If you have two hours to spare, consider scrolling through South By Southwest’s official list of musicians performing over the course of the seven-day festival. If you only have five minutes, let us do the work for you — below, check out some of the festival’s standouts. 

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett is seconds away from joining the female rock goddess hall of fame. Barnett’s head-bobbing rock rivals the works of Debbie Harry, the Wilson sisters and Annie Clark. Her second album, Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit, drops March 24. 

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Barnett writes and performs wordy, guitar-heavy songs with poetic elegance. The 26 year old churns out music filled with underappreciated literary techniques, including alliteration, thoughtful pacing and extended metaphors.   

Often times, Barnett uses her choruses as stanza breaks from her long-winded, spoken verses. “Pedestrian at Best,” the first single off her sophomore album, follows this structure with great success. Every word is clear and audible, magnifying each word’s meaning. 

In preparation for her album’s release, the Aussie will perform a number of shows during SXSW. Already an indie-rock darling, Barnett should find Austin and its relaxed hipster citizens welcoming. 

Similar artists — Angel Olsen, Waxahatchee, The War on Drugs

Where: Cedar Street Courtyard

1. When: Thursday, March 19 12:00–1:00 a.m.
2.  
3. Where: Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
4. When: Friday, March 20 5:00–5:40 p.m.     

Listen now: "Pedestrian at Best," Courtney Barnett

Leon Bridges

No one does it like Leon Bridges. Bridges. a 24-year-old Fort Worth native, is the R&B soul singer Sam Cooke fans have waited for since the late artist’s death 50 years ago. All signs point to time travel, from his ’50s inspired outfits to his musical themes. 

With the help of Austin musicians and White Denim duo Austin Jenkins and Josh Black, Bridges produced his first album after signing with Columbia records — the same label that represents Louis Armstrong and Bob Dylan. The highly anticipated release is set for late summer. “Coming Home,” one of the two singles available for download, became a “Top 10 Most Viral Track” on Spotify after its release in February.

His performances are subtle and genuine. Bridges’ authenticity makes you question what he’s doing in 2015. His ease with the guitar and confident vocals give off the impression he would perform exactly the same way in front of his bathroom mirror as he would in front of the president. Tracks such as “Better Man” will make any girl blush before the chorus even starts. 

Artists you might like — Sam Cooke, Al Green, The Supremes

1.  
2. Where: St. David’s Historic Sanctuary
3. When: Friday, March 20 10:45–11:30 p.m.

Listen now: “Coming Home,” Leon Bridges

Christine and The Queens

The beautifully bilingual lead singer of Christine and the Queens, Héloïse Letissier, is France’s latest transplant. Her highly synthesized and layered pop hits blend English and French lyrics in a consumable way. In her moody song “Nuit 17 à 52,” about 20 percent of the lyrics are in English and the rest are in French.

In 2014, Letissier released her first full-length album, Chaleur Humaine, which topped the charts in Belgium and peaked at No. 2 in France. Most of her music is unavailable in the United States with the exception of iTunes and her official YouTube page.

Letissier’s synthpop songs and the accompanying artistic music videos haven’t gone unnoticed stateside. Marina and the Diamonds asked Christine and the Queens to open for their SXSW show.

Artists you might like — Marina and The Diamonds, Stromae, Phoenix

1.  
2. Where: Empire Garage
3. When: Saturday, March 21 10:00–10:50 p.m.

Listen now: "Nuit 17 à 52," Christine and the Queens

Max Frost

We all know that kid — the one who attends UT to please their parents but inevitably drops out to join the Austin music scene. Max Frost was that kid. In 2012, the singer left UT after studying English for two years and released the successful alternative hit “White Lies.” 

Not long after, his song caught the attention of the music industry. Frost signed with Atlantic Records, which produced his 2013 EP Low High Low. Beats Electronic, the company Dr. Dre co-founded, picked up “White Lies” for commercial use, and in 2013, Frost opened shows for Fitz and The Tantrums and Gary Clark Jr.

Frost has yet to completely formulate his music style, but if his 2014 release, “Let Me Down Easy,” is any indication, the 22 year old will be a force in the R&B pop music world. 

The Austin singer-songwriter has three performances planned and certainly a number of shows yet to be announced. 

Artists you might like — Dan Croll, Fitz and The Tantrums, Joywave

1. Where: Parish
2. When: Tuesday, March 17 12:00–12:40 a.m.
3.  
4. Where: Stubbs
5. When: Thursday, March 19, 9:00–9:40 p.m.
6.  
7. Where: Victorian Room at The Driskill
8. When: Friday, March 20 1:00–1:50 p.m.

Listen now: "White Lies," Max Frost

Check back on March 1 for our next installment of the DT Monthly Playlist. In the meantime, follow us on Twitter at @thedailytexan for great music reviews and recommendations all month long.