Wyclef Jean, Swervedriver, Oh Sees, Puma Blue and Ezra Collective are among the first wave of acts announced to perform between March 11-17.
The first wave of showcasing artists invited to perform at South By Southwest’s 2019 iteration was shared on Wednesday, revealing 240 acts that will appear in Austin, Texas between March 11-17th.
Heading up the initial lineup announcement is Haitian hip-hop luminary Wyclef Jean, famous for his work as a member of The Fugees and thereafter as a producer in the R&B and popular music worlds. Also included in the first wave of acts are 90s shoegaze legends Swervedriver, prolific Californian garage rock quintet Oh Sees, Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers, Puma Blue and Yuseef Dayes to name but a few.
View the lineup in its entirety to date here and familiarise yourself with our list of must see acts below.
5. Oh Sees
You would be hard-pressed to find a band with a work ethic as relentless as John Dwyer’s Oh Sees. The Californian garage rock quintet have a staggering 21 albums under their belt and are notorious for their live performances which would be discredited if described as anything less than a pulverising assault on the senses. Oh Sees’ current live iteration is a supergroup of the psych and garage rock community, as Dwyer’s band continues to boast two drummers in addition to featuring ex-Sic Alps bassist Tim Hellman and Tomas Dolas of Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel.
4. Wyclef Jean
This one should require no validation. As a member of The Fugees and a producer for the likes of Destiny’s Child during their formative years, Wyclef Jean was an instrumental figure in R&B’s sonic development in the 1990s. Jean will be both speaking and performing as part of SXSW’s 2019 festivities, so grab your notepads and keep your ears pricked for the secret to penning 2019’s equivalent to his and Shakira’s 2006 global smash ‘Hips Don’t Lie’.
3. Joe Armon-Jones
Keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones originally made waves as a member of Ezra Collective who alongside their Brownswood labelmates and Impulse signees Sons Of Kemet, have stood firmly at the forefront of London’s thriving jazz scene for the past several years. This year however, saw Armon-Jones go it alone with the release of his solo debut. Starting Today distinguished the 25 year old musician as not only a mesmerising player with the ability to pull at many stylistic threads with ease, but also a formidable producer and composer in his own right.
2. Drahla
Drahla are one of the most exciting and organic sounding bands to be birthed from the loins of West Yorkshire’s fertile music scene in recent years. A small handful of singles showcasing their brand of dark and jagged post-punk by way of wailing guitars and cryptic lyricism channeled through a softly-spoken drawl have landed the Leeds-based group a place on the roster of Brooklyn’s prestigious Captured Tracks label. SXSW will be one of the first opportunities to catch Drahla stateside as the band are currently amid a tour in celebration of Captured Tracks’ tenth anniversary which also marks their US debut.
1. Bane’s World
When he’s not hanging out with Mac DeMarco or sharing stages with Tyler, The Creator and Rex Orange County, Shane Blanchard makes music as Bane’s World. The jazz-inflected bedroom pop offered in 2016’s Drowsy is as laid back as the city in which Blanchard resides, whilst its popularity has now surpassed the confines of Long Beach by receiving worldwide acclaim. Acquaint yourself with Blanchard’s recent collaborative single with Inner Wave to see why he ranks at the top of our list.
Wednesday’s reveal follows SXSW’s previous conference announcement which shared details of featured speakers set to appear including Shirley Manson of Garbage, Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES, Wyclef Jean, Amanda Palmer, Sasheer Zamata, Zoe Saldana, Ike Barinholtz, Maria Shriver, and more.
To register to attend SXSW 2019, click here.
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
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