SXSW Preview: New to me

So over the past few weeks, I've been spending a fair amount of time slogging through the list of bands playing this year's SXSW - checking out the free mp3s provided on the official website and crossing my fingers that I'll discover something delightful.  I'm particularly intrigued by the bands I've literally never heard of before - really you never know when you'll find something new and exciting, and then have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see them at a little hole-in-the-wall bar in Austin.

First up, I tackled the international acts, because really I can't exactly expect a relatively unknown band from the UK or Taipei to make the trek all the way to Nashville any time soon.  So here are a few of my "discoveries" - bands I hadn't heard of before that managed to catch my attention with one little mp3.

Album - "Stab You"

This "eclectic electronic rock quartet" is from Monterrey, Mexico and they are officially the most google-resistant band I've ever been faced with.  Fortunately for them, I quickly became obsessed with "Stab You" - a delicious bit of shimmying electronic-tinged awesomeness - and was determined to learn more about the band.  And there's a pretty big reward if you manage to track down their myspace or website - most of their releases are available for free downloads, based on their belief that "music is not necessarily a product, and can be transformed into a powerful promotional tool."  While most of the other stuff I've heard is a little more experimentally odd than "Stab You," it's still tantalizingly interesting and probably worth digging through. (myspace - official showcase)

Carlis Star - "Hereby No One"

This one is all pop - caffeinated guitars, a bouncing beat and swirling, chorused vocals, the whole thing dropping in and clocking out before the three minute mark.  Some of the other songs on their myspace almost remind me of The Rentals, but Carlis Star actually hails from Manchester in the UK.  Can't say I know too much more about this group, but I certainly want to hear more.    (myspace - official showcase)

Fanfarlo - "Fire Escape"

Fanfarlo is a six-piece out of London, and despite the fact that they seem to have gotten a little bit of blog coverage in the past year, I'm shocked that everyone isn't all over this band.  They play exactly the kind of lush, folkish indie rock that music fans have been devouring lately - the kind of stuff that incorporates a myriad of instruments like trumpet, glockenspiel, mandolin, banjo and violin.  "Fire Escape" sounds so familiar I would swear I had heard it before and forgotten it - but I'm pretty sure it's impossible to forget a name as fun as "Fanfarlo." (myspace - official showcase)

I Was a Cub Scout - "Pink Squares"

The way this song starts off, I initially thought it would turn into an overly-'80s, dance-y, synthy cheese-fest.  But then the vocals kick in, with a kind of little-boy sweetness that turns the tune into something entirely different - something I want to listen to about 50 times in a row.  I Was a Cub Scout is a two-man synthpop band from England, and if their other tunes are as good as this one, I'll bet we're all going to be hearing a lot more about them soon.  (myspace - official showcase)

KbN - "0.7"

Usually instrumental stuff isn't exactly my thing - especially in a live setting - but seeing Errors at SXSW last year convinced me that I shouldn't discount anything just because vocals aren't involved.  This slightly trip-hoppy tune by KbN, an electronic act out of Taipei, Taiwan, stuck out in a sea of unimpressive mp3s one day a week or two ago, and I spent a relaxing hour with the track on repeat.  Hopefully this one sounds just as amazing live.   (myspace - official showcase)

Bo Pepper - "Blinkandyou'llmissit!"

There's something deliciously Metric-like about Bo Pepper - and it's not just that lead singer Dolly's voice has the same sweet edginess that made me fall in love with Emily Haines and her band.  No, this four-piece from London employs the same formula that works so spectacularly for Metric - catchy, kind of danceably poppy indie rock juxtaposed with slightly tough-sounding female vocals.  I love every song on the band's myspace - and I particularly love the fact that their mascot is a cute-ass puppet who frequently appears in photos in lieu of the actual band.    (myspace - official showcase)

Comments

Hi! at the moment i've been doing the same you've already done - digging through the jungle of sxsw music ! "album" is really nice and intriguing group ! i think it is time to make a hype for them!

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Hi. We finally finished our new release, where "Stab You" is included, and its now up on our website... : )
cheers!