At SXSW this year, my favorite act was probably Manchester band Maruja and their politically minded mix of jazz, punk, post rock, and rap. Earlier this year the group dropped the excellent instrumental "Tír na nÓg" EP, and they are following it up with the full-length "Pain to Power" LP in September. Check out the video for the excellent "Look Down on Us" below and pre-order the record here from Music for Nations.
I have seen some phenomenal performances over the last couple of days at SXSW, but i think Manchester's Maruja is taking home the gold. The four-piece plays a mix of post rock, post metal, world music and jazz fusion, sometimes instrumental, sometimes with the angry, kind of rapping vocalization of guitarist Harry Wilkinson. They were energetic. They were intense. They were pro-Palestine. The band's latest release is the "Tír na nÓg" EP, a collection of instrumental tracks. Like the band, they are also phenomenal. Check out "Ceathair" below and order the vinyl here from Music For Nations.
