It was day three and more and more showcases appeared. One specific showcase I was interested in that I had attended last year was the Bands In Town showcase at Maggie Maes.
The showcases features a specific, hand picked set of new and up and coming bands (which was exactly what I was looking for). One band that stood out most to me was the Los Angeles based indie pop band Illuminati Hotties.
The group took the stage in matching white and red outfits, with a bit of a sporty vibe intertwined. Without ever hearing the band prior, I was excited to listen in on a slacker rock-esque kind of vibe.
<The lead singer Sarah Tudzin, has a melodic talk-sing style upon her song writing that can be compared to that of Courtney Barnett or Kurt Vile. Aside from vocals, the bands instrumentals are very much Californian. Surfer drums, and long-board guitar; their music had me wanting to recline a beach towel somewhere on the pacific coast.
During their set, the venue was packed to the brim of an audience of all ages and styles. From the moment they took the stage to the absolute, very end, the band rocked their way to the top of my SXSW mental chart.
If you already haven’t, listen in on their debut record ‘Kiss Yr Frenemies‘ (bellow the Soundcloud link).