The 2023 version of Stereogum’s Vary Lifestyles birthday party went down at Cheer Up Charlie’s in Austin on Thursday afternoon. For 6 hours, the indoor-outdoor venue used to be graced by means of one of the crucial biggest artists at this yr’s SXSW, a genre-hopping slate that by no means stopped entertaining robust crowds. It’s just like the pages of our venerable blog come to lifestyles! However critically, the display used to be good, if we might say so.
(At the one hand, we have been fortunate sufficient that the expected typhoon by no means got here. Alternatively, what are we going to do with all this unused? Stereogum-Branded Poncho,
Set in a circle at the flooring with Doug Dalgarian’s again grew to become to the target audience, they are gulping a frame of water, the afternoon kicked issues off with a suite of shoegaze at the indoor degree, interspersed with digital interludes. Within the center the ones have been coming at you from all angles. From dense partitions of distortion to piercing guitar melodies to ballistic drum ‘n’ bass breaks, all of it got here throughout like noise-glitch alternate-universe pop song. Out of doors, Algiers remodeled in several techniques right into a type of apocalyptic commercial soul song guided by means of the howling vocals of Franklin James Fisher. Their hypeman-slash-backup singer had some severe dance strikes.
Philly buddies Knifeplay of TAGABOW have been subsequent with a extra plaintive and regal type of dream-pop that from time to time veered into folk-rock and slowcore, with out dropping its out-of-this-world qualities. All the way through the soundcheck, Hotline TNT singer-guitarist Will Anderson blessed us with a run throughout the pop-country wreck “Want U Now.” The band introduced a vintage shoegaze-pop vibe to the outdoors degree, showcasing their three-guitar Arsenal were given right into a enchanting blur. Alt-Rock Brainstorm. Again within, Reality Membership matched Travis Harrington’s laconic vocals with an collection of indie-rock sounds. Once in a while the guitars veered off at sharp post-punk angles, whilst different occasions the song slayed a punk-rock drag race, however no matter shape it took, it used to be at all times thrilling someplace.
Out of doors, the siblings of the Frost Kids grew to become all the display on its head with a wild, theatrical extravaganza that juxtaposed screaming hyperpop, snotty pop-punk, unruly noise freak, or even There used to be additionally an extended spoken phrase about Bob Dylan and capitalism. , Regardless of the band’s knack for pop pageantry, it used to be additionally a rock display. (He additionally helpfully knowledgeable us, “If you are a vegetarian, you must be taking iron drugs.”) Within, fatherland hero Portrait of Guilt warned any person who did not like heavy song, to avoid them. To get fired, then proceeded to make the dirtiest performs. , the haziest, heaviest set of the day. Army Weapons introduced some melody again to the court cases at the outdoors degree, taking part in arduous rock song that sprung from hardcore and landed someplace close to mid-’90s choice radio. If MTV nonetheless performed movies, Ian Shelton can be barking at us as soon as consistent with hour.
At the indoor degree, Odd Ranger continues their metamorphosis from indie rock to experimental digital pop, taking every style a step additional with stirring, catchy effects. Emerging indie-world famous person Bartis Odd performed a brief set out of doors: on occasion solo, on occasion accompanied by means of a 2d guitarist, at all times summoning an impressive intensity of emotion. Seems their songs move the campfire check! Debbie Friday closed the interior degree with an outstanding efficiency that integrated making a song, rapping, stomping on degree and spitting immediately within the faces of folks within the target audience. (Plus, her backing tracks have been ill.) The afternoon ended on a wonderfully relax be aware with headliners Coco and Claire Claire, whose hyper-online pop-rap hit proper after the six-hour fest. The hooks have been easy, the rhymes idiosyncratic, the vibes immaculate.