I like British music, this is no lie. So when SXSW comes around, I usually get my fill of British music. Here is some quick hits on bands I saw.
Eagulls – One of the bright up and comers this year, Eagulls’s live show backs the swagger of their noisy yet strangely melodic rock. Lead singer George Mitchell already has the charisma and gravitas for a big star and the band and their music seemed primed for pretty big things.
Bipolar Sunshine – All the things seem like it’s in the right place. However, something about them seemed a bit too by the book. Lead singer Adio Marchant is about as smooth as it gets, but the tracks sound like every other popular indie pop schtick out there. There’s definitely a few songs that I can already see as big radio hits (ala Where Did The Love Go), but I feel like they are capable of more.
Chloe Howl – This red headed fireball might be England’s big hope this year for female stardom. Following on the heels of Charlie XCX, Marina and Ellie Goulding, Chloe Howl hoped to take advantage of the new crowd and launch her north american career. The music was good electro-tinged pop, but I found that she lacked the girl next door charm of Ellie, weirdness of Marina or the don’t really care attitude of Charlie XCX. Maybe she is still trying to find her niche.
Sam Smith – This guy has a fantastic voice and he will probably go places. His falsetto is outrageous and will be the envy of many karaoke singers for years to come Money on my Mind has been stuck in my head for days now after his show. If his debut record carries the strength of the tracks we know from him, this man will be onto many, many big things.
Casual Sex – Perhaps the most humorous band at SXSW, Scotland act Casual Sex showed a lot of fun attitude along with their 80’s inspired post-punk music. Lead singer Sam Smith had some well timed one liners in between songs and even put on lipstick during the set, much to the amusement of the crowd. I’m not sure how much their music will stick, but it was a fun time regardless
