SXSW 2026: meg elsier

Playing Paste on Sunday at 1pm.  She's also playing Mohawk on Monday the 16th and Waterloo Records on Tuesday the 17th at 5pm.

The SXSW bio says:

 meg elsier is an indie-rock singer, songwriter, and visual artist based in New York City. One of the most exciting new voices in the indie-rock scene, meg juxtaposes sweet vocals and opulent melodies with grungy guitars and weighty production...meg's debut album 'spittake' blends elements of grunge, contemporary pop, folk, and indie-rock, and showcases meg’s ability to create dynamic, versatile, and effortlessly catchy music.

According to this interview she's from about 45 minutes outside of Boston. After college in Boston (Berklee College of Music) she moved to Nashville to get started but is now in New York City.

"iznotreal"  is fuzzy rock.

"oldnews" is pretty good. 

This is her most streamed song. It's good.  It reminds me a little of Rilo Kiley, especially "Portions for Foxes"

SXSW 2026: Jonny Fritz

Playing Paste on Sunday.  He's also playing White Horse on Friday night with quite a lineup (including Boomershack.).  We'll be at Nude Party.

Per Wikipedia:

Jonathan Russell Fritz, formerly known as Jonny Corndawg, is an American alternative country musician who was born in Missoula, Montana. He has released four albums, two under the name "Jonny Corndawg" and two as "Jonny Fritz".

I'm pretty sure he's been on bills at festivals we've attended. I seem to recall him playing with Deer Tick or one of their side-projects.  You may remember better. I don't have him on my list of bands seen, though.

According to Wikipedia, for his 4th record:

 Jonnys' 4th record Sweet Creep was released in 2016. Produced by Jim James and recorded over three days using a makeshift outdoor studio in the Montecito Hills of California. The entire record was recorded outside and featured Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes (band), playing multiple instruments, including guitar, bass, and keyboard, his brother Griffin Goldsmith on drums, Joshua Hedley of fiddle and My Morning Jacket's prolific front man Jim James also lending his voice, and guitar to multiple tracks.

Lots of big names on there.  His 5th album just came out, 10 years after his last.

"Slow Down" is good. That's Joshua Hedley on violin (We saw him at Robert's in Nashville).

"Debbie Downers" is timely:

This is a cool live performance.

SXSW 2026: Horsepower

Playing Paste on Sunday. She's also playing SXSanjose as well as quite a few evening showcases.  She's going to be busy.  

Flood Magazine says:

Horsepower is the new project of NYC-based songwriter and (mostly) reformed horsegirl Charlotte Weinman.

 Flood says of the song "Are you Blushing": 

Translating a background in theater and a prior musical career indebted to aiding other songwriters into a personal statement of her own, the track sees Weinman channeling the elegant balladry of Mitski and a modern dream-pop sensibility into a song about the involuntary thoughts that tend to come with a prospective romance.

This is her most streamed song.  In the singer-songwriter style of Mitski/Phoebe Bridgers/boygenius. 

 

SXSW 2026: Good Flying Birds

Playing Paste Sunday.  They're also playing Cheer Up Charlie's and Tweedy's on Saturday and Hotel Vegas on Sunday. Per the SXSW bio:

Good Flying Birds is a jangling, noisy guitar-pop group based in the Midwest, USA...The influence of jangly lo-fi/DIY heavyweights who came before like Guided By Voices (their namesake), Beat Happening, DLIMC, Talulah Gosh (partly their namesake), and The Vaselines, is prevalent, but they carry a unique charm all their own. It’s the sound of looking at a crumbling world with rosy cheeks and wide eyes, a tambourine by your side.

"Down on Me"  is a 90s college radio throwback.

"Fall Away" is good. 

I like these guys.

This is their most streamed song.

SXSW 2026: Still Blank

Playing the Paste party Saturday. They are also playing the British Music Embassy and SXSanJose. Per the SXSW bio:

Still Blank’s sound is a unique blend of shoegaze haze, folk intimacy, and emotionally raw ambient alt-rock grit. Ben and Jordy met by chance in Liverpool 2 years ago sparking a lightning-in-a-bottle creative partnership. 

This article says it is a duo "Formed by Hawaii-born singer/multi-instrumentalist Jordy and Manchester guitarist Ben".  It also says:

Despite a whirlwind journey, including Jordy’s unexpected deportation during the album’s creation and a move to Los Angeles following their signing to National Anthem (HAIM, Chvrches), Still Blank have quickly established themselves as one of the most compelling new voices in alternative music. 

"What about Jane" is good. Right up my alley.

This is good, too. I'd like to see them.