SXSW regional preview: Australia and New Zealand
Australia/ New Zealand
Big Scary
From: Melbourne
Online: bigscary.bandcamp.com
About: Joanna Syme plays drums and sings backing vocals, Tom Iansek switches between electric guitar and keyboards for platonic indie rock. Their song "Thinking About You" ended up on "Grey's Anatomy"; check out their free EP at their Bandcamp site.
Could share a bill with: Midlake, Telekinesis, Kicking Giant
The Black Ryder
From: Sydney, Australia
Online: www.theantimachinemachine.com/
About: Since 2007, Scott Von Ryper and Miss Aimee Nash have folded together shimmering guitar chords and Nash's delicate, woozy voice into hazy sounds to which any shoegaze fan would love to doze off.
Could share a bill with: Spiritualized, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Avalanche City
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Online: avalanchecity.com
About: Dave Baxter does business as Avalanche City; writes, conceives, produces, records and plays every instrument, Prince-style, on the A.C. debut album "Our New Life Above The Ground." There is a full band pictured on the site, but I wish one of these one-person outfits would show up with animatronic bandmates a la Chuck E. Cheese.
Could share a bill with: the Arcade Fire, the Clean, the Shins
Electric Wire Hustle
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Online: electricwirehustle.com
About: A blend of hip-hop beats, classic soul instrumentation (hello, Fender Rhodes), electronic sound manipulation of the kind allowed by the free fusion of digital and analogue recording platforms and probably more jam band song-logic than anyone would dare admit.
Could share a bill with: Erykah Badu, STS9, the Brand New Heavies
Lanie Lane
From: Sydney
Online: lanielane.net
About: Blending a little country, a little blues, a little rockabilly, Lanie Lane is in a long tradition of Australians from the Birthday Party (innovative, noisy) to Keith Urban (traditional, star-powered) who have their own particular relationship with American roots music.
Could share a bill with: Justin Townes Earle, pretty much anyone at the Continental Club, ever
Cairo Knife Fight
From: Christchurch, New Zealand
Online: cairoknifefight.com
About: Another duo here — expect the singer to drum, and perhaps play keyboards and some sort of looped bass while the guitarist rocks out with a few amps in tow. Last December, they opened for Foo Fighters in front of about 50,000 people.
Could share a bill with: Queens of the Stone Age, Garbage, Sleigh Bells
King Kapisi
From: Auckland
Online: kingkapisi.net
About: Samoan MC King Kapisi beat-boxes, deejays and produces. He also performs with Thailand-based drum and bass band Kinetic Crew and has collaborated with reggae artists Bunny Rugs and Luciano on a couple of reggae tunes.
Could share a bill with: Dilated Peoples, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born