threat to narrative brothertiger midnight wave mix

THREAT TO NARRATIVE BROTHERTIGER MIDNIGHT WAVE MIX MODS

Sleaford Mods are a lot of entertaining fun. If Sleaford Mods revive the spirit of punk (which they sort of do), it’s not an introduction of punk to a new generation, it’s old punks reliving their youth. Not because they aren’t any good, but simply because of the audience’s demographic: forties and fifties. If this is the future of rock, forget it.

And you haven’t lived until you’ve been crowd-surfed over by someone playing a double bass. The ridiculously frantic energy levels and in-your-face enthusiasm of the Pogues-ish Skinny Lister mean that a Mumford-style triumph is inevitable. Imminent breathroughs included Australia’s Courtney Barnett and Germany’s super-accessible Milky Chance, but only one outfit demonstrated the clear power to conquer the States. Who’d have thought that the voice of the festival would be that of 70 year old Colin Blunstone? The best live band in the world right now is Chuck Prophet And The Mission Express, who were stalked by RC as they did nine shows in three days. At Hotel San Jose, a slightly damp showcase symbolised the genre-bending line-ups that make sxsw so special: Carl Barât, Gang Of Four and cool new band Houndmouth mixed it with The Zombies. On the country front, Andrew Combs looks set for stardom. American Aquarium, a Springsteenesque outfit from North Carolina, drew attention, as did Virginia’s classic rockers Sons Of Bill. With the help of some rain, it was quiet enough to return to the core task of seeking out hot new bands. Their category-defying world / folk / blues virtuosity proved that there really is room for a harp in rock and roll.Īfter last year’s overcrowding and huge headliners, it felt like a conscious move back towards the original spirit of sxsw.

In terms of commercial appeal, the highly-accessible Sons Of Bill seem set for mainstream success, but the band that Kilkenny clasped closest to its bosom was Montreal’s Barr Brothers. Male / female folk duos slugged it out in the form of London’s The Rails and Saskatoon’s Kacy And Clayton, both vying for the title of the new Fairports. Nominal Kilkenny bill-toppers were Calexico, whose panoramic and super-slick show at the plush Set Theatre ended up in mass partying. Looking and acting increasingly like a baddie in some deranged silent movie, Murry with his pick-up band killed Pavement’s Shady Lane before debuting new songs that indicate that his next album might even outdo the award-winning Graceless Age. The “friendliest little festival in the world” got off to a sensational start with a searing performance from John Murry.

Threat to narrative brothertiger midnight wave mix