The music portion of SXSW 2013 officially kicks off Tuesday night in Austin, Texas. It's a sprawling mess of a party: Next week, no doubt, you'll read wrap-up pieces whining about the pile-up of corporate sponsors, impossible-to-get-into private parties and 45-minute lines at taco trailers. And bloggers will breathlessly report on the A-list shows they managed to get into — from Green Day and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds to Kendrick Lamar and Dave Grohl and his Sound City Players. Somebody from The New York Times will probably get to see the much-rumored Justin Timberlake show.

But here's the wild part: Outside of the big names, there are 2,000 other official acts showcasing and probably twice that in town to play parties, free shows, and unofficial showcases. If you're headed to Austin, you can't see but an infinitesimal fraction of what's out there. If you're not headed to Austin, what's any of it mean, anyway? Actually, quite a bit. SXSW is still a pretty good barometer for what's next: Bands playing the Mohawk or Emo's this week will be bands you're circling on your Lollapalooza or Pitchfork festival schedule this summer. Or next summer. And while you may not love fun., The Lumineers, or Ed Sheeran, all three played SXSW last year on the undercard. Ten months later, they weren't just Grammy-nominated, but also playing the freakin' telecast. Year in and out, the SXSW schedule is the year's best tipsheet for new music. Period.

What follows is a 50-song playlist to help you map your journey into the abyss — with a Spotify playlist to accompany it (also below). The emphasis is on great songs. Sure, some acts made the list because we know they deliver live (i.e., Big Freedia, Spirit Family Reunion). We skipped the obvious superstars, and even no-brainer you-have-to-see-them folks like The Flaming Lips or Iron & Wine. But things get blurry when you're talking SXSW, so we did include a few established artists with interesting new albums (i.e., Jim James, Cold War Kids, Dawes). And the bulk of the rest? They're acts with recent, brand-new, or forthcoming singles or albums worth hearing, whether you're going to SXSW or not. If you are, be careful out there. If you're not, consider these just another 50 songs you need to hear right now.

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Foxygen, "Shuggie"


Suuns, "2020"


Little Green Cars, "The John Wayne"


My Jerusalem, "Preachers"


Mikhael Paskalev, "Jive Babe"


Jake Bugg, "Two Fingers"


Wavves, "Demon To Lean On"


Charlie Mars, "How I Roll"


Youth Lagoon, "Dropla"


Palma Violets, "Best Of Friends"


Haim, "Falling"


Darwin Deez, "Free (The Editorial Me)"


Jamie N Commons, "Rumble And Sway"


BOY, "Drive Darling"


Japandriods, "Younger Us"


Lord Huron, "Time To Run"


Ivan & Aloysha, "Running For Cover"


Hanni El Khatib, "Family"


Wake Owl, "Gold"


Black Angels, "Don't Play With Guns"


The Coup, "The Magic Clap"


Michael Kiwanuka, "I'll Get Along"


Cold War Kids, "Miracle Mile"


Wild Belle, "It's Too Late"


Jim James, "A New Life"


Phosphorescent, "Song for Zula"


Divine Fits, "Like Ice Cream"


Kodaline, "All I Want"


CHVRCHES, "Recover"


Diamond Rugs, "Gimme A Beer"


Guards, "Silver Lining"


Heartless Bastards, "Only For You"


Menahan Street Band, "Keep Coming Back"


Pickwick, "Lady Luck"


Lianne La Havas, "Elusive"


Houses, "The Beauty Surrounds"


Ronnie Fauss, "I Can't Remember What You Can't Forget"


John Murry,"California"


Jonny Fritz, "Social Climbers"


Lissie, "Pursuit Of Happiness"


Cayucas, "Cayucos"


Max Frost, "My Walk"


Ashley Monroe, "Like A Rose"


Hey Marseilles, "Bright Stars Burning"


Big Freedia, "Feelin' Myself"


The Lone Bellow, "You Never Need Nobody"


Haerts, "Wings"


Ms Mr, "Bones"


Spirit Family Reunion, "I'll Find A Way"


Dawes, "From A Window Seat"

Listen to More of Andy Langer's Songs of the Week >>

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