Five Albums You Should Be Listening To Right Now: SXSW 2011 Edition
Great new records chosen by SXSW music programmer Matt Sonzala.
Every week, titans of the mediasphere give Hooksexup their music recommendations. This week: Matt Sonzala, Music Fest Coordinator at SXSW. His department books over 2000 bands each year for SXSW. Matt also runs a blog (www.austinsurreal.com) and hosts an online radio program called The AustinSurreal Show on www.kaosradioaustin.org.
B L A C K I E, Spred Luv EP
Hailed by the New York Times as a "one-man noise ordinance violation," Houston's B L A C K I E (yes, all caps with spaces) embodies the best aspects of classic punk rock, and presents them in the form of hip-hop. He raps, and he makes his own beats, but said beats and rhymes are way more boom than bap.
Listen: "Nothing Stopping" or "My Window"
MP3
Anika, Anika
The new queen of space rock, German chanteuse Anika, has been compared to Beth Gibbons, but maybe that's because her self-titled debut was produced by Beth's partner in Portishead, Geoff Barrow. Off-kilter, ethereal, and uber-intelligent, her music harkens '60s psych-rock with a 2011 electronic edge.
Listen: "I Go To Sleep"
MP3
The Echocentrics, Sunshadows
The latest project from Austin musician Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, Ocote Soul Sounds), is a radical departure from what you might have come to expect from this young leader in Latin music. Many don't know he also makes hip-hop beats for folks like Bavu Blakes and others from his home state. Vocalists Tita Lima and Natalia Clavier round out a trio that has a beautiful sound all its own.
Listen: "Esclavo Y Amo"
MP3
Butcher Bear & Charlie, Carbomb
A raucous mix of soulful noise and funky rhythms with an abstract hip-hop sensibility, the duo of Butcher Bear & Charlie are one of Austin's most fun party bands. Outfitted in a colorful bear suit, DJ/beat maker Butcher Bear is a strong fixture in the Austin music scene. Think Madonna if her earlier producers did more interesting drugs and grew up listening to the Butthole Surfers.
Listen: "Chopsticks"
MP3
Nive Nielsen & Deer Children, Nive Sings
Most people don't even realize that there are people living in Greenland. And they almost certainly don't know that one of modernity's most forward-thinking singer-songwriters was born and raised there and still calls it home. Nive Nielsen's songs are light and spacey, yet complex and edgy. She covers the topic of love, but also the topic of killing bugs with her vacuum cleaner, and says her mother is the most beautiful woman of all. It's one of the prettiest records of the past decade, hands down.
Listen: "Room"
MP3
Commentarium (41 Comments)
Why do critics insist on describing artists as "intelligent" instead of just saying "can't carry a tune?" I'd rather hear Beth Gibbons read a phone book.
Why do commentators on the internet insist on being dicks?
A side effect of making sure your point gets across when you have no idea whether or not you'll get a response, I'd imagine.
Another side effect of internet commenting? The seemingly invisible line between sarcasm and being a dick.
I agree. I hate reading critic's descriptions of music...especially those that are prone to use the words "complex", "edgy" and a myriad of other terms ("multigenre" comes to mind..) that often describe little more than bland, monotone music with shitty vocals. I'm sorry if this offends anyone's musical sensibilities, but fuck this hipster, indie, postmodern shit-fest of music.
yes! yes! yes! the whiney, immature, dull dull dull recordings masquerading as music are reflective of the (apparently, but hopefully short-lived) prevailing whiney, immature, dull dull dull audience.
So what "real" music should be listening to pray tell?
I'm assuming it's because she makes the daring move on her album of saying - in so many words - that warmongers are bad. Yes, sadly, "not wholly oblivious" is the new standard for uber-intelligence.
Oh, and she uses a lot of echo. Echo makes it sound deep.
Don't you just love the smell of dogmatism in the morning?
Also: Little Tybee
https://littletybee.bandcamp.com/album/humorous-to-bees
One to check out! The Great Return by Purple Rhinestone Eagle
Been listening to it nonstop
Also check out The Soul Traveling Experience by Austin musician Tee-Double,pretty creative and refreshing.
The music is intelligent, it is what it is. She says a lot.
But we can't I see how it is.
Okay, all apologies. My comments weren't showing for a good half hour there. I expected foul play. My bad.
sorry, not for me!
B L A C K I E (do you say that "Blackie" or speak each letter individually????) needs to learn to spell.
anika sounds like an awful beach house imitation.......
She's the only good one on this list.
first time I have ever not liked any of the music on one of these lists
The problem with the ivory tower pompous music reviewers in Austin is that they probably drink too much Austin water.
summer people
https://teamwork.bandcamp.com/
That gave me a headache. Was this really the best of the crop?
So again what "real" music should the unwashed masses be listening to? Seems like everyone can whine about how much music sucks but can't give an answer about what we really should be hearing.....put up or shut up.
Yeah! Give us some good stuff, Matt! :)
If this is what we HAVE to listen to then I'll read a book instead. Man, music just keeps getting worse and worse. These kids plainly haqve NO IDEA as to just how awful their music genre really is. Wait until they find out how badly they have been ripped off by this Mundane, boring, yawning selections of poopy doopy they have to choose from. No wonder suicides are WAY up. This crap is really dismal and depressing stuff
If you, along with all the other commenters, dislike what Hooksexup recommends why do you continue to look to Hooksexup for recommendations?
Start by eliminating anything that says "hip hop" in the description and you'll have a better chance of finding music worth hearing.
1 some angry guy shouting at me while a vacuum cleaner dies a painful death, 2 one of my favorite songs by Sia turned into instant headache starter,3 a very nice though derivative romantic song to put the pain on pause, 4 a woman not singing very well with ugly machine noises thrumming up through the floor 5 just boring ok music that I hear over and over when I look for new sounds on amazon. Did the reviewer really think we need to hear this of was the deadline for this week getting close and these were all they had in the inbox..? Can we try some old music you may have overlooked from the 60s 70s 80s etc..? I will do that if you can pay me.
"I Go To Sleep" I fell asleep
I was surprised to see someone on one of these lists I was actually somewhat familiar with. B L A C K I E is amazing. This recording doesn't do him justice. He has the most intense live show I've ever seen. Including Lightning Bolt
Great new records?
ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKIN' MIND, SONZALA?
Are you getting paid (by the CD makers) to shill this shit?
That Spred Luv track is just plain ugly
Wanna get rid of Qaddafi?
Just blast this stinking audio sewage through his window.
The other crap ranges from mindless and mediocre to painfully boring.
B L A C K I E is awesome! Check him out if you grt the chance!
Tita Lima from the Echocentrics is the freshest, most sultry and creative female voice that has come out of Brasil in the past few years....end of story!...oh wait and yeah her father (Liminha) played bass for Os Mutantes...ok now end of story.
GERMANS CAN'T SING!!!!
totally agreed FUmanchu
MY MUSIC IS SO BAD SOUNDING IM GOING TO KILL MYSELF NOW BECAUSE YEAH LOL
That was in response to killsing's comment above but the comments didn't want to work right. It's whatever.
Nive Nielsen & Deer Children was ace, will have to check out them later, maybe B L A C K I E too.
ni3VK6 THX that's a great answer!
Now you say something