WFUV at SXSW: Phosphorescent at Hotel San Jose
Brooklyn singer-songwriter Matthew Houck performs (and tweets) as Phosphorescent (@Phosphorescent), a fitting description for his warm and luminous songs.
SXSW 2013
WFUV's coverage of SXSW 2013: The Friday afternoon 'Public Radio Rocks' Day Stage with Vampire Weekend, Dawes, Emmylou & Rodney and more; two days of Hotel San Jose interviews and performances; The NPR Music show from Stubb's... Video, audio & photos below. All videos are on the WFUV YouTube Channel. There's even more, including exclusive band guest blogs, on The Alternate Side.
WFUV at SXSW: Heartless Bastards at Hotel San Jose
“If she wasn’t so good, she’d look like an actress fronting a side project,” says Austin 360.
Well, she is that good.
Ohio-born and Austin-based Heartless Bastards (@HeartlessBstrds) has gone through some lineup changes, but the heart of the band is Erika Wennerstrom. She writes the songs for the four of them to flesh out together, and it’s her big voice that’ll echo in your head.
WFUV at SXSW: Lissie at Hotel San Jose
Stopping at the Hotel San Jose to do an amped-up set at the free SXSJ (South by San Jose) compound – she had some extra energy to burn after her big set at Stubb’s was cut short the night before – Lissie (@LissieMusic) came by backstage to chat with her WFUV friends. From here she was headed over to play at Perez Hilton’s party, which is doubtless the fewest number of separations we’d ever been from Perez Hilton.
WFUV at SXSW: Dawes
L.A.-based Dawes (@DawesTheBand) is well-rooted in the Southern California folk-country-rock world, it’s in their blood. But they’ve seen a whole lot more of the world since releasing two big albums and doing some big touring.
WFUV at SXSW: Iron and Wine
Sam Beam is back again in 2013, but he's wearing a different suit. The absolute master of the hushed and lovely modern ballad, live performances of Iron & Wine (@IronAndWine) have become a more dynamic affair over the past few years, mixing in global influences: African-flavored guitar, Sun-Ra licks.
WFUV at SXSW: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
There’s some deep history behind all this. In 1975, Emmylou Harris (@SoEmmylouHarris) released her major-label debut, Pieces of the Sky, and Warner Bros. Records said they’d record her if she’d "get a hot band." Emmylou had already done one of Rodney Crowell's songs, and she asked him to go out on the road; thus they formed the duet partnership at the center of The Hot Band.
WFUV at SXSW: Divine Fits
Britt Daniel (of Spoon) met Dan Boeckner (of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs) in 2007. They kept in touch, played some shows together, and the musical romance eventually moved on to California to blossom into the so-called ‘supergroup’ Divine Fits (@DivineFits), with the addition of Sam Brown on drums and Alex Fischel on keys.
WFUV at SXSW: Pickwick
Seattle’s Pickwick (@PickwickMusic) found themselves in a crowded scene of folk-rock until they busted out in a soul direction, thanks in no small part to the big fat vocals of lead singer Galen Disston.
Of all the Public Radio Rocks artist picks, this is the new, young band we're picking to be a future hit. A public radio discovery thanks to our sister station KEXP, they’re about to release their debut record, Can't Talk Medicine, after a year of putting out singles as vinyl 45s.
WFUV at SXSW: Charles Bradley
Don't be afraid of a little sweaty soul music, it's good for you.
Among the Daptone Records artists who travelled to Austin for 2013’s SXSW music conference, Charles Bradley (@Charles_Bradley) stands out as an amazing story in a field of pretty amazing stories.
WFUV at SXSW: Vampire Weekend
Indie rockers who bonded over a love of punk and African music at Columbia University in 2006, Vampire Weekend (@VampireWeekend) still call New York City home through a wave of success following their first two releases. The four members — Ezra Koenig (lead vocals, guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keys, guitar), Chris Tomson (drums), and Chris Baio (bass) — busted out with their first self-titled album in 2008, then Contra in 2010.
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