Over the next two weeks, the Song of the Day spotlights SXSW 2015 artists. Check back everyday for a free download and show information.
The Wooden Birds only needed guitar, bass, drums, and two voices to make a noise. In a city known for turning up, the Austin band turned the volume down, releasing two albums in two years that focused on hushed simplicity and the intertwining voices of Andrew Kenny and Leslie Sisson. A great Wooden Birds song almost sounds like electronic music played on acoustic instruments.
With her former band on something of an indefinite hiatus, Sisson has teamed up with Rozie Castoe and Karen Skloss as Moving Panoramas. Simplicity is the key ingredient again, but the trio’s sound is more expansive. Built around a repetitive groove and reverb-drenched harmonies, “One” sounds like a cross between Galaxie 500 and Cocteau Twins, though Moving Panoramas are more laser-focused. There’s atmosphere on “One,” but it comes with a sentiment that cuts to the core: “One is how we all came in / One is how we all will go / We all know one is the number we all fear the most.” Listen to “One” below and catch Moving Panoramas at SXSW 2015.
–Art Levy
Tuesday, March 17: Cheer Up Charlie’s, 7 p.m. (official showcase)
Thursday, March 19: Red Eyed Fly, 9 p.m. (official showcase)
