SXSW preview: Six buzz bands to see at Sx 2024

Austin’s long-running South By Southwest (SXSW) has evolved into a multitude of things. On top of being a comedy, music, and film festival, SXSW has grown into a destination for industries that stretch across the board. As the world has returned from the global pandemic, which resulted in SXSW taking two years off, the festival is growing back into a one-stop shop for artists to showcase their talent from all over the world. For 2024’s edition of SX, a massive, seemingly unending array of artists will make their way to Austin for the festivities. The following are some buzz bands that will appear multiple times throughout the festival, recommended for music fans of all tastes, regions, and backgrounds. All listed are official SXSW artists whose profiles and when and where they play during the fest can be found via the SXSW schedule and the SXSW GO app.

Spoon Benders 

Portland, Oregon’s Spoon Benders are making their return to Austin after just a 6-month absence. Formed in 2018, the group has been compared to the heavier eras of Ty Segall, Osees, and Black Sabbath. Since making an Austin appearance last Fall opening for Los Angeles psych warriors, Frankie & The Witch Fingers, Spoon Benders is returning to Austin for a second helping of live gigs. Spoon Benders released their latest record, How Things Repeat, in the Spring of last year, complete with heavy guitars, progressive drum performances, and a vocal delivery that captures the essence of the current era of neo-psychedelia. “Dichotomatic,” as the latest record’s opening offering, will give listeners a taste of the Pacific Northwest act’s reverb-infused, sludgy atmosphere, with a bellowing, passionate vocal delivery from front-woman Katy Black.  

Lip Critic 

New York City noisemakers Lip Critic have the experimental ferocity of bands like Death Grips and local Austin act Blank Hellscape. Starting as an improv noise act, Lip Critic has since become involved in studio recording, a quickly rising act that will make things rowdy for their SXSW appearances. The noisy outfit comes with two drummers, two electronic sampler board operators, and a vocalist whose unhinged delivery veers on absurdism and modern realism. Lip Critic will perform at various showcases during the festival, including a late-night appearance at Red River Cultural District haunt Swan Dive, a spot known for its eclectic range of events. “The Heart” is a suburb place to start with Lip Critic, a single off their forthcoming record set to release on May 17. 

Exotic Fruitica 

Austin local noise punks Exotic Fruitica is gaining steam as one of the most hard-hitting acts playing in the city currently. Built off longtime friends, frontman Jon French and drummer Aaron Gilligan, Exotic Fruitica has appeared on countless bills across Austin, including sharing the stage with Circle Jerks’ Keith Morris-fronted band OFF! Fresh off LP release Cruel, which coincided with an ear-shattering in-store at the legendary Waterloo Records in downtown Austin, the local band is quickly working on the follow-up to their debut, releasing “NYC Feeling” as a lead single for the upcoming, yet-to-be-announced project. Exotic Fruitica will also appear at the Webberville Block Party during SXSW, sponsored by The Cosmic Clash and local promoter Play To The Plants.

Snooper

Nashville Egg Punk act Snooper is back in Austin for more this SXSW. Since an explosive performance at new South Austin venue Radio East in late January, the local crowd reactions for the Tennessee band are unmatched. Snooper’s live performances are delightfully chaotic, usually showing the band bringing large foam props to throw around during their set. These include a giant foam phone, a large dumbbell, and more. When the punk full-throttlers take the stage, it’s always a tear-through of bombastic tunes that cycle through their less-than-two-minute lifespans to make for sets that last for 30 minutes but contain nearly 20 songs of material. On “Powerball,” singer Blair Tramel shows off her frantic, alliterated cadences that spur audience singalongs that reach DBs higher than the live band itself, constant stage diving, and bustling pit antics galore. 

NOBRO

Montreal’s NOBRO are punk rock road warriors. Taking Gen-Z and millennial gripes combined with borrowing punk rock tropes from throughout the generations, the Canadian all-female punk band has yet to take themselves too seriously. NOBRO first came on the radar with an opening slot on Los Angeles punks FIDLAR’s 2018 tour. They have since recorded two full-length records and have been touring relentlessly, dropping tune after tune that goes hand-in-hand with music in the internet age. Embracing a punk rock middle finger into the sunset mantra, NOBRO goes all in for their live shows, putting their justifiable grievances into song. Their recent effort, Set Your Pussy Free, is a less-than-half-hour thrill ride that should condition listeners to what they’re in for from a live set with the Quebec band. NOBRO will appear at Swan Dive for the POP Montreal showcase, a bill filled with bands from the Montreal region to showcase the prolificness of the current Canadian music scene.  

Hot Garbage

Toronto’s Hot Garbage is making their way for yet another SXSW, this time with a new studio album under their belt that should scratch a heavy, psychedelic itch. Vocalist Juliana Carlevaris’ bleak, post-punk drawl bodes well to accompany Hot Garbage’s fuzzed-out, shoe-gaze attack. Carlevaris started the band alongside her brother, Alessandro Carlevaris, Dylan Gamble, and Mark Henein that round out the band’s lineup, making for a driving, Neo-psychedelic attack that represents the current era of indie rock with brute force. Their latest effort, Precious Dream, throws the listener into a Death By Audio, noise-gaze abyss on opening track “Snooze You Lose,” showing Hot Garbage being more distorted and vocally apathetic than ever. Hot Garbage is scheduled to play two SXSW official showcases, including one by Canadian outlet Range Magazine featuring other Canada acts such as Grimelda, NOBRO, WAKE, and other heavy guitar-oriented groups from the region.