Traveling to Austin, Texas for the SxSW festival was exhausting. Days were filled with interviews and panels, nights with non-stop music showcases. At a certain point things start blurring together. But I had a moment of clarity in all the madness, a band called: A Giant Dog at this venue called The Main.

The Austin band was opening for Spoon and gave the headliners some serious competition. Lead singer Sabrina Ellis pulled me closer to the stage by sheer dynamic force. She was tossing her body across the room with no regard for gravity, while still managing to project her beautiful voice powerfully (without an ounce of the exhaustion I felt just watching her).

So, when I heard that she had a side band that was "more of a party" I had to hear it. Sweet Spirit was originally started by Sabrina to indulge in more Americana and soul music, but once her friends heard about it, they all wanted to join. The nine-piece takes the Americana and soul sound as a starting place and then, well, they make it a party with Sabrina as the perfect host.

The music is exhilarating and energizing, especially "The Power."; it's a song about knowing who you are and feeling empowered by that (even if your mom gave you a really horrible bowl hair cut). Turn it up!