SXSW is my favorite time of the year for collecting new artists to watch. Far be it from me to keep these gems to myself. Here are some of bands and songs I discovered this year:

 

19. Haley Bonar – “Bad Reputation”

I was attracted to the tone of Haley Bonar’s voice. It stuck out in a sea of voices while I was going through all the SXSW announced artists and got this Minnesotan a spot on my best of SXSW playlist.

 

20. Kodaline – “All I Want”

These Dubliners made it into one of my top sets of SXSW, partly due to the circumstances surrounding my first seeing them and partly due to their intoxicating tunes like this one. The way this song builds gets me every time. A Kodaline show = a magical experience.

 

21. Frank Turner – “I Still Believe”

I had heard of Frank Turner prior to SXSW 2013, but I hadn’t given him a proper listen. I saw two of his sets this year and, especially the one with The Sleeping Souls, they could be described as one of the more energy-packed, empowering sets I’ve seen. Turner has an impressive ability to stir a crowd into fist-pumping madness. Giving his tunes a few listens, I can tell why. His recently released album, Tape Deck Heart, is packed full of gems.

 

~ Kristen