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The music at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas begins on the 13th March and will continue up until the 22nd with bands playing non stop showcases.

SXSW is a perfect stage for acts from the UK and the US to get noticed by major people in the music industry in the States and break the hard market. Past acts include Lily Allen, MGMT, Amy Winhouse, The Cool Kids, The Black Lips, Gallows and Mystery Jets.

This year is no exception, with up and coming and established artists and bands playing side by side across the city at all hours over the ten days. On the list this year you will find such bands as Explosions In The Sky, Ace Enders, The Spinto Band, Primal Scream and Fight Like Apes in the MASSIVE line up of acts playing various shops, hair dressers, bars, restaurants over the festivals many days.

The UK is represented in high numbers again this year at the festival with UK based acts such as White Lies, Esser, Ispo Facto, Future Of The Left and Rolo Tomassi all playing shows.

At the festival this year, the annual speakers spot goes to Quincy Jones. In years past, influential artists such as Pete Townsend of The Who and David Byrne from Talking Heads have spoken at the festival about their knowledge of the industry and careers.

Here are my ‘ones to watch’ at this years SXSW

Beach House
Balitmore’s Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally make up the dream pop indie duo Beach House.  Their two albums, Beach House (2006) and last years Devotion (2008) were praised by critics in both the UK and back home in the States. Already having got themselves a place on the high respected Bella Union record label, Beach House are a band everyone should hear.
MySpace

Mika Miko
Mika Miko are part of the scene in LA which is creating a buzz in the music industry. Along with other LA outfits such as No Age and HEALTH (who are also playing this year’s SXSW. The frantic punk sound of the all girl group create a exciting energy at their live shows and are not to be missed.
MySpace

Dananananaykroyd
Glasgow based dual drumming rock band Dananananaykroyd bring their powerful take on rock n roll to Austin. Already making critics water at the mouths with their lives shows, Dananananaykroyd promise to bring some fun to SXSW. Their debut album Hey Everyone! is released here in the UK in April on Best Before Records.
MySpace

Johnny Foreigner
Label mates of  Dananananaykroyd, Brimingham’s Johnny Foreigner create a sound that would be fit for any house party. Having released their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Waited Up Til It Was Light‘ on Best Before last year the band has gone strength to strength here in the UK.
MySpace

Micachu
Mica Levi, also known as Micachu, has been gracing the stages of London and creating a buzz that has gotten her support slots with bands such as Mystery Jets and Late Of The Pier. Recently she and her band The Shapes have signed to Rough Trade here in the UK and will release their debut titled Jewellery in March.
MySpace

The barmy Christmas season is well and truly in full flow with yet more rumours of bands reforming - fuelling festive nostalgia. Following the news about Blur and then Ska heroes The Specials who are now all set to play together next year - albeit minus an apparently snubbed Jerry Dammers - come more rumours that The Smiths might be on the road to reformation. But perhaps even more unlikely than that are the rumours surfacing that The Stone Roses might also be considering playing together again.

Even though Johnny Marr has only said something along the lines of ‘maybe, who knows?’ - this is more than enough for a few thousand gladioli-growing fans to start earnestly praying and growing their Morrissey quiffs once more. Although the thought of a legion of 30/40-something old Smiths fans bravely ignoring their paunches beneath flowery shirts and charity shop blazers should be reason enough to kill off all thoughts of healing rifts. Or if some big promoter could top a £40 million offer that Morrissey said was most recently on the table then there might be panic on the streets of London once again…

Now Primal Screamer Mani has dropped a big old teaser about the dream you should never dare to dream - that The Stone Roses might get back together. He said to Channelbee that both him and John Squire might be keen but they have yet to persuade Ian Brown. And of course 2009 is the 20th anniversay of their legendary debut album.

So what do you think? Is it a good idea for these bands to hit the comeback trail? Who would you rather see - The Smiths or The Stone Roses? Any other bands ripe for reformation?