Shaky Knees Festival is fast-approaching. Before you head out to Atlanta to check out the insane lineup May 8-10, be sure to get a jump on falling in love with these five killer acts.
Mac DeMarco (5/8)
Despite having three critically acclaimed albums under his belt, the Canadian born artist hasn’t had serious traction outside of college radio. His shows are quite a spectacle full of skits (and sometimes nudity) that contrasts the more serious tone of his music. With his first late night appearance behind him in March, hopefully DeMarco captures the attention of others, and there’s a chance to see this buzzed about artist at Shaky Knees.
Surfer Blood (5/8)
Shaky Knees is the perfect opening week for Surfer Blood, which will be releasing its album 1000 Palms on May 12. The band captured major attention in its outings at SXSW in 2010 and 2011 and opened up for headliners the Pixies on its Doolittle Lost Cities Tour. After performing on the festival circuit for several months, the band went into the studio and emerged with new material and a renewed interest in live performances once again.
Viet Cong (5/9)
This post-punk band made national news in March when its scheduled show at Oberlin College was cancelled by the promoter for the offensive nature of its name. This was spun into good publicity for the group, whose self-titled debut, a gloomy yet sparkling low-fi affair, shot back up into the charts. Go to hear an insane live version of the 11-minute behemoth “Death,” as well as songs from the more uptempo Cassette EP.
Palma Violets (5/9)
Pulling a complete 180 – no pun intended – Palma Violets resided in the British countryside while recording new record Danger in the Club, a more mature album about what it means to be British in America. Now trying to market the group in America, the band played multiple sets at SXSW and is booked to do a festival run around the US this summer. See what all the hype is about on Saturday, May 9.
The Mowgli’s (5/10)
Named after the character in Kipling’s The Jungle Book, all seven (seven!) members of The Mowgli’s exude the youthful exuberance of the group’s namesake. The music pops and rocks in all the right places, with repetitive soaring hooks and shouted harmonies. The band is possibly the most mainstream sounding act to play Shaky Knees, so expect them to leave an impression on the Top 40 airwaves soon.