SXSW 2013: Bonobo @ Elysium 03.14

SXSW 2013: Bonobo @ Elysium 03.14
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Bonobo is a super chill tropical animal, like a neon-colored frog bobbing his head up and down in the rainforest. Bonobo’s music feels … wet, in a sweet, sweaty, sloppy, lip-smacking kiss kind of way.  … read more

SXSW 2013: Escape @ The JR 03.15

SXSW 2013: Escape @ The JR 03.15
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Escape made me want to do one thing and one thing only while standing in one place: pure head banging. The chance to see a Cuban metal band is quite rare in SLC due to customs laws between the states and Cuba. It took SXSW two years just to bring Escape over from Cuba to play a forty-minute set. I would say the chance of that happening in Salt Lake City is slim to none. … read more

SXSW 2013: Bleached @ Panache Showcase – Hotel Vegas 03.15

SXSW 2013: Bleached @ Panache Showcase – Hotel Vegas 03.15
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If I had to marry one band member from Bleached the obvious choice would have to be the reserved, quiet bass player, who by appearance and pure energy radiated a sense of maturity one or two notches above the other ladies in the band. ‘Nuff said. … read more

SXSW 2013: Eagles of Death Metal @ The Belmont 03.15

SXSW 2013: Eagles of Death Metal @ The Belmont 03.15
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Eagles of Death Metal put on an energetic show with plenty of crowd interaction unlike any other band who rolls through town. Jesse interacts with his fans, thanks and praises all who come out to see, kisses ladies’ hands and pulls cigarettes from crowd members who are happy to hand them out, and, last but not least, lets stage jumpers hang out with the band on stage. … read more

SXSW 2013: Masked Intruder @ Red 7 Fat Wreck Chords Showcase 03.15

SXSW 2013: Masked Intruder @ Red 7 Fat Wreck Chords...
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You see, Masked Intruder has a dancer, who is a dude dressed up in a cop costume. His job is to run around and rile people up. He accomplishes this by pushing people and moshing with them. Part of his job is to flip people off, too. He flips off as many people as he can at any given moment, on- or offstage. I imagine that Masked Intruder would kidnap me, as they are robbers, and I’d probably get sick and tired of the cop, even though I think he’s cool at the same time. … read more

SXSW 2013: Lemuria @ The Mohawk Indoor 03.15

SXSW 2013: Lemuria @ The Mohawk Indoor 03.15
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Sheena Ozella, the frontwoman (guitar and vocals) of Lemuria, is an amazing guitarist—she’s clearly an intelligent person, as her odd chord structuring and deft movement along the neck played out sonically with an almost jazzy character. Her left hand played Tetris with itself and moved from barre 7 chords to tuning while she was singing during a stop. … read more

SXSW 2013: Young Widows @ Red 7 Tone Deaf Touring Showcase 03.15

SXSW 2013: Young Widows @ Red 7 Tone Deaf Touring...
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Young Widows exude a chilled-out vibe to their brand of sludgy hardcore. Their music is intense, with frontman Evan Patterson’s guitar riffs chunking out like metal bolts and anvils coming out of a meat grinder, but it’s a sort of pensive aggressiveness, like watching volatile chemicals in science. Young Widows are the type of band whose record you throw on and smoke a J to, even though they are noise-rockers imbued with hardcore. … read more

SXSW 2013: Pissed Jeans @ 1100 Warehouse 03.14

SXSW 2013: Pissed Jeans @ 1100 Warehouse 03.14
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There is not enough sarcasm in all of Austin to match the amount that came out of Pissed Jeans vocalist Matt Korvette. Pissed Jeans is just as their name says, sans jeans. Pissed Jeans don’t give a fuck about you or what you do, say, or want. Honestly, Matt said, “We actually don’t care about you guys,” to the audience. … read more

SXSW 2013: Maximum Hedrum @ The Main 03.14

SXSW 2013: Maximum Hedrum @ The Main 03.14
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Maximum Hedrum’s stage presence was incredibly wacky and crazy. One could definitely tell that the band was from Hollywood CA. Most of the band members where blasting out more fake energy than a Tony Robbins convention and spouted one liners to entice the audience. … read more

SXSW 2013: Merchandise @ Scoot Inn 03.14

SXSW 2013: Merchandise @ Scoot Inn 03.14
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Merchandise had manifested a persona during their show that said, “accept us or reject us, we really don’t care.” They create a calm and introverted demeanor through vocals combined with small, slow-flowing movements while the lead singer would close his eyes to feel the music, crowd and energy of the room, much like any successful shoegaze band. … read more