South By Southwest is an imperative yearly affair that helps artists from diverse mediums make their mark in Austin, TX.
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Written By: Michael Lamardo
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No matter how you choose to view SXSW, one thing is for certain: the number of bands that perform throughout the expo’s duration seems endless. On the official website for SXSW, 1,172 artists are scheduled to play as showcase performers in 2018. This number stands a chance at causing irregular heartbeats and uncontrollable perspiration for even the most seasoned consumer of live music.
To make things just a bit easier if you decide to attend this year’s music expo at SXSW, here are five artists that may help give some guidance to your schedule.
1. Caddywhompus
It’s easy for a band to get filed into just one genre by a general audience. But the New Orleans-based duo Caddywhompus could make their way into conversations about math rock, noise rock, experimental, and emo – seemingly blending myriad elements into one sound with many interpretations. Although rock duos have become more commonplace this decade, Caddywhompus manages to give the minimal guitar-and-drums setup a new degree on every record they release.
The band has referred to themselves as “noise pop” – a label certainly not without legitimacy, but it also doesn’t cover the entire ground. Expect moments of stripped back ethereal passages mixed with fuzzy, hard-to-determine chord structures from any track off of their five current releases.
Recommended Listening: “Decent” of off Odd Hours.
2. Crumb
Based out of Brooklyn, psych-jazz-rock outfit crumb has broken into the indie scene seemingly out of no where within the past year. Lead by Lila Ramani, Crumb’s ability to incorporate the gentle side of 60’s radio pop with a neo-soul sound reminiscent of bands such as Hiatus Kaiyote has allowed the quartet to make their way into a wide array of festivals and show lineups.
Ramani’s unique writing ability is exhibited on Crumb’s first two official releases, Crumb and Locket. “Bones”, the first track off Locket teases with a soulful intro, slowly morphing into more progressive passages that stay grounded thanks to clean guitars and the gentle voice of Ramani.
Crumb manages to allow listeners from different backgrounds, and possibly even generations, to find common ground in their sound.
Recommended Listening: Crumb by Crumb
3. Luneta Magica
Erroneously ignored in the States, a growing movement of psychedelic and indie rock is making its mark in Brazil. Fortunately, SXSW is giving the spotlight to a few select bands who would easily stand the test of American audiences. Luneta Magica (which translates to “magic wand”) hails from Manaus, Amazonas in the northern part of the country. Upon first listen to their latest track “Parte”, it might be easy to throw Luneta Magica into a simple “Brazilan Tame Impala” label, but this would be a grave injustice.
The sound of Luneta Magica carries the long legacy of Brazil’s Tropicália musical movement of the 1960s – mixing the sounds of Western rock with the cultural traditions of the Brazilian people. The use of electronics and heavy drums puts the band into the forefront of the Brazilian rock movement, satisfying the American listener who otherwise may not give music with Portuguese lyrics a chance.
Recommended Listening: Parte.
4. Nnamdi Ogbonnaya
If you frequent shows in the Chicago scene, there’s a reasonable chance that you’ve seen Nnamdi Ogbonnaya on stage. Having participated in well over a dozen projects throughout the years, Ogbonnaya has established himself as one of the most genre-shattering multi-instrumentalists in the Windy City. His masterful drumming ability can be heard with math-jazz-prog outfit Monobody. His angular bass playing can be heard on releases by Teen Cult, an avant-art-rock outfit that contains members from Brooklyn, Michigan, and Chicago.
One’s curiosity of Ogbonnaya’s output can be satisfied with a simple YouTube search. Everything from an avant hip-hop set done in a Chicago convenience store , to grainy footage of a math rock set at house shows (where Nnamdi opts for guitar), and various sessions with other countless projects.
There’s no saying what Obgonnaya will dive into at SXSW, and that’s just where the excitement starts.
5. Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
Montreal, Quebec’s Yamantaka // Sonic Titan prefer to view themselves as a collective rather than a “band”. Blurring the line between theatrics and sound performance, the group is looking to pioneer “Noh-wave” – a play on the centuries-old Japanese Noh theater style and no-wave, a brief but undeniably influential avant-garde movement that originated in the lesser seen parts of the New York City music scene in the 1970s.
Simply hearing Yamantaka // Sonic Titan will bring reminders of 70s progressive rock akin to Genesis, metal and the cyber grit of industrial. But seeing Yamantaka // Sonic Titan will completely flip one’s perception of the collective’s supposed mission. Seldom are colors other than black, red, and white ever seen on stage. Faces of musicians on stage are undeniably visible yet are slightly obstructed by ghostly make-up. The visual component of Yamantaka // Sonic Titan holds just as music value as the music itself, and it is made quite clear that while the collective releases records to be enjoyed at one’s convenience, this is something that needs to be seen.
Recommended Listening: Reverse Crystal // Murder of a Spider off of YT // ST.
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