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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The South by Southwest Music Festival released its first list of artists for 2014 on Wednesday, featuring acts ranging from New Orleans rapper Vockah Redu to Texas country singer Rodney Crowell and Swedish rock band INVSN.
The first batch of 183 acts from 27 countries will only be the first of many, said Elizabeth Derczo, publicist for the six-day festival and music conference. South by Southwest was created to showcase up-and-coming acts, build industry contacts and include a handful of established talent.
In 2013, more than 25,000 people saw 2,278 acts during the festival that takes over downtown Austin every spring.
INVSN is one of the important European acts, featuring Dennis Lyxzen, lead singer of punk bands Refused and International Noise Conspiracy. INVSN is currently on a U.S. tour promoting their new self-titled album.
Other international acts include Germany's Hyenaz, Belgium's Sold Out and England's Glass Animals.
Dum Dum Girls drummer Sandra Vu brings her new genre-stretching band SISU to the festival. Other American bands include Brooklyn's Deidre and the Dark, Avi Buffalo from Los Angeles and Ohio's Jessica Lea Mayfield.
The festival also features fringe and experimental acts unlikely to ever make the charts or appear on TV. Austin's punk-rock drag queen Christeene is among the artists performing in 2014, mixing a homeless woman's appearance with explicit lyrics.
The music portion of South by Southwest lasts from March 11-16. South by Southwest also includes a film festival from March 7-15 and an interactive festival from March 7-11.
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