For the first time, Music Unites went down to South by Southwest to scope out the scene and lay the foundation for next year. While in Austin, Music Unites had a chance to watch some amazing showcases and meet some of the hottest new bands since we're always looking for breaking top talent. Some highlights and favorites included Miike Snow, Neon Indian, Mayer Hawthorne, The XX, Local Natives, Broken Bells, Neon Trees, Crash Kings and Passion Pit's DJ sets - we were lucky enough to meet Jeff from the group who gave us the scoop so we didn't miss a set.
You also couldn't miss the Spin Magazine afternoon party at Stubbs on Saturday with Hole's first U.S. show in more than a decade. Courtney Love took the stage by storm and dominated it. You definitely didn't want to miss a night at Stubbs with bands like MUSE and Band of Horses.
With so many memorable shows, one that stood out was the AUSSIE BBQ, the biggest showcase of Australian music in the US that attracted over 3,200 fans. Over 20 Australian bands played over 14 hours across three stages. Although there were no koala's being given out, 14 people got free round-trip tickets to Australia from Richard Branson's new airline V Australia and other lucky winners received tickets for Australian music festivals such as Big Sound, Brisbane and Homebake, Sydney.
In case you missed it, you can still catch some Aussie highlghts from the festival by going to www.vaustraliablog.com to download 9 free songs from the bands that performed including Andy Clockwise, City Riots, Dappled Cities, Goons of Doom, Grand Atlantic, Nathan Gaunt, Oh Mercy, Sally Seltmann, and The Chevelles.