ELECTROLIGHTZ

ELECTROLIGHTZ (unsigned, unpublished) -- L.A-based, four-piece, electro-hip-hop act - already some serious industry buzz - Hot Topic's 'unsigned band of the month' - songs getting licensed left and right - performing at The Roxy on March 29 (10:30PM set time) - should be packed with weasels. If ya don't know, now ya know. Peep the Facebook, punk.

COOL CONTEST FOR L.A.-AREA BANDS

COOL CONTEST FOR L.A.-AREA BANDS - If you're an artist from the L.A. area, you've got a music video, and you're not anti- pop music, Top 40 KIIS Los Angeles is holding a pretty cool contest. You can win $10,000 in cash, and an opportunity to perform live on the Village Stage at their Wango Tango concert happening this May. Click here for all the details: http://www.kiisfm.com/common/social/kiis_breakoutstar/

KRAMUS

KRAMUS (unsigned, unpublished) -- It's been a while since we've come across some real 'meat & taters' Midwestern Red State Rawk that we actually like. The Indianapolis-area five-piece has been around for quite some time, and they're writing some great, accessible radio-friendly Alt-Rock. Alt-outlet WRZX Indianapolis agrees with us - they've played the unsigned band's song "Down Below" over 150 times already this year (how many times have they played your recent rock signing this year?). On-air support is also starting at WXEG Dayton. For A&R reps with a travel budget, head out to their new EP release party/show at The Vogue in Indianapolis April 8.

STONE DARLING

STONE DARLING (unsigned, unpublished) - Stone Darling is an all-girl L.A.-based four-piece that will soon be popping up on the music industry radar if they haven't already. A recent feature in NYLON Magazine has certainly helped create awareness, as has their seemingly non-stop performance schedule in the L.A. area (these ladies play everywhere from The Echo to The Bootleg to tiny boutique fashion stores). Local college radio stations including KCSN and KXLU are showing early support - we can only imagine KCRW will be next.

What do they sound like? Think Mazzy Star-meets-Mamas & Papas. They'll be self-releasing an EP later this month, and they'll have promo samplers with them in Austin during SXSW (see our SXSW list below for details on their showcases). Their MySpace page is HERE and their Facebook page is HERE.

Have a look/listen to their cover of the Funkadelic track "Can You Get To That":

SXSW 2011 SHOWCASES OF NOTE

SXSW 2011 SHOWCASES OF NOTE

First, we'd like to say these are just some acts we feel will be interesting to see. Some are already signed and/or published, but we're sure you've got a cheat-sheet list of acts you need to see already - just consider this another tool in case you missed some cool showcases when putting together your own list.

Second, we'd like to turn you on to a really comprehensive list of everything sanctioned and unsanctioned, show-and-party-wise, happening in Austin during SXSW. Go HERE - their list is WICKED thorough and it's got clickable links to let you RSVP to all the different stuff.

OK - that said - here's our list of cool shows & shit happening during SXSW - note we also included some spots to get free food and booze - 'cuz let's be honest - a free meal and free beers are always good to know about.

Update: Band names marked with a * are unsigned, bands marked with a # are unpublished

Wednesday, March 16

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM - FREE FOOD & DRINK - Latitude 30
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM - FREE BBQ - Brush Sq. Pk., East Tent
3:00 PM - Grand Tarantula * - PureVolume House
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - FREE WINE - Brush Sq. Pk., West Tent
8:00 PM - Stone Darling *# - Hotel Vegas
8:00 PM - Gold Motel - Buffalo Billiards
8:00 PM - The Tender Box * - Rusty Spurs
8:30 PM - Olin & The Moon * - Black & Tan
9:00 PM - Leeroy Stagger - The Tap Room at Six
9:00 PM - Lex Land - The Ghost Room
9:15 PM - James Blake - Stubb's
10:00 PM - Mona - Antone's
11:00 PM - Twin Atlantic - Maggie Mae's
12:00 AM - Admiral Fallow - Maggie Mae's
12:00 AM - Beans - Mohawk
12:00 AM - Ellie Goulding - The Bat Bar
12:00 AM - Kitten - The Marq
12:00 AM - The Naked and Famous - The Phoenix
12:15 AM - Queens of the Stone Age - La Zona Rosa
1:00 AM - Baths - Mohawk


Thursday March 17

11:00 AM - 5:30 PM - FREE BOOZE - Antone's
11:30 AM - 3:30 PM - FREE SPANISH FOOD - Brush Sq. Pk., East Tent
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM - FREE GERMAN FOOD - Parkside
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM - FREE FRENCH FOOD & WINE - Brush Sq. Pk., East Tent
12:45 PM - Emmylou Harris - Austin Convention Center
2:00 PM - Meiko # - The Driskill (SESAC Brunch)
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM - FREE FOOD & DRINK - Latitude 30
4:00 PM - Neon Hitch - Austin Convention Center
8:00 PM - Dinosaur Pile-Up - Latitude 30
8:15 PM - Fences - St David's Historic Sanctuary
9:00 PM - Kyla La Grange - Klub Krucial
9:00 PM - The Limousines # - Buffalo Billiards
9:30 PM - Noah and the Whale - Stubb's
9:45 PM - Neon Hitch - Habana Bar Backyard
10:00 PM - Fitz and the Tantrums # - Rusty Spurs
10:20 PM - The Lonely Forest - Maggie Mae's Rooftop
11:00 PM - Ellie Goulding - Klub Krucial
11:00 PM - Friendly Fires - The Windish Agency House @ ND
11:00 PM - Phantogram - Lustre Pearl
11:45 PM - Wu Tang Clan - Austin Music Hall
12:00 AM - Bear Hands - Victorian Room at The Driskill
12:00AM - Cee Lo Green - La Zona Rosa
12:30 AM - Gayngs - Mohawk Patio
12:40 AM - Hieroglyphics - Scoot Inn
12:45 AM - Classixx - Malverde
1:00 AM - James Blake - Central Presbyterian Church
1:00 AM - James Vincent McMorrow - Friends
1:00 AM - Oh Land - Buffalo Billiards


Friday March 18

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM - FREE FOOD & BOOZE - Latitude 30
3:30 PM - Odd Future # - Scoot In
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM - FREE FOOD & BOOZE - Brush Sq. Pk., West Tent
8:00 PM - Bearsuit - Latitude 30
8:00 PM - The Good Natured - The Windish Agency House @ ND
8:30 PM - Buddy *# - The Ale House
9:00 PM - Dan Wilson - Victorian Room at The Driskill
9:00 PM - Skrillex - Emo's Main Room
9:00 PM - Stone Darling *# - Baby Blue
9:00 PM - Air Dubai *# - Peckerhead's
11:00 PM - Chad Valley - Latitude 30
11:00 PM - Mother Mother - Swan Dive
11:30 PM - Helmet - Dirty Dog Bar
12:00 AM - Lucinda Williams - ACL Live at The Moody Theater
12:00 AM - Wolf & Cub - Swan Dive
12:30 AM - The Cool Kids - Emo's Main Room
12:45 AM - Satellite * - The Ale House
1:00 AM - Bombay Bicycle Club - Latitude 30
1:00 AM - Elizabeth & the Catapult - Creekside at Hilton Garden Inn
1:00 AM - EPMD - Venue 222
1:00 AM - Pint Shot Riot - 512


Saturday March 19

12:00 PM - 5:30 PM - FREE BBQ - Maggie Mae's
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM - FREE FOOD & BOOZE - Latitude 30
12:00 PM - Foster the People - Austin Convention Center
8:30 PM - Brian Wright # - St David's Historic Sanctuary
10:00 PM - Air Dubai *# - Dizzy Rooster
10:30 PM - Meiko # - St David's Historic Sanctuary
11:00 PM - Blu - Venue 222
11:15 PM - Le Butcherettes - Emo's Annex
12:00 AM - Art vs Science - Maggie Mae's Rooftop
12:00 AM - Ume *# - Skinny's Ballroom
12:05 AM - Odd Future # - Buffalo Billiards
1:00 AM - Gobble Gobble - Club de Ville
1:00 AM - Jamie xx - Barcelona
1:00 AM - Young Legionnaire - Latitude 30

...and this last photo is for our British/Australian readers planning on going to Austin for the SXSW festivities (kidding, kidding...)

We're working on our list of "SXSW 2011 Showcases To See" ...hang tight!!

AIR DUBAI

AIR DUBAI (unsigned, unpublished) -- Go ahead - Listen to Air Dubai and tell us it wouldn't work on the radio. We dare you. This seven-piece Denver-based group recently won Alternative KTCL Denver's "Hometown For the Holidays" contest and their song "Restless Youth" has received over 30 spins on the station so far this year. At its core, Air Dubai is hip-hop, but these guys can SING, too, boy! They've got organic instrumentation layered over the top of everything which makes their music more accessible to Alternative and Pop fans. Air Dubai owns their masters and publishing, and they've got two shows coming up in Austin during SXSW - put them on your lists, dummies:

March 18 - Peckerheads - 9:00PM
March 19 - Dizzy Rooster - 10:00PM

Strangers

STRANGERS (unsigned, unpublished) - This one's for fans of dark electro-pop ala Depeche Mode. Strangers is a new North London-based band featuring producer/remixer extraordinaire Glen Nicholls. You might know Glenn from his Future Funk Squad project, or from his remixes for artists including Sia, Snow Patrol, White Lies, and The Prodigy (among many others). Get on this one quickly - they've only had the music made available for two weeks, yet they've got two major label offers on the table. Listen to three tracks HERE.