St. Vincent, "Jesus Saves, I Spend"

The 2009 South By Southwest Music Festival is still nearly four months away (March 18-22), but the first performers are already being announced. When Rocks Off saw this list on Friday, after we had been gorged senseless the day before, we shuddered.

"Too soon!" we cried as we wrung our hands, thinking about the four-day boozin'-and-schmoozin' music marathon. We had just begun to clear the dust from our lungs after the Austin City Limits Music Festival, not to mention until recently were in the midst of quite the live-music swell, with almost every night filled with either a local act blowing us away (metaphorically) or a national touring act barreling through the bigger venues. But now it's time to look to the future.

Among your SXSW 09 early birds: Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele, St. Vincent, Beach House, Anni Rossi, Future of the Left, White Lies, Passion Pit, Sage Francis, These Arms Are Snakes, Past Lives, Human Highway, Cotton Jones and the Coathangers.

DFW native St. Vincent is an indie fave, last coming through Texas for Fun Fun Fun Fest last month. Beach House is a dreamy pop-synth act currently finishing a tour with Houston native Jana Hunter. White Lies sound like a more muscular Killers or Muse. So far, not bad. By this time next year, one of those names could be headlining House of Blues for all we know.

And of course, with every SXSW comes all the rumors of who will grace Sixth Street in March. We've heard of a reunited Jesus Lizard hitting town, plus the Faces - whose ranks include Central Texas-dwelling keyboardist Ian McLagan - may be making another go of it by summer. Also don't be surprised to see Katy Perry there, as the "Hot and Cold" reigning princess of PG-13 pop is already penciled in here for March 20 at House of Blues. - Craig Hlavaty