The Lucky Thirteen: 3/12/12

So I think I heard something about some sort of music festival down in Austin this week. I guess this SXSW thing is sort of a big deal, right? It seems like bands don't get "discovered" there as they used to in the earlier days of the festival. Still, it's the biggest music festival in the nation, and for those looking for talent, you can find it in both the official and unofficial shows.

What I have here is thirteen acts playing the festival, along with the venue (or in some cases, the venues) that each is playing. Some are official shows, some not. To find out more details, I might recommend checking out the SXSW page (for official acts) and Austin 360 for the unofficial acts. Some of these acts already have the buzz surrounding them; all of them deserve it.

Standard playlist disclaimer: any artists, record labels, etc. who do not wish to be on the playlist for any reason whatsoever, email me at ghostofblindlemon@gmail.com and I will gladly remove the track. And if you'd actually like to be on the playlist, you can use the same email address to email me your mp3's. If I like the song, then odds are it'll wind up on a playlist.

1. "My Girlfriend Is a Rock", The Nervebreakers
   The true beauty is of SXSW is that it allows young and up and coming bands opportunities for exposure. Bands like, uh... The Nervebreakers? No, any band that can claim being an opening act for the Sex Pistols in their heyday can't be called up and coming. But the band will be releasing a new album (their first in about 30 years), and now another generation will get to sample this classic Dallas true punk band. Click here for a list of their shows, times, etc.


2. "Wildly Inappropriate", The Burning Hotels
   I checked out the band's website, and it looks like they'll be playing a total of five shows in the course of three days, starting on Tuesday and ending on Thursday. At SXSW, the word overexposure does not exist.


3. "Save Me", Siren Sea
   I've really taken a liking to the band's ethereal and haunting melodies, as well as Reema Hamdan's powerful voice. They'll perform Tuesday at 11:00 pm at The Dizzy Rooster, and Wednesday at 10:00 pm at The Blind Pig. On a separate note though, what's the deal with all the animal club names?


4. "We'll Go Walkin'", The O's
   Long before Mumford and Sons made the banjo cool, The O's were using the banjo and crafting their "party bluegrass anthems", as I like to call them. They have one official SXSW show (Wed, Mar 14 at 8:30 at St. David's Bethel Hall), and two unofficial shows. The first will be at Opal Devine's Thursday night at 7 pm, and the second takes place Friday at 12:30 PM at Maria's Taco Express.


5. "Wired to Make Waves", Nervous Curtains
   The band plays twice on Wednesday (once at The Highball, then at Bernadette's Bar), and then Friday at Sidebar.


6. "It's Not Enough", Salim Nourallah
   Mr. Nourallah has kept quite the quiet profile over the past year. With the release of his CD Hit Parade on the horizon, expect to see a lot more of Salim in the coming months. He'll perform an official show Friday at Cedar Street Courtyard. Interestingly enough, Salim will share a bill with both Rhett Miller and Thomas Dolby.


7. "Towering", Seryn
   Seryn has already made a substantial name for itself, both inside and outside of the metroplex area. While I doubt any major labels will be giving out million dollar deals this year, at the very least I feel safe saying there will be plenty of buzz around the band. Check their website for dates , times, and locations.


8. "Wait for Us", Mind Spiders
   Assuming you're not partied out by Saturday night at one in the morning, check out this band (also with its share of buzz) at Valhalla. And yes, this is an official show.


9. "Red in the Morning", Menkena
   A little earlier on Saturday (1:10 PM to be exact) Menkena plays the outdoor stage at Casa Chapala.


10. "Little Heart", Clint Niosi
    Mr. Niosi will be releasing new material this year. I have a feeling I'm gonna be talking about him a bit in the upcoming months. I don't feel like listing all the shows he's doing, so just click here if you want the details, okay?


11. "Fortune Teller", Jessie Frye
    Congratulations to Ms. Frye for getting mentioned in the New York Times as one of the local acts worth seeing. If you want to see why the New York Times is impressed, check her out Wednesday at 2 pm at Betsy's Bar. Or check her out Friday at 6 pm at the Omni Hotel Downtown. Or check her out Saturday at 6 pm at the Austin Hilton Hotel. Or check out her Saturday at midnight at tenOak. Or check out all those shows.


12. "Slick Shoes", The Virgin Wolves
    Like Siren Sea, Virgin Wolves are also playing The Blind Pig. They'll take the stage Thursday night about 9 pm.


13. "Indian Melody", Calhoun
    Calhoun seems to be bookending its SXSW shows, with one Tuesday night at Treasure Island (official SXSW show) at 11 pm, and two unofficial shows Saturday (Doc's Motorworks day party at 5 pm, then Bar Louie at 10 pm). And in the middle of all that, the band will sneak back up to the metroplex and play the Dallas Museum of Art Friday night. And you thought there wouldn't be any good local shows this week.

Oh, and if I forgot to mention any shows by the above acts, let me know in the comments section. And if there are other local bands playing the festival you feel are deserving of attention, the comment section is good for that too.