South by Southwest 2024 is right around the corner and have announced two rounds of showcasing artists, and Off Record is here to steer you in the right direction.
We are less than 50 days away until the start of Austin’s favorite time of the year: South by Southwest. The conference and festival is made up of multiple portions of popular media, including film, television, music, interactive media and comedy. This year, the festival will be taking place from March 8th through 16th in the city of Austin. Multiple announcements have gone out in the past couple of weeks about new keynote speakers (including Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney of the Black Keys, Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert and many more), along with the first two round of showcasing artists set to make an appearance at the SXSW Music Festival portion. Many different genres and artists from all around the world have been featured in the announced rounds, but here are our top music picks you need to watch out for this year.
Winona Forever (from Vancouver, Canada)
Winona Forever is an indie-pop band from Vancouver, known for combining their spicy rock riffs and funky rhythms to create enticing pop tracks. The band formed in 2015 and consists of members Rowan Webster-Shaw (guitar/vocals), Ben Robertson (guitar/vocals), Alex Bingham (drums) and Sam Gray (Bass). Winona Forever’s name is (of course) based on the infamous tattoo Johnny Depp got to honor his then-girlfriend Winona Ryder – the band’s name is catchy, just like their tunes. They’ve toured with artists like the Irons and Sarah & the Sundays, and have released numerous EPs and Singles, as well as their hit album Feelgood.
Hinako Omori (from London, England)
Hinako Omori is a popular up-and-coming Japanese singer based in London. Her unique sound follows a journey that blends together synthesizers and her resonating voice, something that stands out amongst the experimental + electronica genres. Most recently, she released her album titled stillness, softness… which features gut-wrenching tracks like “in limbo,” “epigraph” and “astral.”
Pelvis Wrestley (from Austin, Texas)
Pelvis Wrestley has garnered a huge following in the Austin local music scene with their new take on country and indie fusion. Also known as an Austin supergroup, this queer band consists of members Benjamin Violet, Santiago Dietche (from Daphne Tunes), Sarah Schultz ( from Sun June), Zack Wiggs (from Brody Price), Tommy Cook (from Tombus) and Hannah McVay. Through their high-energy live shows, they always successfully embody their queer + LGBTQ identities with a distinct form of performance art. Their debut album Vortexas Vorever was released in early March of 2023, and have most recently released a brand new single titled “Andy.”
ZHEANI (from Brisbane, Australia)
Zheani is the complete package – an artist with catchy tunes, an aesthetic appearance and a lovable personality. The australian rapper, model and actress screams at her own demons like there is no tomorrow, as heard in works like Satanic Prostitute and The Zheani Sparkes EP. Most recently, Zheani released The Spiritual Meat Grinder, the immaculate follow up to third album I Hate People on the Internet. Her performance is grandioso to say the least, as her shows are the definition of aussie raves filled with aggressive emotion and rage.
maxime. (from Montreal, Canada)
maxime. is a Canadian-based singer, songwriter and music producer who focuses on catchy pop melodies throughout his colorful sounds and distinguished lyrics. On top of releasing two albums, whatevernowiscalled (2019) andcerulean (2020), he released a number of EPs, including two in 2023: mile end (kiss ur friends) and get it together! With each project being sonically different from the last, maxime tends to focus on numerous themes in each track, such as love, coming-of-age and even nostalgia. Add a dash of his experimental charm, and you have yourself an artist that must be on your radar to check out at SXSW.
JUANPALITOSCHINOS (from Mexico City, Mexico)
You read that correctly – Juan-Palitos-Chinos. The Mexico City band consists of duo Friné Alejo and Joan Page, both who work together to create a distinct rock en español sound inspired by 80s funk, japanese pop and indie sounds. The duo resembles the likings of other spanish acts that have attended SXSW in the past, such as Buscabulla, Yo La Tengo, iLe and many more. Juanpalitoschinos brings a fresh, new perspective to the international aspect of the music festival, something all fans should look forward to.
Bathe Alone (from Atlanta, Georgia)
Bathe Alone is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Bailey Crone, also known for works with artists like Girlpuppy. Crone hones in on the aspects of dream-pop and bubblegum-pop sound, bringing together her musical talent to create a sharpened sound that differs from the rest. Bathe Alone has released numerous EPs and one-off singles, such as the desolate track “Archive 81” and the heart-wrenching ode “Call Me Back,” in late 2023. Most recently, Crone has toured with Last Dinosaurs and VACATIONS, and has performed with other well-known artists like beabadoobee and spaceface. Seeing Crone make her first SXSW debut under her own moniker is an astounding goal for a solo artist like herself, and fans will not be disappointed by what she will bring to the stage.
Akira Galaxy (from Los Angeles, California)
Born with a sultry voice and a camera-ready appearance, Akira Galaxy is the definition of underrated. Her sound resembles a dreamlike 90s pop sound of that to The Kills and Blood Red Shoes, with hints of Fleetwood Mac. While she has only officially released three songs to streaming platforms, Galaxy has so much potential in the scene – her cover of “Teardrop” by Massive Attack remains one of the most powerful covers of the track as she powers through intricate instrumentation and brings a fresh take to the track. Akira Galaxy continues to support her breakthrough artistry phase, as she will soon be opening for the Moss for part of their North American Spring tour.
Hot Garbage (from Toronto, Canada)
South by Southwest would be entirely incomplete without the addition of nitty-gritty psych + punk acts. One of this year’s standouts is Hot Garbage, a four-piece band from the streets of Toronto who aimless work at creating a raw psychedelic-rock sound through swirling guitar riffs and up-tempo beats. The band recently released their sophomore album titled Precious Dreams (2024), which has a little bit of something for everyone – promising tones and memorable riffs tied together jaded lyrics. If you are fans of bands like Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop, Pavement or the Pixies, Hot Garbage might just be the perfect band for you.
Bleach Lab (from London, England)
Bleach Lab is on the rise, especially after their release of their second album Lost in a Rush of Emptiness, produced by mega-producer Catherine Marks. The band is known for the atmospheric shoegaze and glimmering melodies, as heard in tracks like “Everything at Once” and “Indigo.” This British four-piece group is definitely bringing something new to the shoegaze scene, as they navigate through lyrical storytelling while creating cinematic-like sounds combined with majestic guitars and twilling rhythms.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
| The Tiarras (from Austin, Texas) | Rawayana (from Caracas, Venezuela) | The Rare Occasions (from Los Angeles, California) |
| Lika Nova (from Bogotá, Columbia) | The Psychotic Monks (from Saint-Ouen, France) | Lo Moon (from Los Angeles, California) |
| Nagasaki Swim (from Rotterdam, Netherlands) | Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys (from Berlin, Germany) | Hinds (from Madrid, Spain) |
| CHAII (from Auckland, New Zealand) | Teethe (from Dallas, Texas) | dust (from Newcastle, Australia) |
| Tokyo Syoki Syodo (from Shimokitazawa, Japan) | Yb. (from Brisbane, Australia) | Chalk (From Belfast, Ireland) |
Keylee is a full-time music journalist/photographer from Houston, Texas. She has received a B.S in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as an M.A in Mass Communications from the University of Houston. As an avid concert-goer and movie fanatic, she aspires to create her own path as a content creator by bonding with others over the power of local music and media. If she isn’t listening to her favorite band Paramore, you’ll catch her hanging out with her brothers or playing with her husky Luna.
