South By Southwest 2012 | Day Four

Concerts Music Festivals Photos
Now Now performs at Firehouse Hostel & Lounge during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012.
Now Now performs at Firehouse Hostel & Lounge during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012. (© Michael Katzif – Do not use or republish without prior consent.)

NOW, NOW @ Firehouse Hostel & Lounge

Even before I managed to catch Now, Now at SXSW, the band’s fantastic record Threads was already on constant rotation. The Minneapolis trio — comprised of Cacie Dalager, Jess Abbott, and Bradley Hale — found the right recipe for songs that straddle fizzy power pop hooks and lush, yet disarming layers of sound — all while singing about some big universal themes sparked from quiet but deeply personal moments. In “Thread” and “But I Do” Dalager’s lyrics capture a sense of unreturned love and the fragility of relationships unraveling not all at once but one stitch at a time. Elsewhere, in songs like “School Friends” and “Separate Rooms” she sings of insomnia, and the confusing, often phantom limb feelings that still linger when seeing a former love and not knowing where things stand. Ultimately, it’s Now, Now’s live show — even in a half-full converted bar — that made this band’s taut, infectious melodies come to life. This band is one of the most confident and exciting new acts of the year.

Conveyor performs at Uncorked during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012.
Conveyor performs at Uncorked during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012. (© Michael Katzif – Do not use or republish without prior consent.)
Kishi Bashi performs at Uncorked during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012.
Kishi Bashi performs at Uncorked during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012. (© Michael Katzif – Do not use or republish without prior consent.)
Gashcat performs at the Sub Pop showcast at Red 7 during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012.
Gashcat performs at the Sub Pop showcast at Red 7 during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012. (© Michael Katzif – Do not use or republish without prior consent.)
THEESatisfaction performs at the Sub Pop showcast at Red 7 during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012.
THEESatisfaction performs at the Sub Pop showcast at Red 7 during South By Southwest in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2012. (© Michael Katzif – Do not use or republish without prior consent.)

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