This week is a special SXSW edition featuring a round up of reports on the music discovery fest’s buzziest bands and on-the-ground insight from WNXP’s own Justin Barney. It’s like being there but without the hassle of long lines, cumbersome badges and exhausted feet.
We’ve got the usual SX suspects – wild rock show band, odd name/cool music artist, breakout band that came out of nowhere and THE stand out performers sure to make strides after Austin.
We started with a few non SX related tracks including Unknown Mortal Orchestra whose new record V is out this week and Joy Oladokun and Hozier, who will both be participating in the Love Rising benefit at Bridgestone on Monday.
Justin Barney went viral this week when wandered into the best baggage claim concert of all time but that was just the beginning of his journey as he found lots of great music to bring back to Nashville (no baggage necessary).
Barney said UK experimental pop artist and producer Jessica Winter was one of the best performers he saw “by far” alongside British Nigerian musician Obongjayar, who he described as “steely and intense” with “a presence that not a lot of other people are capable of having.” Barney reported that one of the buzz bands he kept hearing about from multiple people throughout the week was Brooklyn indie, dream pop band OK Cowgirl. Going into Austin, Justin assumed Australian band CIVIC would make a good impression and they did. As Justin put it “This is the kind of band that just crushes at SX.” As for potential breakout stars, Barney pointed to retro futurist crew Brigitte Calls Me Baby who are mining similar musical veins as Nashvillian Stephen Sanchez, and Orbison-style Country crooner Orville Peck. After seeing them live, Barney said of frontman Wes Leavins “This guy just has it. If you love Harry Styles this guy is equally as hot and has a better voice.”
PLAYLIST
Unknown Mortal Orchestra “Meshuggah”
Joy Oladokun feat. Noah Kahan “We’re All Gonna Die”
Hozier “Eat Your Young”
Humour “yeah, mud”
Fake Fruit “No Mutuas”
Jessica Winter “The Love Song”
Ok Cowgirl “Across The Room”
Obongjayar “Message With a Hammer”
CIVIC “Blood Rushes”
Brigitte Calls Me Baby “Eddie My Love”
Son Rompe Pera “Chucha”
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs “Mr. Medicine”
Monica Martin “Cruel” (live from WNXP’s Sonic Cathedral)
Choses Sauvages “Colosse”
Yazmin Lacey “Bad Company”