SXSW 2012

The Record Summer (TRS) mixes the lush arrangements and vocal style of Sufjan Stevens with Shoegaze atmospherics, equally inspired by Midlake and The Cure. Singer and songwriter Bret Rodysill moved to New York at 19. He was quickly playing CBGBs and other iconic New York venues, before leaving for Europe to play shows throughout France and Spain. Upon his return to the US, he began work with drummer Dave West on a new group called The Record Summer. The resulting EP was powerful enough that in 2011, The Record Summer became one of only two US bands to receive an at large bid to Primavera Sound... Read more

The Reminders: Duo/Couple with a unique sound that blends soulful hip hop & reggae. Big Samir (Belgium/Congo) raps in English & French while Aja Black (Queens, NY) sings & raps, 3 years after the release of their debut 'ReCollect', they are back with more energy and an even stronger chemistry presenting 'Born Champions'.
Since the release of their debut, they have shot 3 music videos, performed at A3C, CMJ, SXSW, the Apollo, several festivals across the nation (Takin' it to the Streets, Trinity Hip Hop, Saturday at the park, Black August & more). They have also toured Morocco as part of a state dept. Cultural envoy, several cities in Germany, Prague(CZ), Jamaica and have opened for such names as Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Fishbone, K'naan, Rakim & KRS1... Read more

Biography "I'm unafraid; we've come of age" (Lyrics taken from 'My Blood Is Brave') The Riff Raff 's sound is classic London poetry; brash and direct; masterful in combination. Its intelligent wordplay captures your attention and weaves throughout four-piece vocal harmonies, infectious melodies and intricate string / guitar arrangements. It's persistent, immediate, and joyful. "Beautifully complex melodies, definitely the new sound" – Sir Paul McCartney on The Riff Raff Growing up between the Midlands and London, the rampant punk and original two-tone scene's which found Terry Hall and Gerry... Read more

The Ripe is a fine group that cares about the song. Born in 2007, the Austin, Texas natives produce elaborate music with prisms from Arthur Lee's backyard and John Lennon's jukebox.
http://gethip.com/site/catalog/ripe-into-your-ears/

The Rite Flyers, from Austin Texas are an indie rock band whose sounds fly’s in formation with vintage Guided By Voices, Revolver era Beatles and the Mod side of The Who, on a strafing run at your senses with a sound all their own. The Rite Flyers second full length album has been completed, and will be released early 2014. The lead single, TUNE TO YOU, from the album will be featured in the new VERONICA MARS Motion Picture, Release Date March 2014.
 
The Rite Flyers consist of Steve Collier, who led perhaps Austin’s most raucous, fiery guitar band of the `80s - Doctor’s Mob; John Clayton, key member and songwriter for Balloonatic, a psychedelic wonder brimming with unforgettable songs; newest members from the legendary Austin band The Wannabese, Jennings Crawford and Thad Swiderski.  Former Rite Flyers alumni also include Brit Daniel, Josh Zarbo and Jim Eno from Spoon, Terri Lord (Sincola), Stephen Hall (Sixteen Deluxe) and Joey Shuffield (Fastball) The Rite Flyers placed “Suffer Fools Gladly” on the ABC show CUPID and had two songs... Read more

For The Rocketboys, the past two years have been a resilient journey. After nearly calling it quits when half the band parted ways in early 2011, the remaining three members resuscitated the acclaimed melodic rock band with a lush, cathartic album: “Build Anyway.” Since “Build Anyway,” The Rocketboys have logged nearly 150 shows (with the likes of Twenty-One Pilots, Relient K, The Almost, and The Mowgli’s), released a brand new Total Recall-inspired music video (tinyurl.com/totalrocketboys), and created a rapidly expanding collection of new material for the band’s third LP. Still inspired...

We are The Ropes. We want to fight you.

The members of "The Rubies" came from various backgrounds... Kazuya and Osuke were known as members of the band "The Emeralds" having played at the SXSW for 6 consecutive years. Daisuke; known as the drummer who can "sing and dance" was originally a member of the band "Clarabell", where he first met with Kazuya and Osuke at the SXSW2005, later to join forces with Kazuya and Osuke in starting the new band. Then, along came the mysterious "Taro" who plays the Tambourine. Taro was "found" by the members during one of their "KARAOKE" nights at a Karaoke studio in Tokyo... Together, the four formed... Read more

Austin TX psychedelic garage rockers THE SAINT JAMES SOCIETY play electric rock music that brilliantly connects the dots between the late ‘60s British blues-based bands and the brooding atmospheres of early ‘80s post punk resulting in a hypnotically powerful sound the fabulous five-piece has coined "Pentecostal Desert Glam". The band fuses a "raw energy" sound with the pseudo-mysticism of The Doors and the guitar orchestrations of classic hard rock, skillfully synthesizing these musical touchstones to create their self titled debut EP. An energized recording bursting with a muscularity as fuzzy... Read more

The Scoundrels are Bianca Bananas (vocals), Steve DeZarn (guitar), Antonio Mojica (bass), Luis Mendez (drums), and the newest member, Brandon DuVall (trumpet/ keyboard). They are a pure rock n’ roll band out of the fabulous city of Las Vegas, NV formed in the fall of 2007. They have played at numerous venues in the Las Vegas and SoCal area including the House Of Blues, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, The Palms Hotel and Casino, and The Viper Room just to name a few. Their latest album is Let ‘Em Rot, but they are currently in the studio working on their second album, both produced by Mike Szuter... Read more

Who are the Scruffs? Legendary band, The Scruffs, originally hailed from Memphis, Tennessee and became Southern pioneers of the “power pop” musical movement. Founded by lead songwriter, singer and guitarist Stephen Burns, The Scruffs recorded the classic cult album “Wanna Meet The Scruffs?” at Ardent Studios in Memphis, in 1977. Critical acclaim struck the band, much the same as fellow Memphians, Big Star, and a second album was recorded entitled “Teenage Gurls”. (This album would remain unreleased for 20 years.) Robert Christgau of The Village Voice voted WANNA MEET THE SCRUFFS? as...

http://theseedyseeds.com

The Sheepdogs built their name on hard work and determination. Having funded their first three albums and early years of touring on their own, this rock and roll band’s momentum began to build exponentially with the release of the 2010 album, Learn & Burn. The band would go on to win three 2012 JUNO Awards (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy): New Group of the Year, Single of the Year and Rock Album of the Year. With a list of accolades this impressive the band is on the brink of engaging fans on a wider scale.

The Sheepdogs will do just that with the release of their new self-titled album... Read more

Lock up your sons. The Shining Twins are coming. East Village punkers The Shining Twins, Alex and Marisa, have had NYC buzzing since hitting the scene in 2009, playing standing-room-only shows with Adam Green, The Black Keys, Lemonheads, Cassie Ramone, Juliana Hatfield, Mark Ronson and Fear to name a few. Driven by the ragged punk sounds of the 70s, The Shining Twins smash sweet sounding girl angst into grunge to create the perfect soundtrack to a reckless weekend. This year the Twins turned the heads of Thrasher, NME, Interview Magazine and Nylon as they tore up the music and fashion scene, performing... Read more

The Sidekicks have been a band since the members were 15, quite literally learning how to play their instruments by playing together. The result has been a musical and personal relationship that has inevitably transformed over the years, braving lineup and stylistic changes, geographic relocation, and just plain growing up. School separated the members, with half the band living in Columbus and the other half in Cleveland. The Soggy Dog House was started by drummer Matt Climer, and served as a focal point to both the band and the Cleveland DIY punk scene. They released So Long, Soggy Dog in 2007... Read more

The Silent Comedy is a San Diego-based group of musicians mixing Americana, Folk and Rock n’ Roll into a sound that is best understood by experiencing their live show. Brothers Joshua and Jeremiah Zimmerman started the band to capture the feeling of the bar culture they worked in and the revival meetings they grew up attending. The outcome is an experience that has been described as “a whiskey fueled tent revival.” The Silent Comedy took to the road immediately after their first show and have continued to build on that tradition. The brothers’ father was a preacher who sold everything the...

The Sister Ruby Band is the psych-rock project of 22 year old Los Angeles based Johnny Ruby. After last year’s self-recorded EP “A Shot In The Dark”, The Sister Ruby Band is set to release their full-length debut album “In Cold Blood”. Featuring appearances from guest musicians such as The Black Market Band and the Sugarplum Fairies, this record oscillates between the gauzy sounds of British shoe gaze and West Coast psychedelia. According to Buzz Bands LA’s Kevin Bronson “Sister Ruby’s woozy wall of sound isn’t too far from the reverb-soaked shimmer of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club...

The Skies Revolt is a quirky blend of indie music, catchy electronics, and aggressive blasts of sounds. This along with an energetic live show that has earned them a strong, growing following, and positive reviews. They recently undertook their biggest studio effort, a six week long session to record a full length album called "Some Kind of Cosmonaut" and will be touring the majority of the year to push it.

Named as one of Paste Magazine’s “Top 25 Shows at SXSW 2013″, The Soft White Sixties are increasingly gaining recognition for their infectious live performance. Since 2010 they have been perfecting their sound, appropriately dubbed Working Class Soul – a gritty edge to modern pop. They mix their vast influences into a hard-hitting and confident force reminiscent of classic R&B and Rock ‘n’ Roll but with a contemporary sensibility. Octavio Genera (vocals), Aaron Eisenberg (guitar/keys), Ryan Noble (bass), and Joey Bustos (drums) combine soulful melodies, deep grooves, and fuzzed-out...

The Soldier Thread is an indie pop-rock quintet hailing from Austin, Texas. Having been only patched together since late 2007, the ensemble has already undergone quite an alteration in style. Todd Abels (guitar, keyboard) and Justin McHugh (keyboard, guitar, backup vocals) set out from ambient origins to weave in the missing pieces. Close ties to Patricia Lynn (lead vocals, keyboard) and Drew Vandiver (drums) allowed for an easy joining of loose ends. With Chance Gilmore (bass guitar) eventually completing the chain, the group began to play shows in and around Austin, as well as throughout Texas... Read more

“Never short on hooks or ambition, The Sour Notes play brittle pop for star-crossed post-grads… On rising tides of lonesome guitars and glimmering synths, the band builds its postmillennial laments, occasionally nodding to Krautrock and frequently conceding to a soundtrack-worthy mood.” - Erik Adams, AV Club (The Onion)
http://thesournotes.com

In the year of 2011 five friends gathered out of mutual admiration to play music and get back to the basics of having fun dubbing themselves The South Austin Moonlighters. All stemming from successful Austin Texas bands S.A.M. consist of Aaron Beavers of Shurman, Phil Hurley of Stonehoney, Lonnie Trevino Jr of Deadman, Josh Zee of the Mother Truckers and Phil Bass of Monte Montgomery's Band. After the first live show it was evident that the magic of this line up was potent and quickly gained a loyal and faithful following on their Tuesday night residency at the Saxon Pub. A full length Album will... Read more

Just like the next season of Mad Men, some things need a bit of time to stew. Such is the case for the upcoming album from The Spinto Band, titled Shy Pursuit. Forged in their Delaware studio, the latest release from the band promises to be their most exciting and inventive set of recordings to date. Since 2006, The Spinto Band have been providing fans with their own unique style of pop music that has been compared to everything from The Strokes to Sparks. Now, as we prepare to breathe the air of 2012, the band's third worldwide release comes to our ears. Besides recording an album, the band has... Read more

The Spring Standards have been winning over audiences nationwide since their debut EP in 2008, a collaboration with Old '97s frontman Rhett Miller. Three fan-funded independent releases later they are going stronger than ever, attracting attention from NPR, Spin, Paste, New York Magazine and an ever-growing fanbase all over the world. Following their 2012 release, yellow//gold, they had the privilege of performing on Conan O'Brien, a feat nearly unheard of for an unsigned band. Appropriately, they were also named one of Pure Volume's 10 Best Unsigned Artists of 2012. In May 2013 The Spring Standards... Read more

Meet The Stanfields, a maelstrom of rock ‘n’ roll, Celtic and bluegrass. Hailing from the gritty post-industrial towns of Nova Scotia, Canada, The Stanfields play every show like it’s their collective last night on earth. Their kitchen party harmonies, thunderous rhythm section, high-octane stage show and genuine chemistry have been winning over audiences since 2008.

Since they formed in 2009, Westfield, New Jersey’s the Static Jacks (lead vocalist Ian Devaney, guitarists Henry Kaye and Michael Sue-Poi, and drummer Nick Brennan) have earnestly burned their own path through indie rock’s crowded field. Ignoring music’s fickle trends, the Jacks have forged a unique blend of punk, garage, and soul sounds for a sonic punch to the gut and heart. The band’s self-released Laces EP (2009), a riley glimpse at fleeting youth, saw the group hit its stride. This was bolstered by several tours with various indie notables including the Futureheads, Biffy Clyro, Young...

The Staves are English sisters Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor, whose unique vocal harmonies and haunting melodies have already seen them tipped for success by The Guardian, iTunes, Time Out, The Times, Nylon, and The Independent to name but a few. Known for their jaw-dropping live performances, The Staves recently supported Bon Iver on their European stadium tour, followed by their own headline tour of UK and Ireland before supporting Fink in India. Their debut album Born & Dead & Grown was released in November 2012, the first record on which father and son producers Glyn and Ethan... Read more

Nashville, Tennessee is a nexus – a point where tradition and innovation intersect, where commerce collides with art. It may be the only town around where salaried songwriters and full-time session musicians are as common as accountants and schoolteachers. Music is the product, and the factories line the street, from the swank Music Row mini-high-rises to the low-slung Sylvan Park bungalows. And only Nashville could give birth to a band like the SteelDrivers: a group of seasoned veterans – each distinguished in his or her own right, each valued in the town’s commercial community – who are...

The Stepkids are futuristic electro soul recorded on a reel-to-reel; soaring harmonies sung by three singer/songwriters; Kandinsky-esque visuals that make for enigmatic live performances. "A lot of what excites us about this band is this band itself," says bassist and keyboardist Dan Edinberg. "It's not either of us; it's about creating an entity where the entity itself is what's important." It's an approach that comes from more than a decade of musical experimentation. Raised on the East Coast jazz and R&B circuit, individual band members went on to share stages with 50 Cent and Lauryn Hill, tour... Read more

It's not just great song writing, warm guitars, a nut-tight rhythm section, and the occasional blues harp riffs that make The Stone Foxes' so good; the Bay Area band consisting of brothers Shannon and Spence Koehler, Aaron Mort and Elliott Peltzman have captured something else on their recordings and live shows that makes them huge, and very, very cool. Listeners sense it right away. There's a genuineness here that's rare and refreshing, and it's something that can't be achieved simply by grabbing a couple of vintage axes and plugging into a stack of tube amps. Because while The Stone Foxes may... Read more

The Strange Familiar, lead by Kira Leyden (vocalist, keyboard) and Jeff Andrea (lead guitarist) garnered early critical success with their Top 10 iTunes hit "Courage Is" (featured as the promo theme on ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and Ashlee Simpson's hit song Invisible. The duo, having met in grade school in Akron, OH, started writing together when they were both 14 years old and have been collaborating ever since, crafting The Strange Familiar's captivating sound. Completing the lineup are friends and fellow Ohio-bred musicians Nicholas Sainato (drums) and Frank Freeman... Read more

Punk Rock band formed in 2006. Two years later released for free download, Johnny Yen EP, achieving a considerable amount of downloads. In late 2010 The Suicide Bitches successfully opened for Stone Temple Pilots's show in Chile at Movistar Arena. In the same year are selected to participate in the soundtrack to "MP3" film. Currently preparing to launch its first long-playing record with estimated release date for March 2012.

Awarded as the best Spanish electronic music act in 2010, THE SUICIDE OF WESTERN CULTURE have been playing at Primavera Sound Festival, Arenal Sound (sharing stage w/Orbital), supporting Animal Collective, Cut Copy, etc. Their eponymous debut album, tinkering with eerie, lo-fi electronics, sounds like Fuck Buttons or Animal Collective. Unlike their Maryland brethren, however, Suicide doesn’t use any lyrics. Their entire 9-track debut and subsequent remix CD is silent on the human front, leaving only the droning nethers of crunchy, basement electropop. Drawing inspiration from the likes of God... Read more

BRIEF ARTIST BIO
Imagine what American rock and roll would sound like if the British Invasion never happened. Or, imagine what a punk rock band would sound like if it were 1933. That's The Sundresses. They've taken Rock & Roll to the next level. That level is best described as: FUCK YES. MORE ABOUT THE SUNDRESSES
If there were a punk band in the swing era of American music The Sundresses would be that band...but more than that. Cincinnati music writer, Brian Baker describes them as "sex and drugs and a double shot of my baby's Rock and Roll. They are the hangman, the rope, the trap door and th... Read more

Sweetback Sisters Emily Miller and Zara Bode may not be blood relations, but their precise, family-style harmonies recall the best of country music from the Everlys to The Judds, as well as the spirited rockabilly energy of Wanda Jackson, one of the band’s role models. Like the artists they admire, the Sweetbacks are concerned with the traditional subjects of heartbreak, revenge, remorse and staying strong in the face of relationships gone wrong, albeit with a contemporary sensibility. “We’re a renegade retro band that mixes up country, swing and honky tonk,” explains Bode. “Sometimes...

Rock N Roll from the desert of Phoenix AZ “Listener is a pure aural pleasure to behold and the only thing that may be better that the album is catching a hold of the cyclonic swirl that is the Technicolors live. Let us all hope that this is only the start of a beautiful and enduring career, to whichI can only say ‘Long Live the Technicolors.’” —JAVA Magazine
http://thetechnicolors.com

Melbourne born, London based, The Temper Trap return to the live front in wake of their self titled sophomore album, due for worldwide release this June. The bands 2009 breakout release "Conditions" has now scanned over 800,000 albums worldwide with hit singles Sweet disposition and Fader amassing over 2.5 million sales. Anticipation for the bands latest offering is sky high and in the bands words, its a diverse, fully realized body of work. Expect to be blown away by this super talented outfit

Bandleader Brad Register had already endured the crucible of being in a near-breakout act with Summerbirds in the Cellar. With major league accolades and heavyweight supporters, he got closer to the promised land than most ever will, but legal problems and band discord became Register’s emotional prison. But from those stormy clouds, one of the Southeast’s most notable songwriters now re-emerges with a svelte new musical vehicle beaming with clarity and lightness. Register’s distinctive melodic signatures are drawn in crisper, more flowing profiles along with the distinctive sound of recent...

THE WORLD'S SWEATIEST BAND. BELIEVE IN ROCK N' ROLL.http://theterrorpigeondancerevolt.com

Somewhere at the intersection of indie hip hop, rock and nerdcore culture you will find Charlotte’s premiere live hip hop band, The ThoughtCriminals. The ThoughtCriminals have made songs with some of nerdcore's biggest names, and Mikal kHill co-created the "Browncoats Mixtape" with Adam WarRock in 2011. Having opened for indie stalwarts Mr. Dibbs, Ceschi, Astronautalis and Bleubird their indie hip hop credibility is firmly intact - yet they also feel comfortable effortlessly blazing stages with nerdcore heroes MC Frontalot, Random (AKA Mega Ran) and Dual Core, and as official artists at SXSW... Read more

Forged on the molten streets of Austin, TX as foretold in the sacred texts of the ancient ones, the Tiny Adventurers now release their debut long-player, Wild-eyed in the Hinterlands. Featuring members of Austin’s Li’l Cap’n Travis—Matt Kinsey (guitar, vocals), Jeff Johnston (keyboards, saxophone, vocals) and Gary Newcomb (bass, steel and Spanish guitars)—and the Mittens’ Carrie Contey on battle skins, the Tiny Adventurers play heavy meadow music: a remorseless, aromatic blend of underwater malt shop rock, village green organ jams and seventies soundtrack reveries.

The Tontons don't have a readily available mainstream band to make an off-the-cuff comparison to. Soul? Pop? Rock? Indie? You decide. In this space, we won't be able to tell you how they sound like the unholy offspring of your favorite Indie Flavor Of The Week or an Appropriately Hip Classic Rock Act. The Tontons simply sound like the Tontons. Everyone in Houston, their native land, knows it, too. If Houston has now become the new gold standard of American cool, consider the Tontons it's house band. Up front is Asli Omar, whose old-soul vocals have been known to make all sexes quiver. Flanking... Read more

Writers love phrases with multiple meanings; they’re so much handier than mere single-idea word strings. That’s why it’s so perfect that The Trishas’ first full-length album, High, Wide & Handsome, kicks off with a track titled “Mother of Invention.” Not only does it hint at the four members’ capacity for resourcefulness and their entry into motherhood, it also, by extension, suggests the concept of family itself. And family not only describes the sisterlike tightness of their bond, it’s literally what drew them together in the first place. (The Zappa nod is just icing.) When Jamie...

The Two Self Titled Debut on iTunes since 01.24.2012. "Jarre's guitar is as smooth as any familiar rock 'n' roll riff, Starck's raspy voice gives their music its magnetism"
The New York Times "So intimate it feels like you're the only person they are singing to"
Nylon - 5 Favorite Songs of the Week “...Ara Starck's beautiful alto with Jarre's intriguing tenor create a wonderful harmony on their gorgeous little love songs.”
Baeblemusic.com “There is a lot of 60s British folk and acoustic pop influences in the music of “The Two” : Donovan, Nick Drake and a bit of Vashti Bunyan”
PRI’s The World Seven years ago Ara Starck met David Jarre in Paris. She was a painter, he was a magician. Their meeting produced magic of another kind, crystallised today in The Two, a duo that weaves together its members’ atypical career paths, and melds their singularities in a shared intimacy. The starting point for The Two was the song I Wanna Be With You Again ,the first song they ever sang together, early 2009. From then on Ara and David shut themselves away from the world, at home and then in an empty studio, to sing, write and record, fine-tuning a work that involved no other musici... Read more

The Ugly Beats have been making a glorious, 60s garage-fueled racket for 11 years in their hometown of Austin, Texas and throughout the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Spain. The band wound the clock all the way back to 1966 before striking their first note in 2003 and has left it there ever since. A force to be reckoned with live, they have also released three terrific records on Get Hip Recordings, “Bring on the Beats,” “Take a Stand with the Ugly Beats” and “MOTOR!” New record “Brand New Day” will also be out on Get Hip in April. You MUST obey the Beats!
http://theuglybeats.com...

The Union Line formed just after finishing high school in sunny San Juan Capistrano, CA. Shortly after forming, in 2010 they released their first EP "Cernido Sondidos" on RCA's Back Seal imprint. Later that year they hit the road with good pals and fellow southern California boys, the Local Natives. Fresh off that US tour the band decided to sequester themselves for a year in order to complete their debut album- a 70's pych-surf tome that explores themes of marriage, money and suburbia

The Vandelles are the surf-darlings of the surging psych-pop scene, intertwining their signature psych-noir sound with 60’s pulp-rock stylings and slinky hula surf riffs and harmonic dissonance the band lays out a sound that all can get down to. Based in Brooklyn NYC, their style, sound and attitude embodies a secret soiree on a California beach well passed midnight, fueled by things lifted out of a parent’s stash and Shirley Temples. The songs take the vibes of a Beach Boys record and run them through a static cracked sound wave, all enhanced by the band’s vintage approach to both songwriting... Read more

The Velvet Teen is an international rock band from Santa Rosa, California. Since their debut solo performance in Reykjavík, Iceland just after the millennial New Year, the group has garnered support around the globe, cultivating followings in Europe, Japan and the US. They have toured with Minus the Bear, Jimmy Eat World, Cursive, Mew and Deathcab for Cutie (Deathcab’s Chris Walla recorded their first full-length, ‘Out of the Fierce Parade’). The music itself has always been a dynamic search for itself, bending genres and eluding expectations. From the early EPs which showed promise in the...

A solid garage rock sound based on interesting bases created through acid distorted guitars, saturated dirty bass riffs , dynamic drumming and soothing melodic vocals are a simple description of The Volture‘s sound. the conceived project through almost 2 years of studio work but many more of history saw the light in may 16 2008 when its homonim material came out.
Composed ,Aranged, Performed , Produced and Co-Mixed by Maurizio Terracina (Vocals/Guitar) has managed to engrave in each track the essence of Rock N Roll; that which is violent and sensual at the same time; that wich comes out of t... Read more

A Chicago band known for its muddy work boots, anarchic stage shows and fondness for committing musical “pure butchery” (the New York Times’ words, not ours) may seem an odd match for the stylish craft and classicism of a Nashville songwriting treasure, but that’s just what came to be on the new album Great Chicago Fire.
Great Chicago Fire is a happy collaboration borne out of label mates, Paul Burch, a progenitor of the ‘90s Nashville Lower Broad scene, and the Waco Brothers, the Lenin-esque statue in the Square where the avenues of punk, country and rock- n-roll intersect, sharing pitchers of Guerro’s margaritas in Austin, TX at SXSW. Maybe it was the salt, maybe it was the heat, maybe it was the parade of cowboy boot shoppers and industry moguls passing before their eyes on South Congress Avenue, but two distinct creative energies decided to explore what music they could make together. Sharing songwriting... Read more

Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs reside at the blurred edges of American music: overexposing studio limitations, piling tape upon tape to maximum density, and then — with each song — they pull off the scaffolding to reveal what sticks, keeping only what’s absolutely necessary and dig into what sounds like the best kind of fucked up. As on their 2008 debut, Wagonwheel Blues, central member Adam Granduciel takes small moments occurring over multiple tapes and multiple song versions, and puts every last drop of trust in his own keen instinct of momentum. That’s not to overshadow the sharp...

The Austin based Warrior Gospel Band is fueled by the fervor of the spirit and devotion to a wide ranging gospel sound. It's a potent combo of gospel quartet including rootsy guitar and vocals with soul and R&B inflected renderings and the sparkling inclusion of brass and reeds. Founder Lands performed, recorded and toured extensively in the gospel world before officially entering the ministry. Like his mentor, the late, great Cleophus Robinson, Sr., with whom he worked for 15 years, he marries stirring musicianship and call and response. The Warrior Gospel Band (TWGB) is a complete band.

The Wedding Present has had eighteen UK Top 40 hit singles… not bad for a band that has, from its inception, stubbornly refused to play the record industry’s game. Formed in 1985 by David Gedge, they have been recording and touring the world ever since, working with such luminaries as Steve Albini, Steve Fisk, Ian Broudie, John Peel, Jimmy Miller, and Andrew Scheps. They return in 2012 with their much anticipated eighth studio album, recorded at the legendary Black Box Studio in France.

The Wedding Present has had eighteen UK Top 40 hit singles… not bad for a band that has, from its inception, stubbornly refused to play the record industry’s game. Formed in 1985 by David Gedge, they have been recording and touring the world ever since, working with such luminaries as Steve Albini, Steve Fisk, Ian Broudie, John Peel, Jimmy Miller, and Andrew Scheps. They return in 2012 with their much anticipated eighth studio album, recorded at the legendary Black Box Studio in France. For this very special set, The Wedding Present will be performing their 1991 Steve Albini-produced masterpiece... Read more

Genre:
grunge, punk, trashy, provocative Female lead singer Gao Xiao-gao is getting pretty famous within Taiwan's and China's indie scenes for being outrageous on stage, including showing up for one gig wearing a nude leotard painted to look like she really was buck naked. The entire scene did a triple take on that one, both at the show and the next day on Facebook. Formed in 2004, White Eyes takes their name from a Taiwanese expression for people who say out loud those embarrassing things that everyone knows about. They've opened for international acts The Music and These New Puritans in Taiwan, were... Read more

http://thewildfeathers.warnerreprise.com

In its four year existence, Toronto-based the Wilderness of Manitoba has released three albums, two EPs and toured the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and the US. One critic described them as blending the sounds of “indie champions like the Civil Wars and Band of Horses with the early 70’s magic of Neil Young’s Harvest era”. Highlights range from their UK live debut at the End of the Road Festival where they received a standing ovation to playing the Philadelphia Folk Festival and meeting Levon Helm to performing the WOMAD festival in the UK with artists like Robert Plant. This year...

Ultimate self-starters The Xcerts released their critically acclaimed debut album ʻIn The Cold Wind We Smile’ in 2009. In 2010 the band were invited to New York by super producer Mike Sapone for album number ‘Scatterbrain’ (Big Cheese 5/5 / Rock Sound 8/10 / Kerrang 4/5) coinciding with an amazing run of supports across Europe with the likes of Manchester Orchestra, Biffy Clyro, Taking Back Sunday, Frank Turner, I am the Avalanche and Brand New.

http://theyoungblog.tumblr.com

The Young Evils are Troy Nelson (guitar/vocals) and Mackenzie Mercer (vocals) with: Cody Hurd (guitar), Michael Lee (bass) and Faustine Hudson (drums). The Seattle-based band self released their debut album, “Enchanted Chapel”, produced by Barrett Jones (Nirvana, The Melvins) in August 2010. They are set to record their next studio album in Brooklyn with producer Shane Stoneback (The Cults, Vampire Weekend, Magic Kids, Sleigh Bells). In the past year The Young Evils have played SXSW Seattle Showcase, Sasquatch! Music Festival and headlined the Neumos stage at Capitol Hill Block Party on July... Read more

Austin's garage outsiders, The Zoltars, formed in 2010 as a songwriting outlet for Jared Leibowich (AKA Jared Zoltar). Their first album, Should I Try Once More (Burger Records/ Sundae Records, 2012), was a triumph of minimalist, weird pop tunes. The album told the story of a broken person falling in love all over again, a story which perfectly exemplifies what distinguishes The Zoltars from the ocean of more party-minded garage contemporaries. They recently released their sophomore album, Walking Through the Dark (CQ Records, 2013). The LP shows the band in a more ambitious studio mode with dense... Read more

People want more from Hip-Hop. People want responsibility, integrity, and hope. theBREAX give the people what they really want more of. They make music that is true to the roots of Hip-Hop and true to the hopes and dreams of the people who love it. theBREAX make Hip-Hop that the people deserve– genuine, provocative and refreshing. theBREAX are the type of guys people relate to and rally around. They are fathers, husbands, and leaders who aren’t ashamed of their faith, and who champion real manhood and integrity. Front man, Ruslan, is an Armenian refugee born in Baku, Azerbaijan. He moved to...

”Thee Attacks are a mod-looking four-piece from Aalborg in north Denmark. Soulful vocals complement a '65-era Townshend guitarist, who whacks out Have Love, Will Travel-style riff after riff. So good - and with no covers - they'll easily move beyond the garage and could crossover to become a successor to The Hives. Primitivist über-producer Liam Watson is here and smiling along.” So wrote Kieron Tyler from MOJO Magazine (UK) after having seen Thee Attacks during the SPOT Festival in Denmark. The producer mentioned in the quote is of course Liam Watson, renowned for producing the White Stripes... Read more

http://theeohsees.com

THEESatisfaction are Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White. Stas was born and raised in Tacoma, Cat in Seattle and Hawaii. The pair live/laugh/love/dance and create in Seattle, WA. They write, produce and perform their own material, funk-psychedelic feminista sci-fi epics with the warmth and depth of Black Jazz and Sunday morning soul, frosted with icy raps that evoke equal parts Elaine Brown, Ursula Rucker and Q-Tip. They met by what was clearly cosmic happenstance at the University of Washington and haven’t stopped the flow since. There’s an album by ‘70s Blue Note flautist Bobbi Humphrey... Read more

tHERAPY means recycle and exorcise. Apart from stetic and fashion. Beyond their love for designed objets, shapes, colors, a very important aspect of what Mariángeles and her sister do is the recycling. They want to inspire and encourage people to not consume new products, made very often by using no renewable ressources or wich production implies contaminating the planet and/or exploiting workers or even not respecting human rights. tHERAPY wants to inspire people to reuse old or abandoned materials and estimulate the creative capacity of each person. tHERAPY wants to protect our planet and to encourage... Read more

At the corner of street life and honest living stands Thi'sl: an ex-hustler turned urban missionary. A look into his past reveals the authenticity of his gritty, in your face lyrics and God's grace, which spared his life and gave him a clean slate to begin anew. Travis "Thi'sl" Tyler was born in Greenwood, MS but moved to one of the worst neighborhoods in America at the age of 2. Living on the Westside of St. Louis, without a father present, his grandmother stepped in to help raise Thi'sl and his brother, while his mom constantly worked. Disaster soon followed—Thi'sl was expelled from all St... Read more

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU began in earnest during the mid-00’s in San Marcos, TX. In many ways, the initial sound of the band was the logical destination point for four friends (Christopher Royal King, Jeremy Galindo, Raymond Brown, and Andrew Miller) that had been playing in a variety of bands together throughout their teens. In 2005, the group began writing and recording what was intended to be a simple 6-song documentation of where they were at musically. Externally, Brown had been accepted into medical school, King was working on high profile graphic design gigs, and the four genuinely thought... Read more

Thomas Dolby was an indelible part of the electronic music landscape on both sides of the Atlantic in the ’80s. The Zelig of synthpop, he was seemingly there or thereabouts at all points of that crucial decade. He enjoyed huge solo success with the singles “She Blinded Me With Science” and “Hyperactive!”, composed and performed on hits for everyone from AOR giants Foreigner to none-more-quirky new wave girl Lene Lovich, produced three superlative albums for Prefab Sprout, and even co-wrote the much-sampled early rap classic “Magic’s Wand” by Whodini. With his “mad professor...

I am him and he is I.