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Check out an interview with the two leaders of the choir.

Music Interviews

Scala And Kolacny Brothers: Rock's Heavenly Choir

It can be difficult to find a little peace amidst the chaos that is Austin during South by Southwest. So when Scala & Kolacny Brothers brought their 22-person ensemble to perform a song in our intimate space at the Driskill Hotel, it was a stunning, if not fleeting few minutes of calming beauty.

If you don't know the name Scala & Kolacny Brothers before now, surely you've heard their resonant, soaring voices recently. Thanks, in part, to their cover of Radiohead's "Creep," — which was featured prominently in the theatrical trailer for last year's The Social Network — the Belgian girls choir has found themselves with both mainstream acclaim and indie cred alike.

Conducted by Stijn Kolacny and accompanied by pianist Steven Kolacny, the ensemble has released several albums, including 2002's debut On The Rocks and 2010's Circle. Over the years they've gained notoriety for their sterling, often haunting choral arrangements of popular songs by artists like U2, Nirvana and Bjork. Here, they perform a lovely rendition of their original piece, "Seashell."

It was hard to imagine how Austra, a clubby electronic outfit from Toronto, would sound early in the day in an intimate environment. But Katie Stelmanis and her two vocalists kindly obliged, singing a cappella to back a laptop piped to modest speakers. The result was a powerful showcase of Stelmanis' soaring voice. Watch the trio perform "The Choke" at The Driskill Hotel during SXSW 2011 in Austin, Texas.

Sea Of Bees, the musical project of Julie Ann Bee, stopped by NPR Music's room at The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas, during SXSW 2011. With her backing band in tow, she blasted a little beauty for us — and now you. Watch the band perform a stripped-down and woozy rendition of "Gnomes," from her album Songs for the Ravens.

Experimental folk musician Julianna Barwick stuffed a lucky room at Austin, Texas' The Driskill Hotel with electronic paislies and an ethereal presence.

Her latest album The Magic Place, is available from Asthmatic Kitty.

We stuffed the 11-piece Portland collective into a room at The Driskill Hotel to play their indie rock take on chamber music. The band performed a medley of "The Sickness Unto Death" and "The Honest Truth."

Typhoon released an EP called The Honest Truth at the beginning of March.

NPR Music — and OK, most of the country — has got a lot of love for the country songstress Emmylou Harris. She set up a stool in an unsuspecting room at The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas amidst the madness of SXSW 2011 for a mellow performance.

Harris performed "Darlin' Kate," a tribute to the late Kate McGarrigle. It appears on her upcoming release Hard Bargain out April 26.