First Wave of SXSW Details Revealed

Ah, March in Austin. For one week in the spring, all the fratboys and sorority skirts leave 6th street for a good ol' Spring Break experience, and the year-long residents take advantage by inviting thousands of people from all over the world to showcase new films, celebrate the best in interactive media, and, yes, play a shitload of good music. That's right, it's getting closer and closer to the annual lost week affectionately known as South by Southwest, taking place this year from March 16-20.

With the festival so soon, it's no surprise that organizers have begun the gradual unveiling of a generally jaw-dropping, and occasionally bizarre, list of performers. Several high-profile acts, such as Robert Plant (the music conference's keynote speaker), Mavis Staples, Aimee Mann, Billy Idol (fuck yeah!), and Beth Orton have been confirmed since mid-December, but we weren't sated by such teasing. So, using the time-tested techniques of badgering potential information sources, waiting, and reading things, we obtained a much longer (but still not comprehensive) list of scheduled acts.

And whad'ya'know? Many of last year's most promising groups are included, like tthe Go! Team, Death From Above 1979, and Dogs Die in Hot Cars, as well as many an already established act like Son Volt, American Music Club, Sleater-Kinney, Robyn Hitchcock, Mix Master Mike, the Donnas, Hot Hot Heat, Saul Williams, the Soundtrack of Our Lives, the Raveonettes, the Kills, and Nada Surf.

Of course, the true excitement for those fortunate enough to attend the whirlwind festival is stumbling across some relative unknown, being amazed by their artistry, and then being stunned by their subsequent success or their continuing unjust obscurity. Start here, you intrepid label scouts: Against Me!, Ambulance, Ltd., Chingo Bling,tThe Dears, Grand Buffet, Guitar Wolf, Tre Hardson, Hella, Husky Rescue, Jack Ingram, Kaiser Chefs, the Longcut, Mean Reds, Ronnie Monstrose, O.A.R., Rolling Blackouts, 22-20's, Visionaries, Wolfmother, and Z-Trip. If anyone can show us another event where such abundance exists alongside the chance to hear Robert Plant ramble on about...something, then we'll promptly shift attention to its wonders. Until then, stay tuned for more SXSW highlights.