A Speed Dating Sampler of All 69 Virtual SXSW Music Showcases
The sun always shines on TV
By Kevin Curtin, Fri., March 12, 2021
Tuesday, March 16
Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation
CHANNEL 2, 12:30-1pm
SXSW Music's opening ceremony unfolds with classical artist Dasom Baek, looper of metal bowls, dripping water, and bamboo flutes. Later, Seoul's Jambinai soars heavy post-rock with trad instruments like the geomungo.
ÅÄÖ ... Sounds Swedish
CHANNEL 2, 3:30-4pm
In Swedish, ÅÄÖ sounds roughly like "oh," "eh," and "uuh." Gothenburg showcaser Mimi Bay sounds like a diary set to ukulele and Stockholm's Vero proffers laid-back hip-hop with a strong pen.
British Music Embassy
CHANNEL 1, 5-6pm
SX's UK HQ launches with singer Connie Constance, specializing in multidimensional pop, alt R&B, and rock. Brit trio PVA makes danceable, synthesizer-loving, lightly industrial No Wave with dream vocals from Ella Harris.
EQ Austin Presents: KUTX the Breaks
CHANNEL 2, 5-6pm
Community hip-hop and R&B cultivators proffer beatmaker/composer/Black Pumas keyman JaRon Marshall; the wise, aggressive, impassioned raps of J Soulja; and bold and thoughtful lyricist Mama Duke.
Sounds From Spain
CHANNEL 4, 5-6pm
Belako's fervent Basque Country post-punk spearheads irresistible vox from Cristina Lizarraga, while Alien Tango sings bombastic surrealist pop and Candeleros dubs Afro-Caribbean cumbia.
British Music Embassy
CHANNEL 1, 6-7pm
Aside from Walt Disco, Adam Ant-ish with accentuated frilliness, this BME gets loud: calloused hands punk'n'roll by Chubby & the Gang, Sub Pop pummelers TV Priest, and Lia Metcalfe's razor vocals leading the Mysterines.
The Legendary S.O.B.'s
CHANNEL 2, 6-7pm
Manhattan music hub trends alt hip-hop with the serious revelations of H.E.R. songwriting partner Lonr and budding "Crush" Souly Had.
Carefree Black Girl
CHANNEL 1, 7-8pm
Platform, podcast, and empowerment movement CFBG finds its sound with tuneful pop and world-beat artist Demi Grace, royal ATL duo the Queendom, and powerhouse rapper Quanna.
Dedstrange
CHANNEL 2, 7-8pm
New label from NYC decibel pusher Oliver Ackermann showcases his A Place to Bury Strangers and No Age's Randy Randall playing shoegaze guitar in an unusual setting.
AfroFuture Sounds
CHANNEL 4, 7-8pm
Johannesburg folk/electronic pop singer/guitarist Bongeziwe Mabandla intones through pure, honest pipes in the isiXhosa language. Meanwhile, BBC's Remi Burgz hosts a pan-African party spotlighting London's Loshh and their remarkable new Ífaradá EP.
Seitrack
CHANNEL 1, 8-9pm
Mexican singer/actress Ximena Sariñana, Monterrey electro-funk staple Kinky, and alt-rock giants DLD.
Jazz re:freshed Outernational
CHANNEL 2, 8-9pm
UK jazz lions inhabit the hallowed Abbey Road studios, with supreme tubist Theon Cross bringing low-end heat, and drum genius Richard Spaven.
Luminelle Recordings
CHANNEL 2, 9:30-10pm
This joint label from Gorilla vs. Bear and Fat Possum reps L.A.'s cybernetic synth duo Magdalena Bay and the atmospherically dense emotionality of Couch Prints.
Wednesday, March 17
Mercury KX
CHANNEL 2, 12:30–1pm
Iconic London imprint's streak of pre-keynote sets kick-starts with meditations from Berlin cellist/pianist Sebastian Plano.
New Dutch Wave
CHANNEL 2, 3:30–4pm
Via Amsterdam: Turkish psych-folk breakouts Altn Gün join alt-rock explorer Nana Adjoa.
British Music Embassy
CHANNEL 1, 5-6pm
Clean guitars infuse Porij's collegiate funkiness, Phoebe Green inclines into indie-pop, and Tayo Sound handcrafts memorable breakup songs. MVP: Ego Ella May's dazzling neo soul.
Black Fret
CHANNEL 2, 5-6pm
ATX music patrons present ingenious songman PR Newman, dynamic pop force Sydney Wright, soul talent Eimaral Sol, and psych soloist Buffalo Hunt.
La Buena Fortuna
CHANNEL 4, 5-6pm
Puerto Rican major label drips roster stars including Madrid standout Travis Birds and lo-fi trap comer Enyel C.
British Music Embassy/Output Belfast
CHANNEL 1, 6-7pm
Ed Sheeran acoustic pop ilk, Belfast's Ryan McMullan boasts a magnificent voice.
The Legendary S.O.B.'s Latinx Night 1
CHANNEL 2, 6-7pm
Jersey's JFab & Paola Fabre load up on vocal chemistry via upbeat Dominican sounds. Uruguay cumbia pop breakout Rombai also manifests.
Digital Love
CHANNEL 1, 7-8pm
Mississippi's Akeem Ali drops street-pop sensibilities and ladies' man mystic: "Keemy Casanova." This Southern gathering also calls up sexually literate lyricist Renni Rucci and Nineties-style R&B Atlantan Kissie Lee.
Flipped Coin Korea
CHANNEL 2, 7-8pm
Visually striking Korean showcase peaks with drone family band Tengger: mom Itta on harmonium and wind toys, dad Marqido on synths, and child Raai interpretive dancing.
End of Trail Collective/Fierce Panda
CHANNEL 4, 7-8pm
Elegant alt R&B from Caiine leads a ranging assembly of emergent UK talent including loud guitar'n'drums duo Scrounge and croony art popper Enjoyable Listens.
Mint Talent Group
CHANNEL 1, 8-9pm
Southern sounds: New Madrid's indie rock, Cordovas' hippie country, Rev. Peyton's slide'n'stomp, and Great Peacock's heartland harvest. Moziah's arty vocal pop stands out.
Move Music Forward
CHANNEL 2, 8-9pm
Yung Baby Tate, whose uplifting "I Am" cracked off on TikTok, paints rainbows on ATL rap.
Sounds Australia
CHANNEL 2, 9-10pm
Aboriginal artist Baker Boy's high-spirited hip-hop dishes in both English and Yolŋu Matha. Sydney psych upstarts the Lazy Eyes and Hachiku's compelling bedroom dream-pop compel.
Thursday, March 18
Mercury KX
CHANNEL 2, noon-12:30pm
Day three musical ribbon cutting with atmospheric piano composer Sophie Hutchings.
Third Culture
CHANNEL 2, 3-3:30pm
From Chennai, India, Jbabe beckons with sensual slacker indie-pop, while Mumbai's Kayan floats freely in contemplative R&B.
British Music Embassy
CHANNEL 1, 5-6pm
Hampshire's Drug Store Romeos strike an innocent chord with Sarah Downey's soft voice falling over analog blipping, while Olivia Dean's songcraft resounds young yet knowing. Top draw: boyish Finn Askew – comparable to a well-adjusted Post Malone.
Black Fret/EQ Austin
CHANNEL 2, 5-6pm
Austin culture filter: abstract hip-hop (Mike Melinoe), synthy cumbia (Como Las Movies), and life-dissecting folk (BettySoo).
Ireland Music Week
CHANNEL 4, 5-6pm
Dublin's eternal song wellspring overflows with the lyrically cutting Ailbhe Reddy and Pillow Queens playing melodic rock with noisy guitars.
British Music Embassy
CHANNEL 1, 6-7pm
Black Country, New Road improves on the wild compositional impulses of countrymen Black Midi with post-everything angularity, free spazz freakouts, countermelodies, and mnemonic lyrics.
Taiwan Beats
CHANNEL 2, March 6-7pm & XR at Mohawk
Taiwanese set features melodic punks Fire Ex. on a factory floor, folk-rock ensemble the Chairs playing alongside an indoor shrimp pool, electro-poppers NekoJam bouncing inside a beautiful temple, and queer indie-pop favorite Enno Cheng singing in a mountainside meadow.
Focus Wales
CHANNEL 1, 7-8pm
Welsh still gets spoken and sung by Carmarthen indie band Adwaith, while Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard struts modern classic rock and Rosehip Teahouse lilts in-your-head indie.
La Sacred Mountain
CHANNEL 2, 7-8pm
Thematic M for Montreal and Brooklyn Vegan collab commingles Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain, Quebec's Mount Royal, and pandemic imagery. Conceptual insight: art rockers Choses Sauvages, Jasamine White-Gluz of shoegazers No Joy, Japanese psychers Teke::Teke, and electro-pop duo Paupière.
Brazilian Bio.Sound
CHANNEL 4, 7-8pm
Basement bossa nova breakout: Jovem Dionisio's "Pontos de Exclamação." Folk caress from Dingo Bells, Tuyo's quality pop, and groovers Luísa e os Alquimistas also represent Earth's fifth-largest country.
Devil in the Woods
CHANNEL 4, 8-9pm
Mexico City rock label hosts lovable garage favorites Los Blenders, outstanding heavy mujeres Ruido Rosa, and alt project Petite Amie, led by Little Jesus bassist Carlos Medina.
The Close Encounter Club
CHANNEL 2, 8-9pm
Ultra buzzy British post-punk/pop/trip-hop duo Sorry beams down alongside dream-pop evolutionists Babeheaven and the harmony-rich sound of Weird Milk for a highly anticipated stream.
Sounds Australia
CHANNEL 2, 9-10pm
Young, rowdy, hilarious punk trio the Chats of cigarette-break anthem "Smoko" contrast with swaying soul from the vibrant Kee'ahn.
Friday, March 19
Mercury KX
CHANNEL 2, Fri., March 19, 12-12:30pm
Hamburg composer Lambert dons a horned Sardinian mask and plays grand piano.
Music Finland
CHANNEL 2, Fri., March 19, 3:30-4pm
Nordic accordion and Siberian throat singing differentiate Antti Paalanen, but look also for pop charting powerhouse Alma and deep house DJ Yotto.
British Music Embassy w/ ATC Live
CHANNEL 1, 5-6pm
High-octane Rough Trade rockers the Goa Express exhibit a touch of Iggy Pop in sharing a diverse bill with "TNT" rapper/singer Nayana Iz, high-voiced country/pop/indie singer Katy J Pearson, and emotionally overwhelming art singer Anna B Savage.
Hotel Free TV
CHANNEL 2, 5-6pm
LSD online: Holy Wave's driving, flower-picking, atmosphere-warping psych. Also streaming: Sasha & the Valentines' romantic surf and glammy art-punk duo Lord Friday the 13th.
Wide Days
CHANNEL 4, 5-6pm
Aaron Smith reminds us of Hozier, while fellow Scots Dead Pony, fronted by Anna Shields, dial in post-grunge alternative.
British Music Embassy
CHANNEL 1, 6-7pm
Mathy, propulsive, profound live wire Squid represents modern UK post-punk's originality, and Leeds band Yard Act resembles a less dire Fontaines D.C. behind enrapturing talk-singer James Smith. Do Nothing also employs striking vocals while edging into melody and delay pedals.
Damnably
CHANNEL 2, 6-7pm
Hardly feels like SXSW until Otoboke Beaver's guitarist crowd surfs atop your head. The Japanese punk ladies appear virtually, alas, with DGAF Korean skate punks Drinking Boys & Girls Choir and heartfelt Indonesia indie rockers Grrrl Gang.
Park the Van
CHANNEL 1, 7-8pm
Cali label parallel parks BOYO's one-man lab of insanely catchy bedroom psych-pop and Neighbor Lady, an indie band with classic country bloodlines.
Therapy Presents: The Island Stage
CHANNEL 2, 7-8pm
Caribbean tomorrow: Rising roots and reggae singer Mortimer crosses a gritty voice with smooth delivery, fellow Jamaican Tessellated hits with "I Learnt Some Jazz Today," and Kalpee modernizes Trinidad and Tobago's "chilled calypso."
Kosha Dillz Presents: Oy Vey
CHANNEL 4, 7-8pm
NYC's hardest-working rapper recently freestyled in a blizzard and welcomed a Holocaust survivor on the Clubhouse app. The SX mainstay shows in pop artists Novi and Camryn.
Marca Unica
CHANNEL 1, 8-9pm
Debut SXSW música regional Mexicana showcase includes Houston youngsters Ascenso Recio, who manhandle acoustic instruments, sing en español, and enjoy semiautomatic weapons and big trucks.
Tokyo Sessions
CHANNEL 2, 8-9pm
A Japanese Gorillaz, Millennium Parade inhabits a multimedia universe and populates a grandiose live ensemble led by King Gnu's Daiki Tsuneta.
Sounds Australia
CHANNEL 2, 9-10pm
Aussie rap quartet No Money Enterprise hit globally with "German." Sydney's Hauskey thrives on bouncy, brainy, bedroom bops. Indigo Sparke thrives on subtle vocal dynamics.
Saturday, March 20
Nine Mile Records & Touring
CHANNEL 2, 11am-12pm
Primo Austin roster unlocks pandemic-shuttered Continental Club. The Deer's earthy indie folk casts shadows, the Greyhounds bust deep, grooved R&B, Carson McHone plucks exceptional acousticana, and Kevin Galloway plugs in soulful Southern roots rock.
Northern Expo
CHANNEL 2, noon-12:30pm
Incredible visuals accompany this arctic adventure: Sámi language singers Ozas on a snowy city street, Oter rapping in a car, I See Rivers strumming in a mountain gondola, and punk band Heave Blood & Die on an icy rooftop.
Mercury KX
CHANNEL 2, 12:30-1pm
Australian mood-driven composer and pianist Luke Howard rings in the weekend.
The Graham Fam
CHANNEL 2, 2-2:30pm
Smoker's voice, poet's mind: Austin legend Jon Dee Graham (True Believers/Skunks) and son William Harries Graham open their songbooks.
NPR Tiny Desk
CHANNEL 2, 3-4pm
Bob Boilen's intimate workspace concert series tapes a SXSW special.
British Music Embassy w/ UK Sounds
CHANNEL 1, 5-6pm
Harmony duo Ider writes Taylor Swift-level pop, and fellow Londoner Afronaut Zu lays big island vocals over UK garage tracks.
Roskilde Festival
CHANNEL 2, 5-6pm
Coastal Danish town with a Viking history and music festival presents a homegrown lineup including cold-hearted punks Iceage and composer Astrid Sonne, whose work touches choral, electronic, and ambient.
Heard Presents
CHANNEL 4, 5-6pm
Downtown promoters host Austin faves at Empire Garage: interplanetary Afro-disco carnival Golden Dawn Arkestra, vocally exquisite R&B pulse Sir Woman, garage-blues institution Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, and rock/soul spectacle Nané.
Yamaha Guitars & BGS Present
CHANNEL 1, 6-7pm
"Garage country" Aubrie Sellers, daughter of Lee Ann Womack, debuts collaboration with Anti- signed singer- songwriter Jade Jackson.
AOMG/BeatBites
CHANNEL 2, 6-7pm
Korean hip-hop via the Jay Park-founded AOMG label loads young talent like DeVita, an R&B/rap artist with a serious singsong flow and lyrical weaponry. More Seoul scene: hit MCs Woo and Loco, soul upstart Sogumm, and K-hop veteran DJ Wegun.
The Legendary S.O.B.'s Latinx Night 2
CHANNEL 1, 7-8pm
Born in Argentina, raised in Spain, Latin trap provocateur Nathy Peluso offers a bold, unique, undeniable artistic vision.
Pagal Haima
CHANNEL 2, 7-7:30pm
New Dehli label transmits melodic rock quintet F16s and seer-songwriter Rounak Maiti.
New Zealand Music Commission
CHANNEL 4, 7-8pm
Kiwi sisters Purple Pilgrims, rostered on cult label Flying Nun, layer languid melodies and highly enunciated Nico vox. Accomplished siren Nadia Reid and super hype rapper Chaii also cross the virtual equator.
Warner
CHANNEL 2, 7:30-8pm
Panama's Sofía Valdés blends voice, writing, and pop into the organic and timeless, while sleek Scottish song machine ONR had Nile Rodgers guest on his "Kill TV."
Coatai Music/Crater Monde/China Gathering
CHANNEL 1, 8-9pm
Relentless Beijing experimenter Yan Jun performances include electronics, noise, and body movements. Electric Cherry and Fake Gentle lean livetronica.
Latin Heat x Criteria Entertainment
CHANNEL 2, 8-9pm
Ranging Latin lineup: big banging pop from Miami's Samantha Sanchez, prolific Colombian rapper Nanpa Básico, and dramatic Chilean American hitmaker Francisca Valenzuela.
Sound Talent Group
CHANNEL 2, 9-9:30pm
Youthful Japanese auteur Vaundy crosses paths with intense rap/rock/pop synthesist Haru Nemuri for an exciting showcase.