With SXSW Online 2021 only days away, it’s time to celebrate the local artists who keep Austin well represented in the music showcase schedule. Due to the restrictions of the online format, there are 280 artists on the roster, 32 of which hail from the 512. And while each artist will get limited time due to the condensed showcase, it will be a great opportunity to take in a wide variety of music in a small amount of time. As I do every year, here are my Top 10 must-see Austin artists at SXSW Online 2021. But first, some notes!
- As usual, I only include new-to-me artists. Artists who I’ve covered on previous SXSW Music Festival lists (Blushing, John Dee Graham, Mama Duke), written full articles on (Ray Prim. The Deer, Ley Line), or covered extensively (Carson McHone, Golden Dawn, Ley Line, Sir Woman, Sydney Wright) aren’t eligible. New talent only!
- This list is in ALPHABETICAL ORDER! We love all of these artists equally.
- Click here for my yearly Spotify playlist featuring songs from every musician on the list. NOTE: A few of the songs on the below playlist are explicit.
Enjoy the list!
–> Read more: “Everything You Need to Know About the Music Side of SXSW Online 2021”
1/ American Dreamer
A hypnotic blend of folk guitar, souring strings, and stirring three part harmonies, the lad and ladies of American Dreamer are world class. Their latest single, “Trouble Ground” is a haunting gypsy tune dripping with tension sourced from stabbing cello and an urgent, ever-present bass bump. Add to the mix a heart for music education and connecting with the local community, you have a band worth following and falling in love with.
Recommended Tracks: “Troubled Ground“, “Little Bird“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Wednesday, March 17 @ 8:00 PM
2/ Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Irreverent, raucous, and bursting with soulful blues, the aggressively groove laden sounds of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are undeniable earworms. Tunes like their snarling to-the-point blues anthem “B**ch, I Love You” and the Clarence Carter jump and jive of “Black Snake” grab your ear with a pair of pliers and refuse to let go. Their latest single, “Five Dollars” layers Lewis’ throaty rasp atop a boogie woogie outlaw country jam. An undeniable blast of rebellious blues brilliance.
Recommended Tracks: “B**ch, I Love You“, “Sugarfoot“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Saturday, March 20 @ 5:00 PM
3/ Chief Cleopatra
If anybody on this list is destined for a rapid Black Pumas-esque popularity spike, it’s Chief Cleopatra. She captures everything Austinites love in their music. Mind bending groove and soaring vocal ability layered with a heavy helping of guitar driven snarl and creep. “Gangsta’s In Love” captures this aesthetic in a beautifully brooding love story while “Belushi” lush funk bass line propels Ms. Cleopatra’s urgent, soulful calls for a revolution. Looking forward to more amazing music from a love-at-first-listen artist.
Recommended Tracks: “Belushi“, “Gangstas in Love“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Friday, March 19 @ 5:00 PM
4/ Holy Wave
Maybe it’s my longing for the return of Levitation Fest or the desire to mentally float away, but Holy Wave’s psychedelic space rock gives me all the right feels. From their celebrated heard trip classic “Do You Feel It” to the upbeat “I’m Not Living in the Past Anymore”, Holy Wave’s range and reach are something to be marveled at. If you dig the Black Angels, Bright Light Social Hour’s most recent work, or dense, trippy soundscapes, welcome to your new favorite band.
Recommended Tracks: “I’m Not Living in the Past Anymore“, “Adult Fear“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Friday, March 19 @ 5:00 PM
5/ Jake Lloyd
Every year, I make painful cuts from this list. But all it takes is one song to propel a bubble band from the just missed pile to the final 15. This year, Jake Lloyd was that artist and “The Pass” was that song. Sparse with southern acoustic guitar and a simple, punchy beat, Lloyd tells the lyrically dense story of a drug deal gone awry plucked from an episode of Breaking Bad. An intensely talented wordsmith that blends R&B sensibilities with traditional hip hop production, Jake Lloyd remains one of the vanguards of our rapidly expanding hip hop community.
Recommended Tracks: “The Pass”, “Crossroading“, “Str8nge Frute“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Thursday, March 18 @ 5:00 PM
6/ Lord Friday the 13th
The joy of doing this series is discovering the next new thing. Enter Lord Friday the 13th, a brother/sister glam punk band who succeeds on the strength of their pure force of will. While their early work focused on coy Velvet Underground fast food fare (“Big Mac”, “Sally Needs a Salad”), they are evolving exponentially. Their latest single, “Biogots Beware”, is a blistering cry of DIY rage that would feel at home on a CBGB’s stage opposite The New York Dolls. Excited to see where this teenage tandem ends up next.
Recommended Tracks: “Bigots Beware“, “Sally Wants a Salad“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Friday, March 19 @ 5:00 PM
7/ Mike Melinoe
Austin hip hop is in the midst of a long overdue renaissance. “Affection’s” bumping club thump bangs like an early Kid Cudi jam while “Tesla” features Melinoe lacing tight lyrics atop a minimalistic drone beat. Bonus points for writing a love letter to an electric car. In a SXSW showcasing some of Austin’s finest MC’s, Melinoe separates from the pack on the strength of his tight multi-faceted flow and expressive production.
Recommended Tracks: “Costco“, “Cyclones“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Thursday, March 18 @ 5:00 PM
8/ Nané
Tough to pin down, impossible to turn off, Nané continues to be one of Austin’s most interesting and eclectic bands. Nailing down Nané’s core sound is an exercise in futility. Their most popular tune, “Always On My Mind” bops like a McCartney single while “Blue Velvet” inspires comparisons to Santana and my beloved Superfónicos. Then we handbrake into “Ladybird”, a laid back soul jam and you have a candy dish of sounds and styles. And somehow, their self titled debut record works as a cohesive album as opposed to a compilation. Remarkable work by a remarkable band.
Recommended Tracks: “Blue Velvet“, “Always On My Mind“
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Saturday, March 20 @ 5:00 PM
9/ Sasha and the Valentines
Spacey yet dreamy with just the right amount of rhythm and bounce, Sasha and the Valentines continue Austin’s reputation of churning out quality indie rock. Their latest single, “Flower”, is a bright and resplendent pop tune that glows like a summer day while “Witches” turns down the tempo, allowing Sarah Addi’s vocals to swim amongst staccato keys and hazy atmospherics. Textured earworms carefully crafted to astonishing, inspiring effect.
Recommended Tracks: “Flower“, “Tears for Mars”
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Friday, March 19 @ 5:00 PM
10/ Van Mary
Taking cues from Courtney Love and Shirley Manson, Van Mary’s 90’s era emo sound drips with honest ennui. Frontwoman Emily Whetstone’s writing style is sharp and specific, creating natural connections to her emotionally bare material. Their latest track, “Hug”, examines the mundane minutia of a life stuck indoors and the little pre-pandemic pleasures we took for granted while “Dead” stings of angsty venom. Polished songwriting cased in delightfully un-polished music is just the sort of DIY sound I’m always here for.
Recommended Tracks: “New Mexico“, “Dead“, “Hug”
SXSW Online 2021 Showcase: Friday, March 19 @ 5:00 PM
@BillTuckerTSP wants to know:
Gearing up for SXSW Online 2021? Who are you looking forward to checking out?
Hundreds of more talented in town but this does keep in line the what a major writer once said about Austin, “A well protected mediocrity”.
Thanks for the comment, Bob! While I’m not sure what “well protected mediocrity” means, I would agree there are a varying levels of quality in Austin, as in any music city. Honestly, I stand behind all of the artists in this list, but to your mind, who are the top tier? Looking forward to your response!