Like most things in life, you have to work a little harder to get the big prize. This premise is especially true for those that are attending the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas this week. From March 12th through 17th, thousands of fans will descend upon the city to sort through the 2000+ bands that will perform. While it's safe to assume that headliners like Green Day, Flaming Lips, Dave Grohl and a rumored performance by Prince will garner most of the attention, the festival is likely to produce some names that will dominate the music press in the coming year.
The excitement of finding "the next big thing" is something shared by music fans and the press, alike. Even James Minor, who curates the festival isn't immune to the excitement.
"Nothing is as exciting as reviewing submissions and finding an amazing artist who you've never heard of.", said Minor in a recent interview describing the process for selecting the bands.
To that end, here are ten of the bands, who seem to be generating the greatest "buzz" as the festival kicks off.
Who: Ásgeir Trausti
From: Reykjavík, Iceland
Who: The Audacity
From: Fullerton, CA
Who: Beliefs
From: Toronto
Who: Cheatahs
From: London, UK
Who: Fear of Men
From:Brighton, UK
Who: Fidlar
From: Los Angeles
Who: Gliss
From: Los Angeles
Who: Paws
From: Glasgow
Who: Pyyramids
From: Los Angeles, CA
Who: Stagnant Pools
From: Indianapolis, IN
To read a more extensive preview of South By Southwest, highlighting forty bands scheduled to perform, visit The Dumbing of America.