Middle Kids
The Australian punk act from Sydney have been all over Austin this week and drew a large mid-afternoon crowd made up of fans and unsuspecting St Patrick’s Day revelers. Melodic and angsty lead singer Hannah Joy’s voice flits between soothing and scathing on tracks like on the group’s calling card single Edge of Town. It’s cleaned up punk rock that’s not particularly adventurous but is so well done that it’s hard not to be charmed. There’s not much material available to fans at the moment but the live set was all based around well constructed punk rock that has the potential to make them big far outside the borders of Australia.
PWR BTTM
Before this year’s festival PWR BTTM the punk duo of Liv Bruce and Ben Hopkins were one of the voices that criticized the event over a clause in its artist contract that suggested collusion with immigration authorities. They were also picketed by bigots at a show a week after Donald Trump became president of the US. Now their highly entertaining live show has become a place to see two of the most witheringly funny defenders of civil liberties music has offered. Banter between songs ranges from enthusing about the Lush cosmetics store which is next door to the venue, to encouraging Texans in rural areas to oppose senate bill six. The music itself is a mix of punk and math rock with a sense of humor, punctuated with lacerating lyrics that take as many shots at Bruce and Hopkins as anyone else. Accompanied by a bass player and a French horn player, it’s raucous, hilarious and that rare thing of music played by people who don’t take themselves too seriously, which is still seriously good.
Allison Crutchfield
As part of PS Elliot and Bad Banana with her twin sister Katie Crutchfield AKA Waxahatchee and lead singer in punk specialists Swearin’, Allison Crutchfield has been a key player in the revival of mid-90s style alt-rock and Philadelphia’s emergence as one of the best cities in the US for new bands. For her solo project she’s changed things up, bringing in synths and deconstructing the key tenets of new wave. There’s still the punk root of her songwriting but the thrashy energy that accompanied her earlier song writing has now been replaced with a more laid back pop-y sound like on I Don’t Ever Want To Leave California. The subtleties of her new sound feel slightly lost on a crowd that’s wilting in Austin’s muggy heat but by the time she finishes with single Dean’s Room – the most upbeat and expansive song on her debut record – most have been won over.
Grandaddy
Grandaddy’s return from an 11-year hiatus was always going to be intriguing. Would Jason Lytle be able to conjure his off-kilter indie rock again, would those trucker caps make a comeback, what about the pre-Lumbersexual beards? The answer to all those questions was yes and an early afternoon set from them felt like an ideal way to ease into the penultimate day of what is always a fairly grueling festival. Old favorites such as Now It’s On retained their chugging appeal while new single The Way We Won’t and fellow newbie Evermore fit right in. The only real sign of rust was Lytle complaining about having to play a show at midnight later on. Hewlett’s Daughter still had the same melancholy appeal while they ended things on what has since their departure become their most well-known song thanks to its use in a successful car advert, AM 180. They might want to get to bed before 10.30 nowadays but Grandaddy still have some life left in them.
