Every year thousands of acts and music fans converge on Austin, TX for one of the largest and most influential music events of the year, the SXSW Music Festival. This year’s fest spans nine days (March 13th-22nd) of interactive arts, film, and of course music with over 2,300 artists performing in 100 venues in downtown Austin.
With such a huge roster of artists there are bound to be some conflicts that will tear attendees in half trying to decide, so we thought it’d be helpful to profile a few sets that you will most certainly regret missing.
1. GRiZ
The Sultan of Sax will be dropping by Austin to give fans a full dosage of the new album. So far we’ve had three singles and they have all been outstanding; unique yet cohesive and oozing with that famous sax. We can’t wait to see what the new album has in store and we know Grant is going to throw down.
Set Time: Wednesday, March 18th. 8:00-8:40. The Gatsby
2. Late Night Radio
Alex Medellin (aka Late Night Radio) released his fourth album the Polaroid EP, last month and we think it’s his best yet. Featuring Kevin Donohue from Sunsquabi on a few tracks, Medellin has managed to make space for himself in the world of electro-soul. We can’t wait to catch him at Paradise Music and Arts Festival in July, but some lucky fans will be able to catch him at SXSW.
Set Time: Friday, March 20th. 12:00AM – 12:50AM. Holy Mountain Backyard
3. ODESZA
Since exploding onto the scene in 2012 with their first EP Summer’s Gone the duo of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight have dominated their realm of electronic-meets-indie in 2014 with their latest album, In Return. Their live performance is also one of a kind, blending two APC40s with live midi drums. The combination of their refreshing album and live show makes one of their four sets a must see.
Set times: Wednesday, March 18 11:00PM – 11:40PM Parish, Friday, March 20 9:10PM – 10:00PM IFC Fairgrounds, Thursday, March 19 12:00AM – 2:00AM Ironwood Hall, Fourth Set TBA
4. RAC
5. Haywyre
6. Liquid Stranger
If it’s Friday night at midnight and you feel that rumbling in your stomach that can only be quenched by some heavy bass and womps, then you’ll want to be at Liquid Stranger. The Swede brings his own unique style of dub that isn’t trying to just create the nastiest sounds possible, he has managed to find the artistry in heavy bass. No small feat and that’s what landed him on our list.
Set Time: Friday, March 20 12:00AM – 12:40AM Holy Mountain
7. Stwo
There’s no one who can deny that the French know their electronic music, and Stwo is no exception to that generalization. The 21 year old only started releasing music in 2013, but has gained traction with his sensual garage bass music. Gorgeous lyrics generally accompany his tunes, like on his remix of Lido’s “Lost” and his remix of Banks’ “Drowning” two of our favorite by him. We haven’t seen his name on a ton of festival rosters so be sure to catch what may be your only opportunity to see Stwo in 2015.
Set Time: Wednesday, March 18. 10:15PM – 10:55PM. Empire Garage
We hope everyone stays safe and has an incredible time in Austin for what we know will be a great week of art. Stay tuned to WRR for more news and features.
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