You know a festival is good when you have to shrink your eyes to find out Little Dragon is playing. This year’s Bonnaroo lineup is so ridiculous, Neutral Milk Hotel, Frank Ocean and James Blake aren’t in the top 5 announcements. The “and more” on the header doesn’t make justice for what’s coming; for crying out loud, even Meshuggah is in. Read more…
Natural Child lie in a sweet place between folk, rock, country and soul and Dancin’ With Wolves feels like a timeless record. It could have been written four, five decades ago. Problem is, maybe that’s when it should have written. It’s 2014 and we live in the future, so what good’s the past? Read more…
To be honest, it’s hard not to have a good time while listening to Tacocat. The Seattle quartet seem to have a knack for punk-pop anthems, a skill they’ve certainly perfected over their seven years as a band. This talent comes through strong on NVM, their most recent release, having crafted a sound that is both instrumentally sound and lyrically interesting. Read more…
There’s something comforting about the ebb and flow of Beck Hanson. Since 1996’s groundbreaking Odelay, he has ventured among and across various genres, creating a pattern that makes the next album predictable, yet not. After 2008’s beat-heavy Modern Guilt, which followed 2006’s dance-pop The Information, the assumption would be that the next release would be subdued, perhaps traveling back to the Sea Change era. In 2012, Beck threw fans a curve, putting out Song Reader, a collection only available on sheet music. Finally, this year, with Morning Phase, he delivers what fans were hoping for: a reminder of the exceptional troubadour that resides in the heart of the jester. Read more…
Much in the tradition of the annual explosion of free and sponsored events thrown at Austin’s South by Southwest Music Festival, Scion AV has put on numerous free events aimed at good will with the fans. As of recent, many of their events have been centered on hard rock or metal bands. Curious though the association may be, the fans ultimately win. This time, the auto manufacturer put together a supremely impressive bill featuring the first ever solo acoustic performance from The Melvins’ King Buzzo and Los Angeles hard rock duo Tweak Bird.
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ISO50 and No Fear of Pop are the music blogs curating the artists for the final free day party at Hype Hotel at SXSW 2014, closing it out with a bang! They’ve brought in a great list of bands for the event including Norwegian breakout producer Cashmere Cat, Tomas Barfod, Jessy Lanza, Machinedrum, and more! The party of course will also be stocked with Taco Bell, Tito’s and Miller products for free so get there early and stay late! Well not too late, because they kick you out when it ends.
Noon-6pm Saturday, March 15th @ Hype Hotel, 505 E 7th St Austin, TX 78701
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CITR and Disco Naïveté are teaming up to curate the bands for Hype Hotel’s SXSW day party on Friday, March 14th! They’ve done terrifically well – the lineup includes Irish songsmith Hozier, Holychild, British rockers Wolf Alice, Haerts, The 1975, and more – all free with RSVP! The whole day’s lineup is phenomenal, you’ll have to read on to get the full list with set times – remember to show up a little early as Hype Hotel tends to get packed early and there will probably be a line!
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Music blogs YVYNYL and Ears of The Beholder are occupying Hype Hotel on Thursday, March 13th for their #MEGABLAAG day party at SXSW 2014! The venue is hosting a slew of parties curated by some of the most discerning music blogs around to make sure the shows are at maximum awesome – the day parties like this one are open to the public with RSVP. Good thing too – the lineup features Chet Faker, Painted Palms, Future Islands, Dum Dum Girls, and way more! Hype Hotel is always one of the most popular shows so make sure you give yourself some wait time before your favorite artist comes on – read on for the link to RSVP and set times!
Noon-6pm Thursday, March 13th @ Hype Hotel, 505 E 7th St Austin, TX 78701
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Thrasher Magazine is teaming up with Converse to bring their Death Match concert/party series to SXSW! At The Scoot Inn just east of downtown, the event stretches across four days and two stages, bringing in acts like Tyler The Creator, The Black Lips, Vic Mensa, Ryan Hemsworth, World’s Fair, Lil B, Ratking, and so many more – you’ll have to read more for the full lineup broken down by day and more event details!
Noon – 6pm Wednesday – Saturday, March 12th – 15th @ Scoot Inn 1308 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702
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When Brooklyn based trio Hospitality released their second album Trouble at the end of January, critics and fans alike appreciated and embraced the growth and maturity reflected. The album explored pop, folk and electro, blending contrasting musical styles. Causing “trouble” for those who wanted to draw the previous “sweet” and “cute” box comparisons, Hospitality noticeably redefined these lines and removed any imposed boundaries. Eager to connect with Brian Betancourt from the group to ask about a myriad of topics including the new sonic direction heard on their sophomore effort and random embarrassing moments, mxdwn chatted with Betancourt as he prepared to embark on their latest tour, which will hit U.S. and European cities over the next few months.
It’s been ten years since Irish punk legends Stiff Little Fingers have released a record, but in March the wait will finally be over. With the return of their original bass player and a Pledge Music drive to fund the record, this release can be seen as a return to form for the band, but their sound has undoubtedly matured. On the brink of a substantial tour, lead singer (and the only member who has stayed with the band since the beginning) Jake Burns took some time to speak with mxdwn about his feelings on the new record and state of the Stiff Little Fingers today. Read more…
