5 Music Chicks You Need To Know From SXSW
We know, we know—with hundreds of bands playing hundreds of shows over the course of just a few days, it’s impossible to predict who is going to be the next big thing. That’s why Yahoo Style has stepped in and weeded out five of the best and buzziest acts to come out of Austin’s biggest music festival. Scroll on, plug your headphones in, click play, and get to know these rising music stars immediately. You’ll be singing their praises in no time.
Mitski
Mitski Miyawaki, who goes by her first name, is someone you won’t forget once you see her perform. For one, she slays on an electric bass that is a bright neon pink. Then, there’s that voice of hers. Thick and intense, like broad paint strokes on canvas, Mitski’s singing hearkens back to the no-B.S. lady rockers of the ‘90s but with more soul, less angst. Mitski says it best, describing herself as “soft punk.” The songs from her latest album, Bury Me At Makeout Creek are sure to turn into future feminist anthems.
Courtney Barnett
It’s no wonder Courtney Barnett rocks out hard. She certainly makes every performance count since she hails all the way from Melbourne (she’s even made recent TV appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Ellen while Stateside). While the shaggy singer-guitarist may appear mysterious behind a thick fringe of bangs, her loquacious lyrics indicate clear and brutal honesty: “Put me on a pedestal and I’ll only disappoint you / Tell me I’m exceptional, I promise to exploit you.” Barnett’s sophomore album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit is worth hitting the repeat over and over.
Natalie Prass
In some ways, the songs from the Nashville-based Natalie Prass sound like Disney songs, but in the best way possible. The tracks from her self-titled debut album are wildly orchestral, dramatic, and swell with emotion, all while Prass sweetly and delicately croons throughout. There’s a sense of longing and relatable sadness in songs like the album’s opener, “My Baby Don’t Understand Me,” where Prass repeatedly laments “Our love is a long goodbye” while flutes chirp rather happily in the background.
Lydia Ainsworth
Lydia Ainsworth is the kind of complex performer who exudes so much as a solo act that it’s hard to imagine how she manages to whip up such masterful tracks with such ease. Armed with an educational background in film composing, it’s no wonder Ainsworth’s songs sound so theatrical, layered with endless beautiful beats and various instrumentation. For a trip into the experimental, get lost in Ainsworth’s latest release, Right From Real.
SheWolF
It’s a funny thing for the all-girl group SheWolF as their band name mostly conjures up memory of a 2009 Shakira hit. But make no mistake: The Melbourne-based band, which consists of triplet sisters and their friend, is out to make a name for themselves. Despite their young age of 17 years old, the members of SheWolF sound far more mature, slaying on their instruments like rock veterans and singing unapologetically about what they want.
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