Seraphina Lotkhamnga on March 13th, 2012

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South by Southwest 2012 has become somewhat of a battle between West Coast and East Coast this year. We’re fine with that as the City of Angels has tons to offer for every single type of musical palette, but what about all the L.A. folks heading out there to see something non-local? There are plenty of choices, considering all the international bands have also made the trek. So, to make things easier, here are 10 artists beyond L.A. who will be worth your time:

Gary Clark Jr (Austin, Texas)

If you like: A modern Jimi Hendrix who makes your hips sway as much as he makes your head bop.
Why they’re worth your time: You’d be making a mistake by going to Austin only to miss out on an opportunity to meet the guy who paid his dues here, the “savior of blues” and a wicked love-making session between his guitar skills and your eardrums. If there’s one thing that will put some vigor back into your steps during a massive festival like SXSW, it’s Gary Clark Jr’s seductive combination of soulful vocals and fiery shredding, which made his two recent EPs, “Gary Clark Jr.” and “Bright Lights” so wildly popular.

2:54 (London, England)

If you like: Shoegazing sisters who really like the Melvins and echo PJ Harvey but could probably hang with Warpaint.
Why they’re worth your time: British sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow are obsessed with their effects pedals and it can be heard in their chilling gloom-pop which can offer a slow smouldering guitar line, a splash of harmonies, a melodramatic veil of dark choruses or all of the above. 2:54 are on the edge of becoming creepy with their atmospherics but their Alan Moulder-produced hooks on their “Scarlet” EP are slinky enough to draw you in for complete immersion.

The Lumineers (Denver, Colorado)

If you like: Scruffy folkies who sing with earnest stories you haven’t heard this beautifully done since you first discovered the Avett Brothers.
Why they’re worth your time: Having a big ol’ tender heart must have been a prerequisite to become a band member of the Lumineers. Although unfiltered sorrow is a strength of theirs, piano, cello and mandolin melodies cushion the pitfalls enough to spin their songs into life-affirming declarations. Even with a jolly song title like”Hey Ho,” one set from this Denver, Colo.,-based trio should humble you enough to remember we’re all human.

Field Mouse (Brooklyn, New York)

If you like: Dream-pop bands who can get away with a name so close to the Field Mice without having you hold a grudge.
Why they’re worth your time: The shimmering pop of these Brooklynites led by Rachel Browne’s wispy vocals won’t make you forget about the Sarah Records legends, but songs like “You’re Gonna Wake Up My Mom” will make you forget why you were mad in the first place. After all, they do share the ability to balance the delicate and complex in lush arrangements, and Field Mouse have never settled for imitation. Their expansive soundscapes have aimed higher with clever chord progressions, heavy melodies and dream-pop ready to envelope those who challenge them.

A Classic Education (Bologna, Italy)

If you like: In-your-face pop music made by Italian quintets who don’t have anything to do with the “Euro club” sound.
Why they’re worth your time: Although lead vocalist Jonathan Clancy is really Canadian, he and his gang from Italy have been making the rounds in the indie scene over here in the states. Their album “Call It Blazing” released on Lefse Records may have something to do with it, but their orchestral pop music that swings in between ’60s melodies and jangly post-punk is bound to please – if not everyone else – with a set or two at SXSW.

Kimbra (Hamilton, New Zealand/Melbourne Australia)

If you like: Those female pipes that helped Gotye paint last year’s break-up anthem, “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
Why they’re worth your time: If you’re a fan of Australia’s Gotye, you know that his hit song wouldn’t have been complete with New Zealand’s Kimbra. Now based in Melbourne, she’s currently touring in support of her U.S. debut “Settle Down.” The EP has hits from bright pop tunes like “Cameo Lover” to the soulful grooves in “Settle Down.” It has also has a few remixes like this Penguin Prison above, but none of it does justice to just how well Kimbra can use those pipes in a live setting. She may have been trailing on the tailcoat of an Aussie, but now the Kiwi is finding herself in the spotlight all across the world. Catching her at SXSW before she goes on tour as support for Foster the People is highly recommended.

Hospitality (Brooklyn, New York)

If you like: Indie pop that makes you work to find the hook.
Why they’re worth your time: Pop music can be certainly be unconventional and enjoyed just as much as we enjoy any mainstream pop artist out there.  Brooklyn trio Hospitality is proof. Led by Amber Papini on vocals, there’s something in her vocals that seem to bounce with an irregular beat even though it’s just the texture of her voice. At times Papini comes off a bit Mirah with some of her smoother notes, especially when comparing non-traditional song structures, but other times she makes Hospitality sound like what the Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spektors would be if they were indie rock bands instead of singer-songwriters. Melodically quirky rockers.

Korallreven (Lund, Sweden)

If you like: Dreamy electronic pop music made by two of the dudes from the Swedish band the Radio Dept.
Why they’re worth your time: If you ever wished your shoegaze bands could meld together with some of your favorite dance artists, Korallreven is the answer. Marcus Joons and Daniel Tjäder of the Radio Dept. bring out the bright textures from one of Sweden’s beloved indie rock acts in to realms where melodies abandon organic composition and soar through electro-pop. If there’s anything any music fanatic should know, it’s that Swedes know their pop music.

Of Monsters and Men (Reykjavik, Iceland)

If you like: Bands who sound like the foreign cousins of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
Why they’re worth your time: Of Monsters and Men have been climbing the U.S. charts fairly quickly in the last few months, and it may or may not have anything to do with the fact that “Little Talks” is extremely reminiscent of “Home.” No matter what their home country is (Iceland). A strong horn section and a cheerful, romantic boy-girl duet never fails to get people up on their feet and join in on those “Hey!” shouts in the song. Take in a set of theirs and dance away or go and scowl while you figure out if they’re really doing the same thing Alex Ebert and his crew are doing.

Dive (Brooklyn, New York)

If you like: Beach Fossils but wish they were more like Wild Nothing.
Why they’re worth your time: Although Beach Fossils basically fits in the same realm as lazy-vibe, sunny-filled songsters Real Estate, they always seemed to come in second after the boys from Jersey. But Beach Fossil’s guitarist Zachary Cole Smith speeds things up for a shimmer and takes a heavy dose of dream-pop with his side project Dive (which includes Smith Westerns’ former drummer Colby Hewitt). Although dream-pop is often associated with a slower and hazy effect through heavy reverb, Dive is a more guitar-driven than anything Beach Fossils has ever released and Smith’s step out to do something on his own is commendable.