SXSW Music Festival Day Two: Music and Storytelling

On Tuesday, March 12th, the SXSW Music Festival continues with various diverse artists performing in various parts near downtown Austin. A day of incredible artists, stellar performances and artistic knowledge began.

Def Jam Renewed: The Hip-Hop Legend’s Next 40 Years

This featured session, moderated by Bryan Biniak, President of Songtradr and Bandcamp, featured an impeccable panel of Tunji Balogun, CEO of Def Jam Recordings, Chuck D, also known for being leader of Public Enemy and Lady London, an amazing artist from Def Jam Recordings. This panel shows Def Jam Records’s past, present and future, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

It was a fascinating session as you learned Def Jam’s roots and the key decisions that have propelled it to global recognition. They have shown that being at the epicenter of hip-hop allows them to nurture and promote diverse artist voices as, over the years, the walls in genre, language and geolocation have gradually been falling. More international artists have grown in popularity and location has started to matter less and less in terms of propelling an artists career.

Music Opening Party at Palm Door on Sixth

Juanpalitoschinos

Based in Mexico City, this duo, consisting of Friné Alejo and Joan Page, perfectly blends Japanese City-Pop from the 80s with the sound and elements of Latin American indie. They quickly won the crowd with their catchy hooks, incredible charm, and allure on stage. Their ability to resonate, get everyone to dance, and move along to the music was incredible. Their chemistry as a band and performer was seen throughout, and you could tell they were having so much fun on stage with each other and engaging with the crowd.

Dende

A Houston-based artist, Dende encapsulates the R&B genre well with his powerful yet melodic vocals within each song. Each song has its own story, and he was able to describe its influences as stories from his life experiences of some of his obstacles. His style of R&B is reminiscent of the early 2000s but holds its unique modern take on that sound. During his performance with his band, he had an eye-catching stage presence as he engaged with the crowd, getting them to sing along and truly enjoy themselves.

Rozco’s Comedy Club

COASTCITY

COASTCITY consists of Jean Rodriguez and Danny Flores, who performed an intimate broken-down session at Rozco’s. With the primary focus being the vocals, their style worked incredibly well as a mix of R&B and Latin. Flores’s skill on the piano and Rodriguez’s ability to showcase his incredible charm, charisma, and vocal talent stood out in their performance style. Hearing their stories through the emotive storytelling of the lyrics helped the audience fully engage and appreciate their art.

Mariangela

Combining various genres such as rock, pop, alternative, folk, and ballad, Mariangela has created a unique sound that works so well in telling her story in her songs. At Rozco’s, she showed a captivating side to her incredible artistry with alluring vocals and incredible resonance within herself in this intimate venue. She embraces her roots and has used her music to understand herself better and dive deep into the emotions and experiences she has gone through. Her performance was spectacular, as she could express herself beautifully in such a genuine way.

Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Showcase at Moody Theater

Rolling Stone’s opening night of Future of Music brought out Rap and hip-hop’s newest stars for the show this year. Hosted by DJ Rosegold, the night was already pumped before the first artist came out. Karrahboo started the night, followed by Lola Brooke, Veeze and headliner Teezo Touchdown. Both Karrahboo and Lola Brooke brought their unique voice to the night and interacted a lot with the audience, prompting them to dance and sing along. Veeze had the audience moshing on the floor, thoroughly hyped for the one everyone was here for; Teezo Touchdown.

Teezo came out in an iconic leather outfit decorated with long spikes and chains, carrying a bouquet. After dramatically shoving his mic into the bouquet, the artist sang into the bouquet for the remainder of the night, playing some fan favorites, including “Third Coast,” “Modern Jam” and “RUNITUP.” Teezo had everyone in the room on their feet singing along. The artist had an alluring presence that few artists have.

Overall, it was a fantastic day full of artists who have mastered their art in telling their stories. This week, which is full of music, is still ongoing! Check out our live coverage page for the latest SXSW coverage!