortunately I never got to see Phantogram live. Let's just say having no expectations of their live set I was completely and utterly blown away by how well and solid they sounded live. Actually one of my favorite live bands is Jimmy Eat World because no matter where or when I have seen them, they are always solid and the vocals are spot on. WWPJ totally reminded me of that fact..they just got up there and killed it. I only caught part of Thunder and Lightning on video which is a great song played live but I also recorded a New Song by them which I am glad to hear, they haven't had a new album in quite a while. Very excited for what these guys do in the future..great live rock band - if you ever get a chance to see them....GO!
Ok my three live surprises were Kid Karate, Mister and Mississippi and The Wild Family.
Kid Karate came on before WWPJ and they are a really good duo. They are from Ireland and I was really impressed with their music and their live set. If you are not familiar with them - Check out the track Two Times.
I caught Mister and Mississippi at the Dutch showcase and had never heard of them before. I was pleasantly surprised and I do need to check more of their music out. The singer has a great voice and they sounded really good live. Check out their track Northern Sky. I really really love her voice and their sound and will be checking out what they do in the future.
Almost two weeks later and here is my SXSW recap. It's hard working full time, taking care of 2 kiddos under 10 and committing time to this blog. I didn't think it would take that much of my time so I apologize for the lack of posts. I'm not a writer or elegant at descriptions - I just post what I really like in music today and I do hope some of these bands get some exposure. I'm almost positive Royal Blood will blow up within the next year. I only have about 7 months until the ACL Festival haha. I really hope their line up is way better than Lolla's. If you were at SXSW - what were some of your favorite live acts?
Who would you like to see at the ACL Festival in October?
Band of Skulls
Unfortunately I only caught the last two songs of these guys and have no video or pics - but I'm glad I did. They are great live and I have already been digging their music - If you can ever catch them live - do it!!
The Crookes
These guys were great live and even cooler to meet afterward. I can thank 103.1 IheartAustin for playing these guys - this station actually has a great playlist so check them out if you are looking for an actual alternative playlist. The Crookes are from England and are a great rock band with a unique sound and they didn't disappoint me live at all. My favorite song right now by them is Afterglow but they will be releasing a new album in April and now have representation in the US By Modern Outsider. I am excited to see what these guys do with their new album that comes out next month. It was super cool to say hi and get a picture with them afterwards. I hope they can make it back to the US soon.
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Ian Moore
The majority of the bands I saw are from overseas. In my opinion SXSW is the perfect opportunity to see really great bands from overseas that are already popular over there but just not well known in the US. Ian Moore is my US exception - he is killer on guitar and originally from Austin so it was only fitting for my last night out being spent seeing Ian Moore tear the roof off The Continental Club. He has such a wide range of songs from really great rock to just really great singer/songwriting. He has been playing for years and it was great to see him rock it out and say hi afterwards. If you need to know the rock side of Ian Moore, check out this live video of Closer and Let me out. He will be touring soon - one with an acoustic set and the other one with a rock set. Great musician and songwriter, follow him on FB and check him out live sometime.
Max and the Moon
This is the second of three US bands on my list. Max and the Moon are from California and I feel it's only a matter of time before they get more radio play. I already did a blog post about them and was glad I got to see them live and meet them afterwards. Crazy and Losing the Agreement are my favorites right now and I hope they get to release a full length album later this year as well. John the singer had mentioned he wasn't feeling that great at the show but I did not notice at all. I really have a good feeling about these guys. My google drive back up does this cool thing with making gif's on it's own if a certain amount of similar pictures were taken together in sequence so I put our sequence of pics up...kinda cool.
Morning Parade
These guys were on my list and really great live. I'm glad I stumbled upon them instead of trying to go to the crazy packed showcases where tragedy struck :( After Morning Parade, I went home and so thankful I did because that was the night the crazy driver mowed down a bunch of people in the street. One of the showcases I had wanted to see was on that street. If anyone wants to donate to the victims - the website is here: SXSWCares. If you are not familiar with Morning Parade, check out Alienation.
Mozes and the Firstborn
Mozes and the Firstborn is a great garage/60's sounding band out of the Netherlands - they were really good live, too. They were on my list of bands I wanted to see and the showcase was the perfect size and not too crowded. Check out Bloodsucker if you are not familiar with them. Who knows when they will ever be back to Austin but glad I got to catch them at SXSW. They are super cool, too.
Public Service Broadcasting
So I ended up seeing these guys twice. I was at a day show and they played without their video screen and then saw the full night experience with their visuals and I'm so glad I did. They are unique, different and quite mesmerizing. I was not sure how they were going to be able to present their recorded songs live but man they did it - super cool dudes, too! I was really glad to meet them and see both live sets. I will definitely catch them if they ever come back to Austin for a tour. You need to check them out if you haven't heard of these guys - so unique and awesome!! I did video Everest at Latitude 30. I love it when a band comes along doing something I haven't quite seen before. I am now a big fan of PSB thanks to SXSW.
Royal Blood
I was probably most excited about these guys from the UK. I had to confirm they were actually coming because there are 2 other bands with the same name. After they confirmed via twitter..I started trying to find as many songs as I could by them. 5 tracks later and I couldn't wait to see their live set. They already have a ton of buzz in the UK and are starting to slowly get some radio play over here. ROCK is back...I have not seen this solid of a live rock show in many many years. I saw them twice - well technically three times even though one time was from the outside of the club ha. I can't wait until a full length album comes out. I did get video of Out of the Black even though I really wanted to head bang and jump around haha. I actually had expectations for this band live and they actually surpassed them, they are that good. I have a feeling they are going to blow up over here and soon. They are playing Lollapalooza this year. If they ever come back for a US tour - you do NOT want to miss them live!! They will be opening for Arctic Monkeys this summer in the UK so it's only a matter of time before everyone knows about the awesomeness that is Royal Blood.
SPEAK
I have seen SPEAK a few times now and they are always great live, I did say hi to Troupe after the show but they had another gig in 3 hours - It might be possible that SPEAK had the most shows during the week of SXSW. I think it was 14 or something, just crazy. Anyway these guys need to be more well known. One of my favorite local bands and I can't wait for their album to come out later this year. If you haven't heard about these guys yet, you will. Check out my favorite track from them right now Peaks. They are a great solid band live.
The Standards
There will be another post about this band later, it will take me a while to compile everything I have to share during the week of SXSW regarding this band but let's just say I seem to like a band even better when I kind of know them or have a connection. Check out my post on My Week with The Standards if you want to find out a little more about them. The Standards are from Bangkok, Thailand and came all the way over here to rock it in America. I also had to make sure they were coming to SXSW via facebook and twitter and that later led to me helping them out and they stayed at my apartment while I was house sitting for my sister. I'm glad they made the trip to Austin and their live set was not a disappointment. I wish there would have been more time and I would have taken more time off to show them a little bit of Austin. I did video their track Never Go Home that was played at BD Riley's. I had a lot of fun with these guys. A SXSW I won't soon forget. Another great track by them is The Fall.
.gif)
I have known about Strange Talk for a while. Their songs are very synth driven so I wasn't sure how it would come across live (totally great songs for dancing or working out). I am SOOO bummed my phone died by the time they came on because they were solid live! So much energy, and actually surprisingly a good amount of rock coming through in their live set. I was actually surprised how great they were live. I did get to talk to Stephen before they played - actually there is a photo of me and him somewhere on my friends cell phone. Ha. Very cool guys - super cool show. My plan was to see them again during the week but it just didn't work out. I leave you with a live version of Climbing Walls and if they ever are touring in your town - check them out. Stephen's voice is soo good live! It was a great show and they are all sooo um good looking too :)
Temples
Everyone already seems to know about Temples and it was super crowded. I have a really crappy picture of the show because I was way in the back. They were really good live and I am completely digging their sound. I would definitely like to see them come back to Austin on a tour. If you haven't heard of Temples yet, you need to check out Keep In The Dark Their entire Sun Structures album is great.
THUMPERS
I wasn't super familiar with THUMPERS, just knew they were coming on before PSB and Royal Blood at the British Embassy showcase. I had no expectation for them live but they really impressed me with their show. It was very upbeat, high energy and I am now a fan. They all jump around so much I am posting the least blurry picture ha. If you haven't heard of THUMPERS check out their track UNKINDER - this was a great song played live and I look forward to what this band will do in the future.
We Were Promised Jetpacks
I have known a few songs by this band but wasn't a super fan or anything. I actually happened along at this day show because the other one I wanted to see was at capacity (Phantogram) so unfortunately I never got to see Phantogram live. Let's just say having no expectations of their live set I was completely and utterly blown away by how well and solid they sounded live. Actually one of my favorite live bands is Jimmy Eat World because no matter where or when I have seen them, they are always solid and the vocals are spot on. WWPJ totally reminded me of that fact..they just got up there and killed it. I only caught part of Thunder and Lightning on video which is a great song played live but I also recorded a New Song by them which I am glad to hear, they haven't had a new album in quite a while. Very excited for what these guys do in the future..great live rock band - if you ever get a chance to see them....GO!
Ok my three live surprises were Kid Karate, Mister and Mississippi and The Wild Family.
Kid Karate came on before WWPJ and they are a really good duo. They are from Ireland and I was really impressed with their music and their live set. If you are not familiar with them - Check out the track Two Times.
I caught Mister and Mississippi at the Dutch showcase and had never heard of them before. I was pleasantly surprised and I do need to check more of their music out. The singer has a great voice and they sounded really good live. Check out their track Northern Sky. I really really love her voice and their sound and will be checking out what they do in the future.
My last surprise live band is The Wild Family. They are from Chicago and I saw them at a Sofar Sounds Event which I recommend for anyone to sign up on their subscriber list if they have one in your town. It literally is a concert in someone's living room or mixed use space. You don't know the bands and no money exchanges hands. They are really good up and coming bands or even some well known bands that just think the idea is cool and will totally play for free. The Wild Family is hard to describe but if you like Boy and Bear and a little bit of folk mixed with indie rock - you will love them too. I hope these guys do well. They have a very unique sound. Check out their track Gold. I want to hear more from these guys!
Almost two weeks later and here is my SXSW recap. It's hard working full time, taking care of 2 kiddos under 10 and committing time to this blog. I didn't think it would take that much of my time so I apologize for the lack of posts. I'm not a writer or elegant at descriptions - I just post what I really like in music today and I do hope some of these bands get some exposure. I'm almost positive Royal Blood will blow up within the next year. I only have about 7 months until the ACL Festival haha. I really hope their line up is way better than Lolla's. If you were at SXSW - what were some of your favorite live acts?
Who would you like to see at the ACL Festival in October?
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