SXSW Night 2: Band of Horses, Very Best and lotsa duos

Total number of duos I saw in one day: 6. In order, they were Bight Club, Lookbook (both at the MN Music party), Japandroids, No Age (Death & Taxes party), Peter Wolf Crier and the Birthday Suits (official showcases). A very weird coincidence. Or is it?

Best proof this band's buzz is for real: Minneapolitan duo Peter Wolf Crier, newly signed to the Jagjaguwar label, had a primo early evening slot inside the Emo's main room, which was only half-full but still quite a large crowd. Each time I see these guys they manage to somehow improve on their crafty, vocal-looped but natural rustic indie-folk sound from the time before, and this was best of all.

Worst proof this band's buzz is for real: London-based African electronic group the Very Best (in photo above) had a terrible slot to end the night at the Beauty Bar Backyard (an overpacked parking lot tent), and they never really seemed to finish soundchecking and setting up their equipment -- although, they did find time to bring out inflatable palm trees (?!). The assorted moments when they did get rocking, though, the two-vocalist, one-beatmaker, one-dancer lineup was quite innovative and intoxicating.

Best pre-buzz discovery: I saw a couple bands the bloggers haven't discovered yet, starting with Leslie & the Badgers, to whom New West Records VP and former Minneapolitan Peter Jesperson tipped me off. They're a young Los Angeles trad-country band with a Dolly Parton-ish singer (Leslie Stevens) but a butt-kicking, vageuly punky drive -- really a bunch of top-notch players, including a female violinist who sings harmonies. I also caught a New Orleans band called Generationals who had a charming Velvets-style haze-pop, complete with a cool female drummer/backup-vocalist.

Best cover song: "Sugarcube," a Yo La Tengo song that Band of Horses played to finish off their already magical set outside Stubb's. I was hoping the South Carolina/Seattle band (that's frontman Ben Bridwell in the photo) would preview songs from their record due May 18, but then I remembered how much I love some of the songs off their first two albums -- most of which they played, including opener "Is There a Ghost," "Great Salt Lake," "No One's Gonna Love You," "General Specific" and "The Funeral." Hearing them outdoors on a starry Texas night, they never sounded better.

Biggest celebrity sighting: Woody Harrelson was exiting Shout Out Out Out's outdoor showcase at the Beauty Bar Backyard with a "Natural Born Killers" kind of face (the place was packed with a weirdly frat-boy-ish crowd). He missed a pretty thrilling mash-up of Daft Punk-ish beats with live drums and "Trans"-style robotic vocals.