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Front Row Our favorite new bands, from the best seat in the house.
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Front Row

Our favorite bands, from the best seat in the house
Front Row: Raphael Saadiq

Raphael Saadiq performs live at Stubb's Bar-B-Q at SXSW 2011. Katie Hayes Luke/Katie Hayes Luke hide caption

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Raphael Saadiq

He's been a member of Tony! Toni! Tone! and a hitmaking producer, but in his solo career, Raphael Saadiq has proven himself as an old-school soul throwback.

Front Row: tUnE-yArDs, Live At SXSW

Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs performs at The Parish in Austin, Texas. Shantell Mitchell for NPR hide caption

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tUnE-yArDs, Live At SXSW

On stage, tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus performs with a microphone, some drums, a ukulele and a loop pedal. She's got a stunning instinct for harnessing limited resources to maximum effect.

Front Row: Khaira Arby

Khaira Arby performs at The Parish in Austin, Texas. Shantel Mitchell for NPR hide caption

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Khaira Arby

The queen of Malian desert rock, Khaira Arby has the chops to overwhelm her incredible band, who create a hypnotic backdrop for her gloriously swooping vocals.

Front Row: The Joy Formidable

Joy-Formidable performs live at the Parish in Austin, Texas. Shantel Mitchell/Flickr hide caption

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The Joy Formidable

A Welsh pop trio based in London, The Joy Formidable plays spiky, bouncy rock that benefits immeasurably from the charisma of frontwoman Ritzy Bryan.