“foreversoon” is the latest single from Phoenix shoegazers Glixen, taken from the band’s upcoming sophomore EP. They’re currently on a tour throughout February and March which will take them to SXSW next month.
Every year at SXSW, The British Music Embassy (BME) is a reliable source for great music from the British Isles, offering up a solid mix of both established names and up and coming acts.
This week, BME announced their full lineup and there’s a lot to like in there, from old favourites like Gruff Rhys, Ash, and Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls to newer names like Spyres, Dry Cleaning, and Lambrini Girls.
One act in particular that stands out in the lineup is London’s Nabihah Iqbal. Check out the video below for “This World Couldn’t See Us,” taken off her most recent album, 2023’s Dreamer.
Sure, for most people, the big music story of Sunday night was probably something Super Bowl related – the halftime show featuring Usher, Beyonce’s surprise announcement of a new album, or the Taylor Swift-iness of it all. But for the select few who gathered at Lee’s Palace last night, Sunday was all about Poland’s Vader, who brought their 40 Years of the Apocalypse anniversary tour to town in celebration of their four decade long career.
As he took to the stage, frontman Piotr Wiwczarek started things off with a questions for the crowd: “Are you ready for a trip to Hell and back .. tonight?” And while he may have promised some kind of hellish journey, truth be told, if this is what Hell is like, well, it seems like it might be kind of fun.
As Vader ran through a selection of songs from throughout their career, both the band and the fans seemed to be having a hell of a lot of fun with it – a mere 20 minutes into their set, Wiwczarek praised the crowd for being “so fucking crazy already.”
And let’s be real – “a trip to Hell and back” is probably a more apt description of the Kansas City Chiefs’ experience on the field for the first three quarters of the “Big Game” before turning it around in the end last night. That’s right, I’m just going to shoehorn as many football references as I can into this review and there’s nothing you can do about it. Flag on the play! Touchdown! Shoulder pads! Sports!
All in all, Vader put on an impressive performance, giving it their all and putting on quite the show. The band may have been going for 40 years now, but they’re still going strong – in concert, they play these songs with a vigor and an energy that matches that of their early years and would likely put a few of today’s younger acts to shame.
One of the great things about SXSW – aside from the opportunity to catch non-stop live music for several days straight – is the wide availability of free food one can find at the various parties, lounges, activations, and whatnot happening throughout the week. There’s often full meals, sure, but also, plenty of snacks. And when you’re on the go at SXSW, trying to take in as much as possible, snacks are key.
Chicago hardcore band Buggin understand the importance of a good snack, so much so that they wrote a song about it – “Snack Run” sings the praises of heading to the corner store to grab a myriad of snacks, both sweet and savory, all in just under a minute. Check it out below.
