Apparently, someone figured out that seeing music is a great thing to do at SXSW in Austin, while you’re there to get obliterated on Shiners and whiskey. At Antiquiet, we pride ourselves in being able to not only drink all of the more responsible (socially if not journalistically) blogs right under the goddamn table, but also to produce content like this while doing it. We put on an unofficial showcase at Rusty’s on 7th with a unique lineup of great bands, and we recorded and filmed every set. Over the week, we’ve been uploading all of it to our YouTube channel, but here are the highlights, presented as a special Voltron-style Antiquiet Session #13:
Detroit’s Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas is my personal favorite discovery of 2014 so far, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have her play this show. We’ll be doing a dedicated Antiquiet Session with her later this year, around the time she’ll be releasing her full-length album. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to present any less than these three songs, the heartstring-yanking Dead Brains, and Caught Up going into Run Run Run.
Next up is our BFFFs in 8mm performing a very special stripped-down duo acoustic set. Their intimate performance of Around The Sun from Antiquiet Session #4 has been bringing new readers to Antiquiet one by one ever since, but here’s a beautiful alternate version, followed by a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire. They closed with CCR’s Bad Moon Rising, which is on YouTube along with the rest of the set.
I’m always going to have a soft spot for Jersey girls. Fernando has been keeping tabs on Nicole Atkins since introducing her here in 2010, and we were proud to have her play our main stage this year on the back of her newest LP, the independently released and exceptional Slow Phaser.
Battle Tapes is a band based here in Los Angeles that has thus far existed right on the fringes of our rock-centric nets, but there’s no more perfect avenue to finally bring them to your attention than selections from their SXSW set, with Beak Wing on drums behind their perfect marriage of live instruments and their absolutely masterful sampling of 80s pop & 90s Hip Hop.
Opening the showcase was the Boston-born glam-poppy dance-rock party that is John Flanagan and his band. A highlight of his set was this self-confident cover of The Darkness’ I Believe In A Thing Called Love.
Another big discovery this year has been Austin’s Ume and the tiny thrashing powerhouse that is Lauren Larson. We actually filmed a proper Antiquiet session with them here in LA last week, which will be up soon, so for now I’m going to just going to pull one song from their thoroughly powerful set. Here’s Oh Fate from their new LP Monuments. You can and should stream that album here, and start getting used to seeing them on Antiquiet.
Oakland’s The Coup featuring Boots Riley was a last-minute addition to the showcase, bringing a crucial dose of dissentful rage to our musical gumbo. There’s an Emma Goldman paraphrasing often repeated by another group of musical freedom fighters, The (International) Noise Conspiracy. It goes: If I can’t dance, I want no part in your revolution. The ability to take material like the slave protest at the heart of Five Million Ways To Kill A CEO and make it fun is a formidable weapon, and one we’re always happy to help arm.
In case you missed it, the showcase’s electrifying headlining set by Grieves was posted early last week in its entirety as Antiquiet Session #12. But after these two, it’ll be back to traditional Antiquiet Sessions for awhile, starting with The Toadies performing songs from Rubberneck, acoustic from our home base at Swing House.
Big thanks to Taylor and April for filming, and to the Swing House crew for running the venue & recording all of the sets this year.
