Bursting at the seams with talent and energy, these Austin artists have bright futures as they play their way through the meat grinder that is SXSW.

The Lagoons: Their now-signature blend of synth-pop, jazz, soul and electronica was first heard on their Summer 2016 single ‘California’ and was followed up by their Spring 2017 "Gems EP". These guys define ambient chill-tronica

Los Coast is the brainchild of Trey Privott and John Courtney and is completed by Megan Hartman on bass, Damien Llanes on drumkit, and Nat Wright on keys. Together, their music is a punchy, psych-tinged, lyrical variety of rock and soul.

 Capyac is a surreal dance act made up of one half swamp baby (P. Sugz), one half mechanical trash diva (Potion). Their freakish dance music is as addictive as it is out there.

 Mélat is the eclectic soul of modern RnB. Mélat tells a story that is both challenging and inspiring crafted from her very own life experiences. It is a pure and honest reflection of her soul. From love, lust, success, to failure Mélat sings of what it means to be a human being simply longing to "be".

Annabelle Chairlegs live in a microdose of psychedelia. A cyclone of energy, these guys aren’t out to break down the walls of psych rock, they’re just trying to break down your living room walls. Vocalist and chief songwriter Lindsey Mackin’s surreal set of pipes can whip and growl in a single breath that bites like Janis and floats like Debbie Harry.

Kalu & The Electric Joint: This musical chemistry comes from the bond forged by frontman Kalu James, who emigrated from Nigeria at age 18 to claim Austin as his new home, and guitarist Jonathan “JT” Holt, who adds a touch of American soul to Kalu’s West African heritage.

Hovvdy: Based in Austin, Texas, Hovvdy (pronounced "howdy") is the writing and recording project of Charlie Martin and Will Taylor. Hovvdy has found a unique identity in rhythmic, down-tempo pop songs that are hopeful, yet melancholy; relatable, yet distinguishable.

 GO FEVER is Australian ex-pat Acey Monaro, Jim Campo (keys), Benjamin Burdick (bass), Keith Lough (guitar) and Josh Merry (drums). Their sound evokes all the best music from the second half of the last century, drawing on late 70’s pub rock, new wave, girl groups and rock and roll.

Mr. Kitty: A duo that does Gothtronica mixed with electroclash offers one of the most exhilarating live shows at SXSW. Crystal Castles, HEALTH, and witch house music can all be detected in the melancholic electro-banging of Mr. Kitty

Greyhounds: Anthony Farrell and Andrew Trube are a musical duo that oozes with passion and soul. Combining some Motown vibes with their jazz/soul instrumentation makes these guys one of the most powerful live performances to put on your schedule for SXSW.

Nothing feels better than finding yourself in a crowded room of people who share the exact same passion. The Austin Music Awards and Austin Music Industry Awards are two annual events that serve to honor the accomplishments of both sides of the music industry, but the main purpose is to get everyone under the same roof to share in the rock and roll spirit for at least one night a year. People and businesses like photographers, sound techs, and equipment rental companies, who are usually relegated to the dark alleyways of music industry, finally get some time in the sun at the Industry Awards. While exceptional bands who stand out amongst the thousands of Austin bands get recognized for their various categories. Special guests, local celebrities, and tenured folk heroes all coalesce into a crowd at the AMAs that is no different than an Austin Grammys ceremony. While the Industry Awards are much more scaled down than the AMAs, it makes up for its production deificit with charm and humor. Emcee, Kevin Curtin, was an absolute riot, introducing presenters with gusto, and bombing on as many jokes as he hit. The house band, the former Berkshire Hounds, is led by Jim Campo who curates each intro song to the winner in a comedic way. Businesses like Antones, Mohawk, and South Austin Music accepted their awards in large groups while Michael Corcoran, Trish Connelly, and Katrina Barber and won their singular awards in style. The highlight of the night was Craig Stewart accepting his Music Industry Hall of Fame award with his partner King Coffey. Here is a full list of the winners: https://www.austinchronicle.com/austin-music-awards/year:2017/category:industry-awards/

The AMAs are a much more formal affair than the Industry awards and take place at ACL Live. A variety of artists all took home awards like Trouble in the Streets, Jimmy LaFave, Shinyribs, and many more. Mayor Adler was present to lend his political capital to the Live Music Capital of the World. Individual musicians received awards for their musical technical prowess, while bands like A Giant Dog had more fun with it – i.e. a friend of AGD came out in drag and pretended to be front woman, Sabrina Ellis, by making out with other band members. The best part of the AMAs, as most attendees will tell you, are the performances which run the gamut as far as different genres represented. Yet the main highlight came with Fiona Apple seemingly appearing out of nowhere to perform for the Austin crowd. Here are a list of the AMA winners: http://ama2018.com/2017-winners/

While some might scorn awards ceremonies for the glad-handing and ego-stroking involved, the AMAs and Industry awards feel like community above all else. As institutions that continue to evolve, both awards shows are a necessary glue that serves an annual holiday to keep the extended family of Austin music people cohesive and strong.

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Fiona Apple http://slackerlee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DSC_1063-1.jpg
http://slackerlee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DSC_1055-1.jpg Andy Langer at the AMA
http://slackerlee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DSC_0945-1.jpg Michael Corcoran
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1. Abhi The Nomad

Well-traveled and rhymes on point, Abhi is one of the brighter lights emerging from the underrated Austin hip-hop scene. His lyrical flows are stimulating while his mellow vibes keep his addictive music on a palatable frequency.

2. Magna Carda

Megz Kelli and Dougie Do have been on a mission in Austin to drop invigorating tracks that continue to evolve and progress. Ingenious beats with enviable flows, Magna Carda needs to be witnessed live.

3. Riders Against the Storm

This wife and husband hip-hop duo continue to fuse funk, hip-hop and R&B into inventive and catchy tracks. Politics, race, and activism is on the menu as these two continue to tap into higher consciousness with earworm beats and hook-filled flows.

4. Blackillac

Zeale, Phranchyze, and Gary Clark Jr have created a super group that is straight out of Austin and no gimmicks. The all-star lineup doesn’t disappoint with rapid fire bars and hard-hitting beats.

https://www.facebook.com/blackillac/

5. Blastfamous USA

Austin’s own response to Run The Jewels,Blastfamous USA is a collaboration between Zeale and the production duo NGHT HCKLRS. While they might not be an official SXSW artist, they more than deserve your audience since their aggressive rhymes and beats are bound to turn heads in 2018.

“I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could.”. Raised in Los Angeles – a jazz vocal student at UNC – it wasn’t until moving to Austin that Molly Burch found her audience. Having released her debut album, Please Be Mine, nearly a year ago – Burch already has a record deal, a national audience, and garnered gravitating comparisons to Patsy Cline, Nina Simone, and Billie Holiday. While nostalgia permeates Burch’s romantic melodies, her subtle experimentation on tracks like “Fool” and “Please Be Mine” proves that Burch’s music is contemporary and unique. Keep an eye on Molly as she seduces SXSW crowds this March in Austin.

Culture Wars is coming out of the gate blazing with their debut self-titled EP. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in West Texas, the debut features Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, Artic Monkeys, The Killers) as a featured producer and, the quality control has paid off with their first single “Money (Gimmie, Gimmie),” a track that is as swagger-filled as it is addictive. The leather clad trio are unafraid of incorporating electro elements as the tip of their spear and then fortifying the sound with pounding guitars and soaring vocals. Exhilarating and sonically eruptive, Culture Wars is looking conquer ground in rapid succession and, that begins with a show with the Lagoons on March 1st at Stubbs.

https://stubbsindoor.frontgatetickets.com/event/0gzgcat66ywk6q7s

Pain has different effects on people and for the indie pop quintet, Carry Illinois, they channeled their pain into beautiful music that is as moving as it is accessible. Having lost their original bassist, John Winsor, to suicide in March 2016, the band has managed to persevere on by writing new songs
as part of their coping and mourning. The song “Shameful Feeling” off of their recently released EP ‘Garage Sale’, is a heart-wrenching anthem to waiting for the moral arch to bend towards justice. Lizzy Lehman’s emotive warble and incisive lyrics, show that beauty can spring from some of the ugliest places.

SOBBRS brings R&B croons and electronic soundscapes into the neon world of Jesus A. Acosta, a Mexican singer-songwriter who is unapologetic in his ambition to create massive beats and melodies that manipulate moods. Acosta, who is a regular feature within the Raw Paw artist collective, hooked up with electronic producer, Tropen, to debut a five-track project named Hi-Chroma, which will be out in early 2018. SOBBRS brings acts like Honne and Banks to mind as his pensive and luminescent synths coalesce with emotive vocals for a sleek and sexy sound. Keep an eye on SOBBRS as the hard-working songwriter begins to gather momentum in Austin.

Amy Arani and Delaney Gibson bring electropop to its most captivating and sensory-stimulating with their duo act, Signy. Evoking shades of Sia, Lana Del Rey, and Massive attack- Signy focuses on the beauty found in electro soundscapes. Hypnotic melodies and infectious beats emanate from these two sirens who aren’t afraid of bringing an element of force into their live performances. Signy’s debut single, "Human", is a tidal wave of emotion crashing into an addictive beat and is the leadoff for their upcoming album, WATER. Clearly this duo has their sights set on bigger stages to maximize appeal, but for now Austin can enjoy these local upstarts before they ascend into the stratosphere.

Trouble In The Streets – Shot out of a cannon into the Austin music scene, this eclectic electronic trio has already played with esteemed artists like George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic, the Rebirth Brass Band, and Grupo Fantasma. Lead singer, Nnedi Nebula Agbaroji, is a force of nature as a front woman and her vocal talent and charisma make Trouble In The Streets a band to watch in 2018.

Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad – William Reynolds and Cam Wren are two friends who played music together for years until they finally formed Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad in 2017 and knocked audiences off their feet with fast, theatrical hits like "Werewolf of Love" and "Night Terror." Playing bigger shows and fine-tuning an already electric live shows, Billy King and the Bad Bad Bad have a promising 2018 ahead of them.

Annabelle Chairlegs – A menacing and insane aura emanates from this psych-rock quartet that features a fiery front woman, Lindsey Mackin. Their music is entrancing and the band’s mystique only serves to heighten the undeniable allure of such a delightful throwback sound. Their trajectory should keep them aimed for an exciting 2018.

Los Coast – Soulful vocals, intricate instrumentation, and a symbiosis of good vibes has made Los Coast a favorite in the Austin live-music circuit. A residency at C-boys nightclub and a slew of festival bookings elevated their profile and a new record deal is making this band’s 2018 look brighter and brighter.

Magna Carda – Sprung from the college campus of St Edwards, this hip-hop trio is bringing a focus to the tragically neglected Austin rap scene. Beats and clever lyrics collide with MC, Megz Kelli, and the beat maker, Dougie Do, as they continue to impress with highly addictive and stylized songs that can only grow stronger in this new year.

Phasing in shades of 70’s black metal with a jam band-esque penchant for instrumental wormholes, Big Destiny is in the business of blowing some big boy smoke up your skirt. Singer, Declan Rory Murtagh, exhales a paint-peeling wail that consumes the rest of the band. Prog rock influences burst from every seam, while tasty bass lines and hook-filled guitars coalesce for an unencumbered romp. Big Destiny could be the wanton love child of Wolfmother, Dead Meadow, and a Yes cover band.  While the group has yet to officially release an EP, you can get your fill from their few tracks featured on Bandcamp.

Airtight rhythms ebb and flow with beautiful vocal harmonies that shimmer with interspersed electronic bleeps and bloops. The Austin octet, Chief Perch, have an uncanny ability to tap into the dance-centric melodies that keep our fingers pressing play. Lead singer, Ariel Herrerra, has a Stefani-esque warble mixed with a classic R&B croon, and her charismatic stage presence is equally entrancing as it is hypnotic. Chief Perch has double the typical amount of band members, hence, they emit double the amount of funky fresh beats.  Their debut album, Shoulda Would Coulda, was released in October of this past year, and is remarkable in its variety and quality of tracks.