The Fat Angel Sings

Every once in a while a pair of bands come along, formed at roughly the same time and seeming to share a single, entwined strand of DNA. Mother Falcon and The Family Crest are two such bands, orchestral indie pop-rock units that have been compared to one another endlessly from the moment that both formed in 2008. The similarities make such comparisons natural and understandable: Both bands are large, with live acts that hover around 8 or more (Mother Falcon is usually a bit bigger, up to the mid-teens). Both have Asian male lead singers with emotional, dramatic voices. Both have female, brunette lead violinists who also provide primary back-up vocals. Both have horns, strings and a flair for dramatic, over-the-top live performances. And yet, when they both came into being, neither even knew the other existed. In fact, when we discussed the comparison with members of the Family Crest at the CMJ Music Marathon, they revealed their relationship with their doppelganger band initially began as an adversarial one. The two groups quickly bonded, however, striking up the kind of friendship one might expect in a zany indie comedy. Likewise, both bands have seen their stature rise within the music industry within the last few years—Mother Falcon was long a beloved Austin favorite before their 2013 album You Knew and subsequent touring greatly expanded the fanbase. The Family Crest, meanwhile, produced one of our favorite 2014 albums, the wonderfully realized Beneath the Brine, which is doubtlessly their best work to date. These two sonically ambitious groups are currently at the height of their powers. How fitting, then, that both are playing on the exact same SXSW showcase. On the evening of Wednesday, March 18 at St. David’s Bethell Hall, you can see first The Family Crest and then Mother Falcon within 90 minutes of one another, in what would seem to be an obvious nod to both their similarities and differences. Go check it out and see how two talented young bands stake individual claims to why they’re both full of promise.