SXSW Review: The Thermals at Bar 96

The Thermals have turned a lot of heads at SXSW 2013, and for good reason. Straight to the gut riffs, vein-popping wails, gems of short composition that leave hooks in your head for hours afterward.

The Portland trio is pushing out a marathon of performances while in Austin and following with a west coast tour.

Frontman Hutch Harris barks out his lyrics against the backline of bassist Kathy Foster and drummer Westin Glass, and the likes of "Born To Kill," which is the lead-off track from the band's current album, hit like a ton of bricks.

Late in the set, an over-exuberant fan took to the stage to yell a shout-out to nobody in particular and try to hug Harris, who took the distraction in stride. Harris himself stepped out into the crowd later, pressing the flesh with some happy-looking young women on his side of the stage.

Highlights: "Born To Kill," "Pillar of Salt," "Retuning To The Fold."