White Denim - “Hallelujah Strike Gold”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Phish, Umphrey’s McGee, Thee Oh Sees

Austin’s White Denim released a live record In Person in 2019, an urgent effort seamlessly stringing tracks from their last two records Performance and Side Effects alongside a smattering of deeper cuts from the band’s eclectic psych-rock catalog. White Denim have always been a band to be experienced live, a group that puts explorative musicianship forward in their complex, prog-leaning performance. By always bobbing and weaving (much of In Person’s tracks come in under four minutes even given their jam-ready sound), White Denim are always able to keep their sound fresh without letting their music ever fall off their highly controlled rails. (Kevin McStravick)

2019 Review: Amidst a rotating set of musicians, Austin regulars White Denim shared a couple singles earlier this year, “NY Money” and twisted, psych rock jam “Shanalala”, previews of the band’s seventh full-length Side Effects, due in late March. “NY Money” is a great example of one of White Denim’s best attributes, an ability to jam without meandering and stretching out, bringing listeners along for the journey. Expert-level precision in a dizzying, hypnotic mode, patterned in garage rock density, White Denim are meant for the live stage and are SXSW highlights year after year.

2014 Review: The base of White Denim’s music is closest to blues-based rock and roll, but there are big-time prog elements that work their way into the riffs and melodies of the band’s latest LP, Corsicana Lemonade.  The record infuses pretty much any influence you can think of, notably 70s psychedelic rock and a heady dose of jazz structures.  White Denim is even more of a beast live, freely jamming their songs into new peaks and valleys.  By stretching out, White Denim becomes one of those bands where you could catch a concurrent run of shows without any quit, reinventing on the spot rather than relying solely on written notes.