Our friends at Willow Wood put on a special showcase last night to help bring SXSW to an end, taking over Bethell Hall at St David’s Church with a group of artists who took full advantage of the venue to deliver an evening full of special performances.
First up was Howard, a self described “folktronica” artist from Brooklyn. The quartet is fronted by Howard Feibusch, who produces some stunning vocals, while the band move easily and skillfully between rock numbers reminiscent of Soundgarden to scaled back acoustic gems more along the lines of Band of Horses or Fleet Foxes. It’s impressive to say the least, and the group impress in both scenarios.
“Religion” (appropriate for the venue, no doubt) was a highlight from the more scaled proceedings, while “Money Can’t Buy”, “the closest thing we’ve had to a hit single”, was one of the highlights from the rest. This is a group who have every potential to be hugely popular. Find out more about Howard on their Facebook Page.
Next up was Spanish ensemble Oso Leone, who were atmospheric like Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed! You Black Emperor, if they were fronted by someone like Antony Hegarty. It was exquisite, and the five piece were hypnotising was witness. There was a strong electronic element, with keys, effects and some electronic drums being mixed in with the real thing – essentially giving us two drummers at once during some of the more high energy moments of the set – which were well considered amongst their otherwise relaxed vibes. Easily comparable to the likes of Grizzly Bear in that respect.
Kevin Garrett got some unexpected buzz this week when Katy Perry tweeted about one of his tracks, “Control”, and his performance at yesterday’s showcase certainly solidified this. Accompanied by a two piece on drums and keys, while sitting on the keys himself, Garrett sings with the sort of falsetto that artists like Justin Vernon have made work so well through projects like Bon Iver, and he’s easily comparable to someone like James Blake, with a mix of pop and R&B vibes amongst more traditional singer/songwriter fare. “Coloring” was a set highlight, as was “Control”, and his track “Never Knock” ended the impressive set. This is without question an artist to watch – especially given this was only his 7th or 8th ever live show under the solo guise.
The last act I caught at the showcase was Emma-Lee Moss, who performs as Emmy The Great, accompanied by Mikal Evans. Over the years, Emmy has performed with the likes of Lightspeed Champion and Noah and the Whale and set up her own label in the form of Close Harbour Records, and has certainly made a name for herself in the process, releasing two acclaimed records under this guise.
These SXSW performances come off the back of the release of her new EP S, which came out next month, and her set seemed to be a mix of tracks new and old. Though Mikal spent a lot of the set on the Grand Piano, she did join Emmy up the front on vocals, while our lead jumped between vocals, guitars and her laptop/effects pad – making it somehow look effortless in the process. An impressive talent, though the music admittedly didn’t grab me in the same way that the earlier artists achieved. But such only reflects her more reserved music.
An all around excellent showcase of music; a fantastic opportunity to discover some new artists. Which, after all, is what SXSW is supposed to be about…
