Dead Confederate just announced a new tour that will tackle both U.S. coasts, and swing through Austin for a SXSW performance or two. We were lucky enough to host them at our blogger party last year, the day after they opened for REM, and they blew the roof off the place.

Above, check out some live footage from their KEXP studio performance, and hit up WOXY for another live show. The tour dates are posted at myspace, and the little tune below is one of the many good parts of Wrecking Ball.

• Dead Confederate - "Flesh Colored Canvas"

Austin's latest greatest indie export is Anatomica, by the band Frantic Clam. Plenty of local bands do well just on the strength of a local following, but there's no chance of Frantic Clam remaining our little secret.

This stuff is good. Big Diction and Austin Town Hall both called it "refreshing," and Austin Sound calls it "surprisingly excellent." I call it completely jammable, and recommended. If you are local you can pick up Anatomica at the release party tomorrow night.

• Frantic Clam - "Korean Beauty Queen"
• Frantic Clam - "We Own The Night"
• http://www.myspace.com/franticclam

You never really need a good reason to throw a party, but in honor of George Bush's exit, and President Obama's entrance, the Heartless Bastards will be doing their three-way garage-soul thing down at Antone's as part of the Bush Retirement Celebration.

Heartless Bastards are also following the critical acclaim of their first two releases with The Mountain, a brand new album produced by Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead.) It will be released via Fat Possum Records on February 3. Here's a taste:

• Heartless Bastards - "Out At Sea"
• myspace.com/heartlessbastards

I've been meaning to show the Dirtbombs some love ever since they rocked the house opening for TV On The Radio at Stubb's. The Detroit rockers released a new album via In The Red last year, the A.V. Club approved We Have You Surrounded, so here's a couple of songs from that one.

• Dirtbombs - "Indivisible"
• Dirtbombs - "Wreck My Flow"
• http://thedirtbombs.net/
  

And here's another song by the band formerly known as The Muslims.

• The Muslims - Extinction
• myspace.com/thesoftpack
  

SXSW rumors, announcements and confirmations continue to reveal themselves. Of the names being tossed around right now, these are the ones that most interest me:

• 8Ball & MJG (Memphis, Tennessee)
• A-Trak (Montreal QC)
• Amanda Blank (Philly, Pennsylvania)
• Beach House (Baltimore MD)
• Ben Kweller (Austin, TX)
• Black Lips (Atlanta, GA)
• Blaqstarr (Bmore)
• Crystal Stilts (Brooklyn NY)
• Dark Captain Light Captain (London, UK)
• Dead Confederate (Athens, GA)
• Dead Prez (New York, NY)
• Hacienda (San Antonio, Texas)
• Handsome Furs (Montreal QC)
• Harlem (Austin, TX)
• Human Highway (Ontario)
• Jason Isbell (Muscle Shoals, Alabama)
• Matthew Dear (Detroit, MI)
• Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (BROOKLYN, Oregon)
• N.A.S.A. (Los Angeles, CA)
• Pete and the Pirates (Reading UK)
• Pivot (Sydney, Australia)
• Primal Scream (Glasgow, Scotland)
• Royal Bangs (KNOXVILLE, Tennessee)
• Sage Francis (Providence RI)
• Simian Mobile Disco (London UK)
• St. Vincent (Dallas TX)
• The Thermals (Portland, OR)
• Thee Oh See's (SAN FRANCISCO, California)
• Tia Carrera (AUSTIN, Texas)
• Wavves (California)
• Women (Alberta)
• Z-Trip (Los Angeles, CA)

There's a big list of both official and unofficial SXSW bands being maintained at Do512. That page also offers an easy way to track the bands you want to see, and when all of the day party/showcase information becomes available it will automatically build a custom schedule based on your picks.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the bands, just click their name on the SXSW widget (below) for audio/visual action.



Rumor also has it that there might be a second coming of Psych Fest, (this was the first,) happening the week before SXSW. It might be a 3-day affair, and it might include names like The Black Angels, Brightblack Morning Light, The Warlocks, Wooden Shjips, Dead Meadow and The Strange Boys, just to name a few. I might be really excited.

• Roky Erickson & The Black Angels - Civilization (Unmastered Mix)