Black Angels
A previous attendee at SXSW, Austin-based Black Angels (named for the Velvet Underground song "Black Angel's Death Song") are also no strangers to other major festivals like Bonnaroo and their personal pet project, Austin Psych Fest. Their heavy psychedelic rock, punctuated by screams from lead singer Alex Maas, hangs in the air thanks to a layered echoing that recalls their namesake band as well as many other late-'60s and early-'70s acts like the Kinks.
They've been showcased in Rolling Stone, referred to as "face-melting" by Filter and given the BBC's endorsement for rock album of the year for their latest offering Phosphene Dream. Before a packed courtyard late on Friday night, the Black Angels showed the South by Southwest newbies how it's done with a set that had everyone transfixed, dancing and a bit introspective. It wasn't a dance party — it was an event.