SXSW 2K9
The SiS Wrap-Up by Dany Sloan

So last week was what most people called Music Industry Spring Break. I call it SXSW. I wasn't there but our own Dany Sloan flew down from LA, ate some BBQ, drank some Shiner and did something else I am sure. Oh, yes, that's right - saw more bands than I'll see in my life time! Here's what his picks are for the best five acts he saw there this year.

LoveLikeFire: Over time we have developed quite a passion for this band, and that feeling has only been heightened with hearing their debut album and their fiery sets at SXSW. The four-piece has taken their songs and have made them come alive at their gigs -- I've seen them three times over the past few weeks and I was blown away each time. Their debut album comes out this summer -- but keep an eye out for the first single off of that release, "William," which is out now.

Dananananaykroyd: What a fucking pain in the ass of a name -- I still cannot spell it right. I had been meaning to check them out for a while, but last time I was in the UK they were opening for the Kaiser Cheifs and I didn't really think that was the right setting for them. Their showcase at the Dirty Dog Bar was everything you could want from a buzzed about band -- the Scottish outfit was exciting, the new songs sounded great, and almost everyone in the audience was involved in the set, from either hugging the lead singer to hugging each other. These guys know what love is.

Bang Bang Eche: We were the first people to write about this New Zealand band last year, and we are pleasantly surprised at the slow but steady hype that there is now surrounding them. Although breaking as an outfit from the other side of the world that plays non-accessible music is going to be pretty hard, if the band keeps churning out shows like this, their fanbase show continue to grow.

Slow Club: At first I thought these guys might just be another Mates of State and the world doesn't need another one of them. Hell, we could even do without Mates of State and the world we be a better place. This duo plays indie that is sometimes precious, sometimes shouty, and sometimes all over the place. Their songs are sing-a-longs for the ADD generation.

Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers: When this album was first presented to me, I imagined Janis Joplin with the swagger of James Brown fronting an indie rock band. The disc was good, but shit really came alive on stage. When I first saw them at the Brooklyn Vegan showcase, my jaw dropped -- it was like some sort of bhangra-inflected indie rock revival. Later in the week at the much smaller Mohawk indoor room, the sardine can-like atmosphere made things even more exciting.