Bayonne

"Courtesy of aLIVE Coverage" — “Courtesy of aLIVE Coverage”

Shaky Knees season is upon us. If you have your tickets and don’t quite know who to go see tomorrow (or if you’re wondering if you’d like to jump on it last-minute) we present to you our 15 picks for emerging artists who we believe are most worth your time (and sweat!) at this wonderful festival:

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

In the mood for danceable garage rock? Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever‘s nonlinear jangle and driving blend of indie rock will definitely get the pit to a rolling boil. Excuse all the coffee puns, but the energy that this band exudes might perk you up more than any espresso ever could.

Welles

If you’re in the mood for more of a more contemplative set, Welles might be more your speed. Plain spoken, matter of fact lyrics paired with expansive, driving Americana influenced rock all add up to an engrossing show with an emphasis on lyrical content. Read up on our track by track of Welles’ debut EP ‘Codeine’ here.

Marlon Williams

If you want something even quieter, maybe even a show you can sit down at, look out for New Zealand’s Marlon Williams‘ set. Eschewing the country trappings for more lushly orchestrated quietly beautiful folk songs, Williams’ vocals take the forefront. His widely praised distinctive singing voice both calms and enraptures, so if you’re looking to cozy up for a while, you’ll be hard pressed to find somewhere better.

Amasa Hines

Amasa Hines is a band, not a person. Not only are they a band: they’re a tight knit unit drawing on influences ranging from James Brown, TV on the Radio, and DIIV. Being omnivorous with their influence is what gives them an edge: they can ride on waves of feedback but the soulful delivery of the lyrics will ensure that no one is looking at their shoes while the waves of sound hit you from the stage.

Sun Seeker

Now, I was tempted to use the analogy of a bowl of southern-ass grits falling on the band Pavement, but the fact that they’re hot enough to get signed to Jack White‘s label Third Man Records should be enough to entice fans of both the Nashville Sound and slacker rock fans alike.

Charly Bliss

VHS filters are all the rage lately. But. Can they wear it well? With Charly Bliss the answer is a resounding YES! Mining the poppier aspects of ’90s college rock with a millenial sense of irony and purpose, Charly Bliss make throwback rock for folks who know that you need some substance underneath your Instagram filter.

Broncho

When we talk about #clout, sometimes it just means having been at the right place at the right time. Who knows, but Broncho‘s music has been on multiple television shows like Girls and Santa Clarita Diet. Their lightly atmospheric mood music is a great accompaniment to a rose tinted afternoon in the Atlanta heat.

The Voidz

You can’t talk about the Voidz without mentioning that their front man is the one and only Julian Casablancas of Strokes fame (and one-time Shaky Knees headliner). However the Voidz are very much NOT the Strokes. With noisy, dense electronic arrangements, hair metal pastiche, and sheer madness making up their solid as hell second album, their tight live show will definitely be a sight to behold, especially for all those Julian fans out there.

Mt. Joy

Folk rock anyone? Philadelphia’s Mt. Joy deliver in spades. Still riding high on the viral success of their “Deadhead Jesus” song “Astrovan”, deliver slightly jaded, punchdrunk singalong music for those of us who want some rootsy fun, but aren’t shy about dishing the dirt with stories about addiction and growing up.

Wild Reeds

Now, did you think that we’d let the country genre slip through the cracks? Not with Wild Reeds. With rich, diverse instrumentation and beautiful vocal harmonies, their brisk, slightly experimental take on country rock should appeal to both un-ironic and ironic wearers of cowboy boots alike!

Post Animal

Who’s ready to rock out again? Post Animal have you covered. With strains of Thee Oh Sees, Pink Floyd, and King Tuff, the moshers in your friend group are likely to go wild alongside your more psyche tinged folks in the crowd.

Greta Van Fleet

More rock! Here at Vinyl Mag we’re no strangers to Greta Van Fleet‘s similarities to Led Zeppelin. If you’re in the mood for some ’70s throwback you have come to the right place. Bluesy guitars: check. High pitched screamalong vocals: check. Ready to get down in a sweaty mosh pit? You decide.

Frankie Rose

After all of that rock and roll I might need a chill pill. Do you like the Cocteau Twins? In that case look for Frankie Rose‘s set. They’ve got a swirling dream pop vibe that might be just what you need to cool down from some moshing—or coming up on some other stuff. Whatever floats your boat, you’ll definitely feel like you’re floating by the end of Frankie’s set.

While Shaky Knees is more rock focused, that doesn’t mean that fans of electronic music need to feel left out. Enter Madrid’s prodigal son Bayonne: electronic wunderkind. With pulsating and dense arrangements, if you don’t feel tempted to dance, just take all the layers in. Bayonne’s ear for samples and texture is bound to engross even the most skeptical listener.

Teenage Wrist

Teenage Wrist‘s name may imply some sort of unlearned youthfulness, but don’t be fooled—these boys make heavy rock that has been polished to a metallic sheen. Makes sense since they’re signed to Epitaph who have handled releases from the likes of Alkaline Trio and A Day to Remember.

No matter who you go see, make sure to take the time to maximize your enjoyment at the festival by staying hydrated and wearing ample UV protection! Happy Shaky Knees season, everyone!

Musically, Roger Sellers is many things – talented composer, accomplished musician, aural experimenter, electronic/minimalist pioneer – he is not, however, a DJ. To clarify any misunderstandings of this fact Sellers has distinguished his electronic material by adopting the alias “Bayonne.” Seller’s debut as Bayonne, Primitives (March 25th, Mom + Pop), is a richly layered soundscape; an hypnotic electronic dream that takes you on a winding journey into another world. With SXSW around the corner and a US tour on the horizon, we sat down with Sellers to talk about the new album and get an inside look into Bayonne.

Vinyl Mag: This month you will re-release Primitives under Bayonne on Mom + Pop. How has the transition been in having your electronic/minimalist material be identified with this moniker while keeping your folk-based material associated with your own name Roger Sellers?

Roger Sellers: The transition has been pretty smooth so far, being that many of the songs in Primitives were written at a time I was also focused on more folk-based writing. The styles easily overlapped. I feel it all comes from a similar place, “Bayonne” is a way for the audience and myself to distinguish the two.

VM: You’ve said many of the songs on Primitives came from experimenting, what does that creative process look like behind all of the sound layering and experimentation?

RS: Primitives is largely based on loops and layers. I found myself purchasing a looper in early college and started experimenting. I liked the ideas I would come up with rather quickly because it wouldn’t allow for second guessing. I soon became very intrigued by this process and decided to put these loops into a live performance, which led to the record years later.

VM: What three words would you use to describe Primitives?

RS: Repetitious, dense, and melodic.

VM: The artwork for Primitives and that translucent turquoise vinyl, is stunning! How was this design and color palette created/chosen?

RS: Well, the way I imagined my environment while working on primitives was like being in a dark, but colorful crystal cave or something. The record and process had a very earthy feel to me so I did the best I could describing that to Rob Carmichael, the artist. The turquoise translucent vinyl worked really well with the color scheme and gives it a crystal effect.

VM: You have quite a few US tour dates coming up, are there any venues/festivals/cities in particular on this tour your are excited to play/visit?

RS: I’m really stoked to play SXSW as always along with Levitation this year. Outside of my home state Im very excited to visit Montreal and Toronto for the first time, as well as hitting the road with Small Black in April.

VM: Do you have any pre-show rituals or routines?

RS: It depends on the show, but I’ll usually try to chill out as much as I can and conserve energy for the performance. Stretching is something I do close to show time, and I’ll usually jump around right before I go on to get the energy up after chilling.

VM: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

RS: There’s many artists that would be awesome to collaborate with. I’d love to do something in the studio with Wye Oak. I love the way they write and structure their music, and Jenn has the voice of an angel. They rule.

VM: What artists are you excited to see while at SXSW?

RS: It’s funny I just found out Wye Oak will be playing and I’ve never seen them live before. Plus they’re playing at my favorite venue, The Mohawk. Unfortunately I’m playing a set at that same exact same time.

VM: What do you plan on doing in Austin when you’re not performing?

RS: There’s usually little time between shows, meetings, practice, and press during SX to do other things. When I do have time I like to hang with friends of colleagues from out of town that I don’t get to see as often.

VM: Tacos and BBQ seem to rule the SXSW food scene every year. Being from Texas, if you could only choose one or the other as your favorite, which would you choose?

RS: Texas BBQ rules, and so do tacos in Austin. It really depends on what I’m in the mood for but I’d say this year I’ll be more on the BBQ side of things if I had to choose. I eat tacos ALL the time.

Catch Bayonne at SXSW 2016!

3/13 (Sun) Barbarian Group @ Mohawk (Outdoor) – 7:20pm

3/15 (Tue) Bayonne In-store @ Waterloo – 5:00pm

3/17 (Thu) Mom+Pop Showcase @ Container Bar – 1:30pm

3/17 (Thu) Secretly Group Showcase @ Barracuda – 8:15pm

3/18 (Fri) ASCAP Showcase @ The Driskill – 11:59pm (aka midnight)

Tag: Bayonne

Top 15 Artists to Watch: Shaky Knees 2018