It’s that time of year again and South By Southwest (SXSW) is just around the corner! We’ve decided to bring back our “50 Acts You Won’t Want To Miss” feature and spent hours trying to narrow down our favorite acts. Not making it to Texas for the event? We’ve got you covered!! Check out our Spotify SXSW playlist which features one song from each artist on it here or at the very end of the list below!

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A continuation to last winters release, we are happy to share our newest compilation, Tracks In The Snow, Volume 3! Featuring tracks from friends and bands we’ve featured on the site during 2015, Tracks In The Snow, Volume 3 includes songs from Redlands, Icarus The Owl, The Ballroom Thieves, and seven other amazing artists! Best part? It’s completely free! 

Below you can find the full track listing and links to where you can stream and download the compilation!

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Boston has a new best-kept secret, and it’s a three-piece rock band in a folk suit.

While they may just be a trio, The Ballroom Thieves’ sound far outreaches their roster’s size. At its midpoint, “Bullet” grows from a simple dark acoustic number into a racing bluegrass number with Earley and Peters’ vocals bouncing off one another.

“Oars to the Sea” stands out as an early gem, with each member loaning their voice to provide three different vocal styles. Earley rumbles in with a low croon, while Mauch and Peters lend support. It also features the first example of Earley’s guitar ability, ripping a brief, sharp solo to accompany Peters’ cello work and Mauch’s percussion.

Excluding backing roles throughout previous tracks, Peters’ vocals make their first lead appearance in “Bury Me Smiling,” a soft and smooth contribution to contrast Earley’s grit. Where “Lantern” and “Bullet” are on the quicker and louder side of the fence, “The Loneliness Waltz” and “Saint Monica” even the tally of ballads vs. faster tracks. The former gives the instrumentals a moment to show their strengths, while the latter is a heartbroken tribute to an admired woman and unreciprocated feelings. Earley tenderly sings “Her voice for a moment of lenience / her words for the coin in your jar / While she pays her dues as another man’s muse / I still can’t tell my head from my heart.” The shortest song on the album paces itself wisely, stocking up on emotion and unloading it quickly before risking growing old or dry.

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Written by Kara Kokinos and Eric Riley.
Photos (Halsey, Vance Joy, TV On The Radio) by Kara Kokinos. 
Photos (The Ballroom Thieves, ILoveMakonnen, Lucius, Jason Isbell, Tenacious D) by Eric Riley.

On Sunday, the final day of this spring’s Boston Calling, there was a sense of anticipation that hovered over the crowd throughout the day. Following Saturday’s vivacious performers, festivalgoers had to question if the performances on Sunday, those punctuated by Tenacious D and (Boston’s own) Pixies, could reach the high bar that had been set over the previous two days.

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Today’s the day!! It is day one of Boston Calling and you can expect to see tons of coverage from us over the next couple of days! Wrapping up our Seven Bands To See At Boston Calling, we bring you our number one artist you need to be keeping an eye out for!

On our list so far: #7. Sharon Van Etten / Krill / The Ballroom Thieves, #6. Run The Jewels, #5. Halsey, #4. Marina and the Diamonds, #3. Beck, #2. St. Vincent

Today we talk about our #1 pick, Tenacious D.

They be not angels, they are but men. But, though mere men, they make up TENACIOUS D, The Greatest Metal Band in the World. While they have their roots planted deep in comedy, it would be impossible to deny the serious talent Jack Black and Kyle Gass both have.

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It’s almost time! It’s only a few days until we’re back at Boston Calling once more. So, to keep with tradition, here is our list of who you need to be keeping an eye out for!

On our list so far: #7. Sharon Van Etten / Krill / The Ballroom Thieves, #6. Run The Jewels, #5. Halsey, #4. Marina and the Diamonds, #3. Beck

Today we talk about our #2 pick, St. Vincent

I first saw ST. VINCENT when she performed on The Colbert Report last February, and then seeing her a few months later on Saturday Night Live had me hooked. It was this strange combination of energetic and frigid, staged and theatrical, yet free and random.

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It’s almost time! It’s less than one week away until we’re back at Boston Calling once more. So, to keep with tradition, here is our list of who you need to be keeping an eye out for!

On our list so far: #7. Sharon Van Etten / Krill / The Ballroom Thieves, #6. Run The Jewels, #5. Halsey, #4. Marina and the Diamonds

Today we talk about our #3 pick, Beck.

The Boston Calling folks couldn’t get Beyoncé this year, so they booked Beck instead. (Not really.)

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It’s almost time! It’s less than one week away until we’re back at Boston Calling once more. So, to keep with tradition, here is our list of who you need to be keeping an eye out for!

On our list so far: #7. Sharon Van Etten / Krill / The Ballroom Thieves, #6. Run The Jewels

Today we talk about our #5 pick, Halsey.

I didn’t get my first listen of Halsey until early this year, but from then on, there was no turning back. Her music is purely addictive, and her huge “Ghost” is anything you could hope for from a pop song – smooth, soft, sharp and seductive.

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It’s almost time! It’s less than one week away until we’re back at Boston Calling once more. So, to keep with tradition, here is our list of who you need to be keeping an eye out for!

On our list so far: #7. Sharon Van Etten / Krill / The Ballroom Thieves

Today we talk about our #6 pick, Run The Jewels.

In comparison to the last time around, this lineup features a much smaller amount of hip-hop. September had Childish Gambino and Nas (and twenty one pilots, if we’re being fair), while September 2013 brought us Major Lazer and Kendrick Lamar. The May editions seem to favor the indie/pop/rock side of things, so Run the Jewels’ chunk of time is sure to be a contrast from the majority of the rest of the weekend, in a good way.

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It’s almost time! Happy Saturday! Yesterday marked ONE WEEK until we’re back at Boston Calling once more. So, to keep with tradition, here is our list of who you need to be keeping an eye out for!

In the past, we’ve begun these countdowns with the winners of the contest that granted them the opening slot on each day. However, this year, we’ll shake things up a bit. There’s no contest to discuss, and it came to my attention that, in discussing the openers on Saturday and Sunday, I was unconsciously ignoring the Friday night support. Shame! So, let’s fix that, yes?

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