Car Seat Headrest is set to blow up

A few weeks ago, All Songs Considered featured a new song from Car Seat Headrest in the New Mix. Bob & Robin were all, “It’s the greatest song you’ll ever hear in your life; I want to stop reviewing all other music because I’ll never hear anything this good ever again; this song has made my music life peak; etc.” So I was like, “meh.” But then a couple of weeks later I got an advance copy of his upcoming album and yeah: it’s really fucking good. I mean, like, REALLY fucking good, people. Really, really, really. Really fucking good.

He sounds like a mix between the Strokes and early shades of Radiohead: low-fi indie rock, but so, so awesome. Plus, the dude’s got like 12 albums out (I have not listened to all of them), and he’s only been recording since 2010, releasing them all via Bandcamp. But Matador signed him last year, and his upcoming Teens of Denial (2016) album (which I’ve now listened to a million times) is his first more traditional studio album with a record company. And it’s good. So good.

Obviously, I have become instantly obsessed with him, and because I live in Austin and we’re in the midst of SXSW, OF COURSE HE’S IN TOWN PLAYING. If you’ve got a wristband, you can catch his official showcase at Central Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, March 16th, 10:00pm. But if you don’t, he’s playing a slew of other gigs around town all week. I’m going to catch him at least twice, because two of those gigs are literally next door to me.

If you’ve never heard of him, initiate yourself with this song and even though I’m linking to his YouTube (the song’s not up on Matador yet), don’t watch it on YouTube. This is a headphone song, 100%.