Day four of South by Southwest Music felt especially global.
California-born, regional Mexico-singing youngster Ivan Cornejo headlined Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase, Irish post-punks Cardinals got a taste of Texan flora and fauna, and London Afro-punks Steam Down slung the sounds of the Diaspora, from funk to soul to gospel. That’s just a taste of the artists the Chronicle crew caught on Thursday.
Ivan Cornejo’s Ardent Army
Vaquero boots flooded the floor of ACL Live for day three of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase. Roaring in anticipation at every video of Ivan Cornejo that graced the screen, the crowd made it clear that the bill topper was indeed the most awaited act of the night. Stepping out on stage in a sleek gray/green jacket, white button up shirt, and navy slacks, “Musicá Mexicana’s Heartbreak Kid” opened the hour-and-three-minute-long show with “Está Dañado.” Dangling light bulbs flashed on stage, imitating stars and setting the somber and heartfelt mood for the night. The setlist was composed of tracks from the 20-year-old’s albums MIRADA and Dañado, including “Sale Para Ser Feliz,” “Me Hiciste un Loco,” and “Aquí Te Espero.” Audience adoration continued as the night went on, with eardrum-bursting screams introducing and sending away every song. Ending the night with the Eslabon Armado-featured track “La Curiosidad,” the California crooner breathed a bit of humor into the melancholic air with one simple question: “Dónde andan todas las locas de Austin, Texas?” – Catalina Perez
Black Polish Is More Than an Avril
With platinum blond, waist-length hair, a black leather bra adorned with metallic spikes, baggy nylon pants, and an ice-blue colored contact in their left eye, it would be easy to write off Black Polish as just another Avril Lavigne or Melanie Martinez alt-rock act. However, the moment they stretched their arms and began moving to the rhythm, it became clear that they were a performer with their own magnetic stage presence. From the first song, the singer-songwriter, born Jayden Nicole Binnix, commanded the stage with playful energy, exuding both gratitude and exhilaration at the opportunity to play SXSW. Their chemistry with their backing band was electric as the dogged quartet jumped and twirled together, asking the crowd of around 20 to match their energy. While the audience remained hesitant, the band never faltered, pouring themselves into the performance. Their sound, an interesting fusion of heavy metal and country twang, felt refreshingly distinct, with lyrics exploring self-discovery and faith. The set featured three new songs from the artist’s upcoming album, each showcasing a dynamic mix of vocals and guitar riffs. At several points in the show, Black Polish sank to their knees, belting out lyrics laced with anguish, fully immersed in the music. The night ended on a high note with their most popular track, “Baby Tonight,” a surf-rock anthem celebrating young sapphic love. – Angelina Liu
Steam Down’s Afro-Punk Tempest
Running 30 minutes late by the time Steam Down finally wore down Flamingo Cantina’s soundman, the London Afro-diaspora funk crew did the most with its 30 minutes of SXSW spotlight. Having whittled down their musical call sheet by hundreds, maybe thousands, the Festival eventually flexing multiple official showcases per artist now allows the sometimes necessary tease and then ultimate delivery. Earlier in the week, out back at the British Music Embassy just across the street, Steam Down came on like an alternate dub squad, MC flowing his Majesty’s street song as a saxophone blew urban heartbeat and the rhythm section roiled the night. Inside Flamingo on Thursday night, now studied from the bleachers, the same five fly guys put on a clinic of chemistry, bandsmanship, and just plain chops. Chief amongst those proved Benji “Chief” Appiah, whose gobsmacking drum skills awed at every pop, whack, and smack of the sticks, his one-man thrashing machine equally adept at drum-n-bass as jazz. Don’t take your eyes off him, this Tony Allen Jr. Toward the last, “Tempest” proved exactly that, moving from moody post-soul to near gospel rock, chanting and inciting chants of “Oh my god” in time to thumping bleats possessing one and all. OMG is right. – Raoul Hernandez
Cardinals Construct a Distinctly Modern Emo Sound
Centuries after St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland, Cardinals’ accordionist, Finn Manning, announced, in character monotone, “There’s a snake on the roof! I’ve never seen one.” The Cork-based post-punk outfit delivered an anthemic sound with stoic dramatics during a Pooneh Ghana-presented, mid-afternoon set at Radio/East. I know about as much about the accordion as the Irish know about snakes, but Manning wielded his surprisingly small instrument in a memorable, character-building way, dodging pub band stereotypes while giving the band’s rock stylings a distinct flavor. Lead singer Euan Manning’s intonation, undoubtedly informed by Eighties new wave apathy and early 2000s emo angst, toyed expertly with his accent on noise-building ballads and guitar-forward jams alike. Together with ear-catching guitar melodies and percussion that plays with grunge and pop sentimentalities, Cardinals make music both classic and new, and their aloof-yet-heartfelt performance is one to watch. Though their lyrics can fall on the helplessly tragic side, it’s no wonder Rolling Stone called them “the next great guitar band to emerge from Ireland.” – Caroline Drew
The Children of Austin Love Being Dead
The best view of Being Dead’s Radio/East set was not afforded to the majority of us whose fathers are no longer willing to let us sit on their shoulders. Hank, a pianist nearing the age of 8, was one of the lucky ones. Already an at-home listener of Being Dead, this was his first time seeing them perform. Don’t mistake Hank for a naïve reviewer, though – he’s seen “lots” of concerts, including Willie Nelson. Asked to rank this one, he enthusiastically responded: “10 out of 10!”
Bruce, 7, who knows more local bands than I do, was a little more critical of Being Dead’s set, giving them an 8/10. Cooling down with a tajin-rimmed lemonade, he admitted that Urban Heat and Good Looks maintain their No. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, in his favorite band rankings.
June, 10, was well-outfitted for the weather in a tie-dyed bucket hat and movie-star sunglasses. “I’d never really listened to them before,” she told me, also giving the set an 8/10. Like Hank, she plays the piano and noodles around on guitar too. When asked what her future band will sound like, June reported, “probably like that,” nodding toward the stage that Being Dead had just left empty.
Don’t be surprised if Being Dead’s sound reverberates in Austin for generations to come. – Caroline Drew
Steve Wynn Talks Life, Music, and the Dream Syndicate
Steve Wynn has enjoyed a near five-decade career of satisfying self-employment as a musician without coming close to the mainstream. His band the Dream Syndicate was a leading light in the so-called Paisley Underground of the 1980s, as well as a seminal influence on rockers that marry noise with craft. His 2024 memoir I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True details the early days of his career, and this session was the performance version of his memoir. Armed with a notebook, acoustic guitar, and reading glasses in front of a sparse crowd (thank direct competition from Michelle Obama), Wynn read sections of the book, then played songs related to the passage: “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (the song he performed with his junior high school band), “Sing My Blues” (his first original song, written at the age of 9), “That’s What You Always Say” (the song that he knew was something special). He even demonstrated how the Syndicate classic “Tell Me When It’s Over” had its roots in the English Beat’s “Save It For Later.” The session closed with “The Days of Wine and Roses,” the Syndicate song he’ll be performing until the end of his days. Wynn may not be as famous as U2 (for whom the Syndicate opened in 1983), but his catalog and sheer love of his job make him just as significant. – Michael Toland
Susto Stringband Offers a Breath of Mountain Air
Susto Stringband doesn’t need drums to build a two-step rhythm, which the White Horse crowd, naturally, took advantage of during their Thursday set. The band, a combined effort of Charleston indie rockers Susto and Americana outfit Holler Choir, consists of two acoustic guitars, one slide guitar, a mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and standup bass, thumping in seemingly effortless synchronization. Their Appalachian folk sound flowed just as it’s supposed to: like a mountain stream. Four-part harmonies – sometimes five – accented the group’s classic tone, with guitarist/lead singer Justin Osborne’s throaty vibrato carving quiet moments into cliffhangers and banjo player/vocalist Helena Rose’s flutey tone boosting their singalong melodies. The band’s fitting last stand was an acapella performance of “Down to the River to Pray,” sung in hair-lifting harmony by all seven band members. Ahead of their debut album release on March 28, Susto Stringband sounds steadfast and natural. – Caroline Drew
Dámaris Bojor’s Emerging Folkpirano
The state of Sonora in Northwestern Mexico borders Arizona. Hermosillo, the capital, presently hovers at just under 1 million inhabitants, ranking it penultimately in the Top 20 largest cities in the country. Dámaris Bojor disseminates the folk music of the land in a fusion she’s coined as “folkpirano,” a mashup of regional roots styles and American country & western. Second act at Sixth Street global/local music hub Flamingo Cantina on Thursday night, in a bill curated by Berlin-based world music disseminator WOMEX, the singer certainly cast a one-of-a-kind sound. Surrounded by three electric guitarists, one of them on bass, Bojor sang over a micro symphony of strumming in a nondescript but plaintive tenor. “I’m so happy to be here in Texas for the first time,” she said, a common refrain at SXSW Music. Juan Gabriel’s “Por Qué Me Haces Llorar” proved an early highlight of the 30-minute set, over which the frontwoman projected less and less. “Volar,” advance single of her next album due next month, and at least one other new tune, didn’t fly as much as lope – Westerly. Spaghetti Westerly, perhaps, odd and unique, but also doubtlessly inherent. “A little Western,” she nodded. Though somewhat drowned out, ballad “Miro Al Cielo” and later “Cruz de Madera” lilted both Spanish language – romantic, supple – and soundtrack-worthy for a state with one overriding default genre. Hitching her thumbs into the belt loops at her waist, Dámaris Bojor lacked only a two-step lesson to prompt shuffling ’round the Flamingo floor. – Raoul Hernandez
SoundMass’ Post-Rock Mini Orchestra
Three drummers. Two guitarists. Two bassists. Two keyboardists, one of whom doubles on accordion. A violinist, a harpist, a pedal steel guitarist, a xylophone player, and a tambourine player who may or may not have simply wandered onstage at the beginning of the set. With a lineup like that, a band’s not going to sound small and minimalist. Conjugating a blend born out of friendship and improvisation, SoundMass consists of Austin’s My Education and Salt Lake City’s Theta Naught in their entireties to create a powerful post-rock mini orchestra. All cymbals, feedback, and drone, at least at first, the opening tune morphed into tribal drumming, soaring melodies, and xylophone/harp fairy dust – fury and mourning all at once, the soundtrack to a forest fire. Building through tunes roiling in dynamic beauty, the conglomerate’s orch-grunge eventually turned pastoral, as if the dawn came and gently blasted the dark clouds away – goodbye to the dark and hello to the light. Only one thing left to do, then: initiate a choogling beat and party like Hawkwind at the end of an all-night jam. The crowd consisted of people of all ages, and while they may well have not understood what they heard, they loudly conveyed their approval regardless. – Michael Toland
Catch up with more of The Austin Chronicle’s SXSW 2025 coverage.
This article appears in March 14 • 2025.
