7 artists to be on the lookout for at this year’s SXSW
Sprints
Sprints come from the same Dublin music scene that gave us Fontaines DC, but that’s where the similarities end. Sprints is a more direct band, influenced by Fugazi and PJ Harvey for a sound that’s punk in spirit and invigorating in its power. It’s centered around singer/guitarist Karla Chubb, a real force of nature.
In January, Sprints released Letter To Self, its debut album. Like its punk forbears, the band tackles big topics like misogyny, homophobia, and self-destruction with an angry energy. But Karla Chubb is quick to point out that anger isn’t necessarily bad. It can mean you’re standing up for something you believe in. And with its dynamic energy, Sprints is a band that we can believe in.
Catch Sprints live at Scholz Garten on Wednesday, March 13th at 9 a.m.
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Kassa Overall
Kassa Overall has the jazz chops: he studied at Oberlin, was a gigging musician in New York, and had a stint as the drummer in Jon Batiste’s band on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. But it’s Kassa’s combination of jazz with hip-hop production that sets him apart. He’s trying to bring more absurdity to the jazz world.
The past decade has seen artists like Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus combine jazz and hip-hop in interesting ways, and Kassa Overall is pushing the boundaries further. On his 2023 album Animals, he cites everyone from John Coltrane to Radiohead and Björk as musical influences. The album title refers to how we can treat one another like animals, and he’s not afraid to dive into his own struggles with mental health. But through his example, Kassa Overall is a unifier—of different people and different music.
Catch Kassa Overall live at Scholz Garten on Thursday, March 14th, at 11 a.m.
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Hermanos Gutiérrez
Brothers Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez grew up in two cultures: Switzerland, where their father is from, and in Ecuador, their mother’s roots. Estevan first picked up the guitar at age nine, learning classical music and Argentinian folk songs. But Alejandro didn’t come to music until his teen years. With his older brother living in Ecuador, Alejandro missed the sound of his guitar-playing and taught himself to play. After reconnecting in Switzerland, the two brothers realized they had something special—a musical bond that doesn’t require any words to understand.
Hermanos Gutiérrez are inspired by visual sources: film scores and desert landscapes. They even took a road trip through Death Valley and the Mojave Desert a few years after teaming up, and it confirmed that their music comes naturally from this place, despite growing up thousands of miles away. The duo has released six albums in six years, working with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys as a producer on their most recent release. Album number seven is due out this summer—just in time to soundtrack another road trip through the desert of the mind.
Catch Hermanos Gutiérrez live at Stubb’s on Friday, March 15th, at 9:30 p.m.
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DAIISTAR
Austin psych-rockers DAIISTAR landed on our radar last year with initial singles that led up to the righteously-entitled debut album Good Time. Produced by Black Angels frontman Alex Maas and engineered by White Denim’s James Petralli, Good Time came out on the influential London label Fuzz Club. Tours with the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre followed as the band’s, um, “star” continues to rise.
In an era when a lot of new bands don’t even have a guitar player, DAIISTAR is a bit of a throwback, making music that dates back to the time of Austin’s psychedelic pioneers Thirteenth Floor Elevators. The quartet – KUTX’s Artist Of The Month last October – isn’t merely a revival band as evidenced by the way their songs have grown and evolved when performed onstage.
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Angélica Garcia
Angélica Garcia grew up in L.A., surrounded by her Mexican-Salvadoran heritage. Her mother, aunt, and uncle all sang Mexican folk songs at family gatherings and in clubs around town. Garcia moved to Virginia with her family at a young age and soon embraced the country music of her new surroundings. But after exploring this sound on her debut album, Garcia got more interested in her own roots. She left her major label and went independent, started singing in Spanish again, and embraced more of a pop sound.
For a lot of Austinites, Angélica Garcia first introduced herself as a guest singer. She took a star turn on Adrian Quesada’s 2022 album Boleros Psicodelicos. Garcia’s third solo album is out later this year, and if the first few tastes are any indication, it’ll dive even deeper into her love of roots—from America, Mexico, El Salvador, and beyond.
Catch Angélica Garcia live at Scholz Garten on Wednesday, March 13th at 8 a.m.
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Mike Melinoe
Born in Detroit, Mike Melinoe first came to Austin in 2014 for SXSW. He moved here for good in 2016, but Austin was tough—he experienced homelessness for a time and had to rebuild from scratch with no family around him. But now, Melinoe has turned these struggles into a hip-hop career that’s just starting to blossom.
Mike Melinoe’s most recent album, STRCHLD, was released last year. It’s a blend of rap and R&B with a dark edge—fitting, since Melinoe took his name from the Greek goddess of nightmares. In addition to his considerable musical talents, his artistry extends into painting, design, fashion, and modeling, while also finding time to direct his own music videos. And now, he’s a father, putting down roots in his adopted hometown.
Catch Mike Melinoe at our SXSBreaks showcase on Wednesday, March 13th.
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Cactus Lee
Cactus Lee isn’t an individual but an Austin-based Americana project fronted by Kevin Dehan. Born in Houston, he moved to the capital of Texas in 1987 and has been playing Austin clubs since he was a teenager. His family includes relatives who played in the symphony and choir, but Dehan’s music owes more to Austin music legends like Marcia Ball, Doug Sahm, and Jerry Jeff Walker.
Cactus Lee’s new album, Caravan, finds the group expanding its sonic palette following four albums and 2022’s mini album Perfect Middle Hall. Their music taps into the city’s cosmic country history, making them regulars at Austin’s honky-tonks and dive bars. Touring is on the agenda for April, but not before a SXSW showcase ups their profile.
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