So, the other guys on the site (and work to a lesser degree) managed to drag me away from SXSW here in Austin long enough to do my Friday Fix post :) Lots of awesome bands playing in town this weekend, and some of shows are in the craziest locations (farms, homes, etc.) So, for this weeks fix, I’m gonna pump ya full of tunes from some of the artists coming to play in town, as well, as some other local artists.

Enjoy! :)

Black Gold – Detroit (2009, Brooklyn, NY) This electronic band will be doing six sets at SXSW this year, and I’m really hoping to catch one of those. Black Gold is the new collaboration between Eric Ronick (Panic! at the Disco, Ambulance Ltd.), Than Luu (M. Ward, Rachel Yamagata, shushshush), Siggy (POE, Panic channel, powerman5000, Justin Timberlake) and Alistair Paxton (The Metronomes, Stapleton). Their latest album “Rush” on my shopping list for this year.

Handsome Furs – I’m Confused (2009, Montreal, Quebec) Handsome Furs? You know it! Dan Boeckner from “Wolf Parade” teamed up with Alexei Perry back in 2007 to combine Dan’s awesome vocal and guitar work with Alexei’s awesome synth and drum machine to deliver awesome high powered indie music. You can find “I’m Confused” on their latest album “Face Control”, which was just released.

Julie Doiron – Consolation Prize (2009. Moncton, New Brunswick) Julie Doiron performed an awesome set last night at Mohawk. I’m really beginning to love the canadian indie night at Mohawk’s each Thursday of SXSW. Last night, a lot of great bands played, and made for a really memorable night. While I had heard of most of them, Julie Doiron I had not. After a bit of *tired* research this morning, I found out that she’s released an album with “Okkervil River”, so, besides the fact she makes awesome music, this is just another feather in her cap! :) You can find “Consolation Prize” on her latest album, “I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day”.

Little Boots – Meddle (2008, London, England) An act I wish I could have caught last night, but damn, it conflicted with a show that I REALLY wanted to see (see above). This up-and-coming 25 year old artist, makes wonderful pop-techno music, and definitely on the “up and coming” list of artists performing here at SXSW. Perhaps, I’ll hear something about her doing a secret set somewhere..*crosses fingers*

Howling Bells – Into the Chaos (2009, Sydney, Australia) Ok, I’m still not 100% sure if Howling Bells made the long trip here to play SXSW. I can’t stress just how many unannounced artists are here in town, putting on sets. I really hope that “Howling Bells” are here, and that I get to catch their set. Juanita Stein has a beautiful voice, that is only improved by the rest of the talent in the band. Check this song out on “Radio Wars”.

Balmorhea – Harm & Boon (2009, Austin, TX) I had never heard of this band before a few days ago. Imagine my surprise when I found out they were from my home town, and have had three releases already. This band has a lovely ambient sound, which uses both modern and classical instruments in a way that just causes adrenaline to rush through me as they hit just the perfect harmonies to set me over the edge. I’m hoping to catch these guys tomorrow at the “Hometapes Friend Island Party” at 301 Chicon St. Wish me luck! :)

Tags: Balmorhea, Black Gold, Handsome Furs, Howling Bells, Julie Doiron, Little Boots

This entry was posted on Friday, March 20th, 2009 at 5:20 pm and is filed under Friday Fix, Song Ramble. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.