Andre Thierry is a phenomenal talent who has been capturing the attention of musicians and music lovers from an early age. Born in Richmond, California into a family deeply rooted in Louisiana French-Creole history, Thierry is among the best of both the West Coast and the Gulf Coast musicians playing Zydeco music today. Andre is a virtuoso on all the accordion types, single row, double row, triple row and piano key. He effortlessly plays each instrument to deliver everything from a traditional Creole waltz to a hard driving blues that is his own sound.

8 Kilómetros is defined from a phrase "Make it Possible."

Their show is an extension of this desire (“Make it Possible”). They leave on stage all the power of pop punk in Spanish, and communicate beyond language with a show full of energy and adrenaline.

The theme of their songs turns around common themes like love, heartbreak, friendship and hope, in a 40 minute show with a basic rock band (two guitars, a bass and drums).

Fueled by a summer spent living in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, far removed from the insular peninsula of Halifax, KESTRELS' guitarist/vocalist Chad Peck wrote a record that thoroughly mines out concepts of nostalgia and memory.

“How many of ya’ll are familiar with the League of Extraordinary G’z?” was the question posed by Bavu Blakes, indie rap veteran and reigning godfather of the Austin Texas Hip Hop scene, as he stood on a dimly lit stage in the summer of 2009 introducing a highly anticipated debut live performance. The crowd of locals exploded. They were familiar.

Jesse Boykins III is a singer / songwriter with a timeless sound. He is the creator of a new approach to music he calls “World Soul” in which he shares a point of view that crosses all genres, generations and cultures.

In the cold and dreary winter of 2009, alone in his bedroom and hidden from the darkness of the world outside Justin Paul Vallesteros had begun working on something that would change his life forever. What began as a couple notes played in experimentation soon transformed into vibrant melodies that soon shook Vallesteros' musical foundation to the core. Guitar chords laced over pulse sating synth melodies and drum rhythms was a departure from Justin's previous work; he began to create the dreamy nostalgic pop music that is Craft Spells.

Soft Metals is a multi-disciplinary electronic duo from Portland, Oregon now residing in Los Angeles, California. Its members Ian Hicks and Patricia Hall were brought together through a common love of 1970s and 80s synthesizer music and began writing and recording songs together in the spring of 2009. Inspiration came to them by way of experimental electronic sounds, film soundtracks, early industrial music, minimal synth, house, techno, synth pop, krautrock, psychedelic rock, and shoegaze.

Expect no gimmicks from San Francisco-bred emcee, DaVinci. Though his upbringing in the historic Fillmore District is a far cry from its jazz heyday, he represents a new generation of post-Reaganomic crack-era rap, whose often-unwitting participants had to hustle to survive past their adolescence. “My music has everything to do with my environment: from robbing, killing, pimpin’ to selling and abusing drugs...to family, gentrification, and shit, just havin’ fun,” he explains about his heavy content.

Soft Metals is a multi-disciplinary electronic duo from Portland, Oregon now residing in Los Angeles, California. Its members Ian Hicks and Patricia Hall were brought together through a common love of 1970s and 80s synthesizer music and began writing and recording songs together in the spring of 2009. Inspiration came to them by way of experimental electronic sounds, film soundtracks, early industrial music, minimal synth, house, techno, synth pop, krautrock, psychedelic rock, and shoegaze.

Footage from Grulkefest, a public memorial, benefit concert and celebration of the late SXSW Creative Director Brent Grulke. To learn more or to make a donation to the Graham Grulke Education Fund, visit http://www.sxsw.com/brent-grulke