By Danny Deza, News staff
The South by Southwest (SXSW) musical festival kicked off yesterday in the heart of Austin, Texas, showcasing acts across more than 80 stages.’ Here are three we’re looking forward to ‘-‘ or at least looking forward to hearing about.
Passion Pit
We couldn’t write about SXSW and leave out Boston’s very own Passion Pit, the brainchild of Michael Angelakos whose eclectic influences range from classic pop to synth rock. The project started as Angelakos’ one-man show, after he wrote and recorded an EP as a Valentine’s Day gift for his girlfriend. Chunk of Change eventually reached the hands of friends, who were impressed enough by Angelakos’ infectious vision to join the group. Signed to’ Frenchkiss Records, Passion Pit reissued the EP this fall and is working on their first full length. The five Bostonians have rocked their soulful dance mixes as openers for Death Cab for Cutie, Girl Talk and The New Puritans. They also won the WFNX/Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll as the Best New Local act of 2008.
The Happy Hallows
This indie rock trio from L.A. specializes in fast-paced noise pop about everything from Vietnam flashbacks to palindromes, the colors of the rainbow, labyrinths, time travel and Tarot cards. The group is fronted by songwriter Sarah Negahdari (vocals/guitar), Charlie Mahoney (bass/vocals) and Chris Hernandez (drums and vocals), and recently opened for Deerhoof and Silversun Pickups. They’ve also played with Architecture in Helsinki, Midnight Movies and The Mae Shi. The Happy Hallows released an EP called Imaginary last fall and will debut their first full-length album this year.
Meiko
Meiko just released a self-titled debut album to critical acclaim, and performed on ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien’ and ‘The Bonnie Hunt Show.’ This young folk singer got her start at a hotel in Hollywood where she served as a waitress and performer before local and national buzz caught on. A Georgia native, Meiko sings about heartbreak stories and controversial moments, inspired as much by Sade and Cocteau Twins as by Patty Griffin and Nina Simone. But Meiko credits her father as the most important influence in her life; she lived with him growing up in a log cabin in a town of just 808 people.’ Her self-released 2007 debut shot to No. 1 Folk Album on iTunes with more than 200,000 downloads, and she is now expected to tour the United States.
