SXSW Music kicks off this week, with the festival's 31st edition taking place Monday, March 13, to Sunday, March 19. Over that time, 2,011 artists will play official showcases—and even more will be piggybacking at various unofficial events. The sheer magnitude can be a lot to take in, especially if you're watching the action from home. To that end, we've compiled a playlist of rising SXSW acts that'll be equally useful if you're spending the week snowed in at home or already lining up at Stubb's.
One of the things that makes SXSW so unique is that there's no one experience. It's just as easy to fill your days and nights with jazz (see Austin's own Circling Drones), dark electronic music (like Iranian-born Londoner Ash Koosha) or soulful hip-hop (Minneapolis's Lizzo, pictured above). We tried to reflect that here, highlighting acts across genres and leaning toward lesser known artists on the verge of breaking out. To those getting ready for Austin's best tacos or hunkering down for Winter Storm Stella, enjoy.