Frightened Rabbit @ T5, Nov. 2010 (more by Lionel Bergeron)

SXSW has just announced another round of bands for the 2013 edition of the annual music festival that will happen March 12 - 17. This brings the total current number of acts to around 1300. Someome of the highlights include Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit, The Thermals, Black Lips, Camera Obscura, Merchandise, Bleached, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Eagles of Death Metal, Parenthetical Girls, Indians, Night Beds, IO Echo, KEN Mode, Prince Paul, Pure Bathing Culture, Sepalcure, UK motorik post-punks TOY, Finnish instrumentalists K-X-P, Toronto's Moon King, UK indie rockers Splashh (not Brooklyn Splash with one "h") and loads more. Head to BV Austin for the whole Round 3 list.

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Airiel - Flashlight Tag (MP3)

Airiel

Chicago dreampop outfit Airiel are on a quick, four-date East Coast dash that hits NYC on Saturday (8/18) at Cake Shop with Screen Vinyl Image, The Stargazer Lilies, and Luxa. All tour dates are listed at the bottom of this post.

Going since the late '90s, Airiel weave heavily treated guitars and glacial synths for a crystaline sound somewhere between the Field Mice and Slowdive. The band just released Kid Games, a terrific new EP on Shelflife records that finds the band hitting their stride 15 years into their career. They've clearly mastered their effects pedals -- it's gorgeous sounding at times -- but there's a driving melodicism that keeps things from dissolving into the ether. You can download "Flashlight Tag" at the top of this post and stream the whole EP via a Spotify below.

Touring with Airiel, including the Cake Shop show, are DC area shoegazers Screen Vinyl Image who veer a little more into late-'80s dark post-punk territory. You can stream their album, Strange Behavior, at the bottom of this post.

Tour dates and streams are below.

Continue reading "Airiel released 'Kid Games,' touring East Coast with Screen Vinyl Image (dates and streams)"