South By Southwest, the annual music-fest-cum-hipster-pissing-contest that always makes this reporter glad he lives in Austin (mixed with an irrational urge to tear visitors' fucking throats out) announced its full line-up of bands today. In addition to previously reported nostalgic keynote speakers Lou Reed and Thurston Moore and a headlining-set-everyone-will-kind-of-make-fun-of-but-try-to-get-into-anyway by R.E.M., this year's festival is predictably heavy on big deals and already-established "buzz" bands, in addition to groups you'll be sick of this time next year. A quick and totally biased rundown of standouts follows, but feel free to list your own favorites in the comments while deriding the overwhelming "hipster"-ness of my selections. (Also, not sure what happened to that rumored Breeders appearance, as they're not on the official list.)
Akron/Family, Alabama 3, Annie, Anti-Flag, A Place To Bury Strangers, Asobi Seksu, Atlas Sound, David Banner, Be Your Own Pet, The Black Keys, Black Mountain, Blitzen Trapper, The Blow, Blue Cheer, Born Ruffians, Billy Bragg, British Sea Power, Cadence Weapon, Castanets, Cloud Cult, Jason Collett, The Concretes, Constantines, The Cool Kids, The Cribs, Crystal Castles, Cut Copy, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Destroyer, DeVotchka, Die!Die!Die!, Diplo, The Donnas, Dr. Dog, Drug Rug, Duffy, The Duke Spirit, Jakob Dylan, Earlimart, Elf Power, El-P, The English Beat, Film School, Foreign Born, Frightened Rabbit, Fuck Buttons, Fucked Up, Georgie James, Half Japanese (!), Handsome Furs, Harlem Shakes, Har Mar Superstar, Richard Hawley, Headlights, HEALTH, The Heavenly States, The Helio Sequence, Her Space Holiday, High On Fire, Holy Fuck, The Homosexuals (!!), The Hood Internet, Jesca Hoop, How's Your News, Human Giant, Jana Hunter, Ice Cube (!!!), Jandek, Joan Of Arc, Kaki King, The Kills, Mark Kozelek, Land Of Talk, Jens Lekman, The Lemonheads, Lifesavas, Lightspeed Champion, Longwave, Lyrics Born, Madlib, Man Man, Matt & Kim, MGMT, Eugene Mirman, The Mirrors, Moby (?!), Modey Lemon, MSTRKRFT, Murs, My Brightest Diamond, My Morning Jacket, Nada Surf, N.E.R.D., The 1900s, No Age, Nurses, Octopus Project, O'Death, Okkervil River, Old Time Relijun, Parts & Labor, Phosphorescent, Pissed Jeans, Portastatic, The Raveonettes, Jay Reatard, The Redwalls, Robyn, Rogue Wave, Say Hi, Sea Wolf, Shearwater, Shout Out Louds, Shout Out Out Out Out, Sia, Sightings, Simian Mobile Disco, The Slits, Son Ambulance, Sons And Daughters, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Spoon, The Stills, Tapes N Tapes, These New Puritans, This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, Tilly And The Wall, Times New Viking, The Ting Tings, Tiny Masters Of Today, Tokyo Police Club, Two Gallants, Vampire Weekend, VHS Or Beta, The Vines, The Von Bondies, Was (Not Was), The Weakerthans, White Rabbits, White Williams, Why?, Working For A Nuclear Free City, Yeasayer, Yo La Tengo.
And if you're coming to the festival, mark this date on your calendar: Thursday March 13 is the official day party of The A.V. Canvas Saddle Crafts Club (a joint effort of Saddle Creek, Canvas Media, The Onion, Arts & Crafts, and The A.V. Club) and features absolutely free sets (and more importantly, free beer) at Emo's from the following: Tapes N Tapes, Shout Out Louds, Tokyo Police Club, The Stills, Georgie James, Constantines, Los Campesinos!, Neva Dinova, Ra Ra Riot, Son Ambulance, The Most Serene Republic, Ladyfinger, and comedy from Todd Barry, Mike Birbiglia, and more. Hope to see your smirking faces there.