Each year we wait with baited breath to hear of the "next big thing" coming from the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. While much has been made of the decision to host large acts like Coldplay and Lady Gaga, at it's heart this festival's primary purpose is to host smaller bands who're on the cusp of greatness. While the masses will flock to the big stages, watching the readily known bands, industry insiders and those in the know will be standing in smaller rooms seeing bands who's passion for music is magical. These are the bands that will walk away with new record deals and media coverage that can propel them to the larger stage. More than any other festival in the world, South By Southwest provides bands this opportunity by allowing over 1000 bands to occupy Austin, Texas and present themselves to curious audiences.
In my mind, these are the twenty bands most likely (and deserving) to come out of SXSW with the most media adulation.
Ásgeir Trausti (Iceland)
The Audacity (Fullerton, CA)
Black Pistol Fire (Toronto/Austin)
Bleeding Rainbow (Philadelphia, PA)
Cherry Glazerr (Los Angeles, CA)
Eagulls (Leeds)
Foxing (St. Louis, MO)
Froth (Los Angeles, CA)
Hospitality (Brooklyn, NY)
Nothing (Philadelphia, PA)
Pageantry (Denton/Austin, TX)
Pink Frost (Chicago, IL)
PINS (Manchester)
Potty Mouth (Northampton, MA)
Protomartyr (Detroit, MA)
Public Service Broadcasting (London)
Roman Remains (London)
Single Mothers (London, ON)
Temples (Kettering)
Tweens (Cincinnati, OH)
For more SXSW coverage and a list of 80 bands who're the cream of the crop, visit thedumbingofamerica.net