The Irish invasion

With a new round of artists just announced, the number of Irish bands who will be heading to Austin, Texas for this year’s South by Southwest Music Festival rises to 6.

Most of the choices the SXSW selecting panel made will in fact come as no surprise to Hot Press readers, the bands and artists having swept the boards, variously, at the Hot Press Readers’ and/or Critics’ Polls.

This includes David Kitt (who nabbed Irish Male Singer of the Year No. 2, just after Bono); Critics’ and Readers’ Album of the Year winners The Frames; Juliet Turner (who just missed Best Female Singer, losing to Andrea Corr), and the Revs (who placed ninth in the Band of the Year category). Excitingly, relative newcomers Pina and Spree will also be packing their kit-bags and checking their passports this spring.

South by Southwest is widely regarded as one of the world’s best new music expos, as well as one of the most fun at which to perform. Winning a place is a mark of great kudos for an artist’s CV.

The hundreds of international artists who have been invited to play also include Acid Mothers Temple, Katell Keineg, The Moldy Peaches, Tom McRae, Girls Against Boys and the intriguingly named I Am The World Trade Center.