SXSW Song of the Day: Bad Bad Hats – Detroit Basketball

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This song might be the most winning thing about Detroit Basketball in the past five years.

Bad Bad Hats are a duo from Minnesota who formed in 2012 and have released three albums with a new record set to be released in April.

They have a fun pop-rock kind of sound that would not seem out of place if they were played on alternative radio in the ’90s. Listening to their discography I’m surprised some of their singles such as “It Hurts” did not hit my radar back in the day. Good thing I can make up for lost time at SXSW

Bad Bad Hats play Mohawk Outdoor on March 13 @ 9:00pm and The 13th Floor on March 14 @ 11:00pm.

Concert Review: Glitterer, Glixen, March 5, Velvet Underground

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Opening with “I Want To Be Invisible,” the first track on their latest release, Rationale, Washington D.C.’s Glitterer got things off to a strong start for their Tuesday night show at Velvet Underground alongside tourmates Glixen, who also impressed with their heavy, hazy, shoegazey wall of sound. 

Partway through their set, Glitterer singer/bassist Ned Russin thanked promoter Not Dead Yet, noting that he’s been putting on shows with NDY’s Greg Benedetto since 2009. He went on to add that it felt nice to come back to a welcoming place with a lot of familiar faces and old friends. In keeping with the reflective nature of his stage banter, he Introduced the next tune, “Recollection,” as a song about the passage of time. 

And while we’re on the subject of time, Glitterer likes to keep things short and sweet, song-wise. With most of their songs clocking in under the 3 minute mark, the band’s brand of grungy, synth-tinged emo never overstays its welcome. 

SXSW Song of the Day: Blushing – Tamagotchi

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Photo Credit: Eddie Chavez

SXSW is now mere days away. This, of course, means that starting this Friday, acts from around the world will descend upon Austin to play a whole lotta shows throughout the week. We turn our attention today though to one act who won’t have to travel too far for SouthBy – Austin’s own Blushing.

The four-piece band, made up of two married couples, will be there to showcase their upcoming new album Sugarcoat, out May 3rd via Kanine Records. “Tamagotchi” is the first single off the album. Check it out below.

Blushing play Hotel Vegas on March 15 @ 12:00am.

SXSW Song of the Day: Oh He Dead – Small Talk for Dead People

Posted on by Paul in Song of the Day, South By Southwest | Leave a comment

As opening lines go, Oh He Dead‘s “Small Talk for Dead People” starts off with a real grabber of a lyric:

Half-stoned in a funeral home
And I forgot my Xanax
It’s gonna be a long long afternoon
So let’s make small talk

What follows is a bit of a rumination on mortality from the Washington, D.C. indie soul band, but one that’s set to a light, funky tune, like a short story you can groove to. Check it out.

Oh He Dead play Parish on March 13 @ 1:00am, Radio Day Stage on March 14 @ 3:00pm, Antone’s on March 14 @ 1:00am and Victorian Room at The Driskill on March 16 @ 10:00pm. And maybe even a few more shows – it is SXSW, after all.