The first time I saw Grandchildren play was nearly a year ago. Strangely, it wasn’t in our hometown of Philadelphia, but rather in a makeshift outdoor venue in Austin, TX during SXSW. I was strongly encouraged by my editor to see their live performance while I was there, and he could not have been more right about his suggestion. When I showed up, it looked more like they were preparing for a movie premiere than a concert, with a big white screen being hung in front of the band while they lay completely behind a wall of hallucinatory projections. From the first note until the last, I stood enraptured by their tightly orchestrated pop epics that would become their fantastic and long over due debut LP Everlasting. The musical collages were pulsing with multiple drum attacks while the intricate acoustics rode on a wave of atmospheric synths. They effortlessly meld normally foreign genres and have the restraint to make delicate tunes that transition seamlessly into vivacious full-band compositions.
2010 was like a coming out party for Grandchildren on the national scene. It was obvious that the local crew had the attention of anyone in earshot of their live performance. But in 2010, you found their videos for “Saturn Returns” featured on media outlets like The Fader and Spinner, which had a streaming preview of Everlasting on its site. They landed on the cover of Performer Magazine as the new face of electro-rock as well as hitting recorded live sessions with the way rad Black Cab Sessions and Big Ugly Yellow Couch. Grandchildren also shared the stage with notable indie acts like Explosions in the Sky, Dum Dum Girls, Holy Fuck and No Age. Those were just a few reasons why we found Grandchildren a Top Performer again in this year’s poll. The only thing we can hope for now is that they don’t take so long to release their next album. – Adam G.
Saturn Returns Directed by Chelsea McMullan Produced by What Matters Most from Green Owl