SXSW lineup: 2009 highlights

Some of the biggest and hottest acts playing Austin's South by Southwest Music Festival

By Andy Hermann

Metromix

Held every March in Austin, Texas, the South by Southwest Music Festival and Conference (SXSW, to its homeys) is the nation’s largest gathering of bands, musicians, music journos, industry insiders, bloggers, and rabid fans willing to brave the crowds in search of musical magic. In past years, SXSW has helped jump-start the careers of Amy Winehouse, Vampire Weekend, the Ting Tings and countless others, and served as a launching pad for new projects by more established acts ranging from David Byrne to R.E.M. If you can’t find something at SXSW to get deliriously excited about, you’re not looking hard enough.

Among this year’s many expected highlights: some of the first live shows from Ben Harper’s new band, the Relentless7; the first SXSW appearance by Scottish folk-rock favorites the Proclaimers; reunion shows from ‘80s faves Devo and Echo and the Bunnymen; and the debut performances of Tinted Windows, a pop-rock supergroup featuring current and former members of Cheap Trick, Smashing Pumpkins, Fountains of Wayne and Hanson. (And no, we’re not making that last one up.) Then there are the rumored appearances by Metallica (hyping the new all-Metallica edition of Guitar Hero) and the original lineup of Jane's Addiction, not to mention an exclusive performance by folk-rockers the Decemberists, debuting songs from their new rock opera, "The Hazards of Love" (which might involve onstage cameos by such guest vocalists as Robyn Hitchcock, My Morning Jacket's Jim James, My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden and Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark).

From March 18 to 22, Metromix will be traveling down to Austin to check out as many of the 1,800-plus bands as we can handle. Here’s a list of some the acts we’re hoping to catch in those spare moments when we’re not blogging, sleeping (ha!), uploading photos and scarfing down some Texas BBQ. Check back here for photo galleries, show reviews, quickie interviews and more during and after the festival.

The Airborne Toxic Event
Andrew Bird
Anya Marina
Asher Roth
Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Au Revoir Simone
Avett Brothers
Beauvilles
Ben Harper and Relentless7
Black Gold
Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
Black Lips
Blitzen Trapper
Booka Shade
Boys Noize
The Break and Repair Method
Brother Ali
Buck 65
Camera Obscura
Chairlift
Chris Smither
The Coathangers
Colourmusic
Cut Off Your Hands
Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
Datarock
The Dead Trees
The Decemberists
Delta Spirit
Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele
Department of Eagles
Echo and the Bunnymen
Earlimart
Fastball
The Felice Brothers
Ferraby Lionheart
Glasvegas
Gram Rabbit
Gramercy Arms
Great Northern
Heartless Bastards
Howe Gelb
Hypernova
Ida Maria
J*Davey
Janelle Monae
Jason Lytle
Kid Sister
King Khan and the Shrines
The Knux
Kraak and Smaak
Kuroma
Lady Sovereign
Ladyhawke
Little Boots
The Little Ones
LMFAO
M. Ward
Martina Topley Bird
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
N.A.S.A.
Nino Moschella
No Age
NOMO
P.O.S.
Passion Pit
Peter Bjorn and John
Peter Mulvey
Pigeon John
Pimpbot
PJ Harvey and John Parish
Ponytail
Primal Scream
The Proclaimers
The Queen Killing Kings
Ra Ra Riot
The Rosebuds
Sage Francis
Sam Roberts Band
School of Seven Bells
Shiny Toy Guns
Silversun Pickups
St. Vincent
Starling Electric
Team Robespierre
Tinted Windows
Tiny Masters of Today
Titus Andronicus
Ulrich Schnauss
The Whip
Wild Light
Winterpills
Yppah