My New Artist Picks for SXSW Festival 2020...the one that never was. Act 7 - The Texas Gentlemen
Howdy folks, yeeeeee haaaaa
It’s time to be introduced to New Artist Pick #7 of my review of incredible artists that should have been performing at SXSW Festival this year….the one that never was.
Every few days I shall be shining a light on a cracking new artist for you to discover.
Be sure to check out straight up Americana Rock n Rollers The Texas Gentlemen.
For fans of Bob Dylan, The Band, Robert Ellis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marcus King Band and Neil Young.
Feels of Texas Boogie, Swamp Blues, Americana, Rockabilly, Southern Country Rock n Roll.
In 2017, the Texas Gentlemen became one of the US music's most famous backing bands. Known for playing alongside artists including George Strait and Kris Kristofferson, the group made its own mark on Americana with 2017's funk- and blues-infused TX Jelly, their debut album.
The members—co-singers and frontmen Nik Lee and Daniel Creamer (who also handle guitar and keys, respectively); guitarist Ryan Ake; bassist Scott Edgar Lee, Jr.; and drummer Aaron Haynes (who since has been replaced by Paul Grass)—have spent the last half-decade or so logging thousands of hours of stage and studio time behind a wide array of artists, from legends including Kris Kristofferson, George Strait and Joe Ely to young whippersnappers like Leon Bridges and Shakey Graves.
Most of them are from North Texas and have played together on and off for a decade or so and it’s not surprising that so many stars want to work with them; they have the chops and sense of history to play just about anything, giving the Texas music scene something it’s never had before: a ready-to-rock group of session musicians on a par with such storied outfits as Alabama’s Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, L.A.’s Wrecking Crew, the Memphis Horns and one-time Bob Dylan associates the Band.
The Hotly-topped Texans ‘The Gents’ have announced details of their second album, Floor It! The album is due to arrive on June 10 via New West Records, and is the follow-up to their 2017 debut, TX Jelly.
The band have just released the first track from the new album, Ain't Nothin' New, a sweet and soulful blend of wistful Americana with a sun-dappled, West Coast feel. There's even elements of late-period Beatles in there.
Lone Star State group’s ‘Floor It!!!’ arrives July 17th via New West.
Major Tunes – Hasbbie Doobie, Shakin’ All Over, Pain, Bondurant Women
Follow The Texas Gentlemen on: Twitter , Facebook and Instagram.
Link to their music on Spotify.
Stay at home and watch The Texas Gentlemen play live from the comfort of your own home with these rockin live sessions:
The Texas Gentlemen live at Paste Studio NYC
"Shakin' All Over"
The Texas Gentlemen - Habbie Doobie (Live @ SXSW 3/11 2019)
The Texas Gentlemen on The Band: The Blues Kitchen Presents... ('The Shape I'm In' - Live)
The Texas Gentlemen Perform "Me and Bobby McGee" with Kris Kristofferson in Dallas, TX
Nathaniel Rateliff "Feelin' Alright" (feat. The Texas Gentlemen), 2019 Luck Reunion Aftershow
To check out all of my New Artist Picks from SXSW Festival 2020…the one that never was; see below and follow My Spotify Playlist here. Featuring: Neal Francis, Annabelle Chairlegs, Seratones, The Muckers, Sofia Bolt, Jordan Mackamapa and The Texas Gentlemen.
#stayindoorsstaypositive #newmusic2020 #independentmusic #awal #discovering #emergingmusic #texasgentlemen #texasrock #southernrock #musicreview #newartist #newmusic #soul #ccountryblues #newwestrecords #rockabilly #swampblues #americana
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MY REVIEW OF SXSW 2020: THE ONE THAT NEVER WAS - New Artist Picks for you to discover that should have been showcasing at SXSW 2020
Every year in March myself and a close band of music colleagues and friends from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the iconic new music and discovery festival South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. This year was set to be no different and I was buzzing and more prepared than ever after spending 2 months in bed following a major knee operation, stringently analysing the hundreds and hundreds of bands on the line up – researching, listening and shortlisting my favourite new bands in the genres of rock n roll, funk n soul, vintage garage, psych, blues and indie.
Sadly, for all involved in SXSW the world changed forever and I found out on my flight to the US that this iconic festival was to be cancelled this year due to that little ball bag Corona.
Over the days that followed the Austinites, venues, promoters, music industry and the masses of musicians held strong to the age-old mantra ‘the show must go on’ and secret unofficial gigs and parties were planned to support all those effected by the cancellation. It’s the hundreds of unsigned struggling musicians that were set to be hit the hardest, many of whom had planned to fly from all over the world, had saved for years and spent so much money they don’t have on attending the showcase event with the hope and dream of pushing their music career to the next level.
Unaware of the Corona Virus developments gathering pace around the world our bubble-like wild musical odyssey continued through Tampa, Nashville and New Orleans but on the way to Austin the world began to change forever and shit got real. The number of texts from worried family members and friends began to increase urging us to return home as soon as possible, taxi drivers began talking more and more about the virus and people were obviously distancing themselves from us as illegal potentially virus riddled aliens - despite our multiple daily use of Lynx Africa.
By the time we reached our hotel in Austin we were the only people staying there, the city was like an eerie ghost town and all public events had been cancelled. On our first night we manged to search out some live music at one of my favourite honkytonk joints The White Horse.
Whilst sippin’ a beer at the bar contemplating the future and watching a lone couple slow waltzing on an empty dance floor, it was suddenly decided for us as the house band announced this would be their last song and last song for a while in 'The White Horse' - the venue was shutting indefinitely till after the virus had been contained.
It was a poignant moment that signalled the end of the trip, the final nail in the coffin of SXSW 2020 and the end of live music as we know it for the foreseeable. There and then we made the difficult but sensible decision (there’s a first time for everything) to bail on our trip and return to the UK. Luckily we managed to find seats on the last Norwegian Airlines flight leaving the USA. SXSW 2020 was officially over.
The cancellation has hit so many hard, particularly the city of Austin, the venues and the promoters of SXSW but more importantly the hundreds of struggling bands who would have all lost ￡000’s in travel, accommodation and visas and had their dreams of career development from playing this huge industry showcase, destroyed.
HOWEVER from dark times slowly emerges light …..and I would like to try and keep the ‘discovery’ spirit of this iconic festival alive, help shine a light and showcase some of the incredible new talent that should have been playing and provide new music fans out there some element of curated discovery and little taste of SXSW from the relative comfort of your own isolation.
We all find ourselves on lockdown currently, but holding true to the SXSW mantra of ‘discovery’ I feel we have to turn this negative into a positive ….somehow …..and our current realities could be real opportunities to discover – discover more about ourselves, our neighbours, our communities, our culture and within that somewhere discover some new music.
Therefore, over the next few weeks, I will be posting, promoting, highlighting and celebrating a new act a day that was set to showcase at SXSW 2020, providing an overview, links to socials and music and other bits and bobs on each relative new artist.
Music has always been a saviour of mine and I hope by sharing some of these exciting new artists, that it can help some of you to feel a little bit less alone and break the silence during these long periods of isolation and maybe even get you up and grooving (McCartney double thumbs up style) in your homes, bedrooms, living rooms, gardens and kitchens.
My friend from Australia Dom Alessio , himself a new music and discovery aficionado shared this article this morning just as I was about to make this post.
https://pitchfork.com/features/article/listen-to-music/
The jist – during this moment of colossal fear and dread in the world, music listeners are naturally turning to familiar popular hits and golden oldies that comfort and sooth us like a favourite pair of slippers or nostalgic film during this time of uncertainty - there is brain/dopamine related science to show why we do this.
However, the act of listening to new music during a global pandemic is hard, but it’s necessary - some excerpts taken from this enlightening Pitchfork article provide some reasons why……..
“The choice to listen to new music prioritizes, if for one listen only, the artist over you. It is an emotional risk to live for a moment in the abyss of someone else’s world, but this invisible exchange powers the vanguard of art, even in times of historic inertia.
Further support for the act of ongoing exploration and new music is that we will assuredly remember these pandemic days, the way we remember our first breakup or first love and the songs that defined them.
Don’t let history be recursively defined by a feedback loop. Steer into the skid, pour the fear and dread leaking through your roof into something unfamiliar, because it could be the new artefact that exclusively defines this moment for you—a new friend who totally loves you for what you’ve become.” Jeremy D. Larson, Pitchfork, April 6, 2020
So show no fear, go forth and keep on discovering and exploring, have a butchers, give the artists shared over the coming weeks a listen, a follow and maybe even a share if you dig …if not just divert your eyes and scroll on by.
Stay safe, support each other and the NHS, wash your hands, keep your 2m and hopefully we will all be back on a dance floor, at a gig or in a festival field soon.
Keep the faith and hope you enjoy this small selection of incredible new artists, bands and musicians from SXSW 2020 – the one that never was….but lives on.
Act 1 & 2 - Neal Francis & Annabelle Chairlegs
Act 3 – Seratones
Act 4 – The Muckers
Act 5 – Sofia Bolt
Act 6 – Jordan Mackampa
Act 7 – The Texas Gentlemen
Contact Jonny Owen:
Stay safe out / in there people and keep the faith.
#discovernewmusic
#developingartist
#unsignedartist
#sxsw2020
#newmusicsoon
#newmusicrelease