Austin, Texas becomes a magnet for creativity every March when the music-crazed city hosts South by Southwest. The event, taking place March 7-16, is a music festival that has evolved and now includes film and interactive components. As always, a contingent of Canadian bands is making the trek to the “The Live Music Capital of the World”. The extensive list of bands includes Andy Shauf, BADBADNOTGOOD, Basia Bulat, The Pack A.D., The Belle Game, Jacques Greene, Ghettosocks, Rich Aucoin, In-Flight Safety, Paper Lions, Jay Arner and more.
Our SXSW Mix Pick is Toronto-via-Winnipeg hip hop group Grand Analog. They pull R&B, jazz, reggae and rock influences together to create music that is dynamic, ranging widely from song to song.
This dynamic element is on full display on Grand Analog’s most recent album, the guest-filled Modern Thunder. Rappers Shad, Saukrates, indie singers Amanada Balsys (Wilderness of Manitoba), Maylee Todd and others bring their talents to go along with the horns, guitar solos, funk and afro-beat rhythms. The album resonated with listeners across the country, finishing on top of the hip hop charts for 2013 on Earshot, a chart from Canadian campus and community radio stations.
Catch Grand Analog perform at SXSW on Wed. March 12 along with Spoken, Ain’t No Love, Transit, Ghettosocks, Pigeon Hole and SonReal. They also perform earlier in the day at the Canadian Blast BBQ.
Photo: Kevin Jones/Supplied
