The Final Recovery SXSW Post

So in some other reality, some time-shifted universe that’s a couple weeks behind us, my doppelganger is just recovering from a week of Lone Star beer and gallon hats.  He’s got a bunch of new music options, and he sent me these missives through a wormhole that was only open during the brief window of our NCAA championship game (I made sure to not tell him the results lest I cause a Back to the Future style paradox):

Winter Gloves – Let Me Drive

I could do without this guy’s voice, but luckily the Nintendo music melody is featured way more prominently than anything coming out of his throat.  Was that a little harsh?  Perhaps.  His voice isn’t that bad.  Just a little whiny.

Les Handclaps – Cacti Are Delicious Fruit

Growing up int he desert, I sometimes had to eat cactus apples, a really sweet and spiny fruit that grows in clumps off the blades of Californian cacti.  I should note that the emphasis is on the spiny, not the sweet: by the end, your mouth is so covered in needles that any taste buds have been destroyed.  This song, on the other hand, leads toward the sweet: sugary indie dance pop.  I’ll take that, at least in brief amounts, over the needly fruit any day.

Loxsly – As the Constellation’s Arms Uncurled

I think the key thing to note about this song is the tonal changes.  At one moment, it’s a ghost rustling across a desert plain; the next, it shifts into a zealous rock song for the chorus.

Buddy – Is It Cold in Silverlake?

Nic Harcourt likes these 2000′s version of James (without the Englishness) so why shouldn’t I?  The website says these guys have been featured on a bunch of sappy TV shows, and that makes sense – there’s a feeling of missed connections riding along the slowly unfolding melody.  And I’m pretty sure it’s never cold in Silverlake.

The Urges – You Don’t Look So Good

Finally a kick-ass rock band.  These guys are the hangover after a night of partying, but a little bit kinder to your sensibilities.  Less of a headache, still kind of a mess, a lot more fun.

*****

That’s it for now.  Some more of the bands from the festival might show up on here as time passes, but I’ll pretend that I found them on my own just like all the other music bloggers out there.  Regular posts should commence soon.

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