SXSW Wednesday Showcases

Metallic International

7:55pm, Headhunters

Opening on the electro-slam hurricane of Osaka, Japan, quintet Ydestroyde (7:55pm), a night of mosh madness is right at home on Red River's most intimate metal pit. Tokyo twopiece Moja (8:50pm), Haruhiko Higuchi and Masumi Sakurai, motor through cymbal-riding metalla-boogie, slam-dancing toward the middle slots, where Philly fourpiece Mose Giganticus (9:45pm) rides a post-Mastodon wake on Relapse Records with last year's Gift Horse. South Korean threepiece Apollo 18 (10:40pm) plies ripping rock on 2010's Violet EP, which busts "Trampoline." When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (11:35pm) continues as ATX's premier big band of post-rock freak-out, screaming mad, and in your maw. Swedish fourpiece from the forests of Göteborg, Bult (12:30am) hammers a punishing wall of death metal while Marseille, France, headliners Dagoba (1:25am) go Greek god on the ass of its post-thrash Poseidon, a pirate rampage from August. The quartet's third disc pegs its dirty/clean English to one of the toughest ports known to man. – Raoul Hernandez

Kanine

8pm, Beauty Bar/Palm Door

Since releasing Grizzly Bear's 2004 bow Horn of Plenty, Kanine has quietly become the Barsuk Records of Brooklyn, a tastemaking indie label with serious hipster cachet. New York trio Grooms induced No Wave seizures with the 1990s guitar squall of 2009's Death by Audio outing Rejoicer. Virginia's Eternal Summers marks yet another beachcomber hashing out minimal, sedated pop on its debut full-length, Silver. Pepper Rabbit is one soundtrack credit away from hitting it big – the L.A. duo's late 2010 sleeper, Beauregard, beams with memorable folk-pop odes and a tangible nostalgia. Opposite end of the spectrum, Braids adheres to the new density of indie rock, ushered in by Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors. The Montreal fourpiece's debut, Native Speaker, lands somewhere between those two, with spastic fever dreams spiked by Raphaelle Standell-Preston's chirping vocal leads. Brooklyn's XRay Eyeballs reveal the darker, cultish side to the band members' garage-rock mainstay, Golden Triangle. SXSW 2010 breakout Surfer Blood returns for a well-earned victory lap. – Austin Powell

Quality Control

8pm, Fuze

Oakland, Calif.'s Quality Control Marketing holds a firm grip on the happenings within New York and Detroit. As such, it has stacked its showcase as East meets West, with some Motor City – masters of the universe Binary Star – in between. With the notable exception of E-40's kid Droop-E, Bay Area abundance yields a surprising lack of hyph-y rappers. Instead, the Jacka raps and croons in the Devin the Dude mold, while Moe Green mellows with the soul-kissed Rocky Maivia: Non-Title Match and 14-year veterans Foreign Legion reemerge with plans to release Night Moves after years of label struggles. Back east, NYC verbosity is served via J-Live, whose November 2010 EP warrants your Undivided Attention; Nick Javas and Reks drop East Coast rap classicism with DJ Premier while Newark's boom-bapped headliners the Artifacts mount a comeback. The big draw here is Termanology, who with Statik Selektah forms the pride of Northern Massachusetts, 1982. M-Phazes spins between sets. – Chase Hoffberger

World Music

8pm, Copa

It's only fitting that a night of world music be anchored by a band from literally all over the globe. In 2005, song catcher Mark Johnson was walking down the streets of Santa Monica, Calif., when he was arrested by the soulful howl of Roger Ridley. In a video now viewed online 30 million times, Johnson recorded Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" with musicians in New Orleans, Amsterdam, New Mexico, Italy, Russia, Venezuela, the Congo, Israel, and South Africa that had never met one another. The result was a stunning collaboration that made Playing for Change a global phenomenon for the Digital Age. An upcoming CD/DVD captures more far-flung collaborations, featuring the music of John Lennon and Bob Marley, and documents the 2009 tour that brought the musicians together at SXSW. Austin's 1001 Night Orchestra kicks off the bill with a musical journey through the Middle East, while the tribal freak-out of Portugal's OliveTreeDance incites a didgeridoo get-down. Nigeria's Beautiful Nubia & the Roots Renaissance Band, Tunisian mystic Chiha, and the soulful Afro-pop of Kenya's Sauti Sol travel a long way for their own copa. – Thomas Fawcett

Sala de Espera

8pm, Mi Casa Cantina

The blog/radio program Sala de Espera likes its pop/rock light as sangria in the beginning, then works up to a stiff drink. 69 Nombres, dubbed the most promising band out of Colombia, start things off with Latin rock tunes that caught the attention of producer Phil Vinall. Chile's Pedropiedra follows with enormous pop tunes of its own, followed by more pop from Tijuana, Mexico's Orlando, Fla. Expat and singer/writer Francisca Valenzuela shows off her Left Coast roots by way of Chile in what should be a refreshing solo set. SXSW alums Chikita Violenta's Animal Collective-like circuits are powering up nicely in the U.S. thanks to the group's touring and a well-received album on Arts & Crafts, Tre3s. – Belinda Acosta

Doomtree

8pm, Flamingo Cantina

Like fellow Minnesotans Rhymesayers, Doomtree Records made its bones as an intensely consistent collective, a label constantly pushing its signature dark, sometimes abrasive brand of punk-rap. Founding member P.O.S is set for double duty at this showcase, performing solo and opening with Four Fists alongside Seattle math rapper Astronautalis. They're followed by L.A. transplant Mike Mictlan, whose connection with Doomtree was forged during a one-year stay back in high school. Onetime Strange Famous affiliate Cecil Otter, working on Ethos Pitch with Lazerbeak (who, with Paper Tiger, spins between sets), sets the stage for Dessa, Doomtree's do-it-all femcee, a Midwestern Lauryn Hill. Preceding P.O.S' victory lap is stylistic descendent Sims, who just released a good one in Bad Time Zoo. Expect mad collabs – this one's a family affair. – Chase Hoffberger

Alligator Records

10pm, Speakeasy

From its first release by Hound Dog Taylor to current smashes by JJ Grey & Mofro and Anders Osborne, Alligator Records reflects modern blues unlike any other label. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Chicago indie presents three Texas-based acts, each keeping the blues alive in its own particular way. Now in his 70s, Houston-born Guitar Shorty is renowned for his incendiary guitar style and frantic stage presence. His 2010 release, Bare Knuckle, was hailed for its uncommon combination of fervent guitar and vocals mixed with penetrating lyrics. Two decades in, Dallas-based Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King continue to impress audiences worldwide with their brand of authentic roadhouse blues. Kubek's scintillating fretwork and King's soulful vocals make for a Texas blues lover's delight on latest Have Blues, Will Travel. One of Austin's most treasured artists, long, tall Marcia Ball readies Roadside Attractions, her 15th album, on March 29. It's another savory set of jaunty Gulf Coast blues and Louisiana rhythms that she describes as her most personal work to date. – Jim Caligiuri