South By Southwest gets started in 3 weeks. With a lineup of over 1000 acts, the biggest showcasing festival in the world is a prime chance to find some new talent to check out.

Every year I tell myself I'm going to spend some time digging through the lineup, and every year I fail. This year I decided I can't be trusted, so I should just leave it up to fate.

Instead of meticulously combing through the lineup, I've divided it by genre and played some SXSW roulette, using a random number generator to show me the way.

Sticking with the Russian roulette theme, once I had 10 acts chosen for me, I gave them one shot each, listening to their biggest song to determine their fate.

First up is the genre that's running the game these days: hip hop.

New Fame





When & where: 17 March, The Main II

One shot: Custom Made

The track hits pretty hard. To my ear the beat sounds like a trap take on a mid 2000s Timbaland jam, with an oriental synth on top for good measure. The effectiveness of the lyrics relies pretty heavily on your stance on the ultra repetitive wave in hip hop these days. The duo work well together, switching between smooth and rough voices with ease. Overall, a pretty tight, defined single.





Schaffer the Darklord





When & where: 17 March, Karma Lounge

One shot: One Fall

Ah yes, joke rap. The beat is pretty bombastic, pulling off the Yeezus style maximalism pretty convincingly, but I've never been one for parody music. There's definitely space for levity and humour in music, but I just don't see the point for putting in time for a musical joke. Could be funny after a day of hopping from one venue to another though.



Junk Drawer Vol. 2 by Schaffer the Darklord

Rocky Banks





When & where: TBA

One shot: Tony Hawk

A spacey beat and reverb on the mic create a nice groove that balances the seemingly obligatory nod to trap with old school sensibilities. Throw in some references to Trump, not doing drugs anymore, and making sure people know you work really hard, and you've got yourself a conscious rap song. Nothing wrong here, but nothing all that revelatory either.



Oran Juice Jones ii





When & where: 15 March, Highland Lounge

One shot: Trouble

Nothing like just riding a vibe. No switch ups, just keeping it simple with a jazzed up, 90s-esque boom bap beat. This is more my kind of thing, but I can see how some people could find it a bit revivalist. Because... well it kind of is. But that doesn't mean it's not a likeable track. Nice flow too, I could see zoning out to this at a club show.



Kodie Shane





When & where: TBA

One shot: Sad ft. Lil Yatchy

Having a big guest on your track can be a blessing and a curse. It'll get you more exposure, but you don't want them to outdo you on your own stuff. Sad has been streamed over 3 million times on Spotify alone, which is pretty impressive. But I do think Lil Yatchy (in his Lil Boat persona) is the best part of the song. Kodie Shane's vocals sound a bit thin to me, but I imagine it'd be fuller live.



Hardy Caprio





When & where: TBA

One shot: Unsigned

The British rap scene is flush with talent these days, with grime focussing the international eye squarely on London. This track's twinkling beat plays on various sounds of the moment, but is a clear attempt to put a unique twist on things. Hardy's vocals are pretty hard for such an icy, light beat, which creates a bit of an odd tension. Even though this song is pretty laid back, you have to imagine any show of his would have some serious energy.



Jiggy Drama





When & where: 15 March, Speakeasy

One shot: Tú Tranquilo

Well, my Spanish isn't what it could be, so I can't talk on the lyrical content here. As you might expect, the track features a classic Latin beat which is aimed right at your hip bone. Because of this, I think it could translate pretty well into a live setting. With Camila Cabello's Havana still a top 5 track 26 weeks after entering the charts, I have a feeling we're in for more latin music this summer.



Cure For Paranoia





When & where: 15 March, Parish

One shot: Normal Person

This is the most original track so far. Pulling from a wide range of influences, the group have expertly put together a song that builds and shifts, keeping the listener guessing throughout. Definitely a bit of Kendrick in there, but nothing too egregious. They seem like some thoughtful people, check them out.



Spaceboifresh





When & where: 17 March, The Market

One shot: Star Gazing

This is some Soundcloud rap, but you probably could have figured that out from his name. The track features the necessary lo-fi, chillwave beat, but Spaceboifresh's flow is better than you might expect. I don't know, I enjoyed it. Not sure I'd go out of my way to check him out, but if you like this kind of music, give it a go.



Supa Bwe





When & where: TBA

One shot: Thot Goddess (Sailor Moon)

I can't really decide on this one. It's a good ol' trap track, which could jump to another level live, but the vocals are a bit flat on record, and oddly mixed. Maybe he's going for something a bit different, but the reverb and vocal effects make Supa Bwe sound quite distant, which I think might make it harder for him to connect with a crowd.



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