By Jesse Beer-Dietz

The dust has finally settled after a crazy SXSW week, and we’re up and running once again. This week, we spotlight an artist who made a big impression at Austin’s annual weaselfest, along with a female singer who grew up in proximity to the music industry’s top talent. Keep feedin’ the inbox: jesse.beerdietz@hitsmagazine.com

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Allen Stone (www.myspace.com/allenstone; @allen_stone): It’s not often that we immediately get blown away and caught off guard by a new record, but that’s exactly what happened when we checked out this dude—who reminded us not to judge a book by its cover. The natural soulfulness emanating from Allen’s voice reminds us of the late, great Marvin Gaye, no less. He created quite the buzz last week at SXSW as he performed with Raphael Saadiq’s backing band. One can only assume that the weasels will be coming out in full force in short order, if they aren’t sniffing around already. We’ll keep an eye on this artist, and we suggest you check out the tunes and do the same. For more info, contact BJ Olin (bj.olin@mac.com).

ON DECK
Samantha Marq (www.samanthamarq.com): Hailing from Virginia Beach, this intriguing young artist was surrounded by some A-list talent during her formative years. Her father, Michael Marquart—a onetime high-profile musician in his own right as part of the ’80s supergroup A Flock of Seagulls—owned the prestigious studio Windmark Recording, where Marq watched as Justin Timberlake recorded Justified and the famed production duo The Neptunes recorded a majority of their work. Samantha’s early exposure to music ignited her own passion, and after eagerly participating in school and camp performances, in addition to singing the National Anthem at a Nashville Predators NHL game, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a professional career. Check out her tunes and let us know what you think.