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While the rest of the world is celebrating Spring Break and St. Patrick’s Day, the music industry will be clogging the streets of Austin, Texas, in the annual frenzy of schmoozing and hype known as South by Southwest (SXSW, to its pals). Which bands will emerge from the mayhem with iPod commercial deals, major label contracts and mountains of hype? And more importantly, how many times will Twitter crash under the weight of all those “#SXSW” hash tags?
Metromix will be in Austin March 17-21 to soak up as much music and Texas barbeque as we can handle. Watch this space for show reviews, photos, rumors, gossip, drunken tweet and interviews with up-and-coming bands.
Meanwhile, here’s a quick rundown of some of this year’s most-anticipated SXSW acts:
Spoon: Yep, the hometown heroes (most of whom don’t actually live in Austin anymore) will be playing a much-anticipated homecoming show as part of NPR’s showcase on Wednesday, March 17 at Stubb’s. Also on the bill: Broken Bells, the new project from the Shins’ James Mercer and producer Danger Mouse; retro-soul sensations Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings; Visqueen; and the Walkmen. Likely to be one of the week’s toughest shows to get into.
Hole: Courtney Love’s first gig with her retooled Hole lineup (she’s the sole remaining original member) took place in London on Feb. 17 and reportedly went quite well. She’ll try to repeat that success at Spin magazine’s annual SXSW party at Stubb’s on Friday, March 19. Joining her on the bill are none other than…Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings! Someone’s clearly vying for the title of Hardest Working Woman in Show Biz.
Stone Temple Pilots: Scott Weiland will play a special showcase on Thursday, March 18, at the spacious Austin Music Hall, where they're expected to preview material off a forthcoming studio album, their first in nine years.
Muse: This one hasn’t yet been confirmed, but the British rockers are playing a couple of dates in Texas the same week as SXSW, so a swing through Austin seems like a no-brainer. There's also a gaping hole in the schedule at Stubb's on Saturday, March 20, right after the only officially scheduled performance by…
Scissor Sisters: After a four-year hiatus, the faaabulous British dance-popsters will finally return Stateside to preview tracks from their forthcoming third album. They're playing Stubb's on Saturday, March 20, and seem like a good fit for Perez Hilton's annual SXSW party, taking place that same night.
Andrew W.K.: The hard-partying one-man rock show is confirmed for the Brooklyn Vegan day party on Saturday, March 20 and Mess With Texas, a free outdoor party held during SXSW mainly for non-industry types. Also scheduled to appear at the Mess…
GWAR: That’s right, puny humans: Everyone’s favorite costumed, gore-spewing, demon/alien-hybrid metal band is bringing their own special brand of shock-and-awe rock theater to Austin. You’ve been warned.
Chamillionaire and Paul Wall: Two of Texas’ heaviest hip-hop hitters will team up to headline a rap showcase at La Zona Rosa on Wednesday, March 17.
Reflection Eternal: Also on the hip-hop tip, this collaborative project features New York rapper Talib Kweli and Cincinnati-based producer Hi-Tek. They're expected to release a new album—their first together in a decade—later this year, so the heads will be out in force to scope the duo's new material on Thursday, March 18 at Aces Lounge.
Broken Social Scene: Canada’s revolving-door indie-pop collective has taken a back seat to its various members’ solo projects in recent years, but they’ll finally be back in full swing at Stubb’s on Thursday, March 18. (In case you haven’t noticed yet, most of better-known acts wind up at Stubb’s.)
The xx: Buzz remains high for these moody British electro-poppers. They’re expected to play at least three events, including the Village Voice day party at La Zona Rosa on Friday, March 19.
Kid Sister: This charismatic Chicago rapstress always seems to be just this side of blowing up. But with a long-awaited debut album, “Ultraviolet,” finally making the rounds, 2010 could be her year.
Dr. Dog: Recently signed to Anti Records, home to Tom Waits and Neko Case, these formerly lo-fi Philly rockers have polished their sound and their live show into one that should pilfer a few fans from My Morning Jacket and Wilco.
Those Darlins: Three punk chicks from Murfreesboro, Tenn., channel classic rockabilly, country and garage-rock into something fun, feisty and slightly dangerous. Playing at least three whiskey-soaked showcases throughout the week.
Dawes: Led by the charismatic Taylor Goldsmith, these L.A. folk-rockers have been garnering more and more accolades for their throwback sound and riveting live shows. They're playing at least seven shows throughout the week and seem likely to emerge as one of this year's breakout acts.
The Morning Benders: Critics and bloggers have been gushing over "Big Echo," the latest album from these Berkeley-bred indie rockers. Playing four shows, including the influential Levi's/FADER Fort, always one of SXSW's most popular venues, on Thursday, March 18.
Freelance Whales: With a catchy indie-pop sound pitched somewhere between Passion Pit and Avett Brothers (no, really), this cuddly New York band seems to have crossover hits and iPod ads in its future. They're playing a whopping eight shows throughout the week—so expect the backlash to be well underway by late afternoon Friday.
The South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Conference takes place March 12-21 in Austin, Texas. For more information and a full lineup of the nearly 2,000 showcasing artists, visit www.sxsw.com.
