This is fine.
As promised, here is our very first SXSW interview of 2026 featuring an artist we are super pumped about seeing – Grrrl Gang. We won’t provide much information on the band, as they can surely inform you better than we can. They provide some great insight into touring, what is currently bumping in the tour van, and why they chose to come in for the festival. See all of that, plus current dates after the jump.
Hard to believe, but it’s that SXSW time again in just a short 10 or so days. While we hear many grumblings from pals about the changing landscape of the festival, we still plan to be out in full force checking out as many bands as we can. Sure, things will be a touch different this year as we maneuver new dates and downtown construction, but we’re planning to roll with it and provide our usual coverage. In the next few days we’ll be dropping some new show announcements, a few of our interviews, and of course, my annual SXSW artist playlist. This thing takes some time people, and I’ve combed the 700+ bands on the official list, to narrow this down to about 60 or so. Please keep in mind – this is tailored to my tastes, so no shade on any artists not on the list. It’s also highly likely that I just missed something… So here ya go, an Apple version and a damn Spotify one too in case you’re still doing that. Seriously, you can just transfer all your tunes out of there…. Stay tuned.
A strong day for songwriters on the site, now with Greg Mendez announcing his new album, Beauty Land. I always tend to marvel at how impactful the work of Greg is, particularly when he delivers such emotion in a short span of time. I know it’s particularly unfair to Greg, but the way the recording highlights the fragility of his voice mixed in with the heavy strum of the strings on the guitar. There’s a little trickle of piano added in, with Mendez intent upon maximizing the emotional tug; he’s such a magician with these slight details he builds into his work. Beauty Land is his debut for Dead Oceans, and it hits on May 29th.
If you ever come to our DJ sets, you’ll find that there’s a deep love of blues and soul, and there’s a new artist on the scene that I only recently caught onto: Jalen Ngonda. Today he’s announced his sophomore album, Doctrine of Love, and shared the title track from the LP. It’s a classic R&B vibe, working with these swinging melodies, letting his voice soar through the entirety of the track. His vocals are reminiscent of the stuff we heard from early Leon Bridges, but, like many of the traditional tunes, you can almost feel pain in his voice. Daptone will be dropping Doctrine of Love on May 31st.
Up until now, the singles we’ve heard from the new Hiding Places have delivered a blast of power hidden behind a pop sensibility that kept us coming back. Today, “One Hand” feels more like a meditative practice, with the song operating in an almost stationary manner, only to creatively unfold in sporadic moments with bursts of feedback and distortion. Of course, they circle back, perhaps connecting to the song’s rumination about how we treat ourselves in the face of maintaining challenging relationships/friendships; it can be a struggle, and like the song, you go back and back, often starting where you began. It’s a nice twist in the band’s catalogue, and illustrates the care they’ve taken in building The Secret to Good Living, out April 3rd via Keeled Scales.
This Friday, you’re all going to hear the gloriousness of Natalie Jane Hill‘s new LP. It’s a record filled with this masterful maturity that illustrates how quickly Hill has grown into her work. Her voice is incredibly strong, like a folk troubadour that’s been writing songs for decades. But, that said, I expected that, having been following Natalie since Azalea dropped years back; the aforementioned maturity comes from the subtle nuances of her writing this go round. Listen right about the 1:50 mark, where the song journeys off into something that feels a little more blissed out, laced with the spirit of folk as the song circles back and comes to a close. Hopeful Woman drops Friday via Dear Life Records.
If you’re record collection is missing the frantic joy of acts like Parquet Courts, might we turn your attention towards the newest hit from Choncy. The Cincinnati group share a lot of sonic similarities, particularly in the way the vocals are delivered a mid of smattering of angular riffs; I will admit that this single does feel a bit sharper on those angular cuts, giving the band to make it more of their own. They continue to do so with these stuttering riffs that work in between the lead, not to mention their playful deliver of monosyllabic lyrics in the chorus. This song’s a ripper that feels like the fun you’ve been missing, so be on the lookout for Trademark, out April 17th via Feel It Records.
When Friko circled back a few weeks ago, they were operating with a sort of glam pop style on “Seven Degrees,” but this new single has a completely different feel to it. There’s almost an insane rush into the track, as if they’re trying to keep pace with themselves, chasing the train mentioned throughout the tune. Their repeated barrage of noise and discord gets broken up with the pop nods you from the oft-repeated “choo-choo,” leaving just a hint of pop sensibility hanging within the confines of the tune. Really exciting to see them mixing it all up together, building up anticipation as we near the release of Something Worth Waiting For via ATO Records on April 24th.
Every time there’s a new Memorials single I become increasingly obsessed with the group’s work, and this new track just can’t be ignored. I loved the orchestration and the way it continues to roll and push forward on the those synths/keyboards; there’s this intoxicating propulsion that spins tumbles you over and over. Those vocals just ride the crest of that motion, and when the tune moves into its more melodious moments, you just know you’ll have to keep coming back to satisfy your thirst. All Clouds Bring Not Rain could be one of the surprise album of the year contenders; it hits on March 27th via Fire Records.
There’s a certain brand of indie rock that just feels right in your soul, and the latest track from The Early Years is just that. I got caught instantly in the bobbing bass line; it’s reminiscent of the early Manchester scene, creating an instant bit of infectiousness that’s undeniable. Once the tune begins to open into the vocals these broad waves of guitar cascade in, layering melody and dissonance to create this heaviness that seemingly works against the pop nature; it’s the perfect contrast that allows you to get drawn deep into the tones of the vocals. Just a classic pop song execution, leading me to believe their new album Modern Moonlight will have some definite gems; it drops on May 22 via Sonic Cathedral.
