AUSTIN, Texas — The best thing about the South by Southwest music festival is the nonstop blur of bands from around the world. Even with thousands of musicians converging on the so-called Live Music Capital of the World, it can be difficult to catch a truly transcendent show — if nothing else, the sheer volume of venues (and the sheer volume of the bands) can make it hard to navigate the sea of sound.
Of the dozens of shows the Wired.com team caught while at the festival, which ended Sunday, these are the bands that made the strongest impressions. Some were on our short list of bands to check out; others came as total surprises. (Be sure to let us know which SXSW bands blew you away in the comments section below.)
Broken Social Scene
I didn’t believe the hype, but I should’ve. Like any good big-venue band, Broken Social Scene sets out to offer a transcendent concert experience, and succeeds. Band founder Kevin Drew is the ringleader of almost a dozen musicians, directing everyone throughout the set. At any given time there are three or four guitarists and vocalists onstage, plus keyboards and drums. Both the sonic space and stage tend to get crowded, but the Canadian band makes it work, miraculously, achieving a sound so big and beautiful you can’t help but feel your heart swell. The songs are fresh and unique, and catching a Broken Social Scene show is akin to attending some sort of musical church. –Keith Axline
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