ATH x SXSW 2025 – A Playlist
I’ll keep this simple. SXSW music kicks off this weekend with our annual ATH vs SOTO party at Hotel Vegas on Sunday, and then things ramp up to 100 starting on Monday. As usual, it should be a wild and fun time for the team and we hope to see some of you out there. Many of you mentioned the daunting task of wading through all the bands coming to town, so I sat down, combed the entire list, and built out a playlist for you to peruse and hopefully make things easier. If you hear something you like, seek it out. Something you don’t like it? Skip it and on to the next one. See ya’ll out there.
We’ve always been big fans of Austin’s 
In a world where folks are rushing to put out their year end lists, so you can debate their tastes, I’m just over here putting out songs with my bud RayRay. We covered a surprising 21 new songs last week, and 22 if you included a tune that’s not on any of the DSPs. Tons of rad Austin stuff like Strange Lot, Gus Baldwin, Lunar Gold…and of course the ATH Records’ own Fantastic Purple Spots. New music from FACS and Sprouts made my week complete, though I also found some soft spots in there you can dig through on the site. Don’t forget to also check out our Rock n’ Recipes with Sasha Bell of the Ladybug Transistor, just in time for their little tour and reissue! We also got to premiere a brand new Gaytheist tune worth your time!
In the “File Under Things I Missed” category from Friday, we’ve got new music from Hits as they announce their newest LP, World of Dirt. There are two singles that just popped up, and they both offer a glimpse at the continuance of pop purveying within the confines of Oakland. When reading through the brief album description, they almost do the work for you in referencing Jen Weisberg, stating that this collection of songs serve as a “bed for her vocal melodies.” You can hear that in the craft, with especially when you dive into “Thorn By My Side,” which takes a minute to build on the melodic cruise of Jen’s voice, almost operating as a solo performance that get buoyed by the careful touches of Brian and Max behind her. Looking forward to hearing the whole of World of Dirt, which is out August 23rd via 
Those of you who appreciate the purveyors of ‘San Francisco sadcore’ will surely be rejoicing in yesterday’s late new single from 
Today the world gets to meet 
Trying to keep pace with ourselves, we covered a ton of ground last week on the site. We got to premiere a psychedelic campfire jam from Mountain Movers, and we might be one of the few US-based sites covering Dr. Sure’s Unusual Practice…which steps in line with that Cola track we also ran. There’s a bit Austin contingent too this week, as Variety, Blushing, Strand of Oaks and Good Looks all honored us with fresh music from their forthcoming releases. We also flirted with a bit of electronic arts too, with new stuff from Martha Rose and Maria Chiara Argiro…just so you don’t think we’re all rock n’ roll over here. Anyways, start your week off here.
Before pressing play, just stop. Take a breath. Clear your mind for a moment and prepare yourself for