Ten Bands Set to Break Out at 2009's SXSW Festival

They're NME cover stars and chart-topping artists at home in Britain and they're lined up to be SXSW's breakthrough band, if only because they sound like the second coming of The Killers' first record. Some may say that their retro-sounding '80s synth sound's become a cliché, but those people aren't the bookers at Letterman or Coachella — both of whom have already booked the band for post-SX appearances.

Hot Track:"Death"

San Francisco's Sleepy Sun are the right band in the right place at the right time: This sextet's atmospheric pysch-freakout rides the wave of critical acclaim directed at peers like Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. But while their sound evokes another time (and intensely altered states of being), it's their flair for strangeness (in the form of massive basslines, syncopated percussion, and enormous beards) that has their rabid fan base screaming "Let's Get Weird!" during their high-energy live shows.

Hot Track:"Lord"

For all the talk of Pavement being indie grandpas, most bands who follow their catchy-chorused speak-sing format fall flat on their faces. With a lead singer that sounds like a dead-ringer for Pavement frontman Steve Malkmus, the only face-falling The Henry Clay People do is onstage, when the drunken brothers who lead the band take it too far during a cover of Bruce's "Born in the U.S.A."

Hot Track:"End of an Empire"

A musical-theater vet from Kansas City, the spacy, funky Monae's already had a few breaks (signed to Bad Boy, worked with Big Boi), but with the mainstream acceptance of peers like Gnarls Barkley she's well positioned to break through thanks to a glossy retro look and songs that bend R&B genres seamlessly, calling to mind the Ronettes one minute and Gwen Stefani the next.

Hot Track:"Sincerely Jane"

Sometimes you listen to music that feels your pain; other times, you listen to music to move your feet. From their fantastic (and not-overly humble) name, it's clear that The Phenomenal Hand Clap band fall in the latter category. This collaboration between two NY DJs and a revolving group of 20+ members (including some from TV on The Radio and Mooney Suzuki) defies categorization, making it the perfect soundtrack for a Sunday afternoon barbeque, or a Monday morning wake-up call.

Hot Track:"Testimony"

Joe Lewis's first show was opening for Little Richard, so it's no surprise that his six-piece band play throwbacks (like the impossibly honest "Bitch, I Love You") punctuated by horn blasts, deeply rooted in blues and soul-rock. Any irony has been scored out by heartfelt grit.

Hot Track:"Bitch, I Love You"

This Atlanta rapper sounds like he's a one-man Outkast cover band. He flows like Andre 3000. The production sounds like Big Boi. He even samples a penny whistle. That's not exactly a bad thing. At least B.o.B's covering the right band. And with Outkast on hiatus indefinitely, we'll take whatever we can get.

Hot Track:"Generation Lost"

Imagine a truly irresponsible house party, where people end up naked, the front lawn catches on fire, and someone put lipstick on the family dog. This foursome, with their hyperactive, spastic fits of 1980s synth and Latin percussion, would play the soundtrack.

Hot Track:"Space and the Woods" (Centro Townsend Mix)

These San Franciscans aren't new, but they have been overshadowed by contemporaries like Bright Eyes and their friend Devendra Banhart. With their fourth record and first for a major (they signed to Sub Pop) their folky pop's about to break through — don't be surprised to see it sharing counter space with Joanna Newsom at Starbucks.

Hot Track:"Miles Apart"

Kanye West and Santogold; David Byrne and Chuck D; Tom Waits and Kool Keith — N.A.S.A., a collabo between two L.A. DJs, creates party rocking anthems from the unlikeliest of pairings. This summer's hot record is already here. In a few months, you'll be hearing their just-released record, The Spirit of Apollo, bumping up and down the beach boardwalk.

Hot Track:"Strange Enough"