SXSW is once again upon us. The overstimulating music conference is uncompromising. It’s a ‘weeder course’ for bands clamoring for the Industry’s attention. And, it’s a marathon challenge for music lovers and fans alike.
We are of course super pumped about our very own showcase (Tuesday, March 12th at Elysium), but we also wish to highlight some of the other bands and projects we are excited about seeing at SXSW this year!
Unlike in the past, where we have focused on featuring solely Musica-Indie projects, in this year’s installment we will leave that duty to friends of the blog, IBERO DJ from Mexico City Junf and Mexican musician, Borchi.
SXSW 2019 (full artist playlist below)
Foxtrot & the Get Down
It’s bluesy, rock n’ roll, female and male vocals, with a raucous live show to boot. Their latest single gets a little harder on the guitar riffs but then mellows out with a sexy sax.
The Ophelias
This quartet, out of Cincinnati, OH, blend delectable pop melodies of understated rock, that could very well captivate the masses during the frenetic pace of SXSW.
Y La Bamba
This bilingual outfit out of Portland, has relentlessly released album after album with a funky groove that has finally matured and grown into its own voice. Saw them live in LA a couple weeks back, but it will be great to see how a weird town like Austin receives them.
Art School Girlfriend
If you’re looking for a darker sound and fat 808’s, Art School Girlfriend will be up your alley. Produced by Paul Epworth, whose credits range from The Horrors to Glass Animals, multi-instrumentalist Polly aka Art School Girlfriend’s twilight pop will definitely captivate you late night. Very Interested in how she will bring it to life on stage.
Crumb
Lo-fi indie-pop with jazz leanings. They have some really high streams and have yet to release a full length album. They are Brooklyn-based with a strong presence in Boston. It’s got the perfect vibes to chill you out in Tejas.
Talos
The Dublin-based musician has reached severe hype status with the release of his 2018 single, “See Me.” It’s a blend of downbeat pop, with a heavy earwig factor from his sweet voice. His support on tour with Editors and Peter, Bjorn & John has helped solidify him as the potentially next big artist out of the UK.
Let’s shift gears now and focus on the Musica Indie contingency brought to you by guest correspondents Junf & Borchi:
Amaru Tribe
Our first stop is with Amaru Tribe from Australia. It's amazing to think that a band is proposing avant-garde Latin music from such a distant continent. Following the influence of fellow Australians such as the multicultural band Cat Empire and the cumbia digital producers Cumbia Cosmonauts, Amaru Tribe make pop songs in the Sotomayor style on songs like ”El Girasol" referring to bombazos with an afrobeat groove.
From the distant to the local, we head to the United States.
XIXA
XIXA, native of Tucson, Arizona, create a fusion of the Peruvian chicha (cumbia psychedelia), which has been a leading movement in the U.S Southwest, with the intrinsically Mexican Cumbia Sonidera that accents their nod to the Latino community in the U.S. and their nostalgia for their homelands.
Made up of Colombian immigrants, and New York-based, Combo Chimbita, are a collective of unstoppable musicians who have cornered the Latin music scene in the Big Apple. The afrofuturism and the riffs of guitars is the identity of this project. Seeing Combo Chimbita, “En Vivo,” is a must! But be ready to be triggered to dance.
Pehuenche
Pehuenche represents another litter of avant-garde artists, who go more for the post-bolero singer-songwriter approach rather than catchy pop. In his last single “Delirio,” the sweetness of his voice contrasts with the smooth walk of a rhythmic maraca and gives him the credentials of being in the same lineup with artists such as Augusto Bracho or Jorge Drexler.
We know this is a lot. But SXSW IS A LOT. So remember to hydrate, keep an open mind about which new sounds you soak up, and always, always, wear comfortable shoes. See you in Tejas! And, if you’re not out in Austin, no worries! Check out these tracks anyway, as we think these are the artists to watch out for this year.