Experience Ciao SXSW 2024: Italian Music Showcase in Austin

After gaining viral attention for her English translations of popular Italian songs, Aurora captured nationwide recognition and media coverage. Her musical journey officially launched in 2015 at Nashville's iconic Bluebird Café, where she first connected with American audiences and forged a lasting relationship with the United States. Following two music productions and countless performances, Aurora was set to tour the US for the first time in 2020 – only to see her dreams temporarily derailed when Italy entered lockdown the day she arrived in Boston. While her tour was cancelled, her music found unexpected success in Indonesia as a film soundtrack, becoming a box office sensation and Netflix hit. Today, Aurora embraces her Folk heritage roots while reaching for Pop heights with tracks like "Feelings" and her latest single "A Cool Car And A Good Smile" (featured on Spotify US's Fresh Finds Pop playlist).

Tuscan singer-songwriter and musician Sara Parigi hails from Prato. In 2020, she embarked on developing her solo project in Italian, blending art pop soundscapes with intimate, profound atmospheres. Following her debut single "Rive" (released December 2023 with a striking video by John Sbellinberg), her first album "Stanza" – produced by Alessandro Fiori – launched on January 26, 2024, via Viceversa Records.

Argirò has been a pivotal figure in UK jazz, classical, and electronic circles since relocating from Rome to London over a decade ago. A trained pianist from childhood, her previous solo release, the stunning electronic jazz-fusion album Forest City, earned widespread critical praise from The Guardian, Pitchfork, KCRW, KEXP, BBC, Vogue, and Rolling Stone. Her compositions have been featured in Netflix's Elite series, and she counts Four Tet and Gilles Peterson among her admirers, with Peterson describing her work as "absolutely crazy good."

Her new LP CLOSER reflects both sonic and personal exploration. "While creating this music, I felt myself getting closer with every note to the person I aspire to be," she explains. "This is my project, my creation – I needed to connect more deeply with myself and the music, embarking on this conscious journey. To be free, curious, and more connected to those I love."

Italian trio Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger! fully embraces the punk edge of 90s alternative rock infused with shoegaze, channeling influences from Sonic Youth and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Their approach takes conventional verse-chorus-verse structures and layers them with distinctively tuned, feedback-drenched guitars. Previous albums garnered attention from Sweeping the Nation, SXSW, CMJ, SPIN, Austin Chronicle, Joyzine, Idioteq, Skullcandy, Culture Bully, Vice, Birpfm, Gimmetinnitus, BBC6, and others. "BLOOM" (released February 23, 2024 via To Lose La Track/Coypu) marks a bold creative evolution, showcasing their more electrified dimension. It demonstrates the band's dynamic range and finds TSTT pushing boundaries to extremes. The noisy gem "Stones" is a propulsive, beautiful wall of sound – heavier and darker than their previous work. The dreamy guitar wall weighs heavy and carries the song's essence while hazy vocals and thunderous drumming propel listeners into a gorgeous dreamscape where instantly catchy melodies and emotional atmospheres hang perfectly balanced.

Small-town ennui. Feeling trapped. Financial struggles. These themes inform the music of Bee Bee Sea, emerging from the modest northern Italian town of Castel Goffredo. Yet these circumstances haven't prevented the trio from crafting breakneck anthems documenting dissatisfaction or developing a fierce live reputation. From this small city in Northern Italy, the trio has been delivering spirited garage psych for several years. In 2020, Bee Bee Sea released their third and most vibrant album, "Day Ripper."

Music outlets including Louder Than War, Under The Radar, and Europavox featured "Day Ripper" in their 2020 best-of lists. "Daily Jobs" received song of the day honors from KEXP and WFMU. Their music has aired on national stations including RadioX (UK), Amazing Radio (UK), BBC1 (Jack Saunders), BBC6 (Iggy Pop, Amy Lamé), Radio3 (Spain), Vodafone.fm (Portugal), RadioEins (Germany), and hundreds of local, college, and community stations worldwide. Bee Bee Sea has toured Europe and the UK multiple times and appeared in the US in 2018, including a legendary performance at Pickathon Festival. The band is currently recording their fourth studio album.

Ada Oda delivers an energetic fusion at the intersection of eighties rock and Italian pop. César Laloux (The Tellers, BRNS, Italian Boyfriend) initiated the project in 2020 with Victoria Barracato on vocals. César's stripped-down songwriting explores his impressions of love and the people surrounding him. His lyrics were first translated into Italian, then adapted by Victoria, daughter of a Sicilian immigrant. On stage and in the studio, the duo performs with Clément Marion on bass (Judith Kiddo), Alex De Bueuger on drums (Alaska Gold Rush, Gros Cœur), and Aurélien Gainetdinoff (San Malo, Yolande Bashing) on guitar. The band released their debut album, "Un amore debole," in late November 2022 on 62 TV records.