WSUM's Music Director Amany and I have officially landed in Texas for South by Southwest. With hundreds of artists performing over the next few days, it can be a little overwhelming trying to decide who to see. Despite this, I've tried to narrow down the top acts I am hoping to catch. Check out Amany's list here and our Spotify playlist at the bottom.

Balming Tiger (Sony Music)

Recommended song: “Trust yourself”

A super energetic hip-hop collective from South Korea. My friend Saffron wrote about them for Emmie Magazine last year. I've been hooked since and am looking forward to an exciting live performance.

Coco & Clair Clair (Nice Girl World)

Recommended song: “U + Me”

Best friends based in Atlanta making music for hot people. If anyone asks, WSUM Music Director Amany and I are the Coco & Clair Clair of Madison.

Divino Niño (Winspear)

Recommended song: “XO”

Colombian-American psych-pop group based in Chicago. I somehow missed their WUD Music show in 2021 but will definitely not be making the same mistake twice in Austin. Plus there's a member named Camila which is almost my name. 

Girl Ultra (Finesse)

Recommended song: “BOMBAY”

Nan de Miguel, known on stage as Girl Ultra, blends R&B and alternative sounds to promote her message of girl power. While I can't wait to see her perform tracks like “Punk” and “Amores de droga” off of her latest album EL SUR, I'm more excited to see what her DJ set will bring.

Isabella Lovestory (S/R)

Recommended song: “Cherry Bomb”

Reggaeton/electronic artist from Honduras. If I don't see her perform this week then what's the point.

JER (Counter Intuitive)

Recommended song: “You Got Yr – – – – – Card Revoked!”

You might recognize them from doing ska covers of songs on TikTok and Youtube. Originally from Florida, JER's debut album, Bothered/Unbothered, covers themes of being both Black and nonbinary in the scene.

Jockstrap (Rough Trade)

Recommended song: “Neon”

British duo which I can't really confine to one genre but SXSW categorizes as “Avant/Experimental.” Their 2022 album, I Love You Jennifer B, defined my winter break.

Karen Y Los Remedios (ZZK)

Recommended song: “Mi Gran Dolor”

A newwave Cumbia group from my home state of Guanajuato. They integrate synths which creates a kind of southwest gothic vibe.

Luna, Luna (Cosmica)

Recommended song: “Talk too much”

Synthpop four-piece from Dallas. I originally discovered them on TikTok in high school advertising themselves as a Latino boy band, very fun and happy and poppy.

O Tortuga (self released)

Recommended song: “Sirena Morena”

Indie rock from Mexico City. A band I was a big fan of in high school when I wanted to get into Spanish-language music (and now I host a Latine music show every Monday at 10pm on Freeflow). 

PinkPantheress (Warner Music Group)

Recommended song: “Picture in my mind”

Hoping to tell her I always knew she was saying “liar” and not “lee-ah.”

Sobs (Topshelf)

Recommended song: “Friday night”

Indie-pop band hailing from Singapore. Their latest album, Air Guitars, has a lot of twee-punk influences and reminds me of Diet Cig. I love happy music and Sobs is one of the brightest of the bunch.

Ratboys (Topshelf)

Recommended song: “Go Outside”

Not to be mistaken with British artist Rat Boy (which is how I initially discovered them), Ratboys is an indie rock band from Chicago. I played their song, “Elvis is in the Freezer” on one of my first ever radio shows but I could not tell you what the theme was.

They Are Gutting A Body Of Water (Smoking Room)

Recommended song: “kmart amen break”

Shoegaze band from Philadelphia. Heard them for the first time last summer at a WUD Music show and have been a fan since (shoutout Raines). They Are Gutting A Body Of Water (often shortened to TAGABOW) supports their fuzzy guitars with house beats causing them to stand out in the scene.

Weatherday (Topshelf)

Recommended song: “Come in”

Fifth wave emo project from Sweden known for blending lo-fi with DIY. Their latest EP is a collaboration with Asian Glow, who will also be in Austin this week. Weatherday is my friend Arthur's favorite artist and I'm scared for what he will do if I don't end up going to this showcase.