2012 and 2013 Showcasing Band Alpine (from Melbourne, Australia)

The debut album of Australian sextet Alpine, entitled A Is For Alpine, was finally released in the United States today, May 21st. A review published on Out Impact praises the album while saying “the harmonious play of voices and instruments catches the ear like nothing else.” Alpine made their SXSW debut in 2012, but came back this year “with a larger audience, a tighter stage show, and a debut album,” according to Billboard’s review of A Is For Alpine.

2013 Showcasing Artist Telekinesis (from Seattle, WA)

Written by Dempsey Jones

Telekinesis released another fun and intriguing album last month. Dormarion is frontman Michael Benjamin Lerner's third record since signing with Merge Records in 2009. Each bright and catchy track creates an album that is representative of the place it was recorded: right here in Austin, Texas. Dormarion was produced by Jim Eno, the drummer of Spoon, and the album even took its name from the very street it was recorded on.

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!

2013 Showcasing Artist Natalie Maines (from Lubbock, TX)

When Dixie Chicks lead singer 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 week, is "emphatically not country music." You might recognize a couple of the tracks on the album: "Without You" written by Eddie Vedder, and the title-track, which 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 (from Los Angeles, CA)

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!