100 Great Bands to See at SXSW 2013

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To celebrate the festival’s music section, which kicks off tomorrow, we’ve compiled a list of our 100 favorite acts heading out to Austin this week. Read about and listen to them all below.

Brendan Benson
Releasing his first album in 1996, Brendan Benson has put out five solo albums, most recently What Kind of World on his own label in 2012. His music, especially his last album, is also impacted by his personal life. What Kind of World was made soon after Benson got married, had a child and developed Readymade Records. Benson says these life changes had a tangible effect on his music.—Krystle Drew

Brooke Waggoner
Brooke Waggoner is more than just any girl singing with a piano. With seven years of classical training, the New Orleans-bred but Nashville-based artist frequently combines graceful string arrangements and steady percussions with the sounds of her various piano progressions. Waggoner, a Best of What’s next alum, recorded with Jack White last year on his debut solo album Blunderbuss and also appeared in the music video target=“_blank. Expected to be featured at SXSW, Waggoner’s third LP titled ORIGINATOR was released on March 5 via Swoon Moon Music.—Stephanie Sharp

Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale
Once upon a time, the acclaimed Americana denizens were broke hopefuls, punching out bluegrass, Wurlitzer country and race music waiting on their dreams at North Hollywood’s legendary Palomino Club, alongside an unknown Lucinda Williams, blues belter Candye Kane and Dwight Yoakam producer Pete Anderson. For Lauderdale, it was a shelved 1989 CBS Nashville project, followed by critical acclaim and not much more at Warner Nashville. For Miller, indie records with good reviews and a lot of time logged as Lauderdale’s guitarist. And now, the pair who’ve played, written and sung on each other’s projects are finally releasing their first album. A freewheeling romp that’s long on two-part harmonies, bumping beats and world-class musicianship, Buddy and Jim is a hodgepodge of fresh originals, covers of their own songs and forgotten chestnuts.—Holly Gleason

Caveman
Caveman is off to an incredible start. The buzzed-about Brooklynites released their critically acclaimed Coco Beware in 2011, earning themselves a spot on Fat Possum’s roster. As a debut, Coco Beware’s sound is notably realized and consistent for the group of new comers, which is confirmed by solid tracks like “Old Friend” and “My Time.” The band’s gentle approach to melody, wiry guitars and moving progressions make them an act to follow.—Tyler Kane

Charles Bradley
At the age of 62, Charles Bradley released his debut album, No Time For Dreaming, on Daptone Records. The album was widely acclaimed for its honest and heartfelt subject matter, Bradley’s unchained wail and the backing instrumentation of the Menahan Street Band. What stands out more than anything, however, is what Bradley went through to get where he is today.Bradley has endured a number of hardships over the course of his life. He spent years working as a chef around the country, and for a good deal of time was homeless. Later in life, he moved back to Brooklyn, where he grew up, and awoke one morning to find his brother murdered. Despite everything, Bradley never let his passion for music die. He was performing James Brown covers in a Brooklyn night club under the name Black Velvet when he caught the ear of Daptone Records’ Gabriel Roth, who connected him with Tom Brenneck of the Menahan Street Band. The two wrote the songs that would make up Bradley’s debut.—Ryan Bort

Cheyenne Mize
Cheyenne Mize didn’t necessarily dream of becoming a songwriter in the spotlight, but it’s difficult to see her doing anything else when you consider her upbringing. From a young age, she was surrounded by music; her parents were ‘70s rock DJs, spinning Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley not only to Kentucky FM radio listeners, but to their young daughter. Mize’s songwriting chops are sharper than ever on We Don’t Need, but we see her crossing into new territory with a wider spread of instruments and her experiments with music over the course of a year.—Tyler Kane

CHVRCHES
For Scottish three-piece Chvrches, SXSW isn’t just a spring board into the American music game, it is a launchpad. Already owning a standout single in “Recover,” attendees will be happy to discover that song is not the exception, but a reflection of the material the electronic-pop group has written thus far, with proof coming more concretely with their late-March Recover EP.—Philip Cosores

City and Colour
Depending on who you asked in the early 2000s, a melodic, folky outpouring of music might have been the last thing you’d expect from Dallas Green. After all, his post-hardcore band, Alexisonfire, was just gathering steam on the live circuit, but at the center of their mosh-pit-inducing tracks there was an undeniable fact: Green has a really beautiful voice. Since 2005, Green has penned gentler, acoustic tracks under the name City and Colour, releasing albums Sometimes, Bring Me Your Love and Little Hell and showcasing that whether the musical backdrop is gnarled and distorted or acoustic and folky, he’s a versatile musician to look out for.—Tyler Kane

CR Smith
Over the summer, Paste joined forces with the producers of HGTV’s House Hunters International to discover a great new songwriter. After sifting through hundreds of submissions, CR Smith was named the winner of the “Be the New Sound of HGTV” contest. Smith—the music director at Faith Chapel in Billings, Mont.—wrote the song with his friend Edward Keels. Smith hasn’t pursued his own music since independently releasing his album, Life In Between, in 2005.—Shaina Perlman

Dana Falconberry
What’s more charming than Dana Falconberry’s orchestral backing band is her voice, and that’s saying something considering her layered recordings sound as warm and welcoming as ever. From one listen to Leelanu album opener “Lake Charlevoix,” you hear the elements there—thick, ooh-harmonies, clacking drums and yards of reverberating space. The artist is making the festival rounds this summer, but here’s a chance to check out some of these haunting tunes up-close. —Tyler Kane