Music

6 bands to watch at the Canadian Blast BBQ at SXSW 2014

by AUX staff

February 3, 2014

If you’ve had the chance to experience Austin during SXSW, you’ve probably encountered the Canadian Blast BBQ. It’s where seemingly every Canadian in Austin congregates, from band members to card-carrying media types to label honchos, and for good reason: Beyond serving up platters of delicious Canadian comfort food, the event, now in its ninth year, is also a showcase of some of the best bands the true North has on offer. That, and you won’t find a better poutine in Austin.

On the musical side of things, we can thank the Canadian Independent Music Association—CIMA for short—for the bash. Because beyond being a chance for industry types to rub shoulders under the Texas sun, it’s also a chance to see Canadian up-and-comers before they become SXSW buzz bands.

It all goes down on Wednesday, March 12, and for our money, there’s no better way to kick off the musical side of the fest. We’re co-hosting the event this year, too, so if you’re in Texas, come find us and say hello! Maybe we’ll shotgun a tallboy with you to the sweet, sweet sounds of these six bands.

Check out the full showcase schedule and details after the bands!

A Tribe Called Red

This mind-bending Ottawa, ON, electronic act was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize last year, and rightfully so. Made up of Champion DJ Shub, DJ NDN and Bear Witness, the trio merged hip hop and dubstep with the rhythms and chanting of First Nations music. And beyond that, they’ve been thoughtful and outspoken champions of aboriginal issues in Canada. (Who can ever forget NDN’s quote that, “As First Nations we haven’t had a civil rights movement yet. That’s why society lets the Redskins name slide.”) Plenty of writers at SXSW will describe bands as “sounding completely original,” but in the case of A Tribe Called Red, it’s actually true.

Grand Analog

Canada’s hip hop scene is alive and well, and it’s not only because of Drake, JD Era, Shad, and Rich Kidd. Grand Analog’s Modern Thunder revealed the band as an interdisciplinary force, blending rock ‘n’ roll with dub and soul, and accordingly, leader Odario Williams has also attracted A-list collaborators: Shad, Maylee Todd, and the Wilderness of Manitoba have all contributed to Grand Analog’s beautiful mess. Saukrates also drops in for a track for some of that Northern Touch.

Andy Shauf

The prairies are might be known for their desolate cold and stultifyingly flat horizons, but it’s fair to say that Andy Shauf’s music isn’t befitting of his birthplace. Indeed, it’s easy to hear a lot of Nick Drake in The Bearer of Bad News, which, thanks to his warm pianos, clattering trumpets, off-kilter strings, and lazily strummed guitars, leans as heavily on atmosphere as it does on Shauf’s lyrics. It’s as warm, inviting, and familiar as a hand-me-down Hudson Bay blanket.

Saidah Baba Talibah

Even on first spin, Saidah Baba Talibah’s voice is arresting. The former Blaxam singer says the voice comes largely from her bloodlines: Her mother is singer Salome Bey; her uncle, Andy Bey, is a Grammy nominated jazzman; her father ran blues clubs in Toronto, meaning she literally grew up around Miles Davis. But her music is a chameleonic blend of blues, soul, and just about anything she’s listening to at the moment—and whatever best frames her gritty vocal approach.

The Darcys

North of the 49, we’ve become accustomed to the bizarre Darcys headlines—it’s like, whatever, sure the Darcys are covering Steely Dan’s Aja in full. Why the heck not? They’re doing a tour playing high school gymnasiums next? Well, yeah, duh. Either way, we expect international audiences to warm up to the Darcys’ unique, immaculately crafted pop songs sooner rather than later—and it might very well might begin at SXSW 2014.

The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer

Hailing from Vancouver, B.C., the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer are a musical duo made up of a whaler and a serial killer. (Just kidding.) Instead, they’re a swaggering, bluesy duo who’d slot in easily alongside revivalists like the Black Keys or the White Stripes. And while they’ve made a name for themselves on Canada’s folk and jazz circuits, we get the sense the band feels far more comfortable in dank clubs: All fuzzed-out guitars, call-and-response vocals, and spastic harmonicas, it’s music that feels perfectly fitting for your town’s grossest dive bar. And we mean that in the best possible way.