Dave's SXSW picks, part one

by Dave on Wed, 2009/01/21 - 9:43am Post to Twitter

I can’t go to SXSW this year as I have no money. That’s the naked truth of the matter.

What I can do, is trawl through the enormous list of showcasing bands, and make some recommendations based on the music available on each band’s website.

For my sins, I’ve just started that task and boy, is there a big heap of shit heading to Austin at the beginning of March. Thankfully, there’s also a healthy dollop of tasty creamy new acts playing and this post is an attempt to pick out the ones I think are worth checking out.

I should also say, that there’s a huge pile of soft folky Americana dusting down the mandolins and preparing to invade Austin. I like some acts that fall into this genre, but I gave it a bit of a wide berth just now, because I didn’t have the patience to listen to a lot of Bon Iver clones.

Special mention also goes to those bands who make it difficult for you to listen to their tunes online. You people are morons. If I’m visiting your website, I want to hear what you sound like. It’s not difficult to make your tunes available these days, and everyone should at the very least be posting up some samples of their songs with some nice big links for impatient bastards like myself to find.

I’ve gone through the list alphabetically, so for part one, here’s my picks from A through to C y’all…

The Answering Machine

What I like to think of as a ‘classic artrocker’ band - all herky jerky rhythms, spiky guitar and yet a shining diamond of a good tune at the heart of it all.

DOWNLOAD LIGHTBULBS

Awkward, I

Twee sophisto pop from Amsterdam that turns some nice corners.

DOWNLOAD WE COME FROM FAR

Check out Awkward, I on Myspace

Baddies

Southend’s finest, pumping out some righteous Art Brut / Pink Grease / McClusky style stompers. Already tipped in lots of ‘ones to look out for in 2009’ lists - could well set SXSW alight. Provided they’re not shit live. Actually, that caveat could apply to all of the bands on this list, so I won’t mention it again.

DOWNLOAD TIFFANY I’M SORRY

Check out The Baddies on Myspace

Bam Bam

Bam Bam play spunky indie pop fronted in part by some stylee ladies. Add that to the fact they’re from South America, and some lazy journos may fall into the trap of likening them to CSS. Tempting as that comparison may be, they sound more like a Mexican Breeders - especially on ‘Oro Flash’. Very cool.

You can get their entire first album for nowt from here. Well worth the bandwidth it is too.

DOWNLOAD ORO FLASH

Black Diamond Heavies

They’ve been around for a few years now, so they’re unlikely to win any ‘break through artist’ gongs. But I like the BDH’s Andre Williams meets Tom Waits meets the Black Keys dirty fonky twosome blues noise.

Give Everythang is Everythang a listen and tell me you don’t fucking love it. Go on, I dare you.

DOWNLOAD EVERYTHANG IS EVERYTHANG

Check out Black Diamond Heavies on Myspace

Cactus’s

Cactus’s promise us some ‘Fugazi with melody’ and they deliver on that promise nicely. Testament to this fact is their tune ‘Perverted Sharks’ which you can download here

The Coathangers

I’m ploughing through the ‘C’s and am about to lose my will to live when The Coathangers suddenely appear and rock my freaking world. Super slinky farfisa led garage pop from Athens, Georgia. Sounds a bit like Tralalala, and a bit like Hotpants Romance.

DOWNLOAD SHAKE SHAKE

Check out The Coathangers on Myspace

Cut off Your hands

So a lot written about these kiwi chaps already, but they are a mighty fine pop band. I’m a sucker for their buzzcocks / Smiths style speedy indie offerings and I think it would be nice if they got the big fat buzz they deserve at SXSW.

DOWNLOAD TURN COLD

Check out Cut Off Your Hands on Myspace