Austin Sound Check

SXSW Spotlight : The Best of the Rest

by Ana Wolken on March 11th, 2008

As the beginning of SXSW Music draws near, I’m scrambling to finalize some sort of list of the bands I’ll be seeing this year. There isn’t nearly enough time to cover them all, so below are some highlights with links, so you can check them out. Though (hopefully) you’ll already be familiar with some of them. Bands are in no particular order…

The Cool Kids (Chicago, IL)
Old school hip-hop. Two MCs and one DJ style. Think early Beastie Boys.
Recommended Tracks: I (Mikey) Rock / Gold and a Pager
Website

Shout Out Louds (Stockholm, Sweden)
Melodic, up-tempo alt rock. Sweet, sweet vocal harmonies.
Recommended Tracks: Impossible / Hard Rain
Website / MySpace

Innerpartysystem (Philadelphia, PA)
Bass heavy dance grooves that will get you moving.
Recommended Tracks: Heart of Fire / Don’t Stop
Website / MySpace / Free SXSW Download

Portugal. The Man (Wasilla, AK)
Organic rock. Led Zeppelin Meets The White Stripes.
Recommended Tracks: Telling Tellers Tell Me, Shade
Website / MySpace / Free SXSW Download

N.E.R.D. (Virginia Beach, VA)
One of the biggest hip-hop acts out today. Touring with Kanye West this summer.
Recommended Tracks: Lapdance / Am I High
Website / MySpace

The Cliks (Toronto, ON)
One of my favorite live shows this year. Sound like early Pretenders, but with an edge.
Recommended Tracks: Oh Yeah / Complicated / Cry Me A River (cover)
Website / MySpace / Free SXSW Download

Del The Funky Homosapien (Oakland, CA)
Progressive, socially conscious rap. Gorillaz collaborator, Ice Cube’s cousin.
Recommended Tracks : Bubble Pop / Raw Sewage
Website / MySpace

Santogold (Brooklyn, NY)
M.I.A. endorsed new-wave punk electro that defies genre definitions.
Recommended Tracks : LES Artistes / Creator
Website

She & Him (Los Angeles, CA)
Indie movie darling Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward team up to produce Dusty Springfield-era feel good music.
Recommended Tracks: Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? / I Was Made For You
Website / MySpace

Uh Huh Her (Los Angeles, CA)
Alt electro pop featuring The L Word’s Leisha Hailey on lead vocals and keys.
Recommended Tracks: Say So / I See Red
Website / MySpace

Blood on the Wall (Lawrence, KS)
Grungy stoner rock fronted by a brother and sister.
Recommended Tracks: Mary Susan / Black Rats Top Hats
Website / MySpace

Jay Reatard (Memphis, TN)
Garage punk that embodies the fiercely independent spirit of the genre.
Recommended Tracks: Blood Visions / All Over Again
Website

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