SXSW 2008: South By Southwest

Jaymay has been called a folk artist and she cites Bob Dylan among her influences. But her music is more layered and unpredictable than traditional folk singers. Jaymay was in Austin, TX for this year's South by Southwest music festival and took time out of her schedule to meet with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen at the French Legation Museum, for an exclusive outdoor performance.

Yeasayer filters the Talking Heads through a fish-eye lens, picks up a Roxy Music record and heaps up the energy of a gospel choir. The band artfully layers tribal drums, atmospheric overtones and steady, funk bass lines in a very natural and exciting way. Hear a performance from SXSW.

A warm swell fills the room when My Morning Jacket takes the stage, but there's also unmistakable energy. The band's roots lie in distinctly American music forms (country, folk, classic rock), all wrapped in reverb and Jim James' soaring voice. The band performs songs from its new album, Evil Urges, at SXSW.

It was a spectacularly beautiful day in Austin, TX when Lightspeed Champion's Dev Hynes and violinist Mike Siddell met with All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen for this exclusive outdoor performance. Hynes and Siddell offered up an intimate little set as they ran through four songs, opening with "Tell Me What It's Worth," followed by "Everyone I Know is Listening to Crunk," "Galaxy of the Lost" and an inspired cover of Olivia Newton John's "Xanadu."

At SXSW, the Swedish singer-songwriter sings about haircuts in his own ridiculous way. When a twentysomething musician makes records that sound more like Burt Bacharach than anything else, it's going to reek of either pretension or cheese. In Jens Lekman's case, it's both — and, surprisingly, the result is delightful.

Last week, 1,700 bands converged on Austin, Texas, for the annual South by Southwest music festival. From a Chinese woman who sings AC/DC covers to a singer whose songs are like foot rubs at the end of a long night out, the music brought out power and beauty in unexpected places.

See and hear English rapper Dizzee Rascal perform a set for The Current on the corner of 7th and Red River in Austin, Tex., as part of the South by Southwest music festival. His latest CD, Maths + English, is due for a stateside release in April.

Carbon/Silicon is a collaboration between The Clash's Mick Jones and Tony James of the Billy Idol-fronted Generation X, but its sound veers more toward danceable rock. See and hear the band play "The News" at the corner of 7th and Red River in Austin, Tex., for SXSW.

Tokyo Police Club's party-starting mod-punk show up minus its heavy rhythms, in an acoustic version of "Tesselate." David Monks sits solo on The Current's stage, on the corner of 7th and Red River in Austin, for the SXSW festival.

Traveling from Noid, a small town in England, The Heavy creates a one-of-a-kind retro-soul sound that's heavy, dirty, and funky. Performing at the corner of 7th and Red River in Austin, Tex., the band plays "That Kind of Man" for a crowd at the South by Southwest Music Festival.

On For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon sings in a heartbreaking falsetto. Meanwhile, his backing band provides a comforting wash of gently strummed guitars, set against distant atmospherics and layered harmonies that echo through the ether. Hear Bon Iver perform at SXSW.

Cloud Cult's uplifting indie-rock raised spirits on the corner of 7th and Red River in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest Music Festival. Accompanied by strings and a trombone, the band plays "Everybody Here is a Cloud" at The Current's outdoor showcase.

It's hard not to come right out and mention Liam Finn's father, Neil. After all, the Crowded House and Split Enz member has more than 30 years of experience on his son, including two albums with brother Tim Finn. But Liam Finn is far from his father's clone. Hear him in concert from SXSW.

Backed by just an electric guitar, folk-punk legend Billy Bragg took the stage at The Current's showcase, on the corner of 7th and Red River in Austin, Texas, for SXSW. Bragg performed his classic "Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards" to an appreciative crowd.