Any objective observer will concede, South by Southwest is the consensus music industry event of the year.
Starting March 15th, more than 1,300 acts will perform over the course of six days, vying to stake their claim in the music business. Here are ten artists sure to grow in notoriety following the fan and media induced mayhem that is SXSW.
MNDR
MNDR, consisting of Amanda Warner and Peter Wade, has seen tremendous spikes in popularity following a SXSW debut in 2010. This ascent was aided by an appearance by Warner, an NYC via Midwest transplant, on Mark Ronson’s third album, Record Collection. Under the name MNDR, she co-wrote and sang the chorus on lead single “Bang Bang Bang,” featuring Q-Tip, which cracked the UK Singles top 10. The ensuing attention resulted in MNDR’s own “Fade To Black” reaching the top ten on the UK Indie Charts. Its looped synth lines, drum machine backing, and self-harmonizing vocals typify the EP’s infectious dance sound. The debut full length is scheduled for a spring 2011 release. Having opened for the likes of Massive Attack, Yacht, Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian, and Deerhoof, MNDR is primed to take a leading role in the year ahead.
www.myspace.com/mndrtronica
Tennis
Few albums have as pure and memorable a back-story as Cape Dory, the debut from Tennis. Abandoning all possessions, the duo of Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore sailed for seven months on a 2500-mile voyage along the North Atlantic coastline. They embraced a minimalist life style, and spent time considering the content of the philosophy class they met in. Two years later, the pair wrote an album capturing the experience of that voyage and the love it kindled. Released on Oxford, Mississippi’s Fat Possum Records in January 2011, it has already sparked a tidal wave of buzz. Moore’s sweet melodic croon and buoyant stage presence have swept in crowds across the States. Moore’s swaying organ accompanied by Riley’s glistening, Walkmen-eqsue guitar crafts the perfect aesthetic for their romantic seaside imagery.
www.myspace.com/tennisband
Braids
Critics have had a hard time describing Montreal four piece Braids. The most common genre titles applied have been “dream pop” and “avant-pop.” In a recent interview on Radio K, a college station in Minneapolis, the band was pressed to offer up a preferred genre title. “Textural, aggressive, groove-based pop” was the response. However you coin it, debut album Native Speaker is sure to prompt further discussion from music critics and fans alike. Released in January 2011, the surrounding buzz earned the band a “best new bands of 2010” nod from Stereogum and an “artist to watch in 2011” selection from SPIN. Lead vocalist Raphaelle Stendell-Preston’s other project, Blue Hawaii, appeared on numerous year-end 2010 lists for the achingly beautiful track, “Blue Gowns.” Her strength as a lyricist and singer, accompanied by her college-age band mates’ prodigious capacity for composition, have shot Native Speaker out of the gates as an early contender for top albums of 2011.
www.myspace.com/braidsmusic
Family of the Year
Family of the Year hale from the Silverlake section of Los Angeles. Brothers Joe and Seb Keefe, frontman and drummer respectively, were born in Wales but grew up in Boston. Early success with other projects inspired them to stick together and pursue their music. A self-released 2009 EP earned them recognition in SPIN’s “CMJ 2009: 25 artists to watch.” The group put out their debut full-length a month later. Songbook garnered acclaim and led to a coveted opening slot on tour with fellow West Coast folkies Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The band roll into Austin fresh off a run of sold out club dates in France, Germany, and England.
www.myspace.com/familyoftheyear
Pacific!
Pacific! released possibly the most prophetic album of the indie, blog-buzz world in 2008. The critically acclaimed Reveries foretold a movement towards music that was as charming as it was emotionally raw. As West-Coast retro as it was New Wavy electro. At the time, some Swedish music critics called it “balleric pop”, and others “beach foam pop.” In the ensuing year of 2009, many American and European acts gained attention labeled as part of the “chillwave” movement. The “new” genre shared numerous characteristics with the sound of Pacific! and other Gothenburg, Sweden based bands, such as those on the Service Label. In 2010, Pacific! ventured into new, ambitious territory with a conceptual project titled Narcissus. It was conceived as a live performance to accompany a ballet, and is steeped in classical Greek mythology. No matter your music preferences, there’s something undeniable in Pacific!’s tranquil yet danceable tunes.
www.myspace.com/musicpacific
Toro y Moi
Few artists have been as strongly associated with the above-mentioned modern genre of “chillwave” as Toro y Moi. It is the stage name of South Carolina based artist Chazwick Bundick. Coincidently, while studying graphic design at University of South Carolina, Bundick formed a deep musical friendship with Ernest Greene. Greene’s group Washed Out became equally as synonymous and definitive of “chillwave”: the hard to explain, yet ubiquitous genre classification of 2009 and 2010. Labels aside, Bundick’s February 2011 released sophomore effort, Underneath the Pine, bypassed any pigeonholing induced pratfalls. It is a confident effort, incorporating everything from bouncing 80s funk bass, to racing keyboard progressions, to tinkering bells accenting rock n’ roll guitar riffs.
www.myspace.com/toroymoi
Gayngs
Mineapolis’ 23 member supergroup Gayngs made a truly incomparable album in 2010. Relayted bore many highly specific 1980s soft rock influences, including 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love” and Godley & Crème’s “Cry”, which they covered. Minneapolis area artists of note involved are Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (heavily featured on Kanye West’s 2010 album), Har Mar Superstar, Solid Gold (out on Rough Trade), and rapper P.O.S. Released by independent Midwestern label Jagiaguwar, it reached unexpected heights throughout the States and across the pond. The Guardian called it “the album of the year.” Standout track “The Gaudy Side of Town” was included on Pitchfork’s “top 100 tracks of 2010.” The band has played few shows to date, but those they have were of note. They appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Prince crashed their album release, and major US festival like Austin City Limits and Coachella have added them to their bills.
www.myspace.com/gayngs
Charles Bradley
Few artists get their first break as late as Brooklyn’s Charles Bradley. Seeing James Brown at the Apollo Theater in 1962 instilled in him a love of music, and Brown specifically. Along with upholding the legacy of Brown’s signature hairstyle, Bradley performed his catalogue for years under the name Black Velvet. Working myriad odd jobs throughout his life, Bradley has finally managed to bring his own soul to the masses. At the age of 62, he finally had his debut album released on January 25th. No Time For Dreaming is out on the esteemed NYC label, Daptone Records. Label mate Sharon Jones, sharing a similarly uncommon career trajectory, adds her powerhouse howl on guest vocals. Another Daptone act, Menahan Street Band, backs Bradley live and in the studio.
www.myspace.com/charlesbradleymusic
Gold Panda
Essex, UK producer Gold Panda broke onto the music scene by leaking his own remixes. They attracted enough attention for popular indie acts like Bloc Party, HEALTH, and Simian Mobile Disco to request his services in reworking their tracks. His breakout original work came in 2009 with “Quitters Raga.” Following that successes, he signed with Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Ghostly International records. He released both an EP and LP on the label in 2010, strengthening his stance as budding solo artist. Gold Panda exhibits a keen ear for pairing finely chopped vocal samples with thumping hip hop beats and bright, worldly sounds. This appraoch is on full display in the title track off 2010’s Snow and Taxis EP. The music world eagerly awaits his two EPs set for release in 2011.
www.myspace.com/goldpanda -
James Blake
Many expect London’s James Blake to attract the most attention at SXSW 2011. March sees Blake off on his first tour of the U.S., including four appearances in Austin. In the last year, he has received honors from the BBC, the BRIT Awards, and Pitchfork among others. His 2010 singles “CMYK” and “Limit To Your Love” (a Feist cover) drew praise from all forms of press, with the later cracking the UK Singles top 40. His self-titled debut LP dropped in February 2011. Its second single, “The Wilhelm Scream,” cracked the UK top ten. Blake, commonly associated with dubstep and R&B, is a recent graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London. Many of his compositions were recorded in his dorm. The intimacy of that setting is palpable in his fractured vocal delivery and perfectionist production.
www.myspace.com/jamesblakeproduction
Stay tuned as Music-News.com bring you the latest from SXSW.
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