Below please find a first-draft of our recommended 2009 SXSW showcase bands based solely on the music samples these bands submitted to the SXSW website. Each time slot has multiple recommendations mostly beause that is the nature of SXSW: if a show tanks, you can always move onto the next show, and you should do so impatiently because here WILL be a better show somewhere else. The top selections for each time slot are italicized. Click on the band name to hear a music sample.
Disclaimer: These recommendations are based on the samples, alone, and not on a full evaluation of each band's complete body of work. However, because these samples are the best we have to go on, we consider it a fair judgment. For a full explanation of my tastes and rating preferences, click here.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
2:30PM The Golden Filter (SESAC Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center)
8:00PM Bogart & the Addictives (The Parish Downstairs)
8:00PM Seth Walker (Continental Club)
8:00PM Jackie Bristow (Submerged)
8:00PM Jucifer (Emo's Annex)
8:00PM Pink Nasty (18th Floor at Hilton Garden Inn)
9:00PM We Are Standard (Karma Lounge)
9:30PM Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer (Maggie Mae's)
9:00PM All Get Out (Radio Room Patio)
9:00PM Thomas Function (Headhunters)
9:00PM Lost Bayou Ramblers (The Ranch)
9:00PM Kendra Ross (Mohawk Patio)
9:45PM The Von Bondies (Vice)
10:00PM Dekadens (Prague)
10:00PM The Electric Diorama (Cedar Door)
10:00PM Winter Glove (Habana Calle Six Patio)
10:00PM DJ Eleven (Speakeasy Kabaret)
10:00PM The Seedy Seeds (Wave Rooftop)
11:00PM The Cynics (Habana Calle 6)
11:00PM Miniature Tigers (Spiro's)
11:00PM Magneta Lane (Habana Calle 6 Patio)
11:30PM Dananananaykroyd (Dirty Dog Bar)
11:00PM Human Highway (Red Eyed Fly)
11:00PM Sean Rowe (Stephen F's Bar)
11:00PM Rod Thomas (18th Floor at Hilton Garden Inn)
(After midnight, Thursday morning)
12:00AM Kap Bambino (Elysium)
12:00AM The Twelves (Rusty Spurs)
12:00AM Los Coronas (Esther's Follies)
12:00AM Jim Stringer (Smokin' Music)
12:00AM Debayres (Club 115)
12:00AM The Cloud Room (Cedar Door)
12:00AM Emma Lee (St David's Church)
12:00AM The May Fire (Habana Bar Backyard)
12:00AM The Black and White Years (Pangaea)
1:00AM Mother Mother (Habana Calle Six Patio)
1:00AM Natalie Portman's Shaved Head (Dirty Dog Bar)
1:00AM General Fiasco (Cedar Door)
Thursday, 19 March 2009
12:00PM John Cruz (SESAC Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center)
3:00PM Elliott Brood (SESAC Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center)
4:00PM Amy LaVere (SESAC Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center)
6:00PM The Von Bondies (SXSW Live (The Bat Bar) Austin Convention Center)
7:30PM Cerebral Ballzy (Beauty Bar)
8:00PM Frank Turner (Latitude 30)
8:00PM This Drama (The Tap Room at Six)
8:00PM Doug Sahm Tribute feat. Shawn Sahm, Gourds, Dave Alvin, Jimmie Vaughan, Sarah Borges, and more (Antone's)
8:00PM Casxio (Barcelona)
8:45PM P-L-A (Fuze)
9:00PM River City Tanlines (Dirty Dog Bar)
9:00PM Mom (Club 115)
9:00PM Choo Choo (BD Riley's)
9:10PM Erin McCarley (La Zona Rosa)
10:00PM Terrible Twos (Headhunters)
10:00PM Hatcham Social (Latitude 30)
10:00PM Out From Animals (Wave)
10:00PM Jim Bianco (The Parish)
10:00PM Landon Pigg (Maggie Mae's Gibson Room)
10:15PM Designer Drugs (Beauty Bar Backyard)
11:00PM The Iguanas (Continental Club)
11:00PM Tony Moore (Creekside at Hilton Garden Inn)
11:00PM Elliott Brood (The Velveeta Room)
11:15PM AwkQuarius (Back Alley Social)
11:45PM The Golden Filter (Beauty Bar)
(After midnight, Friday morning)
12:00AM Cary Brothers (The Parish)
12:00AM The Clutters (The Tap Room at Six)
12:00AM The Von Bondies (Cedar Door)
12:00AM Geeks (BD Riley's)
12:00AM Jessie Frye (18th Floor at Hilton Garden Inn)
12:15AM Thomas Function (Headhunters)
12:15AM Val Emmich (Maggie Mae's)
1:00AM The Woggles (The Tap Room at Six)
1:00AM Fight Like Apes (The Rio)
1:00AM Le Castle Vania (Barcelona)
1:00AM The Hot Kicks (Friends)
Friday, 20 March 2009
2:00PM The Proclaimers (SXSW Live (The Lone Star Lounge) Austin Convention Center)
8:30PM Dananananaykroyd (La Zona Rosa)
7:30PM DJ Chicken George (Scoot Inn)
7:45PM Chanel Campbell (Victorian Room at The Driskill)
8:00PM Whitey Morgan and the 78's (Room 710)
8:00PM The Black and White Years (Austin Music Hall)
8:00PM Shiny Toy Guns (SXSW Live (The Bat Bar) Austin Convention Center)
9:00PM The Postelles (Maggie Mae's Rooftop)
9:00PM The Moog (Club 115)
9:00PM Frank Turner (Friends)
9:00PM Fanfarlo (Central Presbyterian Church)
9:00PM Silversun Pickups (Stubb's)
9:15PM Madi Diaz (Victorian Room at The Driskill)
9:15PM Kill The Noise (Beauty Bar)
9:20PM The Dollyrots (Red 7 Patio)
9:30PM Killola (Smokin' Music)
10:00PM Scissors for Lefty (Wave Rooftop)
10:00PM Kiernan McMullan (Creekside at Hilton Garden Inn)
10:00PM Crash Kings (Maggie Mae's Gibson Room)
10:00PM My Dear Disco (Soho Lounge)
10:00PM The Dangerous Summer (Lamberts)
10:30PM Erin McCarley (The Ale House)
10:30PM The Proclaimers (La Zona Rosa)
10:30PM Don Rimini (Beauty Bar Backyard)
10:45PM The Cute Lepers (Red 7 Patio)
10:50PM The Cocktail Slippers (Red Eyed Fly)
11:00PM Susan Hickman (The Ranch)
11:00PM We Are Balboa (Fuze)
11:00PM Fannius III (Barcelona)
11:15PM MC Frontalot (Prague)
11:25PM The Woggles (Red Eyed Fly)
11:30PM Muck & the Mires (Smokin' Music)
(After midnight, Saturday morning)
12:00AM The Steps (Maggie Mae's Gibson Room)
12:00AM Susan Marshall (Habana Calle 6)
12:05AM Japanther (Headhunters)
12:15AM Teenage Bottlerocket (Red 7 Patio)
1:00AM Dead Sexy Inc (Barcelona)
1:00AM MC Lars (Prague)
Saturday, 21 March 2009
3:40PM CY (Carver Museum Boyd Vance Theater)
8:00PM Jill Barber (Habana Calle 6)
8:00PM Marli (Creekside at Hilton Garden Inn)
8:00PM Rachel Goodrich (The Ale House)
8:00PM Josh Pyke (Stephen F's Bar)
8:00PM Amber Smith (Maggie Mae's Gibson Room)
8:00PM The Shitsez (Buffalo Billiards)
8:00PM Innercity Pirates (Volume)
8:00PM Pimpbot (Flamingo Cantina)
8:00PM A Good Fight (Habana Bar)
8:00PM My Federation (Latitude 30)
8:30PM Terra Naomi (The Ale House)
9:00PM SpecialThanks (Elysium)
9:00PM Cousin Cole (Friends)
9:00PM Black Gold (Prague)
9:00PM We Should Be Dead (Soho Lounge)
9:00PM The Details (El Sol y La Luna)
9:00PM Gentleman Reg (Beauty Bar)
9:00PM Los Pirata (Fuze)
9:00PM Hypernova (Dirty Dog Bar)
9:00PM LECHE (Habana Bar Backyard)
9:30PM Bomani Armah & Project Mayhem (Back Alley Social)
10:00PM The Emeralds (Elysium)
10:00PM Medi & The Medicine Show (Creekside at Hilton Garden Inn)
10:00PM Suzanna Choffel (Momo's)
10:00PM Steve Goldberg & the Arch Enemies (Central Presbyterian Church)
10:00PM Ezra Furman and the Harpoons (Submerged)
10:00PM Bloodgroup (Karma Lounge)
10:00PM Sonpub (Club 115)
11:00PM The Proclaimers (Creekside at Hilton Garden Inn)
11:00PM The Knux (Vice)
11:00PM Bishi (Latitude 30)
11:00PM Alessi's Ark (Stephen F's Bar)
11:00PM Say Hi (The Parish)
11:00PM Location Location (Karma Lounge)
11:00PM LoCura! (Copa)
11:00PM Ty Segall (Red 7)
11:00PM Voxtrot (Emo's Jr)
11:00PM Magneta Lane (El Sol y La Luna)
11:30PM Greg Camp (Smokin' Music)
(After midnight, Sunday morning)
12:00AM James Intveld (Continental Club)
12:00AM Street Dogs (Emo's Annex)
12:00AM Silversun Pickups (Antone's)
12:00AM The Gin Riots (The Rio)
12:00AM Backseat Goodbye (Cedar Street Courtyard)
12:15AM Pigeon John (Back Alley Social)
12:45AM Pendulum (La Zona Rosa)
1:00AM Shiny Toy Guns (Vice)
1:00AM Ra Ra Riot (The Parish)
1:00AM Dressy Bessy (Lamberts)
1:00AM The Lemurs (The Music Gym Patio)
1:00AM Les Handclaps (Beauty Bar)
1:00AM The Evaporators (Habana Calle 6)
1:00AM Pompeii (Spiro's)
