BitchTapes: SXSW 2017 Wrap-up

SXSW has gotten massive by any metric. Almost a quarter million people flood into Austin to watch more than 2,000 bands play shows over the course of five days. Every square foot of downtown Austin is converted into a concert venue for the span of this week. But the heart of SX is still, and hopefully will always be, discovery. This festival was started as a chance for unsigned artists to showcase before record labls and agents in search of a record deal and a boost in their careers. Now that Kanye and Gaga are known to show up every once in awhile, it can’t really be said South By is the same scrappy, ragtag underdog it was twenty years ago. But I still go every year looking to unearth something new; something worth spreading the word about. Here’s a mix of some of the best new and/or underground artists I saw this week. And, if you want even more discoveries, I worked with NPR Music this week to bring recommendations to the NPR crew. Head over to npr.org/sxsw to explore even more music to love. 

Track List:

1. Annabelle Chairlegs - Watermelon Summer

2. Giungla - Sand

3. Chastity Belt - Time to Go Home

4. Yemen Blues - Jat Mahibathi

5. pronoun - just cuz you can’t 

6. Uyarakq - Standing Rock

7. Lady Lotion - Proud Mary

8. Jackie Venson - Always Free

9. Lexiec - Hide

10. Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Navigator

11. The Shondes - The Garden

12. Miss Ko - 聯歡會

13. RIRI - Yes Be Free

14. Las Kellies - Summer Breeze 

15. Toni Romiti - Imma Dog Too

16. Bonnie Whitmore - Fuck With Sad Girls

17. Moor Mother - KBGK