SXSW Preview: The Good Natured

Pictured above is Sarah McIntosh from The Good Natured. I know what you are thinking....looks uber hipster. True. However, I can forgive looks if the music is good. And to my surprise it is.

The other surprise was that this U.K. based indie star in the making is not old enough to legally buy beer here in the U.S. I got wind of the band as I was looking through the countless number of bands coming to South by Southwest. If The Good Natured don't make it big after SXSW, I'd be shocked.

Watch the video for their single "Be My Animal" below and check out their SXSW schedule.



The Good Natured at SXSW:

Mar. 16   Barbarella       Big Stereo                              2:45pm
Mar. 17   Annie's West                                                     2:00pm
Mar. 17   Mike Galaxy Day Part at Guero' s             9:00pm
Mar. 18   PRS/BMI  Brunch  British Embassy         12:15pm
Mar. 18   Klub Crucial  CQ Presents                            5:00pm
Mar. 18   Windish Agency party ND Studios           8:00pm

Cymbals Eat Guitars announce tour and SXSW dates

Cymbals Eat Guitars

New York indie outfit, Cymbals Eat Guitars, have just announced new tour dates with Bear In Heaven. What's with indie bands and blogs having "bear" in their name? I don't get it. I guess since metal bands took wolves and there were already a lot of deer bands, then bears were the next best indie option. Cymbals Eat Guitars are currently in Spain finishing up a European tour but will touchdown for their first date in March. You'll want to see them as they are one of the best unsigned band sin the country.

The tour starts in Pennsylvania and makes its way south to Austin for SXSW. They are one of the many band so already on my wish list to see at South By this coming year, as they have gotten rave reviews by all the indie blogs. Now I don't just read one of those Vegan blogs or Bear blogs and go by what they tell me by any means, but when all agree on a band I do take interest. They all can't be wrong. Some embellish more than others, but that's the way it is I guess.

I'm telling you that Cymbals Eat Guitars will please most indie fans, especially WOXY listeners and Day Trotter devotees. Their latest album, Why They Are Mountains, is a solid album from beginning to end with only a few tracks to skip over. They play that same style of ambient indie with crunchy guitar riffs, keyboard and angsty vocals,mixed with some more poppy tracks. They do slow it down on some songs, such as "Tunguska" which you can hear on the band's MySpace.

Be sure to listen to Cymbals Eat Guitars and start with the shoegazy "And The Hazy Sea". Here are their tour dates for those of you unfortunates who do not live in Austin. Check back regularly for more previews of bands performing at SXSW in 2010.  

US Tour Dates

3/5/10 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
3/6/10 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC
3/7/10 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC
3/9/10 - The End - Nashville, TN
3/10/10 - Pilot Light - Knoxville, TN
3/11/10 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
3/13/10 - Will's Pub - Orlando, FL
3/16/10 - Mango's - Houston, TX
3/18/10 - SXSW - Austin, TX
3/19/10 - SXSW - Austin, TX
3/20/10 - SXSW - Austin, TX
3/22/10 - Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ
3/23/10 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
3/24/10 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
3/27/10 - Berbati's Pan - Portland, OR
3/25/10 - Bottom of The Hill - San Francisco, CA
3/29/10 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
3/31/10 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
4/1/10 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO
4/2/10 - Replay Lounge - Lawrence, KS
4/3/10 - Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
4/4/10 - Schubes - Chicago, IL
4/6/10 - El Mocambo - Toronto, ON
4/7/10 - Il Motore - Montreal, QC
4/8/10 - Middle East Downstairs - Boston, MA
4/9/10 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY