I WANT YOU BACK.

Of the hotly tipped bands at SXSW ’09 only Local Natives and New Villager were both unsigned and previously unproven in the presence of industry types, and A&R’s from New York and London packed out venues all week to see the much hyped West Coast acts for the first time. New Villager succumbed to poor sound systems and a heavy dependence on backing tracks, but Local Natives flourished in the spotlight, consistently dropping jaws all week long. Their forthcoming debut album, Gorilla Manor, walks the line between The Dodos and Cold War Kids with rollicking percussion and melodies to die for, and if the response so far is any indication the Silverlake five-piece are going to have A&R’s crawling all over one another trying to lock them down them in the months to come.

MP3: “Airplanes” – Local Natives

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