Heartbreaking Bravery

Over the last seven days Los Campesinos!, Active Bird Community, Diet Cig, Las Ligas Menores, Heart Attack Man, Future Islands (x2), BRYDE, Nouveau Vélo, Basement (x2), Charlie Whitten, Astronautalis, This Is the Kit, Lexie Roth, The Maldives, Peter Silberman (x2), Molly Burch, Samantha Crain, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Caroline Spence, Kristin Hersh, Aliocha, Gregory Page, Kyle Emerson, Zeta, Charlie Shaw, Bong Wish, Sera Cahoone, Nervous Assistant, Pet Symmetry, Current Swell, The Estranged, Lunch, and Slowdive have all found themselves at the center of outstanding live videos, constituting a typically stellar run that goes a long way in proving the ongoing vitality of music. Those weren’t the only videos worth watching that surfaced during that time. So, as always, sit up, adjust the settings, relax, lean back, and Watch This.

1. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (KEXP)

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have popped up on this site with relative consistency in the past. The band’s particular brand of rambling, punk-tinged Americana hitting several of this site’s pleasure nerves. In recent years, the band’s grown bolder and more confident, transforming themselves into a well-oiled machine worthy of a host of accolades. In this full session for KEXP, the band also proves how sharp their touring schedules made their live show, which is a thing to behold.

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2. Aye Nako (Audiotree)

A lot of places (this one included) have championed Aye Nako in the past but they’ve never been afforded a showcase as definitive as this live session for Audiotree. Tearing through a set of songs that highlights what makes the band so great, the quartet seemed poised throughout. Tenacious, composed, and purposeful, Aye Nako deliver a blistering set that ranks right alongside anything from their recorded output; this is a band that never stops improving.

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3. Middle Kids (Indie88)

Middle Kids have made a habit out of appearing on Watch This, whether it’s in the weekly roundup of links or in a feature capacity. While all of their previous entries have been unmistakably impressive, there’s something about this Hidden Studio session the band recorded for Indie88’s Stiegl Hidden Studio Sessions that stands out. The band’s voracious touring has molded them into one of the best live acts currently on the circuit and this session serves as both document and definitive proof.

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4. Terry Malts (Audiotree)

Over the past several years Terry Malts have been quietly becoming one of the best outfits in both basement pop and basement punk. The band graciously contributed a demo to the A Step Forward compilation last year and have been on something of a tear this year, touring heavily and releasing an excellent single. Audiotree recently hosted the band for a no-holds-barred, career-spanning set that nicely underscores the band’s intensity. Catchy, aggressive, and always full-throttle, it’s a characteristically outstanding session for all parties involved.

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5. Why? – Easy (CPR)

Oaklandazulasylum, Elephant Eyelash, Alopecia, Eskimo Snow, and a handful of other records released under the name Why? solidified the project as one of the most fascinating acts since the turn of the century. Yoni Wolf, who started Why? as a solo project and his since expanded the outfit but remained the heart of the operation, has staked a claim as one of this generation’s most inspired lyricists. It’s hard to tell which direction the band will pursue at any given moment but for CPR’s Open Air, they went the calm and gentle route, unleashing a gorgeous rendition of “Easy” for a breathtaking live capture. Don’t let this one go unseen, unheard, or unnoticed.