My third and fourth days of SXSW, March 14th and 15th respectively, were a blur of interviews and showcases that seemed to merge into one another. Over the course of the two days, I was able to catch three hotly-tipped acts: Sky Ferreira, MØ, and Tying Tiffany.

Sky Ferreira performed at the Pitchfork Party late on Thursday the 14th. The showcase, featuring about ten artists all over the musical spectrum, was held at the massive 1100 Warehouse, just outside of the downtown Austin limits, lending a hardcore industrial vibe to the venue. At first glance, the booze-fueled scene was perhaps a little unfitting for the blonde pop artist. Nevertheless, aside from a few venue-related technical difficulties and – tragically – a sore throat, Sky enchanted the crowd through her set of ‘Ghost’ EP cuts and upcoming album tracks.

Offering a mixture of hazy bedroom synth-pop, grungy 90′s post-pop, and dreamy alt-rock, an under-the-weather Sky sipped honey-tea and apologized between songs, though from what I could hear, no apology was necessary. Through tracks like “Lost In My Bedroom” and “Everything Is Embarrassing,” her smoky-sweet lolita vocals were pitch perfect, emoting crystal-clear as she slinked around the stage like a pouty schoolgirl.

The next day, Friday the 15th, I trekked back downtown under the hot Texas sun to catch uber cool Danish electronic artist MØ, who was set to play the upstairs dive bar of Peckerheads on East 6th. Taking to the small stage, MØ skipped the small talk and, backed by two band mates, launched into her set of moody, tropical electronica, channeling her inner Oh Land and Karen O.

Slightly spaced out in her own world, MØ flipped her braid and closed her eyes as she swept back and cross the stage, punching the air and crooning passionately into her mic. From the glitchy, slapping hip-hop tinges of “Pilgrim,” to the twinkly, sensual synth-pop of “Glass,” MØ’s set was rife with the energy, poetic artistry, and swagger that make her such a compelling new artist. It’s safe to say she took away plenty of new fans with her as she departed the stage.

Later than evening, I headed across the street to the Soho Lounge to catch gothy Italo-disco artist Tying Tiffany. Inconspicuously slotted between a slew of other gothic and punk acts, Tying Tiffany was right at home with the edgy crowd, playing a string of moody, industrial-tinged electro-rock. Leaning over the railing separating the elevated stage from the audience, the artist was a flurry of post-punk dramatics and sharp eyeliner glares, her velvety voice smoothing over the glitchy electro-clash of the set with a trip-hop sheen.

At times there was a jolting, frightening sensuality to the performance, as the fierce artist twitched and head-banged her way across stage, emitting the raw aggression of a full blown industrial rock band. In contrast, Tying Tiffany tapped into a hypnotic lure on some of the softer, more synthy tracks during her set, like the ambient tracks off her ‘One’ EP. Tying Tiffany was, in a nutshell, manic and infectious, and one can only hope she comes back to the States soon.