Deleted Scenes is all over SXSW.

Every March, dozens of D.C. artists join thousands of musicians from around the world at Austin, Texas’ massive South by Southwest Festival—a place where hopes are live-tweeted and dreams are expensively publicized. Is this the year the D.C. delegation makes its mark? There will be plenty of individual artists and bands making the Austin trek, but here are some of the larger D.C. happenings—official and unofficial—at South by Southwest, including label showcases, a venue on wheels, and a brand new Bluebrain commission.

DC Does TX, Lovejoy’s, March 14
Since 2008, this annual unofficial showcase has presented a day-long, well-curated lineup highlighting the District’s more polished indie rockers. This year, things are a bit scuzzier: The organizers—bloggers Valerie Paschall, Dan Corbin, and Steve Rogovin—teamed up with independent booker Sasha Lord, who specializes in hip-as-fuck garage rock.

The Lineup: Hume, Deleted Scenes, Soccer Team, Edie Sedgwick, and Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds, with more TBA. DJ Baby Alcatraz will DJ.

Texas Chili Pepper Scoville Index: 500,000

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Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie, Casa Chapala, March 14-17
Hyper-enthusiastic musician and blogger Dave Mann started a hyper-inclusive local rock festival last year. Now he’s expanding to Austin and, characteristically, is going large. His unofficial Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie showcase spans four days and two stages, with a quarter devoted to D.C. artists.

The Lineup: Some familiar local indie-rock names, like Deleted Scenes and Pree, and plenty of kinda-obscure ones. Headlining the noisy fourth night is Texas nu-gazers Ringo Deathstarr.

TCPSI: 400,000

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Slip Productions and Lovitt Records Showcase, Club 1808, March 15

The longtime Arlington label teams with an Austin promoter for a bill of aggressive and brainy bands.

The Lineup: Sleepytime Trio, Redgrave, Regents, Edie Sedwick, Soccer Team, Beast of No Nation and More

TCPSI: 400,000

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Listen Local First Mobile Music Venue

The local music boosters are taking on South by Southwest hobo style. I wrote about this yesterday.

TCPSI: 450,000

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The Violet Crown, South by Southwest Festival area
South by Southwest commissioned local experimental-pop duo Bluebrain to compose another free, location-aware musical app. The Violet Crown doesn’t cover as big a geographic area as Bluebrain’s earlier National Mall and Central Park apps, which is actually a plus: This app is small enough to download on a 3G network. The duo is also performing with Frank Warren, the artist behind the project “Post Secret,” on March 11 at the Austin Convention Center.

TCPSI: 450,000

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Fuck SXSW, Montserrat House, Washington, D.C., April 6-7
Travis “Beeronimo” Jackson runs local garage-punk label Windian Records, but instead of flying his roster out to Austin each year—where the booze is abundant but the career benefits are dubious—he schedules some anti-programming in D.C. For musical quantity, you can’t beat South by Southwest, but the always rowdy Windian might have it beat on volume.

The Lineup: ’70s punks The Penetrators, plus The Bizarros, Paint Fumes, Thee Lolitas, Foul Swoops, Spider Fever, The Shirks, and more.

TCPSI: 16,000,000

But first, some background: This past November, WAMA board member and musician Diana Quinn asked me to suggest some nominees. Each year, WAMA members select most of the nominees, but the organization also contacts "experts" for additional assistance.  I sent her an extensive list of local performers and recordings in the areas of rap, pop, rock, EDM, world music, blues, soul, jazz, roots rock, and metal, and included links from a variety of publications covering those artists and recordings. On the jazz front, I urged her to contact Washington City Paper critic Michael J. West and DJ, writer, and recording engineer Larry Appelbaum.

Quinn said she'd bring my suggestions to WAMA's board. She said WAMA compiles the votes of its dues-paying members, and if there are not enough nominees in some categories, they consider the suggestions of the experts, which have to be seconded by someone in WAMA to make it on the ballot. As for the number of experts contacted this year, WAMA president Mike Schreibman says "anywhere from 2 to 10 depending on the category."

Obviously, I'm pleased to see some of my suggestions made it. For the first time, rapper Fat Trel, experimental-pop act Bluebrain, Mariachi Los Amigos, and eclectic indie label Sockets Records were nominated. Oddisee, Zenizia Allstar, Orquesta La Leyenda, The Caribbean, Deleted Scenes, Kid Congo Powers, and Edie Sedgwick also are included. The Wammies will be that much more diverse this year. The addition of these artists helps make the rapper, electronica artist, record company, Latin duo/group, and pop/rock duo/group categories more reflective of what D.C. had to offer in 2011.

Now for the bad news. The go-go categories almost entirely ignored younger musicians, such as popular and critically lauded bounce beat groups like TCB, XIB, Reaction Band, TOB, and ABM. (I suggested go-go talker Killa Cal, but he didn't make the list.)

The omissions continue. Maryland-based Haitian band Rafrechi may have played Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage recently, but they weren't nominated. Maryland soul singer Jim Bennett won a southernsoulrnb.com award, but he didn't make the cut, either. There is no heavy metal category. Sockets Records got a nomination, but indie-rock acts associated with that label, like Hume and Laughing Man, were not (nor was the Sockets hip-hop band The Cornel West Theory). Few of Michael J.  West’s favorite local jazz musicians are included—where are Brian Settles, Nasar Abadey, and Brad Linde? Volta Bureau , Protect-U, and Outputmessage released acclaimed EDM recordings, but they're not applauded here. I've made the case for many of these musicians in earlier articles on the Wammies, but WAMA doesn't seem interested.

Real talk: In the end, my complaint isn't that individual artists I like are ignored by the Wammies (although plenty are), but that the Wammies need to reach out to a truly wide variety of experts, and do a better job demonstrating they care about all styles of music. It was nice that Quinn reached out to me and included some of my suggestions this year, but it's still disappointing how much impactful local music—much of which is heralded by local media—is ignored each year. While time and time again, WAMA insists it does its homework and that it's the responsibility of skeptics to become paying members of WAMA if they feel a sound needs more attention, the hit-and-miss nature of this year's ballot shows that WAMA's approach is not working. After a quarter century, WAMA has not convinced many local musicians that it is worth it to join the organization.

To get a sense of WAMA's biases, look at the general music awards at the bottom of the ballot. WAMA’s “musician of the year” nominees include roots rockers, folkies, and a klezmer musician, but no modern jazz, reggae, R&B, go-go, metal, or indie-rock players. It should probably go without saying, then, that the category is disappointingly homogeneous—it includes 10 white men and one white woman. Since the Wammies include a wide range of genre categories honoring musicians from all walks of life, you'd think the "musician of the year" prize wouldn't seem limited to such a narrow few.

But that is WAMA. Dues-paying members  have until Feb. 5 to vote for their choices.

*correction-This blogpost originally said there were no metal bands nominated.  While there is no metal category, Periphery was nominated for best modern rock group, and Pentagram for best modern rock recording.

Wild Flag. We'll take 'em.

The results of The Village Voice's annual Pazz + Jop poll—aka the annual compendium of critical opinion that, given that it drops a month after every other top 10 list, only music scribes truly care about—are out. But how did D.C. do?

First, the albums list: Wild Flag, the so-punk-rock/kinda-classicist supergroup featuring two-thirds of Sleater-Kinney and D.C.'s own Mary Timony, has the No. 4 album on the list, with 91 votes. A D.C.-area artist doesn't appear again until No. 153 (Meshell Ndegeocello, Weather). After that, I see D.C. at No. 251 (The Caribbean, Discontinued Perfume), No 336 (Wugazi, 13 Chambers), No. 461 (Pentagram, Last Rites), No. 542 (Office of Future Plans, Office of Future Plans), No. 651 (Martyn, Ghost People), No. 802 (Title Tracks, In Blank, one spot above Limp Bizkit), No. 902 (Blow Your Head Vol. 2: Dave Nada Pres. Moombahton), No. 902 (Bluebrain, The National Mall), No. 902 (Muhsinah, Gone EP), No. 902 (Chain and the Gang, Music's Not for Everyone), No. 902 (recent expats Tennis System's Teenagers), No. 902 (Joe Lally, Why Should I Get Used to It), No. 1583 (Void, Sessions 1981-1983), No. 1583 (Brian Settles/Central Union, Secret Handshake), No. 1734 (Carol Bui, Red Ship) No. 1734 (Wale, Ambition), and No. 1734 (Spoonboy, The Papas). Also, out-of-town stuff from local labels Cuneiform, Lovitt, Paw Tracks, and Carpark.

The singles list: No. 16 (Wild Flag, "Romance"), No. 78 (Wild Flag, "Black Tambourine"), No. 226 (Wild Flag, "Future Crimes"), No. 343 (Wild Flag, "Endless Talk"), No. 604 (Wild Flag, "Boom"), No. 604 (Wild Flag, "Electric Band"), No. 604 (Wild Flag, "Short Version"), and No. 604 (Wild Flag, "Something Came Over Me.") You almost feel bad for the two Wild Flag songs that didn't make the list. As for non-Wild Flag singles: Benoit & Sergio's "Everybody," "Principles," and "Walk and Talk" tied for No. 343 along with several hundred other songs (they had two votes each).

A bunch of local (and localish) singles got one vote apiece (which is to say they tied for 604th place): Win Win ft. Lizzie Bougatsos' "ReleaseRPM — Nadastrom Moombhaton Mix," Outputmessage's "Game Over," The Evens' "Two Songs" (sic?) and "Warble Factor," Deleted Scenes' "Bedbedbedbedbed" and "A Litany for Mrs. T," Benoit & Sergio's "Boy Trouble," expat Craig Wedren's "Are We," Wale's "Bait" and "Lotus Flower Bomb," Chain and the Gang's "Detroit Music," Title Tracks' "Clench Your First (A Little Closer to Me)" and "Winners Cry," " The Caribbean's "Discontinued Perfume," Meshell Ndegeocello's "Oysters," Carol Bui's "Mira: You're Free With Me," Martyn's "Masks," Slava's "Dreaming Tiger," Wugazi's "P.L.O. Squared," Ital's "Culture Clubs" and "Only for Tonight," and Fat Trel's "Respect with the Tech."

My eyes hurt. Let me know if I missed something.

So, some quick observations about D.C. and the overall list: 1) National music critics are rockist as shit (you knew this). 2) National rock critics really love Wild Flag (you knew this, too). 3) Related: National rock critics favor familiar names. 4) Mary Timony really is the biggest rock star in D.C. 5) You can fairly consider D.C.'s hip-hop and EDM scenes to be on the up-and-up, but with critics (which is not necessarily to say bloggers, and is certainly not to say civilians) they still haven't really penetrated. 6) What folks dance to is not necessarily what critics listen to (but you knew that!). 7) Bluebrain's The National Mall is surely the first smartphone to land on Pazz + Jop (I've emailed the Voice to check, and will update when I hear). 8) Benoit & Sergio have fans, if not a standout single that everyone agrees on. 9) Only one (one!) record critic with a Pazz + Jop ballot put Wale in the top 10.

A bunch of D.C. critics—or critics who write for D.C. publications—voted, and you can see their ballots. Here's mine. Also scope out ballots from Washington City Paper names Leor Galil, Nick Green, Steve Kiviat, Michael J. West, Joe Colly, Andrew Noz, Brent Burton, Lindsay Zoladz, and Logan K. Young (who listed Lulu; for shame!). Other local critics: Jason Cherkis, Zach Kelly, Mark Jenkins, Dan Kois, Catherine Lewis, David Malitz, Marc Masters, Chris Richards, Allison Stewart, Stephen Thompson, and Sarah Ventre.

Weird year, 2011. D.C.'s most visible band released an app, not an album. Its great rap hope released an album that was disappointing in critics' eyes, but which cemented him as a mainstream presence. Dischord returned to relevance with a handful of new albums and handsome archival releases; new labels formed; and Sockets remained the indie-rock scene's most reliable clearing house. Moombahton got bigger, both locally and all over the globe. DIY spaces came and went. And for some reason my bosses decided to send me on a garage-rock cruise.

And the music: Well, it was pretty good. I had a lot of trouble picking just 10 songs—and I was pleased I didn't overlap with Ryan Little's and Marcus J. Moore's picks too much. (Ramon Ramirez's and Michael J. West's lists will be on Arts Desk tomorrow.)

My selections are below. I also dug songs, albums, and mixtapes by X.O., Wild Flag, Title Tracks, Protect-U, More Humans, Meredith Bragg, Macaw, Hume, L&T&W, Kid Congo Powers, Joe Lally, RA the MC, Gods'Illa, Lenorable, Screen Vinyl Image, SPRCSS, The Plums, Mittenfields, Oddisee, America Hearts, Blue Sausage Infant, The Cassettes, Black Telephone, Black Cobain, Fat Trel, Volta Bureau, Edie Sedgwick, Authorization, The Cheniers, Tereu Tereu, Fell Swoops, Fell Types, Office of Future Plans, yU, Pro'Verb, Bluebrain, Chain & the Gang, Regents, Carol Bui, Pygmy Lush, Pree, Laughing Man, Outputmessage, and Noon:30. There are probably some I'm forgetting.

Not bad, D.C.

The Caribbean, "Discontinued Perfume" (Discontinued Perfume)

This was the most romantic song I heard all year, not too mention the most paranoid and tragic. The title track from The Caribbean's excellent 2011 album was inspired by two real-life artists with ties to D.C.'s punk scene—Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake—who committed suicide within a week of each other. Every Caribbean song matches frontman Michael Kentoff's short-story sensibility and deadpan delivery with the band's creepy, otherworldly, but unmistakably pop instrumentals. But nothing they've done slays me like the moment in "Discontinued Perfume" when Kentoff sings, "I was unhappy for 17 years/when I met you at that Christmas bash/out on Sherman Avenue/Remember?" And then a ghostly female voice coos, "I do, I do."

Wugazi, "Sleep Rules Everything Around Me" (13 Chambers)

It didn't take long for this project from Minneapolis' Doomtree collective to cause the Internet to lose its shit. In the end, the overall product wasn't amazing, but this first song out of the gate—matching Wu-Tang's "C.R.E.A.M." with Fugazi's out-of-character "I'm So Tired"—justified the initial hype. Maybe it's because Fugazi's simple, piano-driven melody isn't so many degrees removed from a left-field head-nodder circa 1993.

Phonic Riot, "Run Nikki Run" (demo)

I think this band is defunct now? If so, that's really too bad: Between Phonic Riot and Lenorable and Screen Vinyl Image and lots of music released by Fan Death, there seemed to be a lot of gothy art abuse going on in D.C. indie rock this year. This explosive first song on the band's demo cassette swims in early-'80s Sonic Youth space, veering in the direction of Swans; Angela Morrish's vocals are strained and spectral but massive. If I'd had the courage the one time I saw the group play this song—there were like 12 people there—I would've head-banged.

Benoit & Sergio, "Walk and Talk" (Where the Freaks Have No Name)

This D.C./Berlin duo got lots of attention when it released an EP through much-vaunted label DFA, but I prefered Benoit & Sergio's earlier EP from 2011, on Visionquest. Where the Freaks Have No Name's best song was "Walk and Talk," a clackety slow-burner that sort of did to the pop side of house music what late-night mopers like Frank Ocean and The Weeknd did to R&B this year: That is, it got druggy, disaffected, and sad. Take the only lyrics, repeated again and again in deadpan: "My baby does K all day/She doesn’t wash her hair, doesn’t wash her clothes/She just sits on the couch watching television shows." Damn.

Deleted Scenes, "The Days of Adderall" (Young People's Church of the Air)

I wish Deleted Scenes' sophomore album was as consistently good as its best moments—and frankly, that's because the group has given us lots of reasons to expect great things—but I'll say this: No D.C. band has defined its voice so clearly. The second song on Young People's Church of the Air, "The Days of Adderall," works pretty well as a mission statement: It's got 1) those lovely echo-box vocals; 2) impressionistic ruminations on the uncertainty of young adulthood and/or light drug abuse and/or treating yourself like shit; 3) tons of sonic doodads; 4) a melody you can move to; and 5) a lulling, gauzy cast. For a band that sings frequently about getting comfortable with discomfort, that feels perfect.

Tabi Bonney, "Sudan Groove" (Postcard From Abroad)

I love that Tabi finally embraced mixtapes. Fine, so his Postcard From Abroad, released in January, was total hipster bait. And the beats he cribbed from Aeroplane, The Knife, Phoenix, and Cults were cool, but nothing moved like "Sudan Groove," which borrowed music from the Sudanese rapper and pop star Emmanuel Jal.

Beautiful Swimmers ft. John Davis, "Open Shadow" ("Open Shadow" single)

This collaboration between the woozy disco-production duo and the Title Tracks singer was straight-up yacht rock, but it wasn't too much of a stretch for either party. The real joy is how it takes the whole Loggins & Messina idiom and makes it both hazier and more acute. Theirs is a deliberate glaze.

Cigarette, "100 Tears" (the weather is here wish you were beautiful/total nag)

The prettiest song from D.C.'s quietest band. It turns out slowcore still has things to say. Who knew?

Birdlips, "One in Seven" (One Tongue)

This duo formed in Charlottesville, Va., logged time in D.C., and these days is more or less nomadic. Their "Drift" series has yielded a host of strong LPs written and recorded in short periods in far-flung locals, and for my money, One Tongue is the best. It was recorded in Destin, Fla., and does have something of a tropical cast. It's also gloomy and menacing, like there's a murderous breeze blowing through its idyllic setting.

Wale, "Bait"

Wale concocts—finally!—the perfect hip-hop/go-go blend. ("Dig Dug" and "Pretty Girls" came pretty close.) Too bad it didn't make the album.

Hume, "Inverse Fireworks" ("Inverse Fireworks" single)
The psych-inflected pop of this early 2011 track sounds miles away from the infinitely spaced-out Hume of late 2011, but its relative restraint makes the song all the more memorable.

Meredith Bragg, "Birds of North America" (Nest)
The haunting folk of Meredith Bragg doesn’t really belong alongside the more Americana-focused singer-songwriters in the area, even though that's often who he shares bills with. The ever-persevering troubadour traffics in quiet subtleties, and the slight changes in timbre and instrumentation throughout "Birds of North America" reinforce a simple, repeated melody without becoming stale.

Oddisee, "Skipping Rocks" (Rock Creek Park)
With the kind of beats hip-hop heads dream about, this mostly instrumental record is like hearing the ‘90s in soft focus. Oddisee seamlessly blends live instruments with choice, ‘70s-style samples, and the result is a soundtrack to your favorite summer memory.

More Humans, "Mason-Dixon" (Demon Station)
The harmony-laden post-punk of More Humans’ Demon Station was one of the year’s more pleasant surprises. This track somehow feels both breezy and urgent, showcasing both craft and accessibility.

Mason-Dixon by More Humans from NIGHTTIDE on Vimeo.

The Caribbean, "Mr. Let’s Find Out" (Discontinued Perfume)
One of the densest, strangest pop releases of the year (can you really call it pop?), The Carribbean’s Discontinued Perfume continues to occupy a strange, dark corner of my record collection. The hooks in "Mr. Let’s Find Out" aren’t especially obvious, but its texture-driven, stream-of-consciousness melody quietly refuses to leave.

yU, "If U Down" (the EARN)
I may be a bit late to the Diamond District’s party, but this yU record has me stoked about whatever those three put out next. Smart, effortless delivery, conscious lyrics that aren't pedantic, and warm, understated beats.

Deleted Scenes, "Bedbedbedbedbed" (Young People’s Church of Air)
This song is inescapable. While the live version packs more punch, the recent single off the effects-drenched Young People’s Church of Air softly plants itself in your skull for the rest of eternity.

Deleted Scenes "Bedbedbedbedbed" from Stephanie Wuertz on Vimeo.

Poor But Sexy,  "Fool Runnin’" (Let’s Move In Together)
Despite featuring familiar guitar work by ex-Dismemberment Plan guitarist Jason Caddell, Poor But Sexy doesn’t quite fit into any particular D.C. scene...which is fine by me. Their funkiness recalls the golden days of yacht rock, and while their frank, straightforward relationship lyrics are somehow startling, they’re also weirdly bold and endearing. Oh, and the sample that kicks off this tune is totally Plan-worthy.

SPRCSS, "Ours is Expanding Light" (05/2010)
The primal urgency of SPRCSS, replete with constant 16th notes, creates a constant forward motion. On “Ours Is Expanding Light,” an extended, slow build leads to a cathartic release that somehow feels longer than its mere four and a half minutes. In a good way.

Joe Lally, "What Makes You" (Why Should I Get Used To It)
Three records deep into his post-Fugazi career, Joe Lally displays fresh confidence with “What Makes You.” It’s a mid-tempo rocker with an expectedly groovy bassline, and Lally’s understated vocal delivery adds heft to the song's sultry attack.

The comp includes holiday tunes from Her Majesty's Orchestra, We Were Pirates, Middle Distance Runner, Birdlips, Deleted Scenes, Vegas With Randolph, Wytold, and The Dance Cards—so, mostly, we're talking chipper indie pop and eccentric folk. Lots of good candidates for The Sleigher, no doubt! (Except for the Deleted Scenes song that's included, "Get Your Shit Together for the Holidays." The Sleigher sleighed that one in 2009. Also, we wrote about Her Majesty's Orchestra's Christmas efforts in 2006. We are all over the Christmas jams.) Listen Local First co-founder Christopher Naoum says there are no plans to sell the comp, but that the group might make a free download available. For now, here's a stream.

Also streaming in local businesses today as part of Local Music Day: non-Christmas music from spooky folksters Birdlips, gravel-voiced folkie Taylor Carson, Christmas-sweater champs (and indie-poppers) Ugly Purple Sweater, soul revivalist Bosley, Afrobeat revivalists The Funk Ark, and bluegrass outfit The Second String Band. (BUT WAIT! Bosley's from Baltimore! And he describes himself as a "cosmic soul cowboy." Did neither of those facts raise a red flag?)

So that's today. Next Thursday, Listen Local First is hosting a holiday jangle, where some artists (who are TBA) will perform (presumably yuletide material). Relevant deets are here.

See-I

Just a reminder: Step into your local coffee shop/pub/diner/yogurt shop/furniture store/cupcake joint/ramen shack today, and you just might hear some local tunes. It's Local Music Day, which means a bunch of businesses are playing whole albums by eight D.C. acts. Those would be: singer/songwriter René Moffatt, reggae duo See-I (reviewed in WCP!), rockers Modern Man, U.S. Royalty (reviewed in WCP!), and Deleted Scenes (reviewed in WCP!), indie-pop singer Olivia Mancini, and jazz artists Brian Settles and Andrea Wood.

The full list of participating shops is here.

Listen Local First, the group behind the event, is hoping to become a resource hub for local musicians—as well as a source of some revenue for them. The stores participating in Local Music Day kicked in some cash, which will be divvied up among artists. One eventual goal, says Listen Local First organizer Chris Naoum, is to make a permanent local music stream for businesses to play. The group has a launch event tonight at The Dunes in Columbia Heights, and some of the aforementioned artists will be playing (including "members of Deleted Scenes"—cool). 8 to 11 p.m. $10 donation.

Fire Up the Maybach: Tickets for Wale's "Ambition" tour went on sale yesterday (pre-sale yesterday, Live Nation shakedown today), and TBD's Sarah Godfrey has a slew of tour details. Rick Ross and Wiz Khalifa are slated to do a few dates as guests; Alexandria's Black Cobain is going on the entire three-month tour, which starts next week in South Carolina and ends Dec. 8 in Atlanta. (There's a bunch of hometown shows in there, too.)

Pro Tip: Revenge is a dish best served cold. Minute Rice? Not so much, Deleted Scenes discovered while on tour.

Today on Arts Desk: Lots more interviews ahead of the Small Press Expo! The definitive tiny guide to DC Shorts expands!

Supergroup Is Super: On Click Track, Chris Richards posts his review of Wild Flag's self-titled debut LP, calling it "covered in all the sweat and grit and uncertainty that makes great rock-and-roll great."

Reblogblogblogblogblog: Deleted Scenes is on tour with their new album Young People's Church of the Air, and they're tumbling about it.

Yesterday on Arts Desk: That Wild Flag video is kind of funny. Black Indian's mixtape is "grown-up but not totally old-ass." How to avoid Deadmau5 on Saturday.