GET READY TO CUDDLE UP WITH THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST BECAUSE IT'S BOUND TO WARM YOUR MIND UP WHILE YOU'RE STILL GETTING OVER THOSE REGRETS FROM THE WEEKEND. Hope you dig it <3 P.S. Take advantage of the new changes to the blog, especially with the updated social media links in LYED's "About Me."
LOVE YOU, mean it.
Question that I'm shooting out those who are active listeners (because there's quite a few of you, would you rather us cut the chase and only post FVM on SoundCloud? Let me know what you're feeling in the comments below!!
ICYMI: The Bad Years was LYED's most recent "Friday Fascination." Believe me, their new EP is something to get fascinated about. Dig in now.
So last year I made a wish list for SXSW 2014 already having the idea that I wouldn't catch as much as I wanted since I strictly went during the tail-end end of it (aka when SXSW is filled to the brim with humans and every venue is at capacity.) What I ended up with was a completely different experience that wasn't disappointing, but felt "just right" for the situation. Although I didn't consume as many tacos as I had dreamed of, I discovered a love for acts such as Tacocat, Royal Blood, Cashmere Cat, and many others (that unfortunately didn't have the word cat in their band name) through random showcases that I stumbled into until it eventually became a Lonestar infused blur. (If you're not a fan of Lonestar or Tito's vodka, prepare for a rude awakening.)
This year I'm expecting to make a repeat of my first year, and catch as many acts as possible (or at least attempt to) until I fall apart. A couple words of advice from a somewhat veteran: If you don't have a wristband or a badge, your chances of getting into official showcases are as difficult as herding cats, so don't be shy! Ask around or take the dive to purchase one. Believe, me, it's worth the $$. Wear comfortable clothes/shoes, seriously. This isn't the kind of festival that you can run back to your campsite when it gets too hot, because you're most likely staying in an AirBnB that's outside of Austin. Also, as much as you want to hop around to see all of the different artists/bands on your lists, sometimes the best bet is to just keep it simple and stay for the entire showcase that you've miraculously made it into. Who knows, you could find your next favorite act by doing just that. If you don't have a bicycle or live in the vicinity of downtown, have cash on you at all times because who knows how many petty-cabs you'll end up riding in, (and they don't come cheap so pay attention.) Tacos is a lifestyle. Pace yourself, because both official & unofficial showcases most likely go on until the wee hours of the morning. Don't make the same mistake that I did two years ago and miss Merchandise perform on a bridge in the middle of the night, ughh. Rally. Rally. Rally. Now it's time to unveil who I'm rooting for, and I kept it simple - 18 acts in alphabetical order. Each artist/band has a specific style or set of characteristics that draw me to them significantly, so definitely give this playlist a good solid listen or seven. My top 5? Definitely Meg Mac, Summer Heart, Torres, James Bay, and a certain someone I'll mention later on in the mix, but let's be real - you can't go wrong with any of the acts below. Hope to see you there!
If I'm extra lucky: I'll be seeing Laura Marling at SXSW this year. She's playing a total of 3 (official) showcases, and to give you a wee bit of personal background history: when I first moved to Texas, I was informed all about SXSW & one of the stories involved Laura Marling herself. A fellow co-worker of mine had randomly caught a performance of her during SXSW 2009, and one of her backing band members was Marcus Mumford (who at the time was practically a stranger) which is crazy to consider his current status. Yes they were dating around that time, but the coincidence of the experience is pretty f*cking awesome from an attendee's view don't you think? She's talented as hell for just barely striking 25, and it's nothing but a confident ride to the top from here on out. If you're not familiar with this Brit, prepare to be impressed. Last summer while I was sitting at one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara, my friend had mentioned that she wished her hair was as blonde as the female who had just walked in the door. As soon as I turned around I immediately had an internal freakout because it was Laura Marling herself. Let's just say for the remainder of my dinner - I didn't have much to say and did my best to keep calm but I was sure as hell nervous from the small. She's a bonafide legend in my book, and I am looking forward to catching her in the SXSW atmosphere this year. Now that you're aware of who's on the LYED wish list, stay tuned for Round 2: Acts I've Already Seen Live (that will be at SXSW 2015), but Will Never Say No To.
I recently stumbled across this singer-songwriter from Nashville a couple weeks ago, and am super thrilled with what I've discovered. Liza Anne aka Liza Odachowski won my ears over with "Thin Ice" from her debut release The Colder Months, and when I listened to the rest of the album - I fell in love. Get ready to feel the chills in the best way possible from how nostalgic and beautiful this record sounds. Liza Anne's talent is truly unique in a way that could come off as haunting but in an elegant manner that can draw listeners in immediately.
Grab The Colder Months on iTunes here. Earlier this month Liza Anne released her latest single "Room" which serves as the first taste of album #2. The single will be released on December 18th.
I appreciate how deep this song gets, and is borderline mesmerizing just like everything I've found in her debut release. "Room" reminds me a bit of a TORRES track. If you didn't already know, TORRES aka Mackenzie Scott is one of my favorite singer-songwriters who was featured on LYED back in September of last year (read here.) Definitely do your ears a favor and visit Liza Anne's SoundCloud page where you'll not only find the music featured above, but some pretty promising tracks as well. As always, keep an eye on this talented artist, because I have good feelings about her future. Liza Anne // Twitter Liza Anne // YouTube
