Austinist Announces Official Night Showcase At SXSW 2008

For years, the Austinist staff has fielded queries from friends and acquaintances about SXSW goings-on. "Can I walk to The Salt Lick?" "Does it really take 90 minutes for a Casino El Camino burger?" But most of all: "What showcase do you recommend to see some good new bands I don't know about?" This year, we've made the answer clear. Austinist is presenting an official SXSW evening showcase featuring six different American acts at Spiro's on Thursday, March 13. We've done a lot of listening to different bands and entire showcases, and believe that this one has great potential to impress you. The roster:

8:00pm - The Western Civilization (Houston, TX) [MySpace]

"The band isn't content to offer intricate indie pop with three intriguing vocalists. It strove for perfection in the stomps, crashes and every sound that punctuates (their) very fine debut." - Sara Cress, Houston Chronicle

9:00pm - Colour Revolt (Oxford, MS) [MySpace]

"With a recent re-release (on Interscope's indie arm, Tiny Evil), Oxford, Mississippi's Colour Revolt should expect a bit of a hullabaloo...over their promising, self-titled debut EP. The six-song effort catches the band exploring Broken Social Scene-tinged dream pop, post-rock meltdowns, Isaac Brock's vocal assaults, and dirty, post-grunge dynamics. There's even a bass line that nods to Surfer Rosa. But after you've finished playing RIYL, you're left with a buzz-worthy debut from a group of hungry, young Southerners." - Stereogum

10:00pm - Anathallo (Chicago, IL) [MySpace]

"Hailing from the small town of Mt. Pleasant, MI...Anathallo is a quirky, artsy indie band with the sort of unique sound that comes from a place where it's easy to ignore outside influences. In fact, the closest point of comparison to Anathallo's experimental take on folk-rock comes from the loose collective of bands based in Athens that grew out of the Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel." - Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

11:00pm - Robert Gomez (Denton, TX) [MySpace]

"...Robert Gomez plays shimmery, melancholy indie pop songs that speak of love found and love lost, layering his vocals delicately over acoustic guitar and piano, strings and brass, melodica and organ. But despite all of this, Gomez's music is anything but ornate; it's chamber pop played in the Texas plains, without pretension or excess adornment. In fact, it's the sparseness of it all that comes across more than the gloomy cello or plinking keyboards, echoing through his soft voice and intimate lyrics. He's definitely taken a clue from Elliott Smith..." - Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

12:00am - Drug Rug (Cambridge, MA) [MySpace]

"Drug Rug stars Sarah Cronin and Thomas Allen, young residents of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who began their band and romantic relationship with uncommon synchronicity. The couple claims that on their very first date, they sat in bed, playing songs and drinking whiskey. Their music is suitably hazy—they are, after all, named after a poncho—yet the essence of this band lies not in the fuzzed out guitars or acid-folk trimmings but rather the tight rapport between the two singers." - Time Out New York

1:00am - Gliss (Los Angeles, CA) [MySpace]

"Playing dark, moody pop music that suggests My Bloody Valentine gone garage rock...All told, (Gliss album) Love the Virgins is a phenomenal journey that explores myriad moods and nuances, some delicately shadowed, others drenched in thunderous rock roars. No wonder Gliss are already darlings of the Euro-scene; now it's about time they received some hometown recognition as well." - Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide

So please come early, stay late, have a beer with us, and find one of your new favorite bands.