Check out these great bands from Brooklyn at SXSW.
Das Racist
Das Racist is a weed edge/Hare Krishna hard core/art rap/freak folk music trio based in Brooklyn, New York, comprised of Queens-born Himanshu Kumar Suri, San Francisco-born Victor Vazquez, and Queens-born Ashok Kondabolu. Suri and Vazquez met at Sarah Lawrence Bard Pomona Wesleyan Art College in Massachusetts, where Victor was Himanshu’s resident advisor in a “students of color for social justice” themed freshman year dormitory. The duo later added Kondabolu as a hype man and spiritual advisor.
A Place To Bury Strangers
The Mistaken Press called A Place To Bury Strangers “a perfected torture form that leaves you astonished, confused, nostalgic, anxious and everything else in between, in the verge of something you’re not exactly sure of what it is, something like an out-of-body experience. A death by audio, in the sense that people often say before you die you see all your life flashing through your eyes in seconds, and suddenly you feel as if you’ve got the answers to everything.”
www.myspace.com/aplacetoburystrangers
Alberta Cross
Alberta Cross are a New York-based band, formed by Petter Ericson Stakee (vocals, guitar) & Terry Wolfers (bass). Despite their different upbringings – Petter travelled from an early age between Sweden and England with his singer-songwriter father whilst Terry was brought up in London’s East End – they formed what would later become Alberta Cross. After relocating to Brooklyn, New York, Petter and Terry solidified the line-up with the addition of Austin Beede, Alec Higgins and Sam Kearney. The band’s sound has been compared to Kings of Leon, The Band, Neil Young, The Raconteurs and other blues-influenced rock bands.
Asobi Seksu
Brooklyn based alternative Indie Pop band Asobi Seksu is Asobi Seksu is Yuki Chikudate & James Hanna with Larry Gorman on drums & samples Billy Pavone on bass & cutting board.
Elizabeth & the Catapult
The title of Elizabeth and the Catapult’s Verve Forecast debut album Taller Children reflects the unique blend of pop playfulness and grown-up introspection that defines Ziman’s distinctive songwriting. Such memorable originals as “Rainiest Day of Summer,” “Apathy,” “The Hang Up” and “Hit the Wall” embody a vibrant mix of open-hearted wonder, whimsical humor and forthright emotional insight, merging classic pop melodicism with an array of acoustic textures, jazz twists and orchestral flourishes.
The quality of the songs—including a memorable reading of the Leonard Cohen classic “Everybody Knows” —is matched by intimate, effortlessly soulful performances by the Brooklyn trio, which also includes guitarist Pete Lalish and drummer Danny Molad.
Although the bulk of Taller Children was recorded with producer Mike Mogis (noted for his work with the likes of Bright Eyes, M. Ward and Rilo Kiley), several of the album’s performances were drawn from the homespun demos that the band recorded in drummer Molad’s home studio. The resulting album strikes a vital balance between lush sophistication (with such elements as Ziman’s elegant string arrangements) and spare, unadorned simplicity.
The qualities that make Taller Children such a refreshing surprise have already made Elizabeth and the Catapult a beloved favorite on New York’s downtown club scene, where the threesome’s winsome tunes and energetic, surprise-filled live shows have won them a large and devoted local fan base.
Elizabeth’s warmly personal songs reflect the diverse influences of her lifelong pursuit of music. She grew up in New York’s Greenwich Village, just down the street from the Cafe Wha? and the Fat Black Pussycat, where her future heroes Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell got their start.
David Byrne, Tom Waits, Jon Brion, Satie, Gerwshwin, Nina Simone, Tin Hat Trio, Feist, Joni Mitchell, M Ward, Debussy, Elliot smith, The Beatles, Danny Molad, Ella Fitzgerald, Elysian Fields, The Zombies, Luke Temple, The Bird and the Bee, Beck, John Lennon, Radiohead, Nick Drake, Air, Grizzly Bear, The Dirty Projectors, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Antony and the Johnsons, Rufus Wainright
http://www.myspace.com/elizabethandthecatapult
Fergus & Geronimo
http://www.myspace.com/fergusgeronimo
Naam
http://www.myspace.com/naamdestroysfaces
Beyond the conceptual language structure created by mankind, the definition of the name lies in internal rhythm, the internal sound that a man experiences. Those who embrace Naam have the key to the door of mysteries and miracles, as Naam exists in the Divine plane and shines through to the Physical plane, bringing healing and self-renewal.
Disgusted by the lack of heavy, psychedelic rock and roll, We deliver our deafening sermon to bring a new dawn for all civilization. The vast seas cannot drown Us, the darkest caverns cannot conceal Us, We will conquer insurmountable foes. We are war, We are peace, We are time and space, We are infinite, We are Naam.
Parts & Labor
Parts & Labor hail from Brooklyn, NY, and have been creating electronics-heavy psych/noise/punk/rock for over six years. Since releasing their last full length, the critically acclaimed “Mapmaker”, Parts & Labor have kept a relentlessly busy schedule. They toured Europe twice and across the U.S. three times. They have diligently worked on their own label, the ever growing Cardboard Records (recently featured in Impose Magazine, and recommended by Pitchfork). And they just released the “Escapers Two” EP, which perfectly captures the whirlwind that is Parts & Labor with 51 songs in under 30 minutes.
http://www.myspace.com/partsandlabor
Prince Rama
Raised on a Hare Krishna commune in Florida, educated at art school in Boston, and now making noise and living in Brooklyn, Prince Rama are the latest addition to the Paw Tracks roster. Their new album Shadow Temple is an epic shrine of swirling synths, pulsing guitars, and thunder drums. An ethereal chorus of voices and anthemic melodies create a reverb-washed mine of sonic artifacts drawing from southeast Asian rituals, krautrock legacies, chopped and screwed homages, hallucinatory operas, and dance hall psychedelia.
http://www.myspace.com/princeramaofayodhya
Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
Sometimes you see an artist that just hits you smack dab in the middle of your heart. Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers are an incredible blend of grinding blues, sleazy jazz, and disturbing rock tied together with pop and punk sensibilities; the result sounding something like a vulgar Ella Fitzgerald, channeling Nick Cave and PJ Harvey crooning in front of a wall of distortion and thunderous, pounding rhythms. The band reads like a who’s who of recent NYC rock luminaries including members of Creaky Boards, Soft Black, Kapow!, and cult rock producers The Negatones. Their live shows are already a notorious commodity which regularly feature audiences that scream as loud as the band does through their instruments and voices. They are currently riding a wave of SXSW buzz which has followed their 7 shows there and preparing for a Spring tour and a Pianos Residency in May.
Their debut album, A Fish Hook An Open Eye captures the band’s raw and unique sound in 8 solid tracks, demonstrating depth, ability, and emotional scope, eclipsing anything from Shilpa’s already lauded past. But Shilpa is not looking back: ‘A Fish Hook An Open Eye will be released this spring.
http://www.myspace.com/shilparay
Small Black
Small Black is an emerging band from Brooklyn, New York. Their self-titled full length album will be out this fall. They describe their music on their myspace as “Acousmatic / Tape music / Concrete / Pop.”
http://www.myspace.com/shilparay
Todd Murphy is a Music and Entertainment Lawyer based in Jersey City, NJ. He represents musical artists in all genres such as rock, dance, electronic, pop, hip-hop, punk, new wave, jazz and classical. Click here for Artist Inquiries.
why isn’t Brooklyn-based band Atomic Tom on this list?