Frank YangWriteups of all things Bruce and non-Bruce from Thursday night can be found over here.

The Low Anthem
– Rhode Island threesome-become-fivesome who are fluent in folk, blues and pop dialects of the language of Americana; their fourth album Smart Flesh came out in 2011.

MP3: The Low Anthem – “To Ohio”
Video: The Low Anthem – “Ghost Woman Blues”
Video: The Low Anthem – “Boeing 737”
Video: The Low Anthem – “Charlie Darwin”

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
– Bruce Springsteen. The Boss. Perhaps you’ve heard of him? He was at the festival to do the conference keynote and, of course, he had to play a show. His new record Wrecking Ball had just come out a couple weeks prior. NPR has got his keynote from earlier in the day available to stream.

Photos: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater – March 15, 2012
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “We Take Care Of Our Own”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Ain’t Good Enough For You”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Save My Love”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “The Wrestler”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “My Lucky Day”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Working On A Dream”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “A Night With The Jersey Devil”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Long Walk Home”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Radio Nowhere”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “O Mary Don’t You Weep”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Pay Me My Money Down”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Devils & Dust”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Waitin’ On A Sunny Day”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Lonesome Day”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “The Ghost Of Tom Joad”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Dead Man Walkin'”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Secret Garden”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Murder Incorporated”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Streets Of Philadelphia”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Leap Of Faith”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Better Days”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Human Touch”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Tougher Than The Rest”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “One Step Up”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Brilliant Disguise”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “War”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “My Hometown”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Glory Days”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “I’m On Fire”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Born In The USA”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Dancing In The Dark”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Atlantic City”

Patrick Watson
– Montreal-based singer-songwriter/band/perennial Polaris shortlister whose third album Adventures In Your Own Backyard comes out April 17. He/they play The Music Hall in Toronto on May 29.

Photos: Patrick Watson @ St. David’s Historic Sanctuary – March 15, 2012
MP3: Patrick Watson – “Into Giants”
Video: Patrick Watson – “Fireweed”
Video: Patrick Watson – “The Storm”
Video: Patrick Watson – “Drifters”
Video: Patrick Watson – “The Great Escape”

Frank YangNotes from amidst the party-hopping and barbecue on the Thursday of SXSW are located over here.

Big Deal
– Ameri-English he-she duo armed with guitars, voices and sleepy, intimate songs who released their debut Lights Out came out in January.

Photos: Big Deal @ Jackalope – March 15, 2012
MP3: Big Deal – “Chair”
Video: Big Deal – “Talk”
Video: Big Deal – “Distant Neighbourhood”
Video: Big Deal – “Chair”
Video: Big Deal – “Homework”

Alabama Shakes
– Alabama-based southern rock & soul outfit who came into the festival with a tonne of buzz that only got louder with each performance. It should be just about deafening by the time their debut Boys And Girls comes out on April 10. Their April 17 show at Lee’s Palace is already sold right out. with NPR is streaming their performance at Stubb’s from the Wednesday night of the fest and Rolling Stone recorded a video session with the band at a Guitar Center and AL.com has an interview with frontwoman Brittany Howard.

Photos: Alabama Shakes @ Stubb’s – March 15, 2012
MP3: Alabama Shakes – “Hold On”
MP3: Alabama Shakes – “I Found You”

Savoir Adore
– New York outfit led by Deidre Muro and Paul Hammer who, since the release of their delicious 2009 debut In The Wooded Forest, appear to have decided that power pop is as much if not more fun than synth-pop. A second album can’t come soon enough.

MP3: Savoir Adore – “Dreamers”
MP3: Savoir Adore – “Sparrow”
MP3: Savoir Adore – “Loveliest Creature”
MP3: Savoir Adore – “Bodies”
MP3: Savoir Adore – “We Talk Like Machines”
MP3: Savoir Adore – “The Garden”
Video: Savoir Adore – “The Scientific Findings of Dr. Rousseau”
Video: Savoir Adore – “Bodies”

Photos: Savoir Adore @ Red Eyed Fly – March 15, 2012

Charli XCX
– The London-based electro-pop artist who may have gotten to Austin before her wave of hype, but only just. If all goes according to plan, it will be cresting when her debut EP is released in May. Rolling Stone and The Austin Chronicle have interviews with the girl born Charlotte Aitchinson.

Photos: Charli XCX @ Red Eyed Fly – March 15, 2012
MP3: Charli XCX – “I’ll Never Know”
MP3: Charli XCX – “Valentine”
MP3: Charli XCX – “Nuclear Seasons”
Video: Charli XCX – “Nuclear Seasons”

Frank YangThe writeup for the first evening’s entertainment for SXSW 2012 can be found over here.

Fiona Apple
– Mercurial and beloved Los Angeles singer-songwriter who’s come out of seclusion to prepare the for the release of (deep breath) The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do – or The Idler Wheel… to its friends – later this Summer. Advance word is that it should be ready around June but Apple fans know better than to expect timely delivery of her work.

Photos: Fiona Apple @ Stubb’s – March 14, 2012
Video: Fiona Apple – “Paper Bag”
Video: Fiona Apple – “O’ Sailor”
Video: Fiona Apple – “Parting Gift”
Video: Fiona Apple – “Limp”
Video: Fiona Apple – “Fast As You Can”
Video: Fiona Apple – “Never Is A Promise”
Video: Fiona Apple – “Criminal”
Video: Fiona Apple – “Sleep To Dream”
Video: Fiona Apple – “Shadowboxer”

Daughter
– London trio who craft dark, ghostly and serrated folk led by singer-songwriter Elena Tonra. They’ve two EPs to their name and a full-length debut in the works. DIY has a feature on the band.

Photos: Daughter @ Red Eyed Fly Patio – March 14, 2012
MP3: Daughter – “Love”
Stream: Daughter / His Young Heart

Dry The River
– The next great British arena-folk hope, with open-hearted earnestness and rafter-shaking anthems at the ready. Their debut Shallow Bed gets a North American release on April 17 and they’re at The Garrison on Tuesday, March 27, opening for Bowerbirds. They played a video session for Rolling Stone whilst in Austin and Get Hampshire has an interview about their taking on (North) America.

Photos: Dry The River @ Red Eyed Fly Patio – March 14, 2012
MP3: Dry The River – “New Ceremony”
Video: Dry The River – “No Rest”
Video: Dry The River – “Chambers & The Valves”
Video: Dry The River – “Weights & Measures”

Frank YangWords to go with the first afternoon spent in sunny Austin can be found over here.

Blouse
– Portland dream-pop outfit indebted to the ’80s who released their self-titled debut last Fall and will be at The Garrison on May 5 opening for Bear In Heaven.

Photos: Blouse @ Shangri-La – March 14, 2012
MP3: Blouse – “Into Black”
Video: Blouse – “Ghost Dream”
Video: Blouse – “Videotapes”
Video: Blouse – “Into Black”
Stream: Blouse / Blouse

Niki & The Dove
– After months of buzz-building, the Swedish electro-pop duo who echo any and all of Kate Bush, The Knife and Lykke Li are ready to release their debut album Instinct on May 14. Daytrotter just posted a session with the band and another of their SXSW performances at the Hype Hotel can be watched in full at Livestream.

Photos: Niki & The Dove @ Flamingo Cantina – March 14, 2012
MP3: Niki & The Dove – “The Fox”
Video: Niki & The Dove – “The Fox”
Video: Niki & The Dove – “DJ Ease My Mind”
Video: Niki & The Dove – “Mother Protect”
Video: Niki & The Dove – “The Drummer”
Stream: Niki & The Dove / The Drummer

La Sera
– Side-project from Vivian Girls bassist Kickball Katy – aka Katy Goodman – that treads the same real estate but gets out of the garage and cleans itself up a bit; their second album Sees The Light was just released. Austinist has an interview.

Photos: La Sera @ Red 7 Patio – March 14, 2012
MP3: La Sera – “Please Be My Third Eye”
MP3: La Sera – “Never Come Around”
MP3: La Sera – “Break My Heart”
Video: La Sera – “Real Boy/Drive On”
Video: La Sera – “Please Be My Third Eye”
Video: La Sera – “Never Come Around”
Video: La Sera – “Devil Hearts Grow Cold”

Widowspeak
– Country-gaze that melts in your ears thanks to the vocals of Molly Hamilton; their self-titled debut almost makes the return of Mazzy Star unneecssary.

Photos: Widowspeak @ Red 7 Patio – March 14, 2012
MP3: Widowspeak – “Harsh Realm”
MP3: Widowspeak – “Gun Shy”

Korallreven
– Radio Dept. offshoot that proves via their debut album An Album By Korallreven that chillwave from Sweden doesn’t sound too different from chillwave made domestically, just with better guest vocalists. There’s interviews at Gapers Block, Prefix, We Love DC, and The Village Voice.

Photos: Korallreven @ Red 7 – March 14, 2012
MP3: Korallreven -“Sa Sa Samoa” (featuring Julianna Barwick)
MP3: Korallreven – “As Young As Yesterday” (featuring Victoria Bergsman)
MP3: Korallreven – “Honey Mine” (featuring Victoria Bergsman)
Video: Korallreven – “The Truest Faith”
Video: Korallreven – “Sa Sa Samoa”
video: Korallreven – “As Young As Yesterday”

Blood Orange
– Former Lightspeed Champion making bedroom funk-soul for the masses via his debut album Coastal Grooves.

Photos: Blood Orange @ The Mohawk Patio – March 14, 2012
MP3: Blood Orange – “Dinner”
MP3: Blood Orange – “Sutphin Boulevard”
MP3: Blood Orange – “Champagne Coast”
Video: Blood Orange – “Forget It”
Video: Blood Orange – “Sutphin Boulevard”
Video: Blood Orange – “Dinner”
Video: Blood Orange – “S’Cooled”
Video: Blood Orange – “I’m Sorry We Lied”

Clock Opera
– London-based quartet who’ve moved from doing remixes for others to making arena-sized electro-rock for themselves. Their debut full-length Ways To Forget comes out April 23.

Photos: Clock Opera @ The Mohawk – March 14, 2012
MP3: Clock Opera – “Once And For All”
MP3: Clock Opera – “Belongings” (live at Maida Vale)
Video: Clock Opera – “Man Made”
Video: Clock Opera – “Once And For All” (2012)
Video: Clock Opera – “Lesson No. 7”
Video: Clock Opera – “Belongings”
Video: Clock Opera – “Once And For All”
Video: Clock Opera – “White Noise”

Frank YangFull writeup of the SXSW 2012’s abbreviated programme can be seen over here.

Guards
– New York-based garage-psych outfit led by Cults-bro Richie James Follin whose debut self-titled EP is available as a free download at Bandcamp.

Photos: Guards @ Parkside – March 13, 2012
MP3: Guards – “Hear You Call”
MP3: Guards – “Resolution Of One”
MP3: Guards – “Do It Again”
MP3: Guards – “Don’t Wake The Dead”
Stream: Guards / Guards
Video: Guards – “Feels Like That”

Ume
– Austin-based power trio led by the flailing hair and guitar of Lauren Larsen; their long-awaited album Phantoms finally came out last year

Photos: Ume @ Bat Bar – March 13, 2012
MP3: Ume – “Captive”
MP3: Ume – “The Conductor”
MP3: Ume – “Pendulum”
MP3: Ume – “Wake”
Video: Ume – “Captive”
Video: Ume – “The Conductor”