Rockness Recommends
It's SXSW 2007! And away we go....
March 7, 2007
Today is the first music day of SXSW 2007. Are you excited? We certainly are. So without further ado, let's get right to it with our first Recommended Show of the week! Check back every day as we will update this daily with a new show and a new band that Rockness thinks are "must sees."
Loney Dear, Oxford Collapse and Maps and Atlases are playing Emo's IV together. That's three great bands for the price of one (wrist) band. Here's why you should check it out.
NYC's Oxford Collapse play noisy, spazz rock that puts on emphasis on disjointed, spiky guitars, yelps and howls, tambourines, and bass-induced grooves. Fans of early Dischord stuff will see an obvious (and successful) homage to the stripped-down sound of Nation of Ulysses and Fugazi, yet Oxford Collapse also seamlessly incorporate the dancier aspects of bands like Radio 4 and Q and Not U with the "artiness" of Liars and Oneida. Your sweat will be well spent.
Sweden's Loney, Dear is Emil Svanängen and a rotating cast of his friends. Their music strikes me as a cross between the cherubic vocals of Sigur Ros, the arrangements of Sufjan Stevens, and the bittersweet optimism of Rogue Wave. There seems to be no instrument Svanängen can't play, and he records all of his manipulations straight from home. Live on stage, he sometimes has up to nine supporting musicians playing guitars, sax, drums, clarinets, keys and claps to make his grand orchestral vision a reality. Loney, Dear's latest album is called Loney, Noir and I must remember it come December when thinking about my "Best of 2007" picks.
Chicago's Maps and Atlases make music that's hard to wrap your head around. You need a map to figure out where they're going. At first they sound like Don Caballero (of the "American Don" era) with their crazy time signatures and distortion-free rock-outs, but then at other times they sound like Danielson (mostly due to the singer's voice... as far as I know, he doesn't sing in a tree, though) crossed with a masculine version of Joanna Newsom's folk-freak-outs. They've recently toured with Rahim, Matt & Kim, and These Arms are Snakes. Chicago does it again.
Oxford Collapse, Loney Dear and Maps and Atlases play Emos IV, on Wednesday, March 14th.
Loney Dear, Oxford Collapse and Maps and Atlases are playing Emo's IV together. That's three great bands for the price of one (wrist) band. Here's why you should check it out.
NYC's Oxford Collapse play noisy, spazz rock that puts on emphasis on disjointed, spiky guitars, yelps and howls, tambourines, and bass-induced grooves. Fans of early Dischord stuff will see an obvious (and successful) homage to the stripped-down sound of Nation of Ulysses and Fugazi, yet Oxford Collapse also seamlessly incorporate the dancier aspects of bands like Radio 4 and Q and Not U with the "artiness" of Liars and Oneida. Your sweat will be well spent.
Sweden's Loney, Dear is Emil Svanängen and a rotating cast of his friends. Their music strikes me as a cross between the cherubic vocals of Sigur Ros, the arrangements of Sufjan Stevens, and the bittersweet optimism of Rogue Wave. There seems to be no instrument Svanängen can't play, and he records all of his manipulations straight from home. Live on stage, he sometimes has up to nine supporting musicians playing guitars, sax, drums, clarinets, keys and claps to make his grand orchestral vision a reality. Loney, Dear's latest album is called Loney, Noir and I must remember it come December when thinking about my "Best of 2007" picks.
Chicago's Maps and Atlases make music that's hard to wrap your head around. You need a map to figure out where they're going. At first they sound like Don Caballero (of the "American Don" era) with their crazy time signatures and distortion-free rock-outs, but then at other times they sound like Danielson (mostly due to the singer's voice... as far as I know, he doesn't sing in a tree, though) crossed with a masculine version of Joanna Newsom's folk-freak-outs. They've recently toured with Rahim, Matt & Kim, and These Arms are Snakes. Chicago does it again.
Oxford Collapse, Loney Dear and Maps and Atlases play Emos IV, on Wednesday, March 14th.
