For most of the 2010s, this week marked the time of year that we returned home from SXSW in Austin. Thanks to some apps on my phone, many memories of music, people, and the feeling that everything is possible come back.
Back then, almost two thousand bands played at venues and non-venues of all sizes. Day parties, night parties, free food and drinks—every day, that left us breathless by its abundance. SXSW inspired us and sparked ideas, like starting a music blog and becoming more involved in the music scene.

Times have changed since then. Even before the pandemic, SXSW seemed to shrink each year. Lavish mini-festivals like the Spotify House, HypeHotel, or the Fader Fort vanished. Tech companies reduced their spending. And while the web3 boom in tech kept some of the splendor alive for a little longer, that is over now, too. We have not attended SXSW since the pandemic to form our own judgment, but this discussion on Texas Monthly makes it clear that the festival is no longer what it used to be, and it won‘t return to its old form and relevance anytime soon, if ever. It’s also interesting to see how people began to miss the commercialism that everyone loved to complain about. The infamous Dorito vending machine stage of 2014 may not have been a shining example of good taste, but it was certainly way more fun than the empty parking lot that was probably in its place last week.

That also means grassroots festivals like The New Colossus are on the right track. They show that you can host an exciting indie music showcase festival with a smaller footprint and without needing a big sponsor.

This I found interesting: growing up in Germany, I wasn’t familiar with the work of the Brontë sisters, so for me, „Wuthering Heights“ was just the title of a Kate Bush song. I have never read the book (though I did read Jane Eyre), and it turns out Kate Bush did neither before she wrote the song. That she apparently captured the essence of the novel so well speaks to her genius.

Discovery of the Week: Avalon Emerson - Written Into Changes

With her second album Written into Changes DJ and producer Avalon Emerson moves even further away from clubby dance music. DJs usually don’t sing, but this one does it in a bright, friendly, and intimate way. It is the perfect soundtrack for this spring.

Cover Song of the Week: Brian Fallon - "Will you Still Love Me Tomorrow”

Friday evening, sitting together, letting the day pass by, Oliver and I were listening to some new releases when “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” the new cover by Brian Fallon, came on. Of course, it instantly made me think of “Dirty Dancing,” a movie that to this day ranks among my top three favorites (ask me, and I will tell you all the reasons why). Some might think the scene in the 80s movie is cheesy, but I think the song could not have been better chosen for the sentiment, and the moment in the story it plays out.

The song itself goes back much further. Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and first recorded by The Shirelles in 1960, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” was one of the first pop songs to center a young woman’s perspective on love and uncertainty. Carole King later recorded her own version in 1971, slower and more introspective, giving the question a different kind of weight. And by the time it appeared in “Dirty Dancing,” it had already taken on a life of its own.

I also appreciate Brian Fallon’s version because he resists the temptation to make fun of the sentiment and instead asks in earnest: “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”

This Week in glamglare History

1 Year Ago: Wilby - Pleaser

“Pleaser” is a lively indie rock song by Nashville-via-Philadelphia singer/songwriter Wilby. She followed up with a full-length album, Center of Affection in fall 2025.

5 Years Ago: Ellysse Mason - Sweet Talkin

This song about “finding it difficult to communicate” uses only a big synth line to create an eerie atmosphere. The Manchester-based musician Ellysse Mason has released a series of singles and an EP since then.

10 Years Ago: Paradise Bird - Hallucinations

“This could become very interesting,” I wrote about the dark electronic pop track “Hallucinations,” by a somewhat mysterious band Paradise Bird. It didn’t. The last life sign is a post from 2018 on Facebook, and their Spotify profile is down to zero listeners. How about surprising them here?

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all seven songs on YouTube, or follow our daily updated Song Pick playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify.

• Ora Cogan - “The Smoke”
• JWords - “LUSH”
• Eaves Wilder - “Mountain Sized”
• Donna Lewis - “Fall Back Girl”
• John Robert - “Did It Just Because”
• A.A. Williams - “Hold It Together”
• Lexi Carr - “Ready to Own My Shit”

We publish one Song Pick of the Day every day. You can subscribe to receive them by email.

Nine Late March Moments

A quick look back at late March: nine snapshots, from now to then.

2015
March 21: We were in Austin for SXSW, where we saw the teenage band The Snaz. While the band no longer exists, its wonderful musicians continue to make music — and we’re still following their journeys: Nina Cates with Robber Robber and Dharma Ramirez with deerest. And, of course, a sun-filled moment at Transmitter Park in Williamsburg.

2020
The pandemic. Everything slowed down. Suddenly, with extra time on my hands, I could finally dive into art projects I had long wanted to explore. And as if to balance the weight of it all, spring unfolded in full, quiet beauty.

2025
The French department store Printemps opened on Wall Street, in the gorgeous historic building it now calls home, and is currently celebrating its first year in NYC. The weather was not quite as bleak as it has been these past three months — live music in Central Park and lunch on our terrace felt like a promise of what’s to come.