Summer is here and your June tunes are awaiting. This month I hand picked quite a few new female artists, as well as some electronic ones. Enjoy!
Pop Artists
Category
Tunes for Ears – May Playlist
Here is your May Playlist. Follow us on SoundCloud to stay updated on new music we love!
Matt and Kim Party With Austin
Matt and Kim played at Stubb’s in Austin, TX on April 23 with support from WATERS. Their current U.S. tour is in support of their album New Glow, which released earlier this month. All photos from the show can be seen here.
The first time I saw Matt and Kim was at Stubb’s in 2012. I remember them bringing the party to the big stage, and I must say three years later, they’ve still got it.
The 2,000 capacity sold out show packed in people of all ages from young teenagers to moms and dads. The concert goers at the front of the crowd had been waiting for hours in 80 degree weather and humidity so high it felt like you stepped into a sauna. WATERS opened the show and brought the fun. It was hot. It was sweaty. And it was a dance party. The stage was adorned with flowers on each mic stand and in vases spread across amps. Keyboardist Sara DaMert also brought out a bouquet of flowers and handed it out to crowd members before starting the show. They rocked their set with a San Fransisco sound reminiscent of Grouplove’s good vibes. Frontman Van Pierszalowski even commented that he hardly saw anyone distracted by their cell phones. Instead the crowd’s full attention was captivated by WATERS.
Austin was a special show. You could feel the energy the crowd had before Matt and Kim even started. Audience members were singing and chanting as the anticipation rose. One of the security guards even commented, “this is going to be a fun crowd.”
Finally an ecstatic Matt and Kim took the stage to a wild, roaring crowd. Kim Schifino ran around the stage, waving and smiling at different parts of the audience, while Matt Johnson waved a Matt and Kim t-shirt above his head before throwing it into the audience. Ascending an elevated stage that seated them high above the crowd, Matt and Kim mounted their keyboard and drums to start the first song with a bang. From that moment until the end of the hour and a half set, there wasn’t a sweaty body in the crowd that wasn’t dancing.
Matt sang in his quirky voice and played the keys while Kim banged on the drums, never stopping from smiling and yelling with the crowd. Already after the first song, the duo stopped to talk to the crowd before entering a dance break. Matt, laughing to himself, asked the sound engineer to turn down his in ear monitor and explained that the crowd that they have monitors so they can hear the crowd, but Austin was already so loud on the very first song that they didn’t need the extra amplification. Matt played a recorded dance track before shooting confetti at the crowd, all while Kim danced.
The rest of the night continued in more high energy antics set to new songs with a couple oldies here and there. Multiple times both Matt and Kim stopped between songs to talk to the crowd, repeatedly saying how insane the crowd was. Austin has always been a favorite city of theirs, and they expressed how thankful they are to be able to play sold out shows on all of their Texas dates. Matt said to come back to a city like Austin and have a crowd like that is an amazing feat for any band, and they are grateful for it.
One of the loudest crowds I have ever witnessed, it was no lie that Austin really was a special show for them. The pure energy exuded from the band and the crowd was larger than anything I’ve felt at a show in a long time. When the two left the stage, the night was far from being over. With the crowd chanting “Matt and Kim,” they returned for an encore that was almost more epic than the rest of the set. Matt explained that the two agreed on this tour not to do what they were about to do, but if it felt right they would. Going in, they both knew Austin might feel right, and it did. So for the encore Kim climbed on top of the crowd to dance, for a minute of booty shaking and head banging. For the final song, Matt and Kim both took their shirts off, a rarity for Matt, and asked the crowd to do the same. The duo hardly wanted to leave the stage when the show was over, taking time to say good-byes and toss memorabilia into the crowd.
At the end of the night, every sweaty body in the crowd left wanting to continue the party. That show wasn’t just one for the books, it was one to remember for a lifetime.
The Ting Tings Concert Photos
The Ting Tings stopped in Austin, TX on April 22 at Emo’s on their U.S tour with support from KANEHOLLER. See all photos from the show on Flickr.
I was able to catch The Ting Tings twice at SXSW, and both times they played an energetic set. Their music is so carefree that it just makes you want to dance. Of course the crowd favorites were “That’s Not My Name” and “Shut Up and Let Me Go,” their early hits. But my favorite is the 10-minute-long live version of “No Hands” that loops what feels like forever in a trance of guitar and drum build-ups and bass drops.
Their performance at Emo’s was somewhat disappointing compared to the sets I saw at SXSW. That is not to say they did not perform well, but their lights show was severely lacking from the potential it could have to take their show to the next level. The show was not sold out either, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint what made the crowd different from the times I saw them. It was mainly adults who came to watch, and hardly dance. It always changes the dynamic when people aren’t interacting with the music in a positive and energetic way.
Tunes for Ears – April Playlist
I put together a playlist of new songs and old songs from new and old bands. Checkout what I’m listening to this month.
Broods Concert Photos
New Zealand’s brother and sister duo Broods stopped in Austin, TX on their last night of their US tour on April 2 at Emo’s. While the show was not sold out, many endearing fans and adults packed the house for a night of music. See all photos from the show on flickr.
Broods worked with Joel Little (Lorde, Sam Smith) on their debut Evergreen. The sound is akin with Lorde and Chvrches manipulation of synth and instrumentals. With “Bridges” and “Mother & Father” on the radio, expect to see and hear more of Broods around.
See their Instagram post about the tour. Original photo by Jenna Million.
Lights Lit Up the Night with Her Performance – Concert Review and Photos
Lights stopped in Austin on Feb. 21 at Emo’s as part of her Little Machines Tour across the U.S. It has been years since the last time she has played in Austin, and the fans made it count. All photos from the show can be found here.
Although the show was not sold out, fans of all ages still packed the house for an evening of singing and dancing. X Ambassadors, opening the show, showed off their rocking talent. They brought their all and left nothing behind, passionately delivering each song with vigor.
Lights took the stage at 9:00 p.m. to a roaring crowd, starting it off slow with an intro to “Muscle Memory,” quickly picking up the pace for this retro-dance anthem.
Lights delivered an hour and fifteen minute set filled with songs from Little Machines as well as old favorites from Siberia. Her loyal fans soaked up every second of it, giving back the energy she put into her performance. Trading keyboard for guitar throughout the night, she never missed a beat.
Song after song, Lights upheld her electric energy that radiated throughout the room. Her genuine happiness to be playing to the crowd in Austin was matched by adoring fans signing every word back to her like nothing else in the world mattered. And Lights even took the time between songs to address that state of mind – she realized the importance of living in the moment and appreciating what you have here and now. The message is translated in “Running With the Boys,” which emulates the innocence of the carefree mind of a child.
Lights killed the set, going above and beyond vocally. Her albums display her songwriting and lyrical skills while her smooth voice to bring it to life. Where many singers fall short live, Lights pierces the show with powerful projecting vocals that shine through the smokey room. It is an impressive and extraordinary feat to have an artist so well-rounded in every aspect of performance from musicianship and vocal clarity to endurance to crowd captivation and entertainment.
Halfway through the set she slowed it down for a solo love ballad on her piano, and fans came together in appreciation and admiration. The rest of the night was a high-energy dance party until it was over all too soon. Giving a full-force finale of “Up We Go” and “Oil and Water,” Lights said goodbye with nothing but smiles and love for the Austin crowd, and the promise to come back soon.
Charli XCX’s U.S. Tour Comes to Austin
This article was originally featured by Longhorn Life.
Charli XCX brings summer hits to the states
British pop star Charli XCX blew up pop charts this year with her summer hit “Fancy” with Iggy Azalea, “Boom Clap” on “The Fault in Our Stars” soundtrack and her latest music video for “Break the Rules.”
She stopped in Austin Saturday, Oct. 18 at Emo’s as part of her first U.S. headlining tour. The tour kicked off on Sept. 26 in Orlando and reaches a close Oct. 26 in Los Angeles.
That night, Emo’s curtained off part of the venue to make for a smaller, more intimate setting for the sold out show.
Charli XCX and her all-girl band wore matching blue and white cheerleader uniforms with “Sucker” embroidered on the front. Charli strutted the stage with a sparkling tiara; matching bracelets, earrings and necklace; transparent pink, heart-shaped shades; and, of course, her signature red lipstick.
The venue was not filled with preteens, but an older crowd of high school and college-aged students, mixed in with age-varied adults. The crowd went crazy for her, singing every word, dancing to every song and adoring Charli XCX for the 80s pop princess she is.
Her charisma shined on stage as she jumped and danced all around, giving love to every part of the crowd. For some songs, she even had choreographed dance moves with her band.
Charli XCX’s album “Sucker” is set to release Dec. 16. She performed songs from the upcoming album and other fan favorites, including “I Love It,” which she wrote and recorded with electronic duo Icona Pop.
She delivered a 21-song set, ending with an encore of “Fancy” and “Boom Clap.”
Earlier in the day, Charli XCX made an appearance at Austin’s Mix 94.7 radio station for a Q&A with some of her fans who didn’t have tickets to the sold out show.
She was not done up in her fancy-stage uniform, but a more relaxed, punk-glam look. She wore a long, shimmery black dress with a slit running up the leg, black leather combat boots, a black leather jacket and transparent red sunglasses to match her bright red lipstick, making her a fashion icon for fans.
One fan asked for advice on breaking into the music industry. Charli XCX talked about her experience of posting music on MySpace at age 14, and said her best advice is to make great music. She believes that if you make great music, it will shine through all the other music out there.
She noted that writing music with other artists is just as important as performing as Charli XCX. For the time being, she’s riding high on her current success and working hard for the album release of “Sucker.”
After the tour is over, Charli XCX will be hanging around stateside for a while longer, performing at iHeart Radio’s Jingle Ball Tour in select cites in December before going on to open for Katy Perry on the European leg of her world tour in early 2015.
Lily Allen’s Return to Austin
This is one of those times when I ventured out to see what many would call a pop show. And I didn’t really know what to expect going in other than just that: these are pop artists, putting on a pop performance.
All photos from the concert can be found on my flickr page, or by clicking on the photos below.
Samsaya’s confidence and stage presence is almost unexpected from an artist her size. The Indian-born Norwegian singer has enough personality and energy to fill the amphitheater, and if I didn’t know any better, she could have been the headlining act. Her music is a wild combination of hip hop and pop fused with her Indian and Norwegian roots.
She took the stage in style, sporting sneakers, black and white patterned pants, a mesh jersey-style shirt and a sleek, button-up black bomber jacket. And of course, not without her signature heart painted over her left eye.
After this performance, I’m looking forward to see her rocking the big stage.
Lily Allen strutted the stage with her back up dancers after a whimsical intro of her 2006 hit song “Smile.” As she proclaims in her song “Sheezus,” she wants to be the queen of female pop music, and that’s just what her fans view her as, screaming her name just for the chance to get a smile from her.
The UK artist was adorned in platform boots, a simple fringe cowgirl shirt and fringe skirt, which she soon discarded for a less concealing outfit, telling the fans she never spends her money on designer clothes.
After not having performed in Austin in, what she estimated to be, at least 7 years, Allen was ready to be back and performing for her devoted fans. This was to be a special show, saying that even her husband came out to see her perform.
As she sang, she strolled up and down the stage, giving love to all parts of the crowd, and stop every so often to dance along with her back up dancers.
It was easy to understand just how passionate her fans are. All the way in the back you could see fans dancing their hearts out, some even carrying the English flag, as love for Allen’s home country. Even those who arrived late to the show immediately ran into to crowd, singing every word.
SXSW in Review
This year for SXSW I headed out to the mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival. It was one of the highlights of my week. MTV brought together some of the newest and hottest artists for an all day festival and awards show, filmed to be aired later on the channel. Read about some of the performances below and look at even more photos here.
Childish Gambino
The all day anticipation was matched by the mastermind himself when Childish Gambino made his way from back stage, through the venue, all the way into the crowd and onto the stage, all the while rapping with marching band posse dressed in lights. Donald Glover delivered a satisfying set, throwing down on every song as the fans went wild, singing every word back to him, no matter how fast the rapping was.
Iggy Azalea
Iggy Azalea owned the stage with style, sass and vocals, not to mention the dance moves. The crowd was so insane that I though the barrier might break because security actually had to hold it back at times. The hype was only validated when Charli XCX joined Iggy to perform their new single “Fancy,” which was accompanied by blow-up balls and confetti for a climactic energy high.
The 1975
The 1975 made a debut performance in America last year at SXSW. Since then they have exploded into the limelight of the music scene, so it only makes sense they would return to SX for the second time around. After sound checking, they were waiting on stage for their turn to perform, Matty even taking a break to smoke a cigarette. Much to their surprise and excitement, as well as the crowd’s, Lil Wayne made an appearance on the main stage to commence the show as well as introduce the band. As the first performance of the awards portion of the event, they rocked the stage out right, playing a sweet five song set.
