SXSW Was Loud and I loved Every Second of It

Ethan McConnell 

Local Music director  

Around the middle of March, it becomes one of the busiest times of the year for residents of Austin. Why might you ask? SXSW is one of the biggest networking events that takes place covering all parts of the Austin area with opportunities to showcase talents in many different fields ranging from music to innovation in the world of today. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to experience, meeting people from all over the world with different backgrounds, gaining insight from others, and growing from that. If you couldn’t physically be there, allow me to tell you what you missed out on from music showcases to keynote speakers.  

Modern Cinema Master 

In my last article I gave highlight to Flesh Juicer coming in all the way from Taiwan but let me show you guys another heavy hitter of punk noise. Modern Cinema Master created a beautiful blend of rambunctious buzzing walls of sound with smooth, easy melodies. While they were doing sound checks, videographer Chase Marsico and I chatted with them for a second and they were very warm with their responses. Then when the set started with machine gun chatter from the snare drum, lead singer Huang Yuan Mao grabbed and ripped such vigorous vocals addressing the crowd. From the high intense drums to velvety bass lines and the riveting guitar riffs, each song was hard to not bang your head in the air. I don’t know what pedal the rhythm guitar had on but at some point, it sounded like the guitar from the south park theme. The band didn’t just keep the same tone throughout the entire set, which is why I resonated with them so much. You had moments on songs with high intense moments but then towards the latter half, things cooled down with more natural tones and laid-back vocals giving an easy listening. Regardless though, there was so much emotion put into their set. With cues from each section to the next, they weren’t missed. With every word spoken, chord strung, and drum hit, it meant something for everyone in that crowd who came to see them whether it was their first time or not. 

Willoh 

Before we get into this artist, I just want to give her the props she deserves. Willoh has created such a distinctive sound and is consistent with her releases. Not only that but with her debut album, not more than that, but more please she released a 20-track album with features from other rising artists Karoo and DERBY. Everything in her production is done by her from instrumental to lyrics giving a floaty feeling when tuning in. Willoh’s music takes that feeling of vulnerability and turns it into something beautiful and relatable to her listeners. She delves between layered vocals and a little dash of reverb to add ambiance. When listening you can hear obvious influences from Mk.Gee and Chanel beads, maybe even some Dijon. Her tracks made it intimate like I could feel the exact emotions she was trying to convey in her songs and you can really feel that with the track, “not more than that, but more please”. It was ethereal from start to finish and even though there was a handful of people in the room, I’m telling you right now Willoh will be filling venues in no time.  

no more than that, but more please

Ed O’Brien Keynote Panel 

To all my diehard fans, do you remember the Radiohead article? We’ll come back to that and trust me it’s so worth it. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to sit in the same room as Radiohead guitarists Ed O’Brien during my time at SXSW. During his panel, he was questioned about his process on curating the soundscape for his upcoming solo album Blue Morpho, while also showcasing a snippet of one of the singles off the project. As O’Brien spoke about his process, he also touched on the struggles of it. He humanized himself by talking briefly on how he got older and got into things other than music; he found himself resistant to it. Of course, by now after establishing a career for a bit of time he has a family of his own and without a doubt put that as a priority. Once he found the time, he put in energy to continue his work on the album. At the end of the day, you can’t rush good art, and rushed art isn’t genuine art. With collaborative work with producer Paul Epworth and engineer Riley Macintyre, he found himself creating an artist reinvention. But that wasn’t the only thing he talked about. Of course, O’Brien brought up his brothers of Radiohead and not only in the sense of their help for his new album but also bringing up the future of the band’s touring plan. Which brings me back to my earlier article about whether Radiohead was back. Shortly after that article was posted, Radiohead went out to do a Europe tour in 2025. Recently Ed O’Brien has announced that the band will continue touring only doing 20 shows a year starting in 2027. The catch is every year it will be on a different continent. With a new solo project and a brand-new tour, fans all around the world will be eating for the next coming years (I predict they will start in North America).  

Blue Morpho Music Video

GRIMA 

Coming in with reverby guitars and dreamy Spanish vocals all the way from Burgos, Spain is German Spanish shoegaze artist Grima. This artist draws heavy inspiration from the 90’s and reminds me of a lot of artists, The Police, but with a sprinkle of post-punk elements. The instrumentals were riveting, and the vocals hold a spacey tone keeping you encapsulated with the artists’ performance. When I saw this artist live, the slow burn of each track like, “En busca de” deeply resonated with the crowd. He wasn’t doing too much on stage but sometimes less is more. With the way the bass was carrying most of the melodic lines and the guitars matching the tone of the vocals, it made things easy to digest. Even if you don’t know what they’re saying, you could play the artists’ music and be able to kick your feet around. The music brought a nostalgic feel but with a darker tone, letting it hit harder when listening. 

En busca de Music Video

Final Movement

This was my first official SXSW I’ve experienced, before this it was always unofficial shows and free events that were available. Nonetheless my time was unforgettable. Through this I was able to make so many connections all around with others that share the exact same passion as me with music making new acquaintances and friends along the way. Not only that, but to see so many emerging artists from all over the world showcase their musical talents, some even making their debut in the U.S. for the first time. I always talk about how great the local music scene in Austin is and with festivals like SXSW, it just brings my point down to a tee. Not only does the festival bring together people on a local scale, but internationally. From All-American Rejects giving their thoughts on being an independent artist, bands making their debut, networking with others in the same field it’s been such a beautiful feeling to be able to experience this at this age. For those that were not able to go through this, do not fret, we got you covered with a video with a glimpse of a little bit of everything.

SXSW 26′ RECAP