KAMP Student Radio is currently in food truck/music heaven: Austin, Texas, during SXSW. Here are the SXSW Music 2014 artists you need to know, and make sure to check out interviews with these artists coming to kamp.arizona.edu throughout the week.
1. Pure Bathing Culture
It is hard to describe Pure Bathing Culture without using the words mystifying and gorgeous. The Portland duo’s sound draws inspiration from cold shores and starry skies, leaving listeners in a calming trance.
Sounds Like: Beach House and Melody’s Echo Chamber
Listen: “Ivory Coast”
2.TacocaT
Seattle foursome TacocaT proves there is no topic it can’t approach with a light heart and a surf rock melody. Its fun full-length album NVM debuted last month with songs about periods, quinceañeras and snow days.
Sounds Like: La Sera, Colleen Green and The Lovely Bad Things
Listen: “Crimson Wave”
3. Nothing
The band Nothing is receiving everything when it comes to hype. Its new album Guilty of Everything is loud yet complaisant, marketing on the beauty of shoegaze-fuzz.
Sounds Like: My Bloody Valentine, Whirr and Deafheaven
Listen: “Dig”
4. Blouse
This Portland dream-pop band excels in making silky tracks with a detached quality. Its 2011 self-entitled album offers ’80s synth pop sounds and its 2013 release Imperium is a hazy swirl of more traditional instrumentation.
Sounds Like: Trailer Trash Tracys and Chromatics
Listen: “No Shelter”
5. Twin Peaks
Luckily for Twin Peaks, garage-rock is on fire this year. However, the boys do not ride on the coattails of this trend, but rather dominate the essence of garage-rock: fuzz and youthful carelessness.
Sounds Like: Bass Drum of Death and The Orwells
Listen: “Stand In The Sand”
6. Drowners
Drowners remind people that mainstream pop-rock is not always a bad thing. Their new self-entitled album is an easy listen, packed with short catchy anthems. Your standard Brit-pop never sounded so good.
Sounds Like: Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Nightmare of You
Listen: “A Button On Your Blouse”
7. Angel Olsen
Her recent release Burn Your Fire For No Witness is a hauntingly evocative masterpiece. There is heartbreak in Olsen’s voice that makes each word more compelling than the next. Every song is somehow vulnerable yet powerful in both lyricism and sound.
Sounds Like: Cate Le Bon, Marissa Nadler and Nico
Listen: “Stars”
