Austin Official Visitors Guide 2008-2009 - (Page 13) LocaL Beats RoCk/INDIE/PoP Area bands have entertained at the Continental Club since 1957. Photography: ©Andrea Golod/Weaver Multimedia With groundwork laid by such homegrown stars as Janis Joplin and Willie Nelson, talented musicians continue to flock to and thrive in Austin. LATIN Blending funk, mambo, merengue and cumbia, Grupo Fantasma is a South by Southwest festival favorite. The 11-piece band’s European tour included a London performance with Prince, but they still make time to grace local stages. Longtime Latin rocker Alejandro Escovedo maintains a large underground following and continues to sell out shows nationwide. Soulful duo Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox combine traditional Latin sounds with rock and R&B. Other popular local Latin bands include Hadyn Vitera, Maneja Beto and Cienfuegos. Hands down, Spoon is one of the biggest bands to emerge from the local indie scene. The quartet amassed many of its diehard fans during several appearances at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which has proved to be an opportune launching pad for many local indie rock bands, including Ghostland Observatory and Okkervil River. Other Austin bands generating buzz include Golden Bear and their “galactic space rock,” the stageshredding trio White Denim, who recently toured with The Raconteurs; and über fun synth-rockers, The Black and White Years.
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