No doubt, the mind-boggling amount of bands that descend upon Austin for the annual clusterfuck of SXSW is more than enough to overwhelm even the most seasoned music fan. Thankfully, music blogs, magazines, and random celebrity chefs sift through the clutter and put together some tremendous showcases, thus making the job of 6th St. wonderers a lot easier.
However, even with artists and bands divided in this fashion, the number of curated stages is still enough to put your head in a spin. After looking through the myriad of sponsored sets, here are four of my favorites:
My favorite in the bunch, this Gorilla Vs. Bear/Mexican Summer Party is probably the event that everyone will be talking about during the festival. Although my Swedish faves jj dropped off the line-up, the event is still stacked with some of the best up-and-comers out there. I mean, out of the 16 bands playing, who do you not want to see?!?!
Billed as a “girl blogger rock and roll party”, this showcase put on by the female blogging trio Visitation Rites, Pixelhorse, and Microphone Memory Emotion features a wealth of Underwater Peoples signees, which is never a bad thing. Family Portrait: check. Pill Wonder: check. Alex Bleeker & The Freaks: check. Seriously, this alone is enough to warrant attendance! So seeing Twin Sister, Cloud Nothings, Campfires, and all the other bands on the bill certainly feels like icing on the cake.
I’ll be honest, the biggest reason why I dig this Weekly Tape Deck & Co. showcase is because of the amount of Lubbock bands that will be playing. If you go to this, get ready for your minds to be blown by the insane live set by noise-rockers The Numerators, the beautiful soundscapes of La Panza, and the alt-country flair (reminiscent of Whiskeytown) of One Wolf. Lubbockites aside, the three day showcase highlights a great collection of garage and noise artists that will be sure to compliment whatever wat you decide to order!
Last but not least are the guys down at I Guess I’m Floating, who just released their SXSW line-up yesterday — and man is it a doozie! This Friday early show, featuring Tanlines, Javelin, and Small Black/Washed Out, is sure to get you into a dance mood before heading out to the late-night festivities (or debaucheries, depending on your perspective) 6th St. is famous for!
SXSW 2010 is going to be INTENSE!
