Five SXSW Best Bets: Sleigh Bells, Best Coast + Three More Acts to Watch

Avi Buffalo Sounds like: Endearing, unpretentious musings of an incredibly self-aware eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter, backed by quirky acoustic guitar, keys, shakers and handclaps. Listen to: "Summer Cum" and "What's In It For?" Odds of Breaking: 97% Why they'll break: Sub Pop is slowly redeeming itself this year. First there was the release of Happy Birthday's self-titled release and now there's Avi Buffalo's self-titled album (out April 27) over which to salivate. With a beautiful Daytrotter session behind them and a jam-packed SXSW schedule -- highlights include playing the Sub Pop/ Hardly Art Showcase and Mess with Texas 4 -- there is nothing these four high school wunderkids can't do. You'll be hearing much more about front man Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg's prodigious songwriting later this year, when Sub Pop delivers the goods in April and Avi Buffalo graces the Sasquatch! Festival.

jj Sounds like: Dark Swedish electro-pop washed with casually delivered vocals reminiscent of the xx Listen To: The Lil' Wayne cover of "Ecstacy" Odds of Breaking: 94% Why they'll break: jj is all the rage and poised to be this year's Swedish breakout. The band's rise to fame has been meteoric -- and short: The duo released its first single on Swedish based Sincerely Yours in early 2009, and earlier this year announced the release of its latest, jj Nº 3, on Secretly Canadian. These native Swedes have much in common with Sincerely Yours labelmates Air France and Memory Tapes, but coolly enhance the combination of twinkling electro-pop and hazy vocals, making its music is dreamily affecting. jj's elusive tendencies have left their Stateside audience eager for more, so their upcoming, first SXSW will simultaneously mark their highest-profile American appearances -- and a debutante-like coming out.