Cure Your Sxsw Blues with Some Moon Honey [stream]

After clicking through hundreds of photos of SXSW, friends hanging out with pop stars, crowd surfing, and making friends with strangers, I started getting a little jealous. But while most of the Wild Honey Pie gang had a blast in Austin, the rest of us back home had more time to sift through crystal clear promo tracks. So although I can’t comment on how amazing this band was live, I can talk about my personal favorite find from this year’s SXSW lineup – Moon Honey.

A foursome from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Moon Honey is psychedelic prog rock that’s “taking a shower in all sorts of other musical genres” according to drummer Jermaine Butler (I will be stealing this metaphor very soon). Moon Honey released their debut Hand-Painted Dream Photographs at the end of last year and have been mostly touring ever-since. Their single “Cathedral” best exhibits their slightly unhinged, whirling melodies, singer Jessica Ramsey’s shocking vibrato, and occasionally whimsical instrumentation.

Listening to Hand-Painted Dream Photographs can be a little overwhelming at times, but it’s refreshing to hear a new idea so well-developed and not over-done. If you, like me, didn’t get a chance to make it to Austin this year, Moon Honey might be the best cure for your trippy blues.