KISSES - Bermuda

Kisses - Bermuda

Kisses are a new Los Angeles based disco duo with a love of Cerrone and Gino Soccio. Their first single "Bermuda" arrives on April 27th and features a remix by another buzzed LA act, Active Child. Look out for both Kisses and Active Child at SXSW this year.

"Though primarily inspired by long-format, instrumental disco...Kisses has developed a uniquely concise songwriting style that is equal parts FM radio pop and expansive four-to-the-floor."

PILL WONDER - Wishing Whale

Seattle's Pill Wonder are exploding onto the scene with their new Jungle/Surf 12", available February 28th at Underwater Peoples. The band are playing a bunch of SXSW dates in Austin next month and they offer up this somewhat NSFW video for "Wishing Whale".

[ED. Oops, my bad. The song is actually called "Wishing Whale", not "Wishing Well". Thanks anonymous!]


wishing whale - pill wonder from Martin Anderson on Vimeo.

SXSW - Day 4 Erykah Badu, Beach House, Jason Lytle, Vetiver, Asa Ransom, Bad Credit No Credit

-Jason Lytle

Saturday was the last and most bizarre day of SXSW for me. I started the day at Waterloo Park for the Mess With Texas party. Things started really mellow and relaxed, sitting under the trees for San Francisco band Vetiver and then former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle. With a full band, Lytle debuted three tracks from his forthcoming solo debut Yours Truly, the Commuter. Each track was beautiful and well-rounded live and in fact, they sound like new Grandaddy songs. The small crowd seemed to consist of die hard fans, whose minds were blown when he closed the set with "Jed the Humanoid", a classic Grandaddy track from their breakthrough album The Sophtware Slump. When fans chanted "One More Song!", Lytle simply replied, "Tell it to the birds." He may be a bit jaded, but his talent remains.

-Beach House

Later I walked across the river to Auditorium Shores and caught a lovely set by Beach House. Their music really works well in an outdoor setting, especially with the Austin skyline lingering in the background. This environment was far more enjoyable than the packed and sweaty house at Red 7 days earlier.

But the real reason I made the trek across the river was to see Erykah Badu with the Cannabanoids, a band consisting of live dj's, synths, and electronics. These dudes clearly have the skills, but they were forced to play a rather repetitive set over and over since Badu was running really, really late. The huge crowd grew increasingly agitated with the delay and then suddenly the music stopped. A voice came over the P.A. stating that she had travel issues. And that was that. It seemed over. The stunned masses started to wander around in confusion and then, without any warning at all, she was onstage. People freaked out. But the sound seemed to be mixed really low and she only played two songs. And though her talent was fully embodied within this pair of tracks, it seemed cruel to cut her off that quickly. I really regret wasting hours at this event, as it really put the rest of my night in a funk.

-Erykah Badu

After the debacle at Auditorium Shores I decided to hail a cab and go way north to the Carousel Lounge where some friends of mine were playing. Asa Ransom are a five-piece from Bushwick and let me tell you, they put on a great show. The band rifled through an all too brief four track set, challenging the room to a post-funk dance party. They really whipped the quiet venue into a sweaty, dizzy disco-punk frenzy. These guys are in the middle of a U.S. tour. Catch them if they come to town! You can also find their new album on iTunes.

-Bad Credit No Credit

Bad Credit No Credit also hail from Bushwick. Led by Carrie-Anne Murphy (vocals, sax, flute, & more), this eclectic group utilize more instruments onstage than you can possibly imagine. Added to the pot are clarinet, keyboards, bass, trumpet, euphonium, drums, percussion and kazoos. I'm sure I missed a few too! This all may sound like an everything but the kitchen sink situation, but this punk/marching band pulls it off. Murphy's theatrical voice recalls the high drama of Diamanda Galas and her stage presence has the wild and wacky individualism of early Cyndi Lauper. The debut ep Hey, Rube! is available now.

SXSW - Day 3 Asobi Seksu, Cale Parks, City Center, The So So Glos, The Homosexuals, Japanther

-the van at Ms. Bea's

It was just another day at Todd P's stage on Friday, with crowd surfing, Vivian Girl sightings, and wasted kids in skinny jeans. This time I caught ferocious acts by Japanther and The Homosexuals. Japanther caused a near riot. Bearded indie hooligans were hanging from the gazebo (stage) top, boys and girls alike were chilling atop a van behind the stage, and crowd surfers took turns flying upside down over the packed and sweaty crowd. Things hit a climactic high when the band closed their set with a cover of The Ramones' "Do You Wanna Dance".

The Homosexuals worked the crowd into a tizzy with their asymmetrical post-punk. The lead singer spewed water at the frenzied fans and told stories of his drug-addled past. His presence was at once comical and intense - a true performer with gritty vitality.

-The So So Glos

I ran over to a party that included an outdoor roller rink. It was hysterical watching people trying to skate. The beer was free and the bands were awesome. I missed Telepathe and kind of caught Casiokids. But Brooklyn punk outfit The So So Glos demanded your attention with their rowdy punk rock. I was really impressed at how tight and old school these guys are. I'll definitely keep a watchful eye on them.

-City Center

Over at the Habana Calle9 Patio I discovered another really amazing electronic duo. City Center from Brooklyn make music sort of in the vein of Fuck Buttons, but way less dark. Warped vocals are meshed with hypnotic loops, distorted guitars and primal, yet minimalist percussion. I had never heard of these guys but they are definitely on my radar now.

-Cale Parks

Cale Parks is talented. But he has also got this spastic nervous energy that keeps you on edge. He became really distracted by the lack of audio coming from his monitor. I happened to be standing next to one of the speakers and he kept abruptly running at me, trying to hear the output. Maybe it was just this show, but his personal conflict with the sound issues really distracted me from the music. Once he finally let go of the problems, he found his equilibrium and sounded awesome.

-Asobi Seksu

Asobi Seksu played the same venue later in the night (after 1 AM to be specific). The shoegaze revivalists from Brooklyn sounded noisy and awesome as usual, though I found their setlist to be a little off. Nonetheless, they packed the patio and pleased the crowd with their noisy dreampop.

Another running theme for my Austin trip was how I had traveled all the way to Texas to see a bazillion Brooklyn bands. What can I say? Brooklyn is where it's at with music.

SXSW - Day 2 Ebony Bones, Rye Rye, Kid Cudi, Vivian Girls, Rosie and the Goldbug

-Ebony Bones

Ebony Bones made more than just a few new fans Thursday night when she commanded the stage with her bizarre and delicious blend of new wave afro-punk. Dressed garishly with oversized bracelets and giant fabric balls for sleeves, Ebony recalled the art drama of Grace Jones' live persona, but infused it with a much more high-energy dance charisma. She is rumored to be finishing her debut album and all I can say is when this one drops, watch your head! Hands down the best show I saw at SXSW this year.

M.I.A.'s new protege Rye Rye is riding a wave of hype, mostly because she is the debut artist on the star's new label N.E.E.T. The Baltimore rapper is crazy cute and mouths off a mean jam, backed by infectious techno-pop beats. Her debut drops this summer and will be insanely huge, no question. You can get her first single "Shake It To the Ground" on iTunes.

Kid Cudi gave the crowd a scare when he was nowhere to be found at show time. I think someone made an announcement that he might not show up, because a mild panic spread through the club and people started filing toward the exit. At about the same time, Cudi and his entourage stormed in through the main entrance, creating a brief frenzy. He immediately jumped up onto the stage and rambled a bit about how he is NOT retiring. I never heard that he was, but I don't stay up to date on the latest hip-hop drama. He launched into his set and all was good. Very talented guy.

-Rosie and the Goldbug

Earlier in the evening Rosie and the Goldbug of the UK played their very first US show. I had no idea who they were, but it's kinda of like what you would get if you mixed Karen O, Tori Amos, and New York Dolls. Outrageous and dancey; completely likable.

Then came Vivian Girls (yes, again) who played possibly one of their best shows to date. I have seen this band about five times now and this was by far the best one. They had charisma and humor, which is a totally new addition from my perspective. They announced they were about to play a cover song they had just learned an hour prior in a parking lot. It turned out to be Wavves' "So Bored". Later they asked the audience for requests. When no one came up with a suitable one, they launched into "So Bored" again! It was kind of fantastic. During the last song, all three girls played musical chairs in the middle of the track, changing off instruments.

No one represented SXSW for me like the Vivian Girls. It became increasingly funny how often I stumbled upon them over the course of the week. Whether it be one of their many shows or just hanging out in the background, they always seemed to be around.

SXSW - Day 2 Girls, Here We Go Magic, The Golden Filter, Nite Jewel, JDS and more

-Girls

I started day two off at The Peacock for Gorilla vs. Bear's annual party, aptly titled Gorilla vs. Booze III. The scene was insanely crowded and unbearably hot, but it didn't stop anyone from jamming their way inside the venue to catch the amazing lineup. Brooklyn's Here We Go Magic are hands down the best new discovery I've made here in Austin. Their music is absolutely gorgeous and captivating. I think these guys will be huge really soon.

Girls played next, delivering a mostly hot & sweaty, rocked-out set, with the exception of the pain-ridden slow burner "Hellhole Ratrace". The crowd seemed to intensify when The Golden Filter took the stage. Their high energy dirty electro suited the sauna-like conditions well, but it was so packed I couldn't see a thing. Sounded fantastic though.

*****

I kind of accidentally stumbled across a great pair of sets at Todd P's party, held in the dusty backyard of Ms. Bea's, a rather rundown local bar. The setting here is gritty, but really charming. It's a trip to watch the Hispanic locals intermix with the hipsters, but it's also beautiful to see this tiny bar get an overwhelming amount of business.

-JDS

First, I caught JDS, an experimental violinist from Brooklyn who plays over tripped out samples and dramatic micro korg synthscapes. I was so taken with her music that I introduced myself to her afterwards. She was really lovely and explained how her parents owned the property, which led her to curate the "Day Into Night" portion of the Todd P event.

-Nite Jewel

Nite Jewel are an awesome new electro duo from Los Angeles. I've recently become increasingly addicted to their debut disc Good Evening and the lush sound translates perfectly live.

As the sun began to set, I headed back downtown for what turned out to be an incredible night. More on that later. Got to get back out there again!

SXSW - Day 1 Wavves, Vivian Girls, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and more

-Wavves

The first official day of SXSW was loaded with wonderful performances all over the place. I spent the daylight hours at the Forcefield/Terrorbird blow out at Red 7 and caught a really brief, but awesome set by Wavves. Backed with just a drummer, he lived up to the hype machine surrounding his new album. I was also really taken with his jovial stage presence and his frequent use of the word "psych".



The band Lake were a new discovery for me. Their adorable indie pop was perfectly suited to the early time slot on the outdoor stage. I also really enjoyed the Swiss electronic duo Larytta, as well as Shout Out Out Out Out, and Rainbow Arabia.

-Vivian Girls

A pair of Brooklyn darlings closed out the outdoor stage - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, followed by Vivian Girls. Both bands sounded really great live, particularly Pains..., who kicked off their set with the potent 1-2-punch of "This Love is Fucking Right" and "Young Adult Friction".

The Thermals really blew my mind. I'm not very familiar with their catalog of music, but their set was ferocious and captivating - short punk songs that nearly smashed into each other. I loved it!

Loney Dear and Fol Chen also played and sounded good, but their music isn't really my cup of tea.

-The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Beach House closed out the indoor stage, but it got so hot and crowded I only lasted about half a song. Their moody, dreamgaze sound would have put me into a heat coma and then bad things could have happened. Better safe than sorry!

The Sky Report in Austin

The Sky Report will take on SXSW for the first time this week - totally rogue (no badges, no wristbands here). I hope to give a daily account of my adventures, though I have absolutely no idea what to expect. Though it seems I'll have had my fill of Vivian Girls and Wavves, as they are both playing just about every showcase I plan to attend. I'm also hoping to grab quick video interviews with a handful of up & coming Bushwick acts in Austin, such as Asa Ransom, Sharon Van Etten, and Bad Credit No Credit.

Stay tuned and wish me luck.

New CRYSTAL STILTS, PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART Singles

Crystal Stilts will release the new 7" "Love is a Wave" on March 31st, backed with the new track "Sugar Baby".

Crystal Stilts - Love is a Wave (mp3)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart also have a new single. The incredibly catchy "Young Adult Friction" also comes out March 31st, backed with the track "Ramona".

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction (mp3)

Both Brooklyn bands will be playing a number of dates at SXSW next week. Expect to hear much more about them then.

WOLFKIN - Brand New Pants

Wolfkin are the Copenhagen duo consisting of Lars Vognstrup (Junior Senior) and Kristian Godtfredsen. The pair have created a compelling debut in the form of Brand New Pants, an album that is densely layered with complex lyrics and musical arrangements. Their sound is entrenched in 60's psychedelia with a modern twist. Check out the videos for "These Are All Illusions" and "A Vacant Heart" below.

Wolfkin play SXSW today at BD Riley's, followed by a one-off gig in Los Angeles at Spaceland on March 19th.

Brand New Pants is available now via RYKO Distribution.

STREAM - Wolfkin - These Are All Illusions

Wolfkin - These Are All Illusions (music video)


Wolfkin - A Vacant Heart (music video)

JEREMY JAY - 'Beautiful Rebel'

"Beautiful Rebel", a new track from L.A. singer-songwriterJeremy Jay, immediately caught my attention. Sure it sounds like a cross between T.Rex and David Bowie, but the song is like listening to a vintage classic. Jay first grabbed attention when he put out the six track Airwalker ep last November. Now he is prepping the debut album A Place Where We Could Go, out April 22 on K Records.

Jeremy Jay is playing a handful of shows at SXSW next month. The new single 'Alpha Rhythm' will hit the streets (or headphones) in May.

Jeremy Jay - Airwalker (music video)

X-WIFE Rocks!

X-WIFE, a synth-punk band from Portugal are a band to watch. I'm really digging the track "Ping Pong" from the recent new album "Side Effects". Check them out this weekend in New York, or next week at South By Southwest (if you're so lucky).

Mar 9 2007 Ruff Club, New York
Mar 9 2007 Galapagos, New York
Mar 10 2007 Studio B (w/ Simian Mobile Disco), Brooklyn
Mar 11 2007 Club Midway (w/ Metronomy, The Flesh) New York
Mar 14 2007 SXSW, Friends, Austin