SXSW 2023 buzz bands round two

Alright, it’s go time folks. Here’s round two of SXSW buzz bands we are listening to (and excited to check out) in case ya’ll are stuck in a state of indecision. If you haven’t seen our SXSW day parties page, godammit, what are you doing?! Go there! Now!

Bartees Strange

Thus far, I have seen Bartees Strange twice. The first time, I’ll admit to being lost in the crowd, searching for friends. The second had technical difficulties outside of the band’s control. Watching Bartees Strange navigate his pedal board is an art in and of itself. Carefully choreographed, Bartees Strange grew up in Oklahoma, pulling influences from black post-punk bands like TV on the Radio. Bartees Strange’s style includes a sense of playful experimentation: in “Flagey God”, he used a toy megaphone up against a guitar’s built-in amp.

The Orielles

In a unique blend of disco and alternative, The Orielles effervescence permeates with Esmé Dee Hand-Halford as the bubbly singer. “Bobbi’s Second World” opens with a funky bass and collections of yelps and yowls. “The Room” creates its own DIY drum and bass collision with dream pop. They released their album “Tableau” last year with Heavenly Records. Give The Orielles a listen if you are a fan of Ghostland Observatory.

Fake Fruit

Quirky and cheeky, the foursome from Oakland, California who call themselves Fake Fruit, delivers a metaphor of temporary love in sassy “Milkman”: “Found out the hard way, you had expired as someone I dearly admired”. The dagger gets turned more and more with every pull of the whammy bar. While Fake Fruit may come from the West Coast, their wittiness resembles that of recent bands Dry Cleaning and Wet Leg. In “Miscommunication”, the droning guitar riff rivals frontwoman Hannah “Ham” D’Amato in a battle of banter.

Y La Bamba

From Portland, Oregon of all places, Y La Bamba smashes together traditional Mexican folk stylings and dream-pop for a deliciously psychedelic result. Luz Elena Mendoza’s ethereal voice will transport you. Growing up in San Francisco, Mendoza cites Mexican corridos (stories in music) having directly impacted the music of Y La Bamba, growing up around them at quinceañeras, weddings, and parties.  Their album Lucha will be released on April 28. The versatility of Y La Bamba is vast: from “Libre” resembling a chicano Animal Collective while “Ojos Del Sol” captures the vocal stylings of Angel Olsen.

Balming Tiger

Expect nothing less than hype from Balming Tiger. While the band may profess themselves as “multinational k-pop”, Balming Tiger could not be more different than Korean “idol” artists like BTS or Blackpink. “Kolo Kolo” will have everyone jumping as a mash of electronic and hip hop: “Hakuna Matatatata” Omega Sapien raps. The group of 11 members from Seoul, Monterrey, Mexico, and Jersey has opted to fall into the alternative k-pop genre to avoid pigeonholing themselves into another K-Pop act.

Model/Actriz

Be still, my darkwave heart, Madel/Actriz is in the house. “Crossing Guard”’s unsettling high pitch electronic squeals drive my anxiety higher and higher. Frontman Cole Haden’s deliberately shaky voice haunts the danceable track “Mosquito”: “With a body count higher than a mosquito”. Their recent album “Dogsbody” was released in late February. Check them out if you like black midi.

Featured photo of Model/Actriz by Lily Frances