OUR CRITICS’ PICKS FOR THE BEST SXSW MUSIC
o much music! It started well before official South by Southwest showcases, during the first weekend of the SXSW Conference. The official music festival and its showcases really kick into gear — or go to 11 — Tuesday. Here are some top picks from our Austin360 team.
TUESDAY
7 p.m. (Maggie Mae’s Rooftop): The Chicago rapper who’s graced Chance’s tracks unleashed an understated, R&B/ rap flow dripping with barely contained emotion on her debut mixtape, “Telefone,” one of the best hip-hop releases of 2016.
8:30 p.m. (The Gatsby): The British psych specialists blast into the fest with “Volcano,” a soaring new platter that explodes with buoyant pop melodies.
9 p.m. (Levi’s Outpost): The Bon Iver, Chance the Rapper and Kanye West collaborator smoothly drifts from electro-grinder pop to haunted forest R&B on his latest, “Farewell, Starlite,” but it’s his take on “Dear Theodosia” on “The Hamilton Mixtape” that sold us.
10 p.m. (Empire Control Room): The frequent Kendrick Lamar collaborator is as comfortable belting out punchy dance music as she is spinning airy loops that drift over ethereal downtempo grooves. 11:30 p.m.
(ACL Live): After a detour into dreamy Brazilian sounds on their last release, the DC collective brings back their fiery blend of hip-hop, dancehall and electronica to chant down Babylon on new album “The Temple of I & I.”
12:45 p.m. (ACL Live): OK, here’s the deal. WuTang Clan is still nothing to (expletive) with, but these days, they’re also not a sure shot. You never know which Wus will show, but if you’re already here, give it a go. It might be epic.
WEDNESDAY
8:30 p.m. (Empire): Her velvety voice cascades over swirly electronics that ebb and flow, often occupying a vaguely menacing, “Twin Peaks”-esque dreamscape.
8:45 p.m. (Monster Outbreak Energy House): The Palm Beach rapper brings those syrupy Southern rhymes we’ve been missing since Outkast hung it up. Stick around for Deniro Farrar at 9:25.
10 p.m.
(Half Step): With rock solid grooves and swagger for days, this Japanese 10-piece churns out delirious Latin/ska mashups.
10:20 p.m. (Stubb’s): One of the best live performers at the fest, the goddess-channeling Minneapolis rapper will make you feel “Good as Hell.”
11 p.m. (Coppertank): “A Seat at the Table” with a magnificent meditation on the indignities of racism, an ode to healing and self-care that arrived at exactly the right moment in history.
12:40 (Ibiza): The L.A. duo’s rock-fueled R&B fever dreams fill the space between Toronto’s gloomy R&B kingpin and West Coast funk.
1 a.m. (Empire Garage): “Atrocity Exhibition” is a psycho-funk, head trip of a hip-hop album that sounds like nothing else.
THURSDAY
7:20 p.m. (Auditorium Shores): The perfect choice for a “music of resistance” showcase, the L.A. collective, who were once arrested (and quickly acquitted) for taking the party to streets during SXSW, have been raging against injustice with their electrifying mix of hip-hop rock and Latin sounds for over 20 years.
8:30 p.m. (the Gatsby): Propelled by a rapid, rhythmic flow and a knack for catchy hooks that work well over everything from skittering electronic beats to breezy pop and futuristic R&B, the Zimbabweborn, Australia-based artist is making waves around the world.
9:30 p.m. (Cedar Street): A wistful crooner who releases his heart-on-sleeve melodies over sparse, reverb-laced grooves.
10:30 p.m. (Cedar St. Courtyard): Their latest, “Freedom Is Free,” is a glorious psych soul outcry.
11:30 p.m. (Trinity Hall at Old School): We are obligated to tell you that this showcase features most of J.Cole’s Dreamville Records roster with no one in the headline spot.
Midnight. (Cheer Up Charlie’s): Glittery, genderbending pop punk? Yes please.
1:05 a.m. (Barracuda Backyard): The “Black Girl Soldier” is an acclaimed Chicago artist whose soulful sounds soundtrack the new web series “Brown Girls.”
FRIDAY
7 p.m.
(Auditorium Shores): The beating heart of Austin hip-hop, the husband/wife team spins magic every time they hit the stage. 8:40 p.m.
(Palm Door): The entire ContraBanned: #MusicUnites showcase, featuring artists from countries affected by President Donald Trump’s travel ban, is worth checking out, but make sure to show up early enough to catch this Iranian singer’s enchanting trance music.
9 p.m.
(Auditorium Shores): Rapper Wyclef Jean and original members of Prince’s band, the Revolution, pay tribute to the Minneapolis icon. If we’re lucky one of the special guests will be Lizzo, who destroyed a cover of the “Beautiful Ones” at his hometown memorial the day he died.
10 p.m. (Banger’s): Gritty, gutbucket blues delivered with anarchic punk energy.
10:45 p.m. (Coppertank): The, ahem, ladies are “Bad and Boujee,” the dudes are “savage ruthless” and the Atlanta trio’s album “Culture” is one of the best hip-hop joints of the year so far.
11 p.m. (Cheer Up Charlie’s inside): The Ph.D. scholar/rapper nerdy girls have been waiting for.
Midnight. (Banger’s): Unencumbered by any notion of what a rapper or R&B singer should be, D.R.A.M. takes a freewheeling approach, driven by passion and sheer joy. His superpower is making music fun again.
1 a.m. (Russian House): The Cameroonian artist drops a fierce, club bumping mix of hip-hop, pop and Afro-house. Pro-tip: Show up early to catch powerful hip-hop priestesses Oshun, who play at midnight.
SATURDAY
8 p.m. (Half Step): Carlos Santana’s daughter makes sultry R&B surrounded by a smoky haze. 9 p.m.
(800 Congress Ave.): As we go to press, there are no set times, but if it’s anything like last year’s event, if you’re not already in line to see Jidenna, Meth & Red, Shakey Graves and their homies jam with the roots by now, you’re out of luck.
10 p.m. (Mohawk outdoor): A British Grime spitta with a wicked quick fire flow.
11 p.m. (Flamingo Cantina): Hip-hop, cumbia and electro sounds from Colombia.
12:20 a.m. (Mohawk outdoor): He calls his sound “bubblegum trap,” and it might just be the next big thing. 12:50 a.m. (Mohawk outdoor): The dude behind pretty much everyone from 2 Chainz to Beyoncé closing out the fest? Yeah, there will be special guests.