Kevin Bronson on March 10th, 2009

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Please excuse this self-promotional interlude: I will be in Austin next week at South by Southwest, hoping to open my ears to some new flavors and blogging as much as humanly possible – as well as co-hosting the “Buzz Bands at Cheers” party Friday afternoon at Cheers on 6th. The party features sets by seven bands, including three from Los Angeles: the Shys, Local Natives and Red Cortez. Not coincidentally, the Local Natives will be my guest on the Buzz Bands show on Little Radio at 10 a.m. Friday. We’ll talk about what it’s like to be local, and a native.

After the jump, the press release about the party:Hombre Libre and Buzz Bands
Invite You to Say Cheers During SXSW

Hombre Libre and Buzz Bands invite you to Buzz Bands at Cheers, a free afternoon party featuring Harlem Shakes, Red Cortez, the Local Natives, the Shys, Adam Stephens of Two Gallants, the Mother Hips and the Donkeys. The fun begins at noon Friday, March 20, on the second-floor outdoor patio at Cheers, 416 6th Street (between Trinity and Neches).

Hombre Libre is a mythical Los Angeles tastemaker. Buzz Bands is the 5-month-old website manned by ex-Los Angeles Times writer/editor Kevin Bronson that was recently named the fast-growing independent blog in L.A. The lineup:

Noon: The Donkeys – Sweet harmonies and laid-back indie from the San Diego quartet whose latest album “Living on the Other Side” came out in September on Dead Oceans.
1 p.m.: The Mother Hips – A heavenly marriage of the Byrds, the Band and the Beach Boys, the Bay Area quartet is working on a follow-up to 2007’s “Kiss the Grizzly Bear.”
2 p.m.: Adam Stephens – Sublime low-fi folk from half of the Bay Area duo Two Gallants. Adam will be playing his music with a quartet at SXSW.
3 p.m.: The Shys – On last year’s “You’ll Never Understand This Band the Way That I Do,” this SoCal quintet hit the mark with its high-energy take on classic psychedelia and blues.
4 p.m.: The Local Natives – Fusing three-part harmonies, tribal beats and shout-along choruses, the L.A. quintet is gearing up for the release of its debut album, “Gorilla Manor.”
5 p.m.: Red Cortez – Dynamic L.A. quartet, fresh off tour dates with Morrissey, brings rock ”˜n’ roll that has the heart of a beat poet and the soul of a bluesman.
6 p.m.: Harlem Shakes – Exuberant New Yorkers (OK, they’re honorary Californians on this afternoon) will unveil their triumphant pop debut “Technicolor Health” on March 24.