SXSW Saturday explodes with hip-hop: J. Cole, Too $hort, G-Eazy & more

SXSW Saturday explodes with hip-hop: J. Cole, Too $hort, G-Eazy & more
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 24, 2015

If Friday was the busiest day of SXSW for me, Saturday was the most intense. If you would have told me I’d end up seeing 39 performances and almost half of them would be hip hop or rap, I wouldn’t have believed it. But that’s what SXSW is partly about, broadening your horizons.

My day began with The Church at Waterloo Records. I remember hearing “Under the Milky Way” in Donnie Darko in middle school and loving that song. The rain began coming down again and they played an acoustic set, performing that hit and some newer stuff. Vocalist Steve Kilby sounded fantastic and there was a sizable crowd for it being just 2 PM.

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SXSW Friday: The ladies rule: Elle King, Natalie Prass, Charlotte OC & more

SXSW Friday: The ladies rule: Elle King, Natalie Prass, Charlotte OC & more
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 22, 2015

All week I knew that Friday promised to be the busiest day for me music-wise from beginning to end. From noon to 1:30 AM, I hit five different venues and got to see a dozen different acts, almost all of which I hadn’t gotten a chance to see the previous two days.

My day started at Mohawk for House of Vans. I caught the tail-end of British synth-pop act JUCE. They had great energy and I liked their sound. Lead vocalist Chalin was able to get the crowd really into it, which is a lot to ask at noon after most people have partied the previous three days and were hungover. “Austin, you just got JUCED!” she shouted at the end of her set to great applause.

An interview with Broods: Their meteoric rise will continue with release of new album Evergreen

An interview with Broods: Their meteoric rise will continue with release of new album Evergreen
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
October 20, 2014

Just eight months ago, the New Zealand sibling synth-pop duo Broods was making their U.S. debut at Bardot’s It’s A School Night. This past Tuesday, they headlined the El Rey Theatre in front of a sold-out crowd to celebrate the U.S. release of their first full-length album Evergreen, which came out on these shores on Oct. 7.

Prior to their sound check, I caught up with Broods, whom I had seen twice and had previously reviewed for Grimy Goods at The Observatory in Santa Ana. The way they finish each other’s sentences is no surprise given their chemistry both on stage and in the studio.

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