Over the past week, we’ve showcased the best new bands to check out at Coachella. Instead of our usual Artist of the Week, we’ve decided to mix it up a bit in honor of one of the biggest festivals in the world. With the festival rapidly approaching (this weekend and next to be exact), here are some highlights from our running series. Stay tuned, over the next week, there will be more pieces to come.

tUnE-yArDs: Merrill Garbus is both powerful and adorable, relatable and admirable. In her songs, she finds a way to keep it real while being strong and encouraging. Watching her live looping and seeing exactly how she creates these innovative musical puzzles is part of the fun, but there’s just something in her delivery of it all that communicates a genuine, pure joy to be doing what she’s doing. She continuously exchanges glances of glee with bassist Nate Brenner, and the two of them are so in sync it’s enviable.

This is music perfectly conducive to the essential rock concert experience: being surrounded by strangers, but when you look at the person next to you, you have this shared understanding that you are having the same kick ass experience.  – Kelly Knapp

Dawes: When I see Dawes on a list of new bands to check out, I chuckle and have to remind myself that they haven't been a band for all that long, even if they seem like they've been part of my life for years. I remember listening to their debut album, North Hills, on vinyl with a couple friends a few days after I had seem them live for the first time at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. Seeing them perform in all different sorts of venues, I can say that the band excels in any surrounding and will undoubtedly command attention at this festival.

Watching them perform at Lollapalooza and witnessing fellow concert-goers stop in their tracks and instantly become fans is a great indicator of what is sure to be just as amazing performances to come at this years Coachella. I am deeply jealous of anyone that gets to see them at this amazing venue in all their rocking glory. – Daniela Montelongo

Miike Snow: Miike Snow may have fooled you the way they fooled me when I first laid my ears on that catchy electro-pop number Animal back in 2009. I was hooked that very first time. The song’s choruses trance my brain the way their mysterious identity seemed to appeal to me and perhaps others too. It was only after non-stop rotation of their eponymous debut album and a chance to see the band live for the first time in 2010 that made me realize this one fact about Miike Snow has been quite misleading on a first impression basis: Miike Snow is not a person.

If you’re heading to the festival on either weekend, Miike Snow will be performing on 14th and 21st of April (that is on a Saturday) alongside Radiohead, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, just to name a few.Expect an intricate stage set up, a dance party where you’ll be singing along to their catchy numbers (and do cross your fingers for them to play a number or two from the debut. – Nazirah Ashari

Childish Gambino: "Childish Gambino" is a silly name created by a Wu-Tang Clan name generator website. The name itself speaks to Glover's seemingly cavalier approach to the rap game while simultaneously belying the underlying efforts and serious work that he’s been putting in to becoming a solid hip-hop artist. Childish Gambino doesn't really make pop music although his flow is peppered with more pop culture references than a SportsCenter marathon. He makes rap music. His songs aren't radio friendly. They don't have super-catchy hooks. Many don't even have hooks at all. They just have verse after verse of Glover's wit, bite and some very well founded swagger. – Adam Ward

Gotye: If you have not heard “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye, you must live under a rock. It’s the only explanation, really, considering that track transcends genres, making it accessible to alternative rock, pop, and even hip-hop radio stations, which have all given it monstrous airtime. The Australian-based indie outfit has been one of the most talked about new bands this year.

Although it was singer Wouter De Backer’s determination that initially sparked his success, it is his unique brand of experimental yet accessible atmospheric indie rock that propelled it and his breathtaking live show (with a complete band) that will cause it to continue growing. I was lucky enough to attend Gotye’s American television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February of this year and can say, without a doubt, his performance is a must see at Coachella. – Katrina Nattress

When I see Dawes on a list of new bands to check out, I chuckle and have to remind myself that they haven't been a band for all that long, even if they seem like they've been part of my life for years. I remember listening to their debut album, North Hills, on vinyl with a couple friends a few days after I had seem them live for the first time at Lincoln Hall in Chicago.

Not being one to listen to music quietly, the noise drew the attention of our downstairs neighbor who barged upstairs, not in anger, but rather demanding to know who this band was and why we hadn't ever played the record earlier. Their second album, Nothing is Wrong, has only solidified their standing in my constantly evolving catalog of favorite bands to listen to.

Dawes is scheduled to play both Fridays of this year's double weekend Coachella extravaganza and should not be missed. At this point, I have lost track of how many times I’ve seen the Los Angeles-based rockers live, but there has yet been a show where I haven’t left disappointed These performers leave every ounce of themselves on the stage. If there’s ever doubt for a second that the band doesn’t give each performance 100 percent, take a look at either Taylor or Griffin Goldsmith  face while they’re on-stage and you’ll surely see that you were greatly mistaken. Watching them live is hypnotizing and invigorating, they are a perfect addition to any music festival.

Seeing them perform in all different sorts of venues, I can say that the band excels in any surrounding and will undoubtedly command attention at this festival. Watching them perform at Lollapalooza and witnessing fellow concert-goers stop in their tracks and instantly become fans is a great indicator of what is sure to be just as amazing performances to come at this years Coachella. I am deeply jealous of anyone that gets to see them at this amazing venue in all their rocking glory.

Around this time last year I had heard of South by Southwest (SXSW) , but that was the extent of it. I am one of those people that will pack up a car, jump on a plane, you name it. Just be gone the next day, to do whatever it is my mind has chosen was a good idea. To say this way of living has always been a great choice would be a lie. However last March, my decision to get in a car along with 3 friends and drive to Austin, Texas for SXSW was one of the smartest impulses I’ve ever followed through on (Above: The Chain Gang of 1974).

First, driving from Chicago to Austin, with a stop in Memphis, while very enjoyable, was not the smartest move. Especially, when all the parties involved have jobs they need to get back to and with the mix of construction, a popped tire and everything else that could get in the way, turns a 13 hour drive home into a 23 hour drive. This year I am flying.

Second, if you are the type of person that likes things very planned out and are easily unnerved when they don’t work out, this might not be an experience for you.  Lollapalooza is my staple for comparing all other music fests; one weekend, you buy a wristband or hop a fence, large open outdoor space, bunch of stages, food, port-o-potties, easily planned sets to catch and your overall day can be figured out weeks in advance. SXSW is not a normal music festival.

What I learned very quickly when I got down to Austin is that SXSW is not only music. It is also interactive and film, with each category getting several days. Music ends the whole extravaganza. There are badges that can be purchased with different rankings based on price. They gain the badge holder access into shows, showcase, and other official events. These are on the pricey side, but keep in mind this whole event is mainly for those in the industry to either find new talent, check up on their already signed bands, or to network. For all the official bands, there are set showcase times and venues. That can help with the planning aspect for some, but getting into the showcases is not guaranteed. Those with badges get in first, then those with wristbands. Wristbands for this years event are sold in limited number and can be bought online prior to the event, but they are sold only to Austin residents. The wristbands ensures not having to pay a cover to the showcases but does not guarantee you’ll set foot in the actual venue. Last to enter the venue are those who are willing to pay the chosen cover for that band and who are lucky enough to enter before capacity for that space is filled. That is just for the officially sponsored showcases. To give you an idea out of four days last year I only went to one of the showcases and that was for Dawes and Deer Tick as Deervana.

Dawes and Deertick as Deervana

There is a large outdoor stage where masses flocked to in order to see several larger bands. I saw The Strokes with thousands one night and the next day Bright Eyes, Middle Brother, and Dawes took the same stage.

So what else was I doing if I wasn’t at showcases? At any given moment there are tons of bands simultaneously playing sponsored events all over the city. Many of these are free events until capacity is reached, others require a RSVP either on Do512’s website or the bands list itself. There is so much free music to be listened to, from any and all genres, that it can be quite overwhelming. This is the main reason why planning doesn’t really work. I would hear someone mention a band was playing a set down the block. but I would never actually get to it. Because in the process of walking there, I would hear another couldn’t miss band playing and get sidetracked.

Cults

Lastly, keep you eyes and ears open. On a normal day if you heard a super model was in the bar, Ludacris was in the hotel room next to you, Jack White is on the street corner with an acoustic guitar playing covers, you would think who ever told you these lies was on some sort of drugs. Not at SXSW, these things were all very true last year.

Going into last year with no pass, badge, or wristband  and with no preplanning, I had an amazing time. This year I am going in with a press/photo pass and with hours of prep targeting new bands to check out. Hopefully, I’ll have the same, if not better, results. Check back for my list of the Top 5 bands I’m most excited to try and see, as well as my actual coverage from down in Austin.

All Photos (c) Daniela Montelongo

 

 

Walking into the Congress Theater on Saturday night, I couldn’t get over the overwhelming feeling that I was walking into a weird high school dance. The venue, though structurally beautiful, isn’t the most graceful. It’s a place where as you walk, you wouldn’t be surprised if you go to lift your foot and it doesn’t stick to the beer and other liquid covered floor. That being said, braving the crowd in order to see Joe Pug and Dawes was well worth it.

The audience aided in this reminiscent high school feel. People ranged from the neon lit hula hoop girls, way to drunk stoner dudes, middle aged ex- frat boys, tie dye wearing moms, the “cool” kids that feel entitled to drink cheep beer from the red solo cups courtesy of the backstage pass some company gave them, and lastly, fans of the music. All in attendance blended together to appreciate both bands

I have previously stated that not only am I familiar with Joe Pug, but am also a fan. Already knowing most, if not all, of Joe’s song I am always excited to see which stand out during his set. Easily his performance of “Nation of Heat” was this show’s standout. Stressing Joe’s amazing talent as a writer, it is rare that in a live set that one has lyrics that resonate and stick even after the night is over. His songs are one of the exceptions. “We measure loneliness in miles and misery in tons” is one line from that song that sticks out and only helps to highlight his bluntness and knack for acknowledging the faults and flaws of people and the world without preaching.

His lyrics can be harsh at times, but upon himself rather than blaming others.  Closing out the set with “Speak Plainly Diana” only reminds me about the first time i saw him and how far his music has come. Though he’s playing some shows overseas and won’t be back for a while, Joe’s recently released a live album, done so at Chicago’s own Lincoln Hall, which will help tide us over until he’s back next.

The talent that shines in a live performance is what separates the musicians from those that happen to play music. This clear distinction is shown every time I see Dawes. Having seen them open for Cory Chisel at Double Door, side stages at Lollapalooza, and now a main set at huge fest, it’s safe to say these guys are here to stay.

With two albums under their proverbial belts, Dawes are on the verge of being the band audiences are going to be upset with for not playing their favorite track during their set, which is a testimony to the strength of their catalog. Fortunately on this night, they managed to squeeze all of mine in. “Western Skyline” and “When My Time Comes” are oldies at this point, but are stillcrowd favorites. It was interesting to see people jumping on the Dawes bandwagon while singing along to “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” which I woke up to the other day playing on VH1. The band are gaining popularity by the day and I’m sure this performance got them many more. Tour dates for them are scattered currently, however keep an eye out for them at a festival near you some time this year.

All Photos (c) Daniela Montelongo

Chances are you haven't heard of HARRIET or their recent single, "I Slept With All Your Mothers", but Alex Casnoff, former member of Dawes is hoping that changes. He is a bit testy in the interview, but perhaps that is what happens when you are so determined to make something work. Sometimes when you're so close to something you can't understand why someone wouldn't get it. He speaks often of his attempts to grow…grow as a band, grow into their name, grow as a songwriter. While the name is odd for a group and is likely to cause confusion they have a unique sound and perhaps in the near future you'll be hearing of Harriet and wondering who she is, only to learn that it's Alex Casnoff and company. Here are 10 questions with Casnoff:

 

Matt De Mello What is the origin of the name Harriet (in regards to your band not asking for Oxford's origins)?

Alex Casnoff: It is my grandmother’s name minus an extra "te". My mom suggested it, and I immediately said no. I ended up liking the idea of being named, and making it work, growing into it. You have to make it work, same as you do in your life.

 

MD: Dawes is on a huge up tick, playing Coachella & whose album was even considered by some to be one of the top 10 albums of the year. Do you feel any need to be competitive with them considering you left the band last year?

AC: No I don't think we have to be competitive with Dawes. I learned a lot from that band, Taylor is a great songwriter, his attention to detail is really inspiring and the only push that comes from that is me wanting to keep growing. I'm grateful to my experience in that band and I think our sounds are inherently uncompetitive.

 

MD: How would you describe your sound?

AC: We sound like the Americana of the retro-future.

 

MD: With songs like "I Slept with All Your Mothers" how seriously do you expect to be taken?

AC: “I slept with all your mothers” isn’t a joke song title. There's a dark humor in the narrator’s inability to control his feelings and shut his own lips. The song is not a gag though, so I think we expect to be taken very seriously with a song title like "I slept with all your mothers".

 

MD: Who do you think wins the Super Bowl?

AC: I just wish Prince were playing the halftime show again.

 

MD: Better Piano God: Fats Domino or Jerry Lee Lewis?

AC: I like Randy Newman, Brad Mehldau, and Bernie Worrell.

 

MD: Favorite ethnic food style (Mexican, Ethiopian, Italian, etc.)?

AC: Mexican food, maybe due to proximity.

MD: Are your songs a collaboration together or written in stages and then put together?

AC: On the EP I wrote the songs, and then we worked out parts together, but it was recorded before the band was solidified. I still bring in songs, but it's becoming a lot more collaborative in the way they come together.

 

MD - What is your on the road guilty pleasure?

AC - I don’t find I have too many pleasures I feel guilty about.

 

MD: What level of fame makes you cringe enough to want to stop making music?

AC: I found it really inspiring that a band like arcade fire who doesn't rely on the radio won best album at the Grammys last year. I am not interested in being too cool for school, or on the fringe. I'm interested in the mainstream becoming more interesting, and if we could be a part of that process I would be incredibly happy.

 

Follow me on Twitter - @MattkDeMello

The lineup for this years Coachella Festival is out and, as you would expect, it's a great one. Headlined by The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog. The lineup includes also includes a lot of our favorites here at BestNewBands.com including: M83, Florence + the Machine, Neon Indian, Dawes, WU LYF, tUnE yArDs, Childish Gambino, Gary Clark Jr.,  and our Best New Band of 2011 Grouplove.

The recession's over, so get your tickets now before they sell out.

89.9 KCRW Presents New Years Eve at The Standard Hotel in West Hollywood with: Jenny and Johnny, Cults, and DJ Marion Hodges - Sat, December 31, 2011, Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 9:30 pm (event ends at 1:00 am) The Standard Hotel, West Hollywood, CA $75.00 - $125.00. Start the new year with two of the sassiest and best regarded indie rock duos in one epic night - Jenny and Johnny and Cults.  Free champagne toast at midnight for all. This will be the best New Year's Eve rock n' roll party in L.A. even if the world ends when it turns into 2012.

There’s no shortage of things to do New Year’s Eve, especially in NYC, but if you’re looking for wild rock n’ roll mayhem, then let us recommend Deer Tick’s show at Brooklyn Bowl 12/31. This show is in support of their new album, Divine Providence, and will no doubt be another example of their raw and raucous live shows. Also on the bill this night are friends J. Roddy Walston and the Business, Dead Confederate, and Virgin Forest. Tickets are $45, which is standard NYE in NYC fare, with doors at 6pm/show at 8pm. 21+ only.

In Minneapolis First Avenue and Varsity Arts present Dawes at the Varsity Theater. The show is sponsered by sponsored by 89.3 The Current and Vita.mn .   General Admission Tickets are $31.00 advance / $31.00 door, VIP Tickets are  $60.00 advance / $60.00 door. Age Restriction: 18+

Bardot--a Los Angeles club tucked into Hollywood's dense layout--is swanky.  Swanky like an old-school mansion with dark weaving hallways, swanky like tentatively walking in on some exclusive party, unsure of where you belong.  Old friends met and chatted holding colorful drinks in dim light, surrounding me as I squeezed onto brocaded couches. People old and young congregated beneath intricate Grecian moldings and a tented, breezy ceiling to watch blue-bathed musicians perform.

This past Monday's KCRW presented School Night (hosted weekly by Chris Douridas, who celebrated his birthday last night) featured Duniven and Races opening for headliner Ivy (featuring of Adam Schlesinger of The Guys Who Sang Stacy's M--I mean, Fountains of Wayne)

Duniven kicked off the night with a decent set. The six (sometimes seven with a guest vocalist) members of the band squeezed onto the tiny stage.  Despite so many musicians and layers and instruments, their sound was simplistic and unvaried. The baselines were the best sonic element, but it was hard to focus on the good qualities with so much going on.  The drummer played one beat the entire set, featuring a painful bullet of a snare hit on every. single. quarter. note of every, single song.  There was a convincing jam session or two, which gave me moments of hope; the vocals were sweet and rough in that lovely folky way; lead singer/guitarist/harmonica-ist/band namesake Duniven was a killer harmonica player, and the songs with that curious instrument were my favorites from their set.  I personally would've preferred Duniven as a duo with Duniven on lead acoustic, vocals, harmonica, and Dan Komin on bass--done.  No need for the childish keys, the seated percussionist with a maraca in one hand and a Stella in the other, or those stale, lifeless drum beats.

The next band on stage was Races, and they were quick to inject some much needed life and musicianship into the night.  If I may gush for a little, the moment they took the stage they had a beautiful presence: one of fun and excitement yet somehow humbled and unassuming.  They were electric in the blue light, and won over my heart like no band I've never heard of has done before. (Did that make sense?)  It has been a long time since I've been genuinely impressed by the demeanor, musicianship, and presentation of a brand new band--they formed in fall 2009, have released one 7-inch, and will release their first full length later this year through Frenchkiss Records--and Races did just that.

As for their music, it was a delightful drizzle of much needed musical variation.  Duniven, take note: even though Races had six members on stage, each was a vital and contributing part of the band; each instrument was distinct and audible, and the resulting sound was cohesive and euphonic.  I quickly developed a girl crush on tambourine shaking, single snare slapping frontwoman Devon Lee--she won me over easily with an infectious charisma, a simple dress, and a heavenly voice.  Alongside her stood straight-faced and characteristically mysterious frontman Wade Ryff, busy spilling out his dulcet, Jim James voice.  They were backed by a careful band: drummer Lucas Ventura, who, when you weren't lured by the expanse of chest hair escaping from his deep v-neck, could be spotted making the silliest of faces while expertly exploring his drumset's range of volumes; pixie-haired keyboardist/vocalist Breanna Wood; ginger-headed bassist/synth-player Oliver Hild switched between serving tasty baseline and rocking the moog; and Garth Herberg strumming the guitar in his own happy world.

Is this real life or a Nicholas Sparks novel?  Closing a honey-hued summer with a sunset and live music will be Dawes (and the sun, I guess), and this sounds too good to be true.

Well, believe it. The alt-rock, country-tinted quartet will be playing a free show along with Sonny & the Sunsets (how fitting) at the Santa Monica pier on Thursday, September 1st, and it's sure to be bittersweet as you reflect lovingly on the past three months while dreading the hangover you'll have tomorrow at work (don't worry, it's only one more day 'til the weekend).  Here are the details:

Who: Dawes and Sonny & The Sunsets
Where: Santa Monica Pier
When: Thursday, Sept. 1st at 7pm
Price: Free!
Age: All Ages