Thursday, March 5, 2026

SXSW

Live MusicOpinionRobert Dean

In memoriam: We lost Adam Morehead of The Cavalier so we’re having a block party

I think when a person passes, how those in their wake tell their stories is an important, but telling way to show how much that person impacted their lives. Recently, Adam Morehead, one of the owners of The Cavalier, moved onto the next dimension and that’s one that stings. The Cavalier has served as the unofficial headquarters of The Cosmic Clash and anyone who’s snapped a photo, written a word, or had a quick meeting likely did so sitting out on the Webberville patio.

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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Six buzz bands to see at SXSW 2026

The 2026 edition of South By Southwest (SXSW) is fast approaching with the festival running March 12-18. The list of acts making their way to Austin for the seven-day music festival spans multiple genres and geographic origins. With this in mind, The Cosmic Clash team has curated a group of official artists or buzz bands we think you should put on your list for the long week of around-the-clock music. With a smaller setup than previous years, the SXSW music programming will offer a touch-and-go path for locals and travelers alike to see an array of both tenured and up-and-coming talent. All set times, along with venues, can be found on the SXSW website and the SXSW GO mobile app. 

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Greg AckermanPremiereSong

Video premiere: SoundMass releases new single, prepares for SXSW 2026 shows

On March 14, SoundMass will gather at The 13th Floor for Cosmic Plants Clash IV, the SXSW day party our publication and Play to the Plants has produced at the venue the past four years. We’ve invited the group, which is really two awesome post-rock bands, Austin’s my education and Salt Lake City’s Theta Naught combined. The merging of the two acts produces a powerful, orchestral style performance with rock instrumentation. With two of every instrument, the stage becomes crammed with talented musicians which is basically our ideal scenario. Today we’re premiering SoundMass’ latest single, “Last Gasp.”

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CultureGreg AckermanPreview

SXSW preview: Flatstock offers unparalleled free fine art show to fans

As a purveyor of good music, The Cosmic Clash rarely discusses visual art as we’re usually busy telling readers about music we love. Fans already know, visual art is a relevant component of the independent music scene that matters to us. Flatstock, the fine art poster show that has been present at South by Southwest (SXSW) as long as we can remember. In fact, Flatstock has been around since their first exhibition in San Francisco in 2002. The show features hand-printed and limited-edition poster art by over 50 artists and studios from around the globe for sale – all of whom will be in attendance to interact with visitors directly. The location this year is new as the Austin Convention Center is a pile of rubble at the moment. The new location at Moonlight Exhibit Hall is in the Austin Marriott Downtown (304 E Cesar Chavez St.) on March 13-15, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 

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AlbumBrian HillsmanReview

Album review: latest record moisturiser by Wet Leg shows creative growth

Isle of Wight duo (now a five-piece quintet) Wet Leg, released their sophomore LP on July11.  The album, moisturiser, continues with the energy of their debut release, but also displays more focus and complexity in the band’s creative growth. Ahead of the UK act’s Austin City Limits Music Festival appearance this October, we’re sharing our thoughts on the upstart group’s new record which was released on July 11 on Domino Records. 

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: SXSW 2025 finished with Space Agency Booking, Webberville Block Party

Austin’s South by Southwest finished things up with countless showcases that made the last two days of the music festival a pick-and-choose affair that didn’t let up until the crack of 2 a.m. on Saturday night. For most festival goers, energy can run slim on these last two days, and seeing what you can before the festival’s end is essential to closing the book on yet another March festival edition. Here’s who we closed out our SXSW with on the final two days of our festival experience at Hotel Vegas for Space Agency Booking’s annual showcase along with a closing festival celebration at the Webberville Block Party followed by a return to Hotel Vegas to close out SXSW 2025.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: SXSW 2025 music week began with a wide range of musical styles

The 2025 South By Southwest music festival kicked off on Monday and Tuesday this week, featuring artists from around the Austin music scene and worldwide. Each day of music starts at noon and usually continues until the 2 a.m. closing time for each day of programming. For the first two days of the SXSW music showcases, we rounded up some of our favorite acts that started off our music festival coverage with stops at Hotel Vegas, 13th Floor and Stubb’s BBQ to see bands with a wide range of musical styles from the hardcore noise punk of Exotic Fruitica to experimental act Skloss to legendary songwriter John Fogerty and back to the heavy psych rock of Frankie and the Witch Fingers. SXSW runs the musical genre gamut as our coverage attests.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: SXSW 2025 opening weekend ramble

. The SXSW week began with opening all-day showcases such as the Hotel Vegas Anniversary Party, SX Soundcheck, Do512 Smokeout, and others, there’s plenty to keep music attendees busy before official music week begins the following Monday. Here’s what stood out to us in the opening days of SXSW, all of which will likely perform again before the week concludes. Follow these acts on social media for the most up-to-date information on live appearances throughout the festival. 

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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Seven SXSW day parties not to miss in 2025

For every year’s SXSW installment, different activations pop up all over the city to bring SX-goers daytime programming before things switch over to an all-official format in the evening. These day Parties mostly feature cover-free programming, sometimes even featuring official SXSW artists that give opportunities to non-credentialed music fans to join in on the festivities during the week. All listed events occur between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m., are free for attendees, and no badge is required, subject to capacit

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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

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. 

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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: seven buzz bands to see at SXSW 2025

The 2025 edition of South By Southwest is fast approaching, and the list of acts making their way to Austin for the six-day music festival spans multiple genres and geographic origins. With this in mind, the Cosmic Clash team has curated a group of seven buzz bands we think you should put on your list for the long week of around-the-clock music. All acts are Sx official artists. All set times, along with venues, can be found on the SXSW website and SXSW GO cell application. 

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