Heartbreaking Bravery

Now that Watch This has resumed regular installments, the overwhelming amount of material on offer may necessitate more than one installment of the series. The 126th volume exclusively focused on individual performance sessions, while the five featured performances below are all full (or nearly full) sessions. The vast majority of the bands selected for feature below have already earned mountains of praise from this site (especially in the live department) and are providing even further justification for those earlier claims. Everything that’s here is here for a reason. So, as always, sit back, adjust the volume, relax, and Watch This.

1. Palm (Audiotree)

One of last year’s most buzzed-about live acts has been capitalizing on that momentum this year and recently got a chance to show off their deadly syncopation for Audiotree. Palm may still be a ways off from having the sort of name recognition as, say, Battles, but they’re well on their way to that point. Frenetic, razor-sharp, and endlessly intriguing, the band’s a sure bet to steal any show they play. As a shockingly young band, they’ve also got a terrifying amount of potential growth and exploration on the horizon. If they sustain their trajectory, their journey will be one of the most explosively rewarding of the next several years.

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2. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (KDHX)

Utilizing a fairly stripped-down for this KDHX session, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down manage to find some new life in already vibrant material. The band runs through three songs for the radio program, straddling the divide between consummate professionals and friends just having fun. Everything they try here works beautifully and re-establishes Thao & The Get Down Stay Down as one of the more exemplary live acts that’s currently touring the circuit.

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3. Posse (Band In Seattle)

Band In Seattle has been making a lot of strong moves lately and that streak’s extended with this session featuring Posse, who make the most of their spotlight by demonstrating their considerable range. From slow-burners to mid-tempo trots to furious noise-inflected basement pop, the band never sets forth a false foot. Impressive to the end, it’s a memorable showing from a band that’s looking poised to be on a lot of people’s radar very soon.

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4. Speedy Ortiz (PressureDrop.tv)

Speedy Ortiz have been making the rounds again thanks to their latest release, the very strong Foiled Again EP. Accordingly, their schedule’s been a lot busier and afforded opportunities like this discography-spanning live session for PressureDrop.tv. In 10 songs, the band asserts their dominance as a live act with a practiced ease, underscoring their gnarled dynamic approach nicely.

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5. Frankie Cosmos (KEXP)

For the past year or so, Frankie Cosmos — like a lot of acts that comprise The Epoch — have been quietly having a well-earned breakout moment. This year’s Next Thing was the band’s first official full band release and, arguably, their best. Previously the solo bedroom project of Greta Kline, Frankie Cosmos has long derived its powerful emotional pull from its live show, something that comes through with this beautifully-shot KEXP performance.