5 Acts To Take Notice Of At SXSW: Day 2 & 3

Following Wednesday night's tragedy, numbers were visibly down on Thursday and the mood was noticeably subdued on what is normally the first major party night of the SxSW week. As Wednesday night's gigging was also brought to an abrupt halt in such a horrific manner, we decided to hold off on a list relating to that day's events. So today we look back at the past two days.

1. LA FEMME

On record this French gang (and yes, gang is the appropriate term) come on like a mix of twee electronica and punk pop. Put that into the context of their live show and you find these wild boys and lethal lady are more rock'n'roll than any band around that may be claiming to be rock'n'roll. Their set was so high speed you half expected to them to doing lines off their keyboards. Instead we got strap-on snakes, two drummers and the best set of matching leather jackets this side of The Hives.

2. BIG FREEDIA

The New Orleans Queen of Sissy Bounce has been doing SxSW so long she owns this city. At the Vice showcase she pulls a packed house and she ups the ante on that white-assed tweaking craze that has ripped her sound and look off so blatantly. Flanked with six dancers who combine heart-stopping bounce moves with body-popping and crazed jacking moves, Freedia has the audience licking out the palms of her hands by set's end: “When I say 'Excuse me!' You say, 'I didn't mean to be rude.'”

3. BOOGARINS

These modern exponents of Brazil's tropicalia sound create a groove so guileless, you are consumed wholly without realising until you come to dad-dancing front-of-stage. Somehow their bass player remains stoic centre-stage while his fellow band members seemingly put in the grunt work as if controlled by his commanding lead.

4. THE BLACK LIPS

The new material off the Atlantan foursome's upcoming Underneath The Rainbow album are greeted by fans as if old favourites. While new songs like Drive-By Buddy and Boys In The Wood might nod to the likes of The Monkees and southern rock, it's still as punk as fuck in the mosh.

5. COSMONAUTS

Having checked out The Black Angels on Wednesday night (when in Austin…), it only made sense to go see the mini-Psych Fest event the following night. Primarily there to see Ireland's September Girls, it was Cali's Cosmonauts who won Most Psych'd Of The Night (SepGirls suffered at the hands of a horrible mix that rendered them mostly an instrumental act for the evening). While the Cosmo kids look less like a band and more like four dudes so stoned they took the wrong turn to the skate park and stumbled accidentally on stage, their sound is astounding. Ringing guitars, fake song ends and loads of feedback for set's end is more than anyone can ask for at Psych gathering.

Andrew Mast was flown to SxSW as a guest of Warner.