South by Southwest is a unique experience. Like the Coachella music festival, you get exposed to a large and diverse number of acts. Unlike Coachella, however, SXSW is BIGGER. Much BIGGER (it is held Texas, after all). SXSW lasts twice as long and is composed of more than 10 times the performers.
In the 5 days I was in attendance, I must have seen over 40 bands. And from what I gather, this is actually a small number given that I chose to sit through (or stand through, to be more accurate) entire sets as opposed to hopping over to another club after 2 or 3 songs. What can I say, it was my first year in attendance - let’s chalk this up to youthful inexperience.
Regardless of how many bands I saw, I heard some amazing songs (and some awful ones as well, but I’ll save that for another post). Below is a list of the songs that stood out to me at SXSW 2012, complete with a tweet-sized description to accompany your listening experience. Enjoy.
Big Mouth by Santigold - It's been a while since Santigold put out new music, but if this song is an indication of what's in store, then the wait has been worth it.
California by Delta Spirit - A commitment-phobe's anthem. Or maybe it’s about wanting what’s best for someone you really love. Either way, this is a great song.
Hold On by Alabama Shakes - Yes they are hyped up. But they live up to it. This song already sounds like a classic to me.
Another Life by NO - These guys sound a little like Interpol if Interpol hadn’t decided to suck after their 1st album. A soaring song about saying goodbye.
Bright Whites by Kishi Bashi - Watching Kishi Bashi live is to witness a magician at work. He’s essentially a one man band that creates his music using only his voice and a violin. If the music of Neutral Milk Hotel mated with that of Sigur Ros, this is what would be spawned.
