KCRW Announces Line-Up for Two Official Showcases at SXSW 2017

Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW has announced the line-up for this year's KCRW Showcases at SXSW, kicking off the convention with two official showcases on Wednesday, March 15.

KCRW's nighttime showcase features SOHN, Cherry Glazerr, Middle Kids, Mondo Cozmo, Aquilo, and Gabriel Garzo?n-Montano from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am, at Elysium located at 705 Red River Street. Earlier in the day, Temples, Real Estate and The Japanese House hit the Radio Day Stage located on the 4th Floor of the Austin Convention Center in Ballroom D, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Both showcases are open to anyone with a festival badge or wristband (no RSVP required).

KCRW is also a presenting partner of FLOODfest Austin.

KCRW kicks off SXSW with the Radio Day Stage featuring a handful of station favorites including the layered melodies of The Japanese House, lo-fi indie rockers Real Estate, and UK rising stars Temples.

Twenty-one year old artist Amber Bain, who performs under the moniker The Japanese House, was taught to play guitar as a child by her father - on a right-handed guitar, despite being left-handed. From here, she became entrenched in the timeless art of acts like The Beatles, Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons, and perhaps most importantly, BrIan Wilson of The Beach Boys. The work of these artists gives some insight into the layered melodic process of Amber's work, which is replete with the lilts of other enduring artists that can stand the test of time - from the aforementioned and onward.

On In Mind, Real Estate's fourth full-length record, the band fine-tunes the winsome songwriting and profound earnestness that made previous albums so beloved. Recorded with Cole M.G.N. (Julia Holter, Beck), the album delivers the same warmth and soft-focus narratives that one has come to expect from the band-pastoral guitars, elegantly deployed arrangements, a sort of mindful melancholy- but there is a newly adventurous sonic edge to the proceedings. Reflecting a change in lineup, geography, and a desire to move forward without looking back, the record casts the band in a new light -one that replaces the wistful ennui of teenage suburbia with an equally complicated adult version.

Melodies seem to come effortlessly for Temples, the English four-piece comprised of James Bagshaw (vocals, guitar), Tom Warmsley (bass, backing vocals), Sam Toms (drums) and Adam Smith (keys). Their debut album, Sun Structures, was a Top 10 UK debut, named Rough Trade's "Album of the Year" for 2014 and they've performed on The Tonight Show and Ellen, and in festivals including Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, and, Lollapalooza. All the elements people loved with that record remain intact on Volcano, but this time around, there's a noticeable evolution presented from the outset. There are sun-dazed numbers and lysergic dream-pop songs and those where synth and mellotron interweave to beguiling effect. Entirely self-produced and written by all four members of the band, Volcano is the sound of Temples squaring up to their potential.

Cherry Glazerr Photo by Kobayashi Ritch
For the nighttime showcase at Elysium, KCRW presents an array of artists we think you should know, from the expert pop songcraft of LA standout Mondo Cozmo and Aussie trio Middle Kids, to punk outfit Cherry Glazerr and the soulful sound of Stones Throw artist Gabriel Garzón-Montano, alongside UK notables Sohn and Aquilo. With anticipated releases out now or on the way, we expect these artists to be some of the biggest names of 2017!

A child of immigrant parents, Brooklyn-based Gabriel Garzón-Montano's aesthetic is an extension of his French-Colombian heritage, a pastiche of Bach sonatas, cumbia records, and the machine gun funk that echoes to this day from behind half-rolled tints up and down Nostrand Ave. On his debut LP, Jardín, he sings of the struggles and uncertainties of the many-layered game that is America today, from the specific doubt and double consciousness of the first-generation hustle, to the universal challenges of love, legacy, and exploring the maze of one's own mind.

Aquilo, the duo of Ben Fletcher and Tom Higham - who introduced themselves back in 2014 with their inimitable and beautiful cinematic sound - have spent the last two years going from strength to strength. A handful of widely acclaimed EP's have seen them rack up over 75 million streams on Spotify and tracks included in ads, film trailers and major TV shows including Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars and more. Having produced the majority of their own material along the way, for their first full-length album Silhouettes, Aquilo were honored to work alongside the brilliant SOHN as well as spend some time in the inspiring landscape of Iceland with renowned producer Ólafur Arnalds. Rolling Stone described Aquilo's sound as "Justin Timberlake trying to out-falsetto Jeff Buckley's in an ambient synth rainstorm: Pop has rarely been this emotionally unashamed since the days Spandau Ballet."

A disciple of Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen, and The Verve, thus the Philadelphia-born, Los Angeles-based Mohawk-ed and tattooed troubadour Mondo Cozmo was born. Think Dylan fronting Oasis with Beck making the beats. Mondo Cozmo has the attitude of the Manchester bands of the 90s...working class, honest, inspirational, cautiously hopeful, and socially observational. Mondo Cozmo hasn't wasted any time positioning himself as one of 2017's most promising new artists. His new single "Shine" has been resonating across the globe as a message of hope in today's troubled times. A soon to be festival headliner who will have the crowd singing along to every word while the sun is setting and challenging everything you know about music in the process. Recently, he finished a run of sold out shows across Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and announced upcoming festival dates including: Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, Boston Calling, Sasquatch, Firefly, Hangout Festival, and more.

Australia's Middle Kids, led by vocalist / guitarist Hannah Joy, and producer / multi-instrumentalist Tim Fitz, with Harry Day on drums, first came to public attention with the release of their debut single 'Edge Of Town' in May 2016. Sir Elton John declared himself a fan of the song, added it to his Apple Music playlist and aired it on his Beats 1 radio show. Major Australian radio station Triple J placed the song on high rotation, and before long was being played on radio stations across the world, earning the band a slot at Iceland Airwaves, a booking on Conan, and deals with EMI (Australia) and Domino (North America). To date, 'Edge Of Town' has accumulated more almost 3.5 million streams on Spotify. Not bad for a band that, when they recorded the single, hadn't played a single show. Their debut EP Edge of Town is out now.

Society would deem that a prodigious girl can't be in a progressive rock band while also being in complete control of its creative vision, business plan and social messaging. Society is wrong. Clem, a 19 year old teen Queen with a headstrong resolve like her hero Patti Smith and a cartoon laugh like Muttley the dog, dreamed up Cherry Glazerr in her LA bedroom alone and is perhaps more capable of figuring a music career out than anyone who attempts this treacherous life path. The newly lined-up trio's second album, Apocalipstick is every bit as epic, funny, life-assuring, doom-defiant and flaming fire as that title sounds. What's more, it's the soundtrack to their collective rockstar evolution.

In the wake of SOHN's acclaimed 2014 debut, Tremors - which launched him from behind-the-scenes producer to international star, and was heralded as "spellbinding" by The Sunday Times, - critics and fans alike were eagerly anticipating his new album Rennen. Having toured relentlessly, circling the globe three times in two years with a live show that blended electronics and instruments into a hypnotic mix, SOHN made a conscious decision to cast off any self-doubt holding him back and push the boundaries of what was possible for the new album. Nothing was off limits, and the newfound freedom resulted in his most adventurous, engrossing music yet. With his newly empowered attitude, SOHN crafted a gutsy, gritty collection for the ages.

KCRW OFFICIAL SHOWCASES AT SXSW:

Radio Day Stage presented by KCRW

Wednesday, March 15

Austin Convention Center, Ballroom D

Set times:

The Japanese House - 3:00 pm

Real Estate - 4:00 pm

Temples - 5:00 pm

Nighttime showcase presented by KCRW

Wednesday, March 15

Elysium - 705 Red River Street

Set times:

Gabriel Garzón-Montano - 8:00 pm

Aquilo - 9:00 pm

Mondo Cozmo - 10:00 pm

Middle Kids - 11:00 pm

Cherry Glazerr - 12:00 am

SOHN - 1:00 am

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