Okay, of the 1,600-something bands/artists playing official showcases at SXSW this year, I believe I've seen just over 50 of them at some point. Kinda pitiful when you think of that being only 3% of the showcasing acts, but of those 50 there are quite a few that I would HIGHLY recommend you check out if you ever have a chance. And hey, if you're headed to SXSW it looks like you might actually have a few chances. Kick ass.
So here you go - ten highly recommended SXSW picks I can personally vouch for:
The Black Keys
It's the Black Keys. 'Nuff said. If you've still never seen this rockin' Akron duo, do yourself a favor and try to track them down at SXSW (though be prepared for any show they play to be PACKED). And absolutely pick up a copy of their new album, Attack & Release, next month when it comes out on Nonesuch. Fear not if you miss them at the festival though, they're headed out on a pretty decent tour, although sadly they won't be hitting Nashville this time around. (myspace - official showcase - mp3: "Your Touch")
Bound Stems
I got a chance to check out Bound Stems here in Nashville about a year and a half ago, right around the release of my #9 favorite album of 2006, their incredible Appreciation Night. The show was at the Basement and the fact that it was criminally under-attended didn't phase the band one bit - they played a killer set which pretty much cemented my love for the Chicago five-piece. (myspace - official showcase - mp3: "Western Biographic")
Delta Spirit
I've only seen Delta Spirit once - they opened for Cold War Kids and Tokyo Police Club here in Nashville least year, and going into the show I didn't know one single thing about the band. But they were incredible, and I've been itching for the chance to see them play again ever since - maybe I'll get that chance in Austin next week. I'm thinking their album Ode To Sunshine is going to make great driving music on the way to Texas too. (myspace - official showcases - mp3: "Trashcan")
DeVotchKa
Seeing DeVotchKa at the Basement back in the summer of 2006 was a happy accident - I went to the show to see openers Oh No! Oh My! and after meeting DeVotchKa's very nice tour manager I stayed to watch a good chunk of the Denver band's set (until re-reading my own review just now I had completely forgotten that I loaned their tour manager my phone, chatted with him, and then felt too guilty to bail before the band started). Since then, I've fallen in love with the band's music - particularly their new album A Mad and Faithful Telling - and I'm thrilled that they're coming to Nashville again in May. (myspace - official showcases - mp3 - "Transliterator")
Dr. Dog
If I had ever actually gotten around to listing my favorite albums of '07 (I know, I know - but you didn't even notice, did you?), Dr. Dog's We All Belong would have certainly landed near the top of the list. I saw them twice in one fantastic day last year in Nashville, and if you love anything you've ever heard by the band you absolutely have to make a point of seeing them live. (myspace - official showcases - mp3: "Worst Trip")
Phosphorescent
This one made a list I actually did get around to writing - Phosphorescent's show at The Boro last November was my #5 favorite show of 2007. And last year's Pride is still in heavy, heavy rotation - I actually bought THREE different versions of the album (digital, CD, vinyl), and I've been playing all three like it's going out of style. One of my big self-imposed rules for SXSW is to try to hold off on bands I've already seen (or bands that will be coming to Nashville soon), but I'm thinking I might have to make an exception for this one. (myspace - official showcase - mp3: "Cocaine Lights")
Shout Out Louds
It's funny - it feels like AGES since I saw Shout Out Louds here in Nashville, but I guess in the music blogging world two and a half years is pretty much an eon. The Swedish band played here on Halloween way back in 2005 - long enough ago that I'm almost embarrassed to link to my own review - and I had almost forgotten how wonderful they were. I had also forgotten that "The Comeback" - my favorite song of 2005, off of that year's Howl Howl Gaff Gaff - spent almost a year as my ringtone, and to this day I can't hear it without immediately checking my phone. They don't get to the US nearly enough, so it's nice to see them in the SXSW lineup. (myspace - official showcase - mp3: "The Comeback")
Tacks, the Boy Disaster
Okay, maybe I'll making two exceptions this year, because I've seen Tacks, the Boy Disaster before but I'm dead-set on tracking them down in Austin next week. They played an absolutely phenomenal in-store last year at Grimey's, but then I missed their next Nashville show because I was home sick. They're getting set to release a full LP to follow up the phenomenal Oh, Beatrice sometime this year, and I can't wait to hear what their new stuff sounds like. (myspace - official showcase - mp3: "Frozen Feet")
The Whigs
I've seen The Whigs a few times in the past few months - most recently at Mercy Lounge just over a week ago - and I actually saw the band for the first time at last year's SXSW. They keep getting better and better every time I see them play live, and their freshly released kick-ass new album, Mission Control, has been a recent favorite of mine (I featured it on the show a few weeks ago). Definitely a band worth checking out. (myspace - official showcase - mp3: "Production City")
White Denim
White Denim's Wild Turkey-fueled St. Patty's Day set at Hot Freaks last year was a festival highlight for me, and the Austin band is going big for this year's SXSW - as my sis said the other day, "apparently there's more than one White Denim playing this year." No, the trio is just playing about 40 times. That means you'll have ample opportunity to check this band out next week - and then track them down again and again once your mind has been successfully blown. (myspace - official showcases - mp3: "Darksided Computer Mouth")
