Live music preview: Seven more buzz bands to see at SXSW 2025

The South By Southwest music festival is less than a week out, and the roster of artists can seem overwhelming at first glance. With a lineup that can satisfy every kind of music lover, The Cosmic Clash brings you another seven buzz bands you should put on your list for the upcoming long week of music in Austin. All set times and venues can be found on the SXSW website and SXSW GO mobile application. All listed acts are official SXSW artists. 

Population II 

Since getting John Dwyer’s (Osees) Castle Face Records treatment, this one from way up north has been a buzzing sensation in Central Texas. Montreal’s Population II is an explosion of volatile psychedelia that has become a SX regular at this point with multiple Austin appearances under their belt that has made them a cornerstone for the city’s psych-infused roots. The band consists of singer and drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist and keyboardist Tristan Lacombe, and bassist Sébastien Provençal. With roots in jazz as well as funk, the Canadian quartet is worth seeing for a set (or three) as they tear through Austin once more for the Spring music festival installment. 

Dope Lemon

One of the acclaimed Sydney-born songwriter Angus Stone’s ventures, Dope Lemon is a genre-bending, widespread serving of what presents as a snapshot of the current state of indie rock in 2025. Since 2016, Stone’s trajectory has been on a steady output with four studio albums that span a variety of influences that bring a diverse crowd of indieheads that rejoice in the honest and genre-clashing delivery of the Aussie musician. With a sound that’s rooted in strummy singer/songwriter-isms and 60s psychedelic rock, Dope Lemon also incorporates elements of folk, pop, soul, and funk, making for a diverse catalog that dabbles in everything a record-collecting indie fan could love. With another full-length LP scheduled out this Spring, things are still revving up for Stone’s solo journey.

Meltheads 

Antwerp’s Meltheads are a post-punk outfit from Belgium that have quickly become a staying force in the port city’s punk scene. Known for live shows that consist of dynamic stage presence and a gauntlet of catchy hooks and fast-paced song structure, Meltheads is capturing a devoted following overseas, looking to make their mark at this edition of SXSW. With the release of their debut album, Decent Sex, the Belgian rockers have gone on the European festival circuit and have crafted a following that takes after their boiling-over excitement. Meltheads will make their Austin debut in 2025, and they come with a mission to make a statement and a moshpit to incite while they’re at it.

Water Damage

Featuring a cast of local musician all stars, Austin’s Water Damage is a test of patience with a practice of slowburn and tension and release. The wide range of ensemble participants includes members of Spray Paint, Black Eyes, Swans, USA/Mexico, More Eaze, and more, with Austin’s very own Thor Harris taking up percussion duties with his long-tenured musicianship in the live music capital. As Pitchfork Media once called one of their records a “Glorious mind-eraser,” their live shows focus on a single theme that drones off into oblivion with promises of a thought-provoking excursion that requires focus and isn’t for the uninitiated.

La Sécurité

Montreal’s La Sécurité has a sound that is a blend of dance-punk and art-punk, with a jittery vocal delivery backed by unconventional song structures and change-ups that make their audiences go into arrhythmic chaos. With the acclaimed release of their 2023 debut album Stay Safe!, their skeletal but punchy instrumentals produce addictive rhythms that get their audiences locked into the groove right out of the gate. Vocalist Éliane Viens-Synnott’s frantic delivery has a tone of seriousness but still takes plenty of time to make jokes along the way to weave poetic activism with pure rock and roll frivolity. This one is all about syncopated focus, and the committed-to-tape offerings let the spur-of-the-moment peculiarities of their punk sensibilities shine through with a sprinkle of riot grrl to sculpt their dance-ready gigs that pack the house with herculean energy.

Acid Baby Jesus

Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Athens, Greece, Acid Baby Jesus is bringing their heavy,  fuzzy psychedelic rock to the psych rock hub of Austin. Formed in 2009, the Athens band was initially conceived as a studio recording project between guitarists Noda Pappas and Otto Mentis. The group has since become a full-time touring act, adding on drummer Markos Mazarakis-Ainian and bassist Tilemachos Stronis. The group later added guitarist and vocalist Dale Thompson after Mentis’ departure. On breakout track “Tomboy,” the heavy bass and tribal drum beats with auxiliary tambourine will feel right at home on an Austin stage, with a now completed lineup with all of their garage rock hedonism intact. ABJ will also share an unofficial bill with the likes of The Black Angels’ own Christian Bland, Frankie And The Witch Fingers, and Gus Baldwin & The Sketch, and will be an undeniable fit in the Central Texas scene.

The Courettes

Denmark duo The Courettes are a jolt of smoldering, garage lo-fi rigidness. Performing as a two-piece in role-reversing White Stripes fashion, the crunchy guitar riffs and belted vocals from singer and songwriter Flavia Couri have become a SX staple, with this year being their third consecutive appearance at the festival. Drummer Martin Couri hails from Brazil, bringing his cranium-shaking drumming that deafens with bombastic intent. With influences that range from old-school punk rock, 60s vocal groups, and fully-charged psychedelia, the speedy antics of the Brazil-Denmark pair boast tight-knit live shows with a catalog that gets bigger each time they make their way around the world. Sticking to a “record a year” formula, the unhinged musical throwbacks that can switch from tune to tune make them a worthwhile watch in every instance they plug in to play.

Featured photo by Ann-Marie van Rijn courtesy of Water Damage