This is the first in a series of spotlights on the bands participating in the 2014 Boston & Beyond party at SXSW, a collaborative effort between Berklee College of Music and Vanyaland. The party is Thursday, March 13 at Brush Square Park (409 East 5th St.) in Austin, runs from noon to 6 p.m., and is free, all-ages, and open to the public. RSVP to sxswrsvp@berklee.edu for entry.
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Air Traffic Controller, 3 p.m. set time
Air Traffic Controller move to their own beat. The Boston-based indie-pop band led by chief songwriter David Munro experienced a breakthrough with Summer 2012’s NORDO LP, a record that took the best of They Might Be Giants, Arcade Fire, and R.E.M. and crafted a catchy sound all Boston’s own. It’s the time of music you only need to hear once to remember.
Infectious single “Hurry Hurry” led the way on NORDO with an unstoppable bounce, but tracks like “Pick Me Up” and “The Work” showed true songwriting smarts, the latter even evoking the eternal wisdom of Yoda. Oh, and as for Munro, he’s fit to lead a team called Air Traffic Controller — he was one in the US Navy before enlisting in rock and roll full-time.
Check out a sample of Air Traffic Controller tunes below, and do note one Mr. Steve Scott, as the Air Traffic Controller guitarist is one of the most fashionable men in Boston rock…
Follow Air Traffic Controller on Twitter…
Tweets by @atcmusic
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Here’s the rest of the Boston & Beyond lineup…
Stream all the artists via the Berklee Bandcamp sampler…