Peaches' Playlist #1: South Bye
I did not go to Cabo for spring break. I did, however, have the greatest week of my whole entire life at South By Southwest. The festival is famously not without its faults, but it was a music lover’s dream. There’s nothing like frantically trying to change your return flight to stay an extra day while watching baby oil wrestling at a house show. Per The Cobrasnake’s request, no less.
For my first Substack post, I thought I’d recap my favorite acts. I hope my readers (i.e. my parents) enjoy these ramblings.
I wanna give a quick shoutout to my favorite event of the weekend. The scene of all baby oiled crimes: Decadent & Depraved at House of Commons. Thrown by You Missed It, I Hate War, Baby’s All Right, and cultural touchstone Perfectly Imperfect, you simply had to be there.
It truly takes a village. One that is really well dressed and demolishes a cigarette buffet at lightning speed. All the pseudo-exclusive sceney New York shit that people like to make fun of feels pretty welcoming when there are hundreds of people in a random backyard in Austin, Texas seeing bands and making friends.
Okay. Time to shout into the void.
Model/Actriz
These guys are legit. Dogsbody will undoubtedly be my AOTY. The music is raucous and unnerving but also a blessing to my ears. Frontman Cole Haden is so sure of himself - the delivery is sincere enough to avoid feeling like a bit. He has a brilliant flair for the dramatics. I have never made such intense eye contact with someone and it was terrifying but also really special.
I saw them both outside and inside at Mohawk, and ohhhhh boy was that latter set something. The energy was incredibly sexual which, yet again, was terrifying but also really special. I told Cole afterwards that their shows feel like church. This might not make sense due to the aforementioned sexual energy (unless you’re one of the evil catholics), but you just gotta see it to believe it.
Having a ticket to one of their sold-out LA dates makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. My best friend Sophia actually tried to bribe them for a guestlist spot. It’s crazy what being named Pitchfork’s Best New Music can do for people. Or being given a rare positive Anthony Fantano score (SPOILER: it was a decent 8). In the words of my dad, “Model/Actriz. Industrial. Sounds like NIN.” He’s not wrong, but they deserve their flowers for being something new entirely. Best band of the week by far.
Been Stellar
I wanted to write about Been Stellar last, but I know my audience.
This is the band you need to watch, closely and quickly. They are superstars. My schedule seemed a bit too full for them at the beginning, and I planned to simply wait until May when I’d see them open for post-punk heavyweights Shame. The plan changed rapidly after I decided to stop by the So Young showcase.
I ended up at three of their sets, and that number honestly should have been higher. These guys have a chemistry that can only be forged by time and effort. Their debut record’s release is imminent and I am starved for it.
Thank god they exist. They’re melodically driven. They’re believable. They’re a joy to watch. They were the last thing I chose to see before I left.
I’ll never forget being on Swan Dive’s patio at 1am. Standout track “Kids 1995” was dedicated to Tacoma’s own Enumclaw, who watched from the crowd in loyal support. Washington’s finest moshed. They crowdsurfed. They knocked over the barricade and got onstage. They sang along. They stole a tambourine. It was special.
I love when musicians are fans of other musicians. That’s where the magic of SXSW lies. These kids give up a lot to have a go at their dreams. During something so stressful and corporate, Enumclaw and Been Stellar were spreading a lot of love. What a sight to behold.
Nitefire
I have officially deemed Nitefire the best band in Los Angeles. This doesn’t mean anything to anyone other than myself. Regardless, I think it's a pretty noteworthy title. In true south by fashion, the label people were in attendance for their Friday evening performance. I guess this lit a fire under them, because it was the best I’d seen them play (out of the four shows I attended across the last five months). According to their manager Ben, it might've been the best they've ever played.
They will be the next big singalong rock band. Their EP [redacted] is flawless. “Worth It” is an absolute ripper, and “Star Of The Show” has a great bridge that I could listen to on loop forever. Everything is vaguely anthemic. I wanna see these guys in a stadium, and I despise stadium shows. They’re a grand ole time. I hope the label people liked them. How could they not?
Hello Mary
I used to think I needed to move to Brooklyn. Then I saw Hello Mary, and I realized that I should’ve grown up in Brooklyn. Not growing up in Brooklyn has done a huge disservice to my existence. I will forever be notably less cool than people who played at Mercury Lounge before they graduated high school. There’s still hope for me, but it waned significantly upon realizing that the guitarist/vocalist and bassist are both my age.
The vocals are sweet and the basslines are ridiculous and their drummer is effortless. I love a three piece, and they've truly done their homework on how to maximize efficiency within that layout. Their debut full-length just dropped and I'm really floored by the sonic maturity. Whatever “it” is, they have it in spades. The set I caught was tight and precise despite their grungy feel. They looked good and they rocked hard.
It's mildly embarrassing how badly I want to befriend them. I saw them jamming out in the crowd at the Run For Cover showcase, which felt full circle because I discovered them due to the label’s own Anxious. “You When You’re Gone,” the closer on my 2022 favorite Little Green House, features vocals from drummer Stella Wave. I still can't get over how fluid she is. Fantastic rhythm section. Wonderful stuff. Will be playing the record lots on my radio show.
Indigo De Souza
I take it back. It’s good that I didn’t grow up in Brooklyn. It is my right as a North Carolinian to care more about the Asheville scene than any of you losers who’ve never regularly purchased a Cook Out tray at 2am. Y’all aren’t valid. Even if you listened to MJ Lenderman before Boat Songs.
All jokes aside, everyone should be paying attention to Indigo De Souza. Most people are at this point which is cool to see. She didn’t succumb to second album syndrome with 2021’s Any Shape You Take, and somehow her music keeps getting better. Only two singles from her upcoming album have been released, but they’re both immediate indicators that she’s grown into her sound. The songwriting is radically honest and self aware. Her hallmark angst is starting to shift into sharp wit; I particularly enjoyed hearing the unreleased track “You Can Be Mean,” which De Souza wrote about “assholes”. The woman is absolutely ethereal onstage, and her substantial band elevates every track.
South by as an institution is notoriously unkind to artists, and she was pretty candid about the week’s struggles on social media. It shouldn't be her job, but I'm glad somebody's gutsy enough to talk about it. Wednesday bravely documented their financials after a week at the festival a couple years ago (hi MJ Lenderman), so it must be an AVL thing.
These people are the future!!!!! Pay them properly!!!!! Maybe I can fix this someday with my exorbitantly expensive music school degree.
Blondshell
I love to see a USC Thornton dropout winning. This woman writes verses that cut like a knife, and then hits you with a great hook immediately after. She loves The Cranberries! She loves Elliott Smith! She was wearing a Boyz II Men tee! The live show was incredible mainly because the songs are incredible.
Her stuff is cool because it's current, but it’s still guitar music. She sings about hookup culture and therapy and mid 2000s teen dramas. She makes vulnerability seem sick instead of scary. I hate to draw comparisons, so I won’t, but her ‘90s attitude and approach is refreshing. Hello Mary is opening for her summer tour and I will be flying back to LA early just to make that Roxy date.
As a fellow blonde, she makes me proud. Albeit, I am a fake blonde. But it still counts. For all I know, she could be a fake blonde too. It’s pretty easy to fool people. They only start to question you after about three months of root growth.
Sunflower Bean
These guys are the definition of a “live band”. Not to say that their studio music isn't great, because it's truly pop rock perfection. It’s just that the songs make sense when they’re louder and heavier. And when Julia Cumming’s platform boots are two inches away from your face. They played the 150-cap Mohawk indoor stage like it was an arena. Their consistency is impressive, as is their elite reputation.
They're so seasoned. I had seen this band twice before and I don’t think the novelty will ever wear off. Again - I love a three piece. I saw Julia and her formidable manager Crista on the street… and at a Hello Mary set… and at a house show. They were very kind to me, something that did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. The whole crew seem like such supportive friends and encouraging mentors.
Sunflower Bean is a SXSW staple, and they even helped book their own showcase this year. It was the event of the century, and the reason for my attempted change in departure time. I was there in spirit. It’s sad how much I miss The Hellp.
Enumclaw
Saw ‘em four times in a week, baby. That is commitment. They’re the homies. Biggest band since Oasis!
The Nude Party
I think I've seen them eleven times by now. That’s all I have to say. Buy tickets to their Troubadour gig for my LA folks, and to their Lincoln Theatre return for my buddies back home. You will have copious amounts of fun.
Coco & Clair Clair
“He my dog, Iggy Pop” is the greatest line of all time.
If you made it through this novel, I applaud you. This week re-energized me in a way that nothing else ever has. Feeling extra grateful for the value of community. And for music (duh).
XOXO,
Peaches
stop being so cool