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SXSW is one of my favorite music festivals to catch independent artists alongside international superstars. In between tasting tacos, Tito’s and Topochico, I tested Austin’s bike share and made my rounds to the Okayplayer showcases, the SoundCloud Clubhouse, the Pandora Discovery Den, The Filter house and more. Amongst all the craziness, these were my 5 favorite musical moments at SXSW:

1. Kaytranada at the HWW showcase. Performing with up and comers Sweater Beats, Sango, Esta and the Falcons, I heard an hour of unreleased wonky drum beat and fuzzy bass business. PURE FIRE!

2. Emanon, aka Exile and the infamous Aloe Blacc. Producer Exile was the star of the show, doing things to an MPC I never thought were possible. His performance mimicked a DMC DJ routine on drum machine pads. Aloe showed he can still rap after pursuing a burgeoning singing career.

3. Kelis tore down the house. Todd Simon, trumpet maestro from Breakestra, The Lions and Decoders fame updated her musical arrangement, spicing up her show with a full horn section blaring soul, funk and afrobeat lines. She also showcased her new album “Food” by serving Jerk Ribs out of her own food truck!

4. Large Up vibes. It was great to finally hear some reggae riddims at SXSW, and Trinidad delivered. Rice-n-Peas and Heatwave battled for ruling sound, while House of Marley offered organic earbuds for the guests on hand.

5. Quantic and Soulection on the same bill? Thank you, Okayfuture! Quantic took to the stage on his dub siren box, accordion and Ableton DJ setup with Nidia Gongora building the energy with her vocals. The percussive sounds took us straight to South America. I seemed to run into the Soulection brothers everywhere I went. They are creating the sounds of the future, and it was a pleasant surprise to hear them on some of the best sound systems in Austin.

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SXSW 2014 was full of ups and downs, smiles and frowns. It was year of a Tyler riot/arrest, DUI tragedy and countless independent VS corporate arguments. I experienced some amazing musical moments, and found myself blown away on how much this festival has grown in the past 9 years. It’s a different game out there, and time to adapt. This year’s rules: no schedule, comfy shoes, earplugs, sunscreen, and bring a jacket – it was cold in Texas!

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Durkin was my new favorite new artist at the Okayfuture showcase. The Internet blessed the SoundCloud stage with seriously soulful vibes. Mobb Deep murdered the Pandora Discovery Den. Kastle gave the Funktion-One sound system at Vulcon Gas Co. a workout, and the Peligrosa crew showcased local Latin talent alongside international DJs with a global flair.

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For the foodies: I hate to say I skipped Uchi, Lambert’s, Rudy’s, La Barbeque, and couldn’t find my favorite taco truck out by Scoot Inn on the East Side. Maybe Tyler the Creator chased them away?

My nightly food truck secret was Hawaiian King’s bread giving away FREE SALT LICK BBQ on those tasty paradise rolls. I also found a new shawarma truck on the late night thanks to my compadre Chicken George. I think it’s somewhere near 5th and Brazos, but was never sober enough at 2am for shawarma GPS. Torchy’s got most of my migas money, and I discovered you can order ahead to avoid tourists like me getting breakfast tacos.

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I’d like to say thank you for all the friends and family that hosted Brother in Arms and JBoogie live in Austin. Biggup Grown Kids Radio, Chicken George, Kingdom, Okayfuture, Soulection, Turntables on Town Lake, Viejo’s and the Peligrosa Crew!

ALL THIS LOVE COVER

Oh yea, and on to the FREE stuff: Brother in Arms latest “All This Love” hit 17K the first week on SoundCloud. I hope you enjoy our take on this Jade classic, updated for the club.  Download it HERE

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