SXSW Tips

Whether you’re heading off to SXSW or watching the coverage from afar, here are some bands to listen out for:

1) Foster The People: “Pumped Up kicks”

Having now become a permanent feature of various hype blogs thanks to this song being featured on Nylon TV’s coverage of an Anna Sui fashion show, this song could well become the soundtrack to your Summer. Whilst this song could pass off as a finished product, other tracks available from their official web (www.fosterthepeople.com) need some further production. I have no doubt that they will find the suitable person to do this following SXSW.

2) Charades

Another hot band currently emerging from Spain, Charades produce beautiful pop with catchy riffs – it is easy not to notice that Charades are singing in Spanish. “Revolución Solar” is an anthemic track taken from their album of the same name and could well be one of the standout highlights of Austin’s SXSW.

http://www.myspace.com/lascharades

3) Crystal fighters “Xtatic Truth”

This was one of my favourite tracks of 2009 and it is gradually picking up mainstream support. Signed to Kitsuné, Crystal fighters fuse electro-pop with traditional Basque music – there are currently not many bands that play the txalaparta! i caught these guys at The Old blue Last the other week and I think the floor nearly collapsed with the weight of everyone dancing. If you’re not heading to SXSW, I throughly recommend you catch these guys at the Kitsuné party at London’s Heaven on 4th April or the Camden Crawl at the beginning of May.

4) The High Wire “Odds and Evens”

Yes I’ve already found the soundtrack to my Summer. The debut album from London’s The Hire Wire was released this week and has already had countless of plays from me. Chris Martin is a fan – are you?

5) Broken Social Scene “World Sick”

If you’re a fan of Arcade Fire, chances are you will enjoy these fellow Canadians. Taking on the form of a musical collective and often changing their compilation, Broken Social Scene’s new material is quite frankly stunning as demonstrated in this seven minute epic track:

6) Bear Hands “What A Drag”

Could this be the comeback track that MGMT have failed to make? Think Pavement crossed with MGMT and you’ll be close to how cool these guys sound.

7) Fenech-Soler

Heard “Lies”? Heard their remix of Marina & the Diamonds’ Hollywood? Heard Groove Armada’s “Paper Romance?”

If “No” to all three, then here is Ben Duffy from Fenech-Soler performing with SaintSaviour in GA’s latest vid. Having wowed the crowd at The Forum last week, Fenech-Soler will be a name that is bound to be associated with summer 2010.

8) Washed Out “Feel It All Around”

Say hello to Ernest Greene – a Georgian bedroom synthster that actually produces good music cf the mush/ersatz Postal Service that Owl City made:

9) Oh No Ono “Swim”

Danish quintet Oh No Ono are charmingly idiosyncratic. Taken from debut album Eggs, “Swim” is catchy. Really catchy. You’ll be humming it in your sleep – don’t say I didn’t warn you.

10) Lissie “In sleep”

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to have been born a cowboy, I would recommend you listen to this girl. I plait my hair and don a checked shirt each time I listen to this track but I’m just not her:

Ps that song is recorded LIVE. How great does she sound. Going to drink more Jack Daniel’s in an attempt to emulate her. Damn you Lissie.

And if you have not yet caught The XX live, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? GET OUT OF YOUR CAVE:

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