SXSW Guide: Hanson’s Favorite Acts

Most artists have a better chance of winning the lottery than selling out stadium-sized shows, a feat Hanson accomplished as young teens thanks to their single “MMMBop.” Despite the success, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac broke with their major label over creative differences and started their own (3CG Records) instead of signing with another. This makes Hanson a rare phenomenon — a boy band turned indie act, which puts them right at home at SXSW. Last month, Hanson released a video for “Give A Little” to support their most recent album, Shout It Out.

After the jump, Taylor Hanson’s SXSW picks.

Cee Lo Green
“A phenomenal artist with pipes and stage presence to spare, very excited to catch Mr Green live.”

Brett Dennen
“Brett is an awesome talent with a totally unique sound.”

The Jim Jones Revue
“This raucous outfit has made one of the most exciting albums I’ve heard this year. If the live show has a fraction of the energy of the record, it’s going to melt faces and I hope to be there to watch the melting.

From David Garza to Dan Wilson to John Popper, a ton of friends are at SXSW this year. One of the things I am excited to do is catch the many amazing artists that we have shared stages, songwriting and other collaborations with.

There are a whopping 2,000 or so acts performing at South By Southwest in Austin this year. A few are household names (Duran Duran, Erykah Badu, The Strokes), some are respected indie veterans (Low, Hieroglyphics) and others feel like they’re about to be the next big thing. We’ve asked a diverse group of 2011 SXSW artists to name acts in the lineup they’d love to see. We’re hoping this ongoing series will serve as not just a guide to the fest, but also an interesting snapshot of today’s music scene.