Free MP3 Download of The Best From South by Southwest

Every spring, hundreds of artists migrate to Austin for the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival and conference in the hopes of being this year's next big thing. Whether unknown bands looking to get signed to a label, established acts hoping to recapture some heat or rising artists doing a victory lap at the height of their hype-cycle, everyone wants to leave Texas with a bigger buzz than when they arrived.

This year, the rapidly ri

sing acts include electropop singer Grimes, brilliantly explicit Detroit rapper Danny Brown and soulful Southern rockers Alabama Shakes. Meanwhile, U.K. sass-pop duo the Ting Tings and punk Americana criers Titus Andronicus are set to reassert themselves following the respective breakout successes of We Started Nothing and The Monitor. And elsewhere, lesser-known bands like Sugar & the Hi-Lows or the Lighthouse and the Whaler—both of whom do different takes on vintage pop and rock—aspire to break away from the SXSW pack.

Whether or not you're going to Austin, the SXSW fest offers a good opportunity to get acquainted with the bands you're likely to hear a lot from in years to come. Consider this playlist your 2012 primer. << less