Another lovely morning here in Austin. Have a little sleep in and a walk before it gets too hot. Today's options are many but we decide to focus on events that have indoor elements to it as, this would be the hottest day of the week and a patio in the sun would be too much.
The Aussie BBQ is always fun. Always well organized and comfortable, this year's showcase is at The Creek & Cave and it's no different. Big stage outside with BBQ and Craft beer and inside, air conditioning and another nice stage!
Starting off in the air con, we have Lucy Sugerman. A great 3 piece band making some excellent folky indie pop. Lucy's voice can be delicate & powerful when she pushes it. The songs are hook filled and this is a lovely start.
Outside in the heat is J Tajor. He's a young hip hop/r&b artist that tries hard to get the crowd into his set but it's difficult, the noon Sun is hot! It's a very smooth 30 minutes from this youngster. Fans of clever, smooth R & B would enjo J Tajor
Inside is Kayps another hip hop/r&b artist from Australia but he brings some of his indigenous background into his lyrics and style. This 19 yr old blends hip hop & pop together, producing another quality set on the air conditioned stage. His passion for promoting the importance of his indigenous roots is admirable and he clearly has a message to convey.
Outside we have Sly Withers. This four piece is a fantastic alternative rock band. Very catchy, two great singers, lots of harmonies and alot of guitar. Sliding into pop punk territory, these guys really sound great. Wish we could fit them into our plans again.
Inside we finally get to see Rowena Wise. Tried to catch her set at Lazarus Brewery on Tuesday but as she explains, she was in bed trying to get over flu symptoms. Thankfully she is in great form now as she goes through a set of lovely, catchy Indie folk. These songs remind me of Julia Jacklin and a bit of Waxahatchee..Rowena Wise is a very good singer/songwriter.
Outside is another great sounding Alt/Rock band. Vanns is a little harder sounding but again, great vocals and harmonies balance everything out. Seems to be a crowd here who know every word to every song so perhaps these guys are really popular back in Australia. They've been together for sometime and it shows. They play loud and hard and it sounds great.
Inside we have Squid the Kid. Pretty polished hip hop/rap/electronic performer, it's slick and with a taste of jazz and funk mixed into his songs, it's pretty smooth.
Out in the heat on the outdoor stage we have Surely Shirley. Led by twin sisters Jenaya and Anisha Okpalanze, this 6 piece band do nostalgia very well. The twins voices are perfect together, and they bring a love of bands like Beach Boys & Del-Vikings to the stage. It's a modern day doo-wop band and they clearly love what they do.
Inside we have Radio Free Alice again. Even better now that we are inside in the air conditioning this band run through the same set as previous but in here they seem to sound alot cleaner. They do post punk very well and this stage seems to suit them.
Outside we have another band that features some exquisite harmonies. Betty Taylor band is a four piece girl group led by singer Sophie Patrick. It's dreamy indie rock and these young ladies seem so happy to be playing together here on this stage and we very much enjoy this set.
Inside we have a bit of a delay, it's taking sometime to get the next band set up. It's a 5 piece band called Delivery. These guys and gals really do produce some wicked garage punk rock. It's loud and a bit abrasive but it's done well. Loud to have them play inside but it's a solid set of songs.
Last band of the daytime on the outdoor stage is Boo Seeka. Hadn't listened to much of Boo Seeka but what I had heard featured some pretty dynamic singing so I was looking forward to that. It was a bit of a surprise to find this group is a two piece, drums and lead singer using keyboards and alot of looping electronic dance beats. It is Australian electro pop and it's bold and bouncy and really lively. They remind me of Miike Snow..as the two piece finishes up we start our journey in search of shade, dinner and some rest.
After dinner we head out to fill up a few hours before we head back to the British Music Embassy so that Sandra can see CVC. We decide to head to a bar new to us (Seven Grand) to see two bands.
We know very little about the first artist Shobsy. Shobsy is a solo artist from Dublin who blends synth pop and r & b and it sounds familiar and warm. Alone with a guitar, Shobsy sings from the stage then wanders through the crowd singing and it's a brilliant performance. Shobsys voice is one of the best we hear all week and the decision to check out this new bar and listen to some music has already paid off.
Next up is Wynona Bleach. Based in Belfast, this 5 piece seem to cover all elements of guitar based bands..shoegaze, grunge ..alt..pop..it all comes together in some pretty catchy songs. Don't know much about them but it's catchy.
Now it's time to head to British Music Embassy an as we enter, Deja hits the outdoor stage.
Deja performs on her own..and it's pure Pop/ R&B. She has apparently been performing since she was very young and it shows. She is stunning up there on stage. The crowd eats up her performance as she prowls the stage. She's witty and she is a great singer, if you are into this sound, Deja is a safe bet!
CVC is up next on the inside stage. It's another fantastic showcase of what they do best. These Welsh lads really do know how to channel 60's California and this sound really does make us smile. Psych pop never sounded so good. So happy we got to see them again.
Outside stage has Beth McCarthy. This York born Pop artist is up on stage accompanied by her drummer. She has a way about her...the songs are pure Pop with some serious dance vibes and some are almost at anthem level. She obviously has some big fans in the crowd, many know the words already and it's fun to watch. I can see her making it to much bigger stages in the future.
Last band of the night on the inside stage is Master Peace. Led by Londoner Peace Okezie, this band blends hip hop/alt/indie and rap into some pretty powerful moments. Having won the "Rising Star" Ivor Novella award, he obviously has alot of talent. It's a pretty intense set of songs and for me, a great way to end the evening, it has been a long day.
Jim