Rock On
1/10<span>The Whigs</span>
This Athens, Georgia, band plays no-frills rock with southern flair. Named one of out now on ATO.
2/10<span>The Fratellis (featuring Pete Townshend!)</span>
Pair one of the most energetic new rock bands with a legendary guitarist and you get one of the most exciting SXSW shows. Townshend jammed on two Fratellis songs before launching the group into a classic Who tune, The Seeker. Get a taste of this collaboration on the newly released Jam album, available on iTunes.
3/10<span>Plan B</span>
Already a hit in his native London, 23-year-old rapper Ben Drew, aka Plan B, hit the stage of Zero Degrees Saturday night like he had something to prove. B is often compared to fellow Brit lyricist The Streets, but his use of a full band to back up his rhymes brought to mind both The Roots and early Rage Against the Machine. Check out his debut this spring.
4/10<span>Amy Winehouse</span>
Right now Amy Winehouse can do no wrong—and she certainly represented at her Friday evening acoustic set. Backed by just a guitarist, Amy effortlessly belted out hits from the just-released . And though some people in the crowd missed the ornate instrumentation from the album, I thought the set only highlighted how amazing her voice is.
5/10<span>Adam Arcuragi</span>
Twenty-six-year-old Philly native Arcuragi and his band play ambient, Americana-style music on par with Matt Pond PA or Neutral Milk Hotel—in fact, when I saw them perform on Saturday afternoon, they did a spot-on cover of the former’s Gardenhead/Leave me Alone. For more, check out their official MySpace page (I currently love Song the Sinner Sings).
6/10<span>WinterKids</span>
One of the best parts of SXSW is stumbling upon a new, amazing band. This year, WinterKids were my find. The five-piece from Surrey, England, play eighties-tinged, sunny pop that hooks you on the first listen. Though the U.S. release for their debut album is slated for this fall, you can check out their EP on iTunes or hear three tracks on their MySpace page.
7/10<span>Aqualung</span>
Some musicians are sure things, never turning in a bad performance—Matt Hales of Aqualung is one of 'em. Dominating the Stubb's stage on Thursday night, Hales and co. introduced the crowd to the grand soundscapes and soaring vocals on songs from the just-released .
8/10<span>The Black Angels</span>
Hometown band The Black Angels were the buzz on Sixth Street, so I went to their Friday night show at Antone’s to see what everyone was talking about. The Austin six-piece ably mis folk and progressive rock into a swirling rock drone, and lead singer Alex Maas sounds like Jim Morrison revived. Download some free tracks on their Web site, theblackangels.com.
9/10<span>Jamie T </span>
Twenty-one-year-old Jamie Treays, better known as Jamie T, had a tough crowd to face on Wednesday night at Stubb’s. His set was right before Lily Allen’s, and the Anglophiles in attendance were anxious to see her. But two songs into his brash, punk-rock performance, Jamie had definitely won over the masses. Hear more at his MySpace page.
10/10<span>Menomena, ColourMusic, OreskaBand, O'Death, and Tokyo Police Club (aka, the bands I missed) </span>
The frustrating part about South by Southwest is that it's only a few days long, and for every great band you see, you miss ten others that are just as good. Word from credible sources was that the aforementioned five bands turned in revelatory performances down in Austin—now I just need to try and catch them when they come through New York City!
