SXSW 2015 Day 5 & 6: Seinabo Sey, Amason, Best Coast, Twerps

Our first live broadcast from Austin was on Friday for Morning Becomes Eclectic and we had set up a makeshift studio in the restaurant next to FLOODfest so I could easily run out and see an band for a song or too.

The Sweden showcase started at 11am. I’ve been obsessing over the haunting yet infectious indie rock of Amason for almost a year now and was really excited to see them live. They did NOT disappoint.

Miike Snow’s Pontus Winnberg, among other fine players. They are a must-see if they’re ever in your town.

Seinabo Sey, dressed almost like a gospel singer in loose fitting all black ensemble, seemed genuinely taken aback to see fans in the crowd singing all the words to her songs.

After breaking into a smile mid-song, she finally commented that it was a pretty incredible experience for someone from a little town in Sweden. She is well deserving of the devotion and I expect big things from here.

Best Coast closed out the day showcase and treated us to a bunch of new songs, which are less sun-drenched pop and more psychedelic fuzz rock than their previous material.

It was their last show of the festival and — after many days of non-stop playing and promo — they were giving it all they had despite being clearly ready to head home.

The audience ate it up, including a wannabe crowd surfer. (Their new album, their first for a major label, will be out on May 5)

I ended the evening watching Australia’s Twerps in an outdoor venue on the Eastside. Not ideal for a rainy night, but a few songs into their set of jangly pop, I was glad I make the trek.

I saw my first band before noon on Friday, hitting Stubbs for Hippo Campus. Sadly, that stage was at capacity but luckily Athen’s Reptar was playing outside. They’re just the right amount of weirdo for my taste and I love the horns. At their best, they remind me of the Talking Heads.

Back at our broadcast space at FLOODfest, Scottish-born, English-raised songwriter Greg Holden (now based in Brooklyn) stopped by to play a single acoustic track live on air and it was a stunner!

Here’s the recorded version, from his new album “Chase the Sun“, out in April.

RR