Feature Thu Feb 16 2012

We at Gapers Block have made it a tradition to cover the SXSW Music Festival in Austin as if it were a local festival. That's because every year, Chicago sends tons of acts and hundreds of fans down to Texas in March, making sure that our city's music scene stays relevant and prominent.

SXSW has finalized its official showcase list, and Chicago acts are well represented. As we do every year, we've compiled a list of all the Chicago-based official showcasing acts, as well as groups from around the region, showcases and parties by local labels, and even "unofficial" shows by Chicago bands. If you're planning a trip down to Austin March 13-18, give these folks your support.

Chicago Acts at SXSW

• Andrew Belle

• Andrew Bird

• Braid

• Chrissy Murderbot

• Flosstradamus

• Football

• Gemini Club

• Gold Motel

• Las Guitarras de España

• Gypsyblood

• The Hood Internet

• Houses

• JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound

• Kids These Days

• Bruce Lamont

• Love of Everything

• Mahogany

• Maps & Atlases

• Musikanto

• Na Palm

• Owen

• Joe Pug

• Secret Colours

• Scattered Trees

• Sound Remedy

• Unicycle Loves You

• U.S. Girls

There are also a couple Chicago expats performing this year (besides Andrew Bird, of course.) Brenmar, a former Chicago DJ now living in Brooklyn, Lincolnwood-raised Haroula Rose, and Nightmare Air, a new project from Mikey Lovechilde of Airiel, will all showcase.

Regional Acts

As in previous years, I've compiled a list of acts from around the region (aka, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin) who are playing, too:

• The American Secrets (Detroit)

• BoDeans (Now listed as being in Milwaukee instead of Waukesha, as they were last year)

• Rachel Brooke (Detroit)

• Danny Brown (Detroit)

• Cheap Girls (Lansing, MI)

• Circuit des Yeux (Lafayette, IN)

• The Company We Keep

• Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons (Appleton, WI)

• Diplomats of Solid Sound (Iowa City, IA)

• Every Avenue (Detroit)

• The Hounds Below

• Margot & the Nuclear So and So's (Indianapolis)

• Peaking Lights

The Ragbirds • (Ann Arbor, MI)

• The Skies Revolt (Grand Rapids, MI)

• Stepdad (Grand Rapids, MI)

• Tammar (Bloomington, IN)

• Thi'sl (St. Louis)

• Turquoise Jeep (Des Moines, IA)

• Water Liars (St. Louis)

• Wet Hair (Iowa City, IA)

• William Elliot Whitmore (Montrose, IA)

• Yearbook Committee (Terre Haute, IN)

• Zola Jesus (Merrill, WI, but living in LA)

Showcases

Chicago-based record labels do SXSW big, and this year is no exception. Here's a run-down of what's been announced so far:

If you're not heading to SXSW Music, you still have an opportunity to catch a bunch of the bands. The Hideout will once again throw a SXSW Send Off Party with the Reader on March 10. Starting at 1:30pm, the lineup includes Kids These Days, In Tall Buildings, Musikanto, Hollywood Holt, The Waco Brothers, Outer Minds, Cains & Abels, Redgrave, Unicycle Loves You, Football and Paper Thick Walls. $10 gets you in the door.

Permanent Records is co-hosting a pair of sendoff shows with Captcha Records, Moniker Records, Rotted Tooth Recordings, and Trouble In Mind Records March 10 and 11 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave. Titled "Sausage Fest" (not to be confused with the SausageFest), Running, Bad Drugs, Stacian and Bitchin' Bahas perform on the 10th, Apache Dropout, Heavy Times, Zath and Supersonic Piss perform on the 11th. Two-day passes are just $15, or pay $8 for each day.

Heave Media and IBlameYoko.com are co-hosting a show March 14 at B.D. Riley's from noon to 5pm. Chicago acts Paper Thick Walls, Netherfriends and Archie Powell & The Exports will play, along with The Tins, The Wandas and Son of the Sun.

AEMMP Records will host a hip hop showcase from noon to 6pm on March 16 at Bat Bar, featuring Lili K., F.A. The Squad, BrandUn DeShay and Minor Characters.

Bloodshot Records' official showcase is March 17 at Red Eyed Fly, featuring JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Lydia Loveless, The Waco Brothers w/ Paul Burch, Cory Branan, Maggie Bjorklund and Kurt--The Deadstring Brother. The label's annual Yard Dog Party on March 16 will feature all of the above as well as Southeast Engine, Rosie Flores and others.

HoZac Records has a showcase on March 17 at Liberty Bar from 9pm to 2am, featuring Puffy Areolas, Rayon Beach, Heavy Times, the band in Heaven, Far-Out Fangtooth, Bleeding Rainbow, Ketamines, Eric & The Happy Thoughts and more to come.

Trouble In Mind Records is showcasing on March 17 at Trailer Space from noon to 6:30pm, featuring Hex Dispensers, Wheels on Fire, The Mean Jeans, The Wrong Words, The Resonars, Mikal Cronin, Apache Dropout and Night Beats. More details on Facebook.

More to be added as we hear about them.

Unofficial Shows

There are, of course, always plenty of unofficial shows at SXSW Music, and this year's no exception. White Mystery has eight shows lined up all over Austin, In Tall Buildings and Cains & Abels will be heading down together, and Redgrave is playing a couple of shows. In addition to the AEMMP showcase, Jip Jop will be performing in a couple other showcases. Rockie Fresh lists two unspecified shows March 15 and 16 on his tour calendar.

If you know of a show by a local act (yes, even your own), please let us know in the comments.