2013 Showcasing Artist Iron & Wine from Dripping Springs, TX (Photo courtesy of Iron & Wine)
It’s been a long musical journey for Sam Beam a.k.a. Iron & Wine. Between five solo albums, a collaboration with Calexico, and many other releases, Beam has kept himself busy since his first solo album, The Creek Drank The Cradle, was released in 2002. His newest album, Ghost on Ghost, came out this past April 16th to much critical acclaim. According to a review by Paste, “Sam Beam is singing and playing guitar better than ever” on this new record. You can listen to songs from Iron & Wine’s Ghost on Ghost right here on SXSWfm!
Kevin Russell, frontman of The Gourds, is Shinyribs (Courtesy of Davis McLarty Agency)
According to Shinyribs’ website, Kevin Russell, also frontman of The Gourds, started Shinyribs “to stretch out as a performer and band leader.” Russell’s solo project has come a long way since it formed in 2008. He just released his second full-length album under the name Shinyribs, Gulf Coast Museum, this past April 16. KUT states that the album is a tour through Russell’s “unique universe, featuring folk ballads, soul struts” and more. Shinyribs is currently on tour in the US and will be performing at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this fall.
2013 Showcasing Artist Natalie Maines (from Lubbock, TX)
When Natalie Maines decided to make a solo album, she knew she "didn’t want to make a country record." According to NPR, Mother, which was released last Tuesday, May 7, is "emphatically not country music." You might recognize a couple of the tracks on the album: "Without You" was originally done by Eddie Vedder and the title-track is a reinterpretation of a Pink Floyd tune from The Wall. Natalie, along with Ben Harper, Courtyard Hounds, and more, will be paying tribute to her father, Lloyd Maines, this Thursday, May 16, at ACL Live right here in Austin.
Listen to A Tribe Called Red, EDM group from Ottawa, Ontario, on SXSWfm!
Written by Dempsey Jones
Canadian EDM group A Tribe Called Red has hit the ground running this past year. After playing three showcases at SXSW 2013, it is clear that A Tribe Called Red has reached a market beyond the indigenous community. Featuring lead female vocals, pow wow drums, and a beat that turns the tables on how electronic music can be defined, their new album, Nation II Nation, is representative of the emotions, passion, and desired rights of aboriginal communities all over the world. A Tribe Called Red is currently working their way through Europe, and this summer you can catch them on individual tour dates across the USA and Canada. They will also spend their summer touring alongside many reputable DJs and EDM performers at the Mad Decent Block Party that will be making its way across America.
Fitz and the Tantrums went into the studio to record their second full-length, More Than Just a Dream, with the goal of moving away from the retro sound that embodied 2010’s Pickin’ Up the Pieces. Released this Tuesday, May 7, More Than Just a Dream was produced by Tony Hoffer, whose body of work includes mixing duties for Beck and Silversun Pickups. The new record features “thick walls of synthesizers and club-ready beats” that were a result of the band focusing “on making it a fun record,” according to The Columbus Dispatch. The band will be on tour throughout the US this summer, including a stop in Austin on July 13!
SXSWfm Featured Artist of the Week: The Flaming Lips (from Oklahoma City, OK) (Photo by George Salisbury)
Written by Andy Flynn
We go way back with the Lips. They've showcased many times, debuted albums, shown films and spoken at panels and interviews. They played The Soft Bulletin here first. They conducted The Parking Lot Experiment and turned showcases into parades down Sixth Street. This March, The Flaming Lips were among the inaugural recipients of the Grulke Prize, SXSW's recognition of creativity and the best new music played on our stages. They debuted their new album, The Terror, before tens of thousands of fans at the SXSW Auditorium Shores Stage. They chose to play new songs and display new stagecraft. Their spirit inspires SXSW and their ever-expanding audience. Listen to the The Flaming Lips today on SXSWfm.
2013 Showcasing Artist Mikal Cronin (San Francisco, CA)
According to Merge Records, Mikal Cronin’s new album “is all about new beginnings” and dealing with new challenges. MCII, Cronin’s second full-length and his first on Merge, was released this Tuesday, May 7. MCII mixes garage rock “with a perfectionist ear with quality control” according to NPR. With the exception of a handful of guest appearances, including Ty Segall, Cronin plays every instrument on the new record. Stay tuned to hear songs from Mikal Cronin’s MCII here on SXSWfm!
A lot of people were talking about Savages after SXSW 2013. The Los Angeles Times said that Savages were a must-hear artist at SXSW, noting that “everything about Savages...felt current.” The Chicago Tribune and The Atlantic also featured Savages as a “must-hear” band from this year’s festival. The timing of these great reviews could not be better: Savages are releasing their debut album, Silence Yourself, this Tuesday, May 7. You can stream tracks from the new album right here on SXSWfm!
2013 Showcasing Artist Iron & Wine from Dripping Springs, TX (Photo courtesy of Iron & Wine)
Kevin Russell, frontman of The Gourds, 
2013 Showcasing Artist Natalie Maines (from Lubbock, TX)
Listen to A Tribe Called Red, EDM group from Ottawa, Ontario, on SXSWfm!
Fitz and the Tantrums (from Los Angeles, CA)
SXSWfm Featured Artist of the Week: The Flaming Lips (from Oklahoma City, OK) (Photo by George Salisbury)
2013 Showcasing Artist Mikal Cronin (San Francisco, CA)
2013 Showcasing Band Savages (London, England)
