11002

White Lung, Nu Sensae, Waxahatchee and more played SXSW (pics); White Lung play BV day party on Saturday

photos by Amanda Hatfield; words by Andrew Sacher

White Lung / Nu Sensae @ Holy Mountain, 3/13/2013
White Lung
Nu Sensae

The Enabler/Don Giovanni/Suicide Squeeze/Sacred Bones SXSW showcase went down at Holy Mountain last night (3/13) in Austin with a bunch of great bands like White Lung, Waxahatchee, Nu Sensae, California X, and more.

I’m a fan of California X’s self-titled album, which came out recently on Don Giovanni, but much like Torres did earlier that day, these guys really blew me away live on a level I didn’t get from the record. They tend to get grouped into the “bands that sound like Dinosaur Jr.” category, but after seeing them for my first time last night, I really think they come off as force of their own. They rock out, swing their long hair around, and deliver a solid mix of riffage, punchy tunes, and sludge-drenched heaviness, that only sounds hinted-at on their album. Someone get these guys in the studio with Steve Albini.

Easily one of the most anticipated artists at this year’s SXSW is Waxahatchee, whose new album, Cerulean Salt, just hit shelves and is driving a lot of people wild. And her live show lives up too. She played full band and stuck to the more rock-oriented songs and rock versions of softer tunes, and at least in the front of the room, the crowd was completely zoned in. “I loved Waxahatchee!” I excitedly said to someone at the show. “Yeah, everyone does,” was her response. It’s true.

The show ended with two Vancouver punk bands (who also happen to be good friends), Nu Sensae and White Lung. Nu Sensae played a pretty short set on the backyard stage and their great mix of noise rock, punk, and no wave was spot on last night. Then White Lung took the stage indoors and really tore things up. Singer Mish Way is a powerhouse on stage and her band are no slackers either (watching that guitarist shred is about as intense as Mish’s shouts). The crowd was super into them too, starting mini moshpits and fist-raised shoutalongs, especially during tracks like “Thick Lip” and “Glue.”

You can catch White Lung at our free SXSW day party on Saturday (3/16) at 3:45 PM on The Jr. stage.

Nu Sensae

Nu Sensae

Nu Sensae

Nu Sensae

Nu Sensae

Nu Sensae

Nu Sensae

Nu Sensae

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung

White Lung