New Bands At SXSW

Austin – Day two of SXSW held two of my favorite showcases: Austin Psych Fest and Frenchie Smith Records. Unfortunately, both were at the same time on opposite sides of town. During this festival, you just have to make it work. Both showcases hand-pick each act so you know you’re walking away having seen something new and incredible. These two showcases are also great representations of our Austin music scene—Frenchie Smith includes only bands from Austin and Psych Fest and the Reverberation Appreciation Society have become Austin staples.

Sean Ono Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl have been active with their project Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger since 2008 but recently changed the band name to THE GOASTT. Prepping to release their first new record since 2011, SXSW has been the perfect place to showcase new tunes. Lennon and Muhl have a strong chemistry on stage and their sweet voices blend perfectly together. Adding a bit more psychedelic sound than previous albums, the Austin Psych Fest showcase was the perfect platform. It was nice to see Lennon in a setting surrounded by his peers rather than people trying to see him as the image of his father. The audience truly dug the music for what it was.

The showcase held three stages worth of bands and boasted a line around the block. Beginning at noon and continuing in to the night, acts such as The Black Lips performed incredible sets. One to watch this SXSW has certainly been Mark McGuire and I was excited to see him following Mr. Lennon on the indoor stage of Hotel Vegas. McGuire has a strong experimental sound, constantly fiddling with his effects pedals to make the right noise happen. The drone of his guitar left me in an afternoon trance. Focusing far more on intricate instrumentals than vocals, the one-man show uses his voice as an instrument. It is interesting to watch a musician where no two live sets are alike. He is an exciting force this SXSW.

Other notable acts from the Austin Psych Fest showcase included YAMANTANKA // SONIC TITAN, a band out of Canada that explores Asian tribal music and culture. Their stage show is haunting and the music is unlike anything out there currently. They make use of large drum sounds and gothic tones. Temples brought their upbeat psych rock sound from the UK and No Joy stunned on the indoor stage with buzzing shoegaze.

When evening struck, it was time for rock n’ roll from The Strypes. Not knowing what to expect, I was blown away by this four-piece out of Ireland. I may have been too overtaken, in fact, thinking to myself this must have been what it was like to see The Beatles. With the looks of One Direction (only much more dapper) and the sound of bluesy rock from the 60’s and 70’s, these boys are going to melt the hearts of rock n’ rollers everywhere well before they hit twenty. They’re the type of band you’ll want to think of as a flash in the pan but if they continue to write such sophisticated music, they could very well revolutionize the industry. It’s exciting to see young men (they’re all between the ages of 16 and 18) who would be ripe for boy band status playing straight rock you might hear coming out of a garage in the mid 60’s. They have the potential to open the minds of the younger generation to broaden their music horizon.

Another man who is bringing rock n’ roll back is certainly local producer Frenchie Smith. He has helped bands with a true rock sound break in to the music industry. His showcase at Guero’s featured acts such as Smoke and Feathers, Leopold and his Fiction, Casual Strangers, and Purple. The queso flowed as the bands rocked and I thought to myself, man it’s great to be in Austin, TX.

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Ilyse Kaplan

Growing up in Boston, MA, Ilyse Kaplan was an avid music fan so she followed her passion to Los Angeles.Unable to decide whether to be Penny Lane or William from "Almost Famous," she combined their best assets--William's writing skills and Penny's fashion--and joined her guitarist boyfriend Southwest.Though missing her old haunts like The Echo and The Satellite, she has warmly embraced the Austin music community and looks forward to sharing the hidden gems she comes across wandering aimlessly down east 6th st.Her record collection holds no boundaries from 60's Yeh Yeh girls like Francoise Hardy to her imaginary hip hop boyfriend, Drake.From the kings of morose, The Smiths, to the reigning queen, Taylor Swift.Having written for publications such as Variety, LADYGUNN, and Filter in the past, she looks forward to reporting Austin's Best New Bands live from the scene.