Pop-Ed: SXSW Redux, The Panel, New Music

posted in: OurStage Updates

THE PANEL!

We’ve been back from Texas for about a week, and somehow SXSW already feels like old news. All those bands are sooooo last week, man. But seriously, we had a great time, especially filming the Season 2 finale of The OurStage Panel. I want to thank Bronze Radio Return, The Reel, Civil Sound and Grand Prize Winners Eclectic Approach for bringing their A game and being all-around capital dudes. Please check out the finale episode, which premieres on Thursday, March 29^th at 7:30 am (EST) and, of course, will be available to watch at any time after that. Let us know if you agree with the panelists.

NEW MUSIC!

As I stumbled, sleep deprived, out of The Parish (the awesome club where we shot The Panel), hauling some gear and cursing the yellow sky disc for being so bright, I walked past another bar where the stage was right in the front window. I was able to catch less than forty seconds of a band that featured two women facing each other, singing and playing keys, quite apparently having a blast and taking the whole audience with them. I loved it, but I had to catch a ride, and didn’t have time to figure out who it was. Later, I went to the club’s calendar, only to find simply SXSW. Damn you, calendar. Many sleepless nights and nearly $40,000 in private investigator fees later, I found that it was Brooklyn’s own Lucius, playing the Berklee College of Music showcase. I implore you to listen.

The audio on this next video isn’t so good, but it captures the moment of discovery, as I pass through the lower left of the screen at thirty-two seconds in. I’m the pasty, long-haired white guy in the sunglasses and black t-shirt (settle down, ladies) who doubles back, around :43, only to have to chase my ride by 1:09. Sometimes all it takes is a few quality seconds.

One of the many bonuses of my job is stumbling across great music in the course of an average workday. For instance, I happened to hear Jules Larson’s excellent moody/retro/pop/rock track I Want It All while perusing the OurStage Best of the Best Charts. Not exactly a hidden gem, since she’s had a lot of success in competition son the site and has had some real national exposure, but, hey, it was new to me, and maybe now to you, too. Here’s the faux-noir video:

Here’s a band that sparked some debate around the office a couple of weeks ago. It was agreed that Get Back Loretta is a great little rock band, but some were not so psyched about the name. I dunno, I think it’s fine. It was sadly not obvious to all that the name comes from The Beatles’ Get Back. Sigh. But what’s a name anyway? You know, The Beatles probably sounded like a pretty stupid name before those guys started ruling and dominating popular music for, like, ever. I digress”check out Grown So Cold. Here’s their video for “Mary Sunday.”