Venus Zine's SXSW must-see list

We've researched the 16 emerging artists you need to know about at the fest

By Kelley Hecker
Published: March 14th, 2010 | 12:00pm

Blair
This Brooklyn-via-New Orleans singer-songwriter spent five years crafting her fantastic debut album, Die Young (Autumn Tone), which was released in January. Blair’s feathery, calm vocals and sweet pop music hide some dark lyrics — not too surprising considering titles include “Kamikaze,” “Rampage,” and “Murder.” Blair is arguably one of the most promising artists to emerge this year, and she should win over quite a few new fans with her slew of performances this week.

Wednesday the 17th, 8pm. Jaime’s, 802 Red River St.
Thursday the 18th, 12pm. Habana Calle 6, 709 E 6th St.
Thursday the 18th, 3pm. Lamberts, 401 W 2nd St.
Friday the 19th, 12pm. Doc’s, 1123 S Congress Ave.
Saturday the 20th, 12pm. Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St.

Delorean
Spain’s Delorean first gained notoriety in 2008 for remixes of tracks by bands including the Big Pink, the Teenagers, Franz Ferdinand, and the Mystery Jets. Last year’s Ayrton Senna EP (Fool House) received rave reviews for its dancey synth-pop — the perfect record to blast all summer. On March 15, the quartet will release its debut album, Subiza, in the UK. (No U.S. release date has been announced yet.)

Wednesday the 17th, 8:30pm. Iron Gate, 1111 E 6th St.
Thursday the 18th, 4:50pm. Club DeVille, 900 Red River St.
Friday the 19th, 12am. Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 E 6th St.
Friday the 19th, 11pm. Emo’s, 603 Red River St.

Jakob Dylan and Three Legs (featuring Neko Case and Kelly Hogan)
Americana singer-songwriter Jakob Dylan’s sophomore solo album, Women and Country (Columbia), doesn’t come out until April 6, but he’ll be premiering the tracks for the first time at SXSW. Even better? Neko Case and Kelly Hogan will join him at SXSW and on his nationwide tour, starting next month. These lovely ladies lent their rich voices to eight of Women’s 11 tracks.

Tuesday the 16th, 11pm. The PureVolume House, 504 Trinity St.
Friday the 19th, 5:10pm. Austin Convention Center Day Stage Café, 500 E Cesar Chavez St.
Friday the 19th, 10:30pm. St. David’s Historic Sanctuary, 301 E 8th St.
Saturday the 20th, 2pm. Stubb’s, 801 Red River St.

Karen Elson
Earlier this year, it was announced former model Karen Elson will release her debut album, The Ghost Who Walks, on husband Jack White’s Third Man Records. This isn’t Elson’s first foray in music: in 2003, she contributed her impressive pipes to a track off Robert Plant’s Dreamland (Universal); in 2006, Elson teamed with Cat Power on a duet of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Je T’aime Moi Non Plus”; in 2008, she performed with She & Him when the band stopped in Nashville; and Elson’s performed with travelling cabaret ensemble the Citizens Band (which coincidentally has also featured She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel). Only Ghost’s title track has been released thus far, so expect to be treated to the debut of much of the album at SXSW.

Saturday the 20th, 4:30pm. French Legation Museum, 802 San Marcos St.
Saturday the 20th, 7:30pm. Frank Restaurant,407 Colorado St.

Moon Duo
San Francisco’s Moon Duo plays music that is, in their words, “primordial and disorienting sonic stew.” Keyboardist Sanae Yamada and vocalist-guitarist Erik Johnson say they’re inspired by synthpunkers Suicide, psychedelic band Silver Apples, and rockers Royal Trux — and those influences are obvious. The fairly new twosome’s fuzzed-out psychedelic garage rock has quickly been gaining attention thanks to a steady stream of vinyl releases and the Escape EP (Woodsist).

Friday the 19th, 12am. Spider House Café, 2908 Fruth St.
Friday the 19th, 10pm. Encore Patio, 611 Red River St.
Saturday the 20th, 4:30pm. Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 E 6th St.
Saturday the 20th, 10pm. Red 7, 611 E 7th St.

My Gold Mask
My Gold Mask is an indie-pop rock duo from Chicago comprised of vocalist-percussionist Gretta Rochelle and guitarist Jack Armondo. Though the band only has two releases under its belt — 2009’s self-titled nine-song cassette and January’s A Thousand Voices EP (both self-released) — they’ve been feelin’ the love from the blogosphere thanks to Rochelle’s powerful and versatile vocals. The duo is kooky fun and sure to be a highlight of SXSW.

Thursday the 18th, 9:15pm. Club 1808 (Outdoor Stage), 1818 E 12th St.
Friday the 19th, 2pm. Karibu, 1209 E 7th St.
Saturday the 20th, 12pm. Elysium, 705 Red River St.

Nneka
Since her debut album was released in 2005, this Nigerian-German soul/hip-hop singer-songwriter has received loads of critical acclaim. Ever since Concrete Jungle (Epic), her first U.S. release, hit shelves last month, Nneka has been poised to makes waves on these shores. Her politically-charged music has earned her comparisons to Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, and Nneka cites Hill, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli as influences.

Wednesday the 17th, 5pm. Austin Convention Center Day Stage Café, 500 E Cesar Chavez St.
Thursday the 18th, 11am. Antone’s, 213 W 5th St.
Thursday the 18th, 9:30pm. The Parish, 214-C E 6th St.
Friday the 19th, 12pm. Cedar Street Courtyard, 208 W 4th St.
Saturday the 20th, 1am. Beauty Bar/Palm Door, 401 Sabine St.
Saturday the 20th, 2pm. Habana Calle 6 Patio, 709 E 6th St.

Plants and Animals
Thanks to the strength of its debut album, Parc Avenue (Secret City), Montreal indie rock band Plants and Animals was shortlisted for the prestigious Polaris Prize in 2008 and nominated for two Juno Awards in 2009. This year looks to be even bigger for the trio with the April release of its eagerly awaited sophomore LP, La La Land, said to be more epic and rockin’ than the debut.

Wednesday the 17th, 6:15pm. Brush Square Park, E 5th & Neches
Thursday the 18th, 1:45pm. Lovejoy’s, 604 Neches St.
Thursday the 18th, 4:30pm. Emo’s, 603 Red River St.
Friday the 19th, 9pm. Antone’s, 213 W 5th St.
Saturday the 20th, 2pm. Emo’s, 603 Red River St.
Saturday the 20th, 3:45pm. Galaxy Room, 508 E 6th St.

Pretty Good Dance Moves
Aaron Allietta and Jimmy Giannopoulos, aka Pretty Good Dance Moves, will release their debut self-titled LP later this year. The electronic pop duo’s first single from the album, “Leave Me Alone,” features Bjorn Yttling from the band Peter Bjorn and John and has been compared to indie rockers Ra Ra Riot, as well as fellow electronic-poppers Passion Pit.

Tuesday the 16th, 10pm. Shangri’la, 1016 E 6th St.
Wednesday the 17th, 7pm. Paradise, 401 E 6th St.
Thursday the 18th, 3pm. Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd.
Thursday the 18th, 6pm. Gypsy Sun Clothing, 1601 S 1st St.
Friday the 19th, 9pm. Teddy Malones, 2004 Willow St.
Saturday the 20th, 7pm. Couch Professor Compound, 2943 E 12th St.
Saturday the 20th, 9:30pm. Custom Tattoos, 516 E 6th St.

Rye Rye
Nineteen-year-old Baltimore rapper Rye Rye, born Ryeisha Berrain, was set to take over the world last year, earning the stamp of approval from heavyweights including M.I.A., Diplo, A-Track, and Blaqstarr. After taking time off to have a daughter, born in September, Rye Rye’s back and ready to pick up where she left off. Though she has yet to release an album, Berrain wrote on her MySpace page that she’ll have info about her debut album at SXSW, and she’s looking forward to hitting the dance floor with everyone.

Wednesday the 17th, 11pm. Emo’s, 603 Red River St.
Thursday the 18th, 11:45pm. Emo’s, 603 Red River St.
Friday the 19th, 6pm. Waterloo Records, 600 North Lamar Blvd.
Saturday the 20th, 12am. Beauty Bar/Palm Door, 401 Sabine St.
Saturday the 20th, 3pm. Mohawk, 912 Red River St.
Saturday the 20th, 6pm. Peckerheads, 402 E 6th St.
Saturday the 20th, 8pm. The Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River St.

Savoir Adore
Brooklyn’s pop rock quintet Savoir Adore started out as a friendly challenge between two friends in 2006 — but by 2009, their debut album, In the Wooded Forest, was released by Cantora Records. With a sound similar to Stars and rave reviews from NPR, the New York Post, and BrooklynVegan, among others, it wouldn’t be surprising if Savoir Adore were this year’s Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

Thursday the 18th, 1pm. The Wave Rooftop, 408 E 6th St.
Thursday the 18th, 7pm. Fado, 214 W 4th St.
Saturday the 20th, 1am. Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room, 512 Trinity St.
Saturday the 20th, 12pm. Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St.

Sherlock's Daughter
Australian alternative dream pop band Sherlock’s Daughter opened shows for Metric and School of Seven Bells before having a single LP or EP out. Last year, its self-titled EP earned the band the Sydney Music Arts & Culture award for “Next Big Thing.” Thurston Moore has been vocal in his love for Sherlock’s Daughter, helping them land some recognition in the U.S. Following their SXSW appearance, the band will head to New York City to record a debut full-length.

Saturday the 20th, 12pm. Maggie Mae’s, 323 E 6th St.
Saturday the 20th, 10pm. Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room, 512 Trinity St.

The Drums
Brooklyn band the Drums released their debut EP, Summertime!, last year, and the title couldn’t be more perfect. The quartet cites ‘60s girl groups like the Ronettes and Shangri-Las as influences, which makes sense when you hear their unabashedly straightforward, upbeat pop. Their not-too-cool-for-school attitude is refreshing and has already made them popular in the UK (every date on its May tour is sold out). After SXSW, they’ll probably take over the U.S., too.

Friday the 19th, 3:45pm. Fader Fort, 1101 E 5th St.
Saturday the 20th, 1am. Latitude 30, 512 San Jacinto Blvd.
Saturday the 20th, 10pm. Stubb’s, 801 Red River St.

Think About Life
Montreal electronic rockers Think About Life’s 2009 release, Family (Alien8), turned heads with its unique, high-energy dance music, thanks in large part to member Graham Van Pelt’s adept ability at tweaking sounds. The quartet received a lot of buzz after its appearance at CMJ last fall, where vocalists Martin Cesar and Caila Thompson-Hannant turned the packed venue into a dance party. Witnessing Think About Life’s live show guarantees you’ll leave drenched and satisfied.

Thursday the 18th, 3:15pm. Side Bar, 602 E 7th St.
Friday the 19th, 12am. Paradise, 401 E 6th St. (Upstairs).
Saturday the 20th, 1:45pm. Galaxy Room, 508 E 6th St.

Warpaint
Like Think About Life, Los Angeles-based all-female band Warpaint earned a lot of buzz after a CMJ Music Festival appearance this past fall. The quartet plays eerie, fuzzy dream pop, with the three singers adding husky Cat Power–esque vocals. The strength of its Exquisite Corpse EP (Manimal Vinyl) alone led Rough Trade to sign the band, who this year began recording its debut full-length. Though they’re touring in support of the EP, expect the ladies to treat crowds to some of the new material they’ve been working on, too.

Wednesday the 17th, 2pm. Mohawk, 912 Red River St.
Wednesday the 17th, 3pm. The PureVolume House, 504 Trinity St.
Thursday the 18th, 12am. Emo’s, 603 Red River St.
Thursday the 18th, 1pm. Urban Outfitters, 2406 Guadalupe St.
Thursday the 18th, 3pm. Corner of E 6th St. & San Marcos St., 1001 E 6th St.
Thursday the 18th, 4:30pm. Lamberts, 401 W 2nd St.
Friday the 19th, 1am. The Parish, 214-C E 6th St.
Friday the 19th, 12pm. Emo’s, 603 Red River St.
Friday the 19th, 3:20pm. Red Eyed Fly, 715 Red River St.
Friday the 19th, 5pm. Lustre Pearl, 97 Rainey St.
Saturday the 20th, 2:30pm. Side Bar, 602 E 7th St.
Saturday the 20th, 5pm. American Youthworks, E 4th St. & San Jacinto Blvd.

Zola Jesus
Madison’s Nika Danilova, aka Zola Jesus, somehow found time to release two albums — 2009’s The Spoils and this year’s Stridulum EP, both on Sacred Heart — while attending the University of Wisconsin. The opera-trained singer-songwriter blends hooky pop melodies with noise, creating a very lo-fi, sinister, gothic vibe. It may surprise some that Danilova is merely 20-years-old, but that makes Zola Jesus extra exciting. She already has crafted two excellent releases on her own. Who knows what she’ll come up with next?

Thursday March 18th, 2:30pm. The French Legation, 802 San Marcos St.
Friday March 19th, 3:15pm. Club DeVille, 900 Red River St.
Friday March 19th, 9:30pm. Club 1808, 1808 E 12th St.