I Think There's Music In Texas This Week

SXSW started today, and if this is a music blog, I should probably mention it. Many of the year's breakout artists will begin to emerge this very week down in Austin. And yes, people might actually stop talking about Vampire Weekend.

Members and cohorts of Wham City will be down in Texas full force. The Deathset, Ecstatic Sunshine, Videohippos, Lexie Mountain Boys, Jana Hunter, and Ponytail will all be doing their thing. Their ringleader Dan Deacon will be with Jimmy Joe Roche doing their Ultimate Reality Tour, which I hear involves a lot of Arnold Schwarzenegger footage.

Other artists representing Charm City include Scottie B, Aaron Lacrate, and All Time Low. In terms of musicians from elsewhere, NPR is webcasting a bunch of sweet ones including Yeasayer, Bon Iver, Yo La Tengo, My Morning Jacket, Jens Lekman, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Baltimore's other boy/girl duo Wye Oak, freshly signed to Merge Records, will be in attendance and could potentially be one of the aforementioned breakout artists of the year. Their debut album, IF Children, will be released on the major indie label April 8. But if you head on down to Soundgarden right this second you can pick up a copy of that very album under their old moniker, Monarch. Do it.