The week that is SXSW in Austin; Texas always brings with it its fair share of opportunities to discover new artists. Here were my five discoveries at the festival, all of whom seem destined for greatness. Some may be names you already know, others will probably be ones you’ve never heard of before. But they’re all more than worth your time and attention.
East Cameron Folkcore (Austin, Texas)
File this under “best local discovery”. This Texan eight piece with brass, a mandolin and a double bass had great energy and evoked a vibe similar to what you may compare (in Australia) to bands like Little Bastard. It’s that Americana soaked rock and roll that you hear so often around the American South – and when it’s done well, it’s inescapably fun. These guys they’ve totally nailed it. Their track “The Joke” was a highlight of their set, and I always enjoyed the track “Our City”, which was about Austin – and somewhat appropriate as a lead in to the week of SXSW. Both songs will be available on their upcoming LP Kingdom of Fear.
Kevin Garrett (Brooklyn, NY)
Kevin Garrett got some unexpected buzz this week when Katy Perry tweeted about one of his tracks, “Control”, and his performance at the Willow Wood 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.
Read more about the Willow Wood Music showcase HERE
Will Butler (Montreal, Canada)
I wasn’t sure what we were going to see or hear when Arcade Fire’s Will Butler went out on his own, but with his new solo album Policy, Will has shown he doesn’t need the rest of his band to produce some solid music. He’s definitely added even more to the experience live, with a sizable band behind him, all wearing t-shirts bearing their own names. There’s something hilarious about a grown man named Will wearing a t-shirt that says “WILL” on it. But more than anything, this guy can sing, this guy can make some incredible music, and he did not disappoint at any of his performances.
You can get a taste for yourself with “Take My Side”, as performed on David Letterman:
Howard (Brooklyn, NY)
A self described “folktronica” group from Brooklyn, this 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.
Taken from our original article HERE
Mew (Denmark)
And finally, we have Danish group Mew (pictured above). Now this is far from a discovery for me, I was a huge fan of the band back in 2005 and 2006, but having only released one record (2009’s ) between then and now, they’d since fallen off my radar. Seeing them back at SXSW was a pure joy – and I wasn’t alone. This was perhaps the most difficult band to see at SXSW, with lines running around the corner every time they played. I was very lucky to just make it in to see their final show at the Brooklyn Vegan party and they did NOT disappoint. It’s great to see them back and as we speak I’m going back through their discography and listening to one of the finest bands of the last decade.
Their new record +- (Plus Minus) will be released next month.
Honourable Mentions
Zella Day is going to be a force to be reckoned with – definitely keep your eye on her. Same can be said for Charlotte OC, who popped through Australia inconspicuously over the Summer to play Falls Festival. We didn’t hear much of anything about her at the time – which we find a bit odd – but are excited to have been able to witness her at SXSW. Special mention to Hot Chip for performing one of the best sets I’ve ever seen from them at the Samsung Milk Music Lounge (read about that show HERE). Another great re-discovery is Frog Eyes, who we hadn’t heard from in a while. You can watch him perform a track for our AU sessions series here:
