Future Islands, Wednesday 12 March, Haven, Austin, SXSW 2014

Future Islands played to a packed and buzzing room at Haven. Their music melded Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode keyboards with more up-to-the moment dance music sounds. Their beats created fun, danceable rhythms, with the crowd throwing their hands in the air in celebration of the moment.

In front of that musical backdrop, the singer acted out, emoted and lived all the songs like a dance music Meat Load, as if we were possessed by the spirit of musical theatre. 

The experience was strange went not watching the singer, but enthralling when watching him, and unlike anything else we’ve seen at SXSW this year, or before.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Solander, Hilton Garden Inn, SXSW, Wednesday 12 March 2014

Making a return visit to SXSW, the Swedish group treated the audience to beautiful melodies. Their set had an enveloping sound encompassing cinematic sounding songs, a homage to Tom Petty and a country style song.

 Despite the singer's fever and struggles with his voice, the band created an inspiring atmosphere. They played pretty songs that felt like a warming hearth on a winter's night.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Cloud Nothings, Weds 12 Mar 2014, Cheer Up Charlie's, Austin, SXSW 2014

Cloud Nothings opened to a packed Cheer Up Charlie’s, Club De Ville's new incarnation.

 The stage being uphill means much of the audience at a packed show can be quite disengaged from the action on stage. But the audience for Cloud Nothings lapped up the band's set of enjoyable loci punk as the band hammered through one song after another.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Folk Family Revival, Weds 12 Mar, Hilton Garden Inn, Austin, SXSW 2014

Folk Family Revival brought rousing and heart felt country rock to a sparely populated hotel lounge.

They played some lovely, heartfelt songs, “Mountains”, their upcoming radio single and a song about moving to West Texas were real highlights.

Several of the songs in the opening part of their set had very overt religious imagery, which might have been off-putting to more secular listeners. But, then, does the devil have to have all the best tunes?

The band were accomplished musicians and there were some fun moments in one song when the all took their hands off their instruments and clapped a few beats.

They were also very sweet when talking about how proud they were of their new album, and thanking the sound guys.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo

Jesse Malin, Shangri-La, Austin, Tx, SXSW, Wednesday 12 March 2014

Backed by a full band and a brass section, Jesse played a whole set of his new songs, and a cover of the Ramones’ “Do you remember rock’n'roll radio?"

The set didn't suffer from not including Jesse's old familiar material. The new songs were really strong, and bode well for the new album. He told us after set set he hoped this would be out in September. Hopefully another trip to Europe will follow too.

The new songs covered a whole range of styles, from piano-led torch songs like “Bar Life”, cut from the same cloth as his own “Cigarettes and Violets”, to Celtic-tinged hoe downs and bar-room country rockers.

His performance had a slightly unsettled and pent-up edge to it, which may have been down to the contractual machinations he mentions, or might have simply been due to his playing all new songs, but it added an interesting intensity to the performance. With the full band with him, Jesse's sound for his SXSW shows should be big.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Two Cow Garage
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Two Cow Garage, Shangri-La, Austin, Tx, SXSW, Wednesday 12 March 2014

Two Car Garage played noisy, punky rock, and started their set sounding a bit straight edge or hardcore. Through the set their power-trio format, AC/DC guitars and thoughtful lyrics brought to mind a US version of the Sterophonics' 'Word Comes Around'.

Lyrically the band were strong. The second song had some intetesting lyrics about reaching 31 with the writer realising he'd been dumb to think he was 'the only back-yard Dylan with a heart'. Another song had a hook of a lyric about two people being 'a continental distance' apart.

The bassist and singer shared lead vocals across different songs which added colour to the sound. The trio even added full country style harmonies during a breakdown which was a welcome surprise, before launching into a self-declared and rather rocking 'country' song.

They sounded like audio kindred spirits to Jesse Malin whom they were preceding, and were a great new discovery and an early highlight of SXSW.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Not in the Face, Shangri-La, Austin, Tx, Wednesday 12 March 2014, SXSW 2014

Not in the Face, a local band from Austin, played fun old-school rock'n'roll, sounding like a bar-room Gaslight Anthem, Stereophonics or Kings of Leon. Getting us in the mood with a hearty 'good evening Austin', the band rocketed through their set. They got the audience clapping along to help them out as they had driven all the way - from five minutes up the road.

'Single for the Summer' was a rocking little pop song, and after that they played a run of new songs that sounded like cousins of lost rock classics.

The lead guitarist decided that playing a small afternoon show was no reason to keep all his best stadium moves and shapes in his back pocket, which was fun to watch.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Pins, Central Presbyterian Church, Tuesday 11 March, Austin, SXSW 2014

Pins played fast and furious, punky rock and roll. They brought Manchester attitude, and striking jaggedy angular rhythms, to new wave guitar pop.

There were some initial sound problems, but the band helpfully offered to work around these, particularly the drummer, who offered to "just shout really loud".

The songs, lyrics, arrangements, and sounds were interesting and different. They sounded like they were writing difficult, angular songs because they wanted to rather than because they couldn't write traditional pop songs. The song with the refrain 'They wanna take me' had a really great bass groove, and felt like a rocking XX.

The band were really riveting performers, and got the audience up and dancing for their last song.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Agnes Obel, Tues 11 March, Central Presbyterian Church, Austin, SXSW 2014

Agnes started her set with a long instrumental build up reminiscent of some of the sounds on Mercury Rev's Deserters' Songs. She then sang with Haunting, ethereal vocals. and the first song and a few after sounded a lot like the pastoral moments of Goldfrapp.

She played the piano and was joined by a cellist and violin player, both from Canada, and this was the first time that the three of them had played together, apart from during rehearsals for this show. One of the songs built and built to a real volume and the PA began to distort, and then it just fell away to quiet, which created a real moment of connection with the audience.

The music was very cinematic. It brought to mind ships being readied for long journeys into misty and uncertain waters, with families being left behind and words left unsaid in the parting.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival

Arc Iris, Bella Union night, Central Presbyterian Church, Austin Tx, Tuesday 11 March

The band made a sparkling impression with their first SXSW show. We enjoyed catching them while they were fresh and really giving it their all. Their gold and silver garb helped catch the eye too.

They gave the audience an intriguing combination of jazzy, ragtime trumpet, pedal steel country guitar, hammond organ-style keyboards, beautiful strings and a vocal that combined country, rag time and honky tonk to great effect. This combination gave  an almost  theatrical style to the Arc Iris set.

The band closed with a beautiful melody featuring cello, violin and piano.

Other SXSW 2014 show reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
Wolf Alice
Pins 
Two Cow Garage
Jesse Malin 
Sweet Baboo
Family Folk Revival