Operation Every Band is currently ahead of schedule, so the completion date looks to be March 1st, which should allow some extra time for some extra SXSW goodies, and let us concentrating on hooking up our donators with the OEB SXSW 2013 Gift Box (with our personal schedule grids).

It’ll be an extremely heavy schedule on the site until then, so stay tuned for an avalanche of new artist recommendations. With over half the expected 2000 bands reviewed, there have been some more trends that have worked their way to the forefront.  One of which this year is that I expect to see more artists trying to meld organic and electronic instrumentation into a single, coherent sound. From Flunk to Connor Youngblood to Indians, there’s something new at work here that should open up all sorts of musical opportunities.

In fact, it has gotten to a point that new pop music is expected to be complex and even challenging, best displayed by acts like Gotye and fun. breaking out last year.  Rarely are the great artists of 2013 throwing back to the past, rather they are trying to build their own niche to exist in the future.

The Austin team have released the third batch of showcases for SXSW Music this year, taking the total of announced bands up to 1300, from an expected count of around 2100-2200. I expect there are a lot of bands planning travel and accommodation right now (and some frantic calls to US Embassies around the world to sort out a suitable visa).

You can look through the new bands at the SXSW website, or the full list of names is here.

A quick scan through the new names and I can spot some of my personal favourites, including Camera Obscura and Frightened Rabbit from my Scottish stomping grounds. Can you see any of your favourites?

This week has been a short reprieve on the listening front over at Operation Every Band as the team just finished off with the bands from the second batch of announced showcases. I’m hoping SXSW Music will launch the third and largest band list in the near future, but until then I’m taking a chance to listen back and reflect on some trends in the rock, folk and pop categories.

The folk-rock genre continues to be one of the strongest and most well-represented groupings at SXSW, with many acts taking on the quiet and rambunctious corners of the field.  In terms of pop music, artists have generally gotten more dark and experimental with their sound. Even Charlotte Church, an artist who once lived in the widest range of appeal, is now exploring introverted, grey ballads. The futuristic take on R&B that Frank Ocean has so well captured is also an important tenet of 2013, infiltrating the sound of so many young, experimental artists. The last observation is the growing number of bands fronted by female artists, best represented by recent BBC darlings Haim.

These early trends are normally not only an indication of what we’ll be hearing at SXSW, but also the music community in 2013 in general.  I’ll be sure to keep a close ear as the project continues – we still don’t at least half the artists who will be showcasing down in Austin.

You might recall we looked at SXSW acts who made the long list of the BBC’s Sounds of 2013 contest previously on The Baby. Well the winners have been named, and the award has went to Haim, a three-piece rock band from California.

While they’re not listed as playing SXSW this year, they did stride out on an Austin stage at SXSW Music 2012… and it’s not unknown for bands to make annual appearances. We’ll keep watching the SXSW lists, and in the meantime remind you of Haim’s 2012 showcase.

Dave Grohl will keynote SXSW Music. Yaay! It’s not the first time Grohl has been at SXSW, in fact 2011 saw the frontman of the Foo Fighters in Austin, and playing at Stubbs. The Foos are on hiatus at the moment, and the rumours are that Grohl is returning to the briefly held drummers stool of Queens of the Stone Age.

If that’s the case… can we get tickets to the secret QOTSA gig on Friday 15th March? Please?

The Lana Del Ray Show, starring Elizabeth Grant, won’t be turning up at SXSW. Or touring America in the Spring (but it was always planned for October, honestly). Following an album release which charted strongly, top billing on network television via SNL, and a huge amount of press, you’d think that a new and upcoming singer would be hard at work on tour and building her profile.

My money is on the PR and management teams working to create an artistic vacuum.

But no matter, it just frees up more time for SXSW Music fans to find artists like Gemma Ray. Yaay!