Dawes “Love is All I am” from THE FEAR on Vimeo.

In our ongoing effort to highlight a few of Los Angeles' rising and/or under-appreciated and/or overlooked artists heading to Texas this week for the SXSW Music Festival, we bring you Dawes.

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Dawes could only spring from Los Angeles, or at least possesses that certain magical harmony and appreciation of wide-open spaces, rolling waves and Pacific breezes that's inspired musicians for decades.

Drawing from the same well that delivered us Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes, and springing from the same Topanga/Americana scene that supports Jonathan Rice, Jonathan Wilson and Jenny Lewis, Dawes touches on the same vibe using piano, guitar, bass and gorgeous harmonies. But where BoH and FF generously borrow from that California sound, Dawes breathes it.

Commercial-placement idea: “Take Me Out of the City” would be good for a VW ad where a bunch of people are cruising at night through the desert looking for a party, but then decide to keep driving and listening to music.

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