I WISH JIM CARROLL would treat his readers to a SXSW Playlist every time he cycles around Austin in search of great artists. Carroll's reports from SXSW always point me in the right direction and I depleted my Google Wallet buying tracks he fingered in his coverage in The Irish Times.
Dozens of people have crafted their own playlists of best SXSW acts already, offering a diverse swath of musical tastes for listeners. I grabbed seven tracks after reading reviews of artists Jim Carroll cited as among the best he heard, several he listened to twice during the week-long music festival. I put them in to an audio clip, crediting Jim Carroll for his accurate portrayal of the groups. Below the break, I pulled a portion of his review from a Kindle clipping. It's worth sharing.
So good we went to see him twice. LA-based soul-folk singer, Moses Sumney has charm galore. His beautiful, soft-as-a-feather, melancholic voice throws Chet Baker shadows here and there, while his wonderful tropical-folk tunes are chockablock with minimalist hooks. Truly, a name and voice to be reckoned with for the future. mosessumney.com
HOLYCHILD
The fact that the Glassnote label had already snapped the Los Angeles duo up before SXSW began ensured plenty of buzz for Liz Nisitico and Louie Diller. A wham-bam of giddy, gleeful electro-pop, Holychild's songs already sound like big ol' hits. holychildmusic.com
FAT WHITE FAMILY
Visceral, energetic, politically charged and hugely savvy, London's Fat White Family are a sweaty live tour-de-force. Thanks to debut album Champagne Holocaust , they've already a set full of killer tune and a frontman in Lias Saoudi with the performance muscle to match the mouth. facebook.com/fatwhitefamily
SZA
Part of the Top Dawg crew who has already given us Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q, SZA is cut from a different cloth. Accompanied by drummer and keyboardist, she throws moody, idiosyncratic lyrical shapes over the sweetest of boho-soul backings. New album Z will be one to reckon with. twitter.com/justsza
KELELA
One of the biggest wows at SXSW. Kelela Mizanektristos' set was chock-a-block with captivating slo-mo, dubby, dark soul. Live, she transforms her glorious Cut 4 Me album into glorious music for the real blue of the night. Truly, a different kind of lovers rock. twitter.com/kelelam
[Reviews of musicians extracted from Jim Carroll's On The Record, March 22, 2014.]