Our friends at BrooklynVegan.com are throwing a pre-SXSW party on March 15 at the Knitting Factory with some of their favorite bands...all on their way to Austin for the festival: Casiokids, The Wave Pictures, Banjo or Freakout and WhoMadeWho.

Let's Wrestle have just signed to Merge, who will be putting out their great debut album, In the Court of Wrestling Let's, on March 23. Both Casiokids and The Wave Pictures come to us courtesy excellent UK label Moshi Moshi who will put out a double-pack of The Wave Pictures last two records (2009's If You Leave it Alone and 2008's Instant Coffee Baby) on April 27. Norway's Casiokids keep releasing singles, including last year's, "Fot I Hose," with no mention of an album in the works. Referred to as Norway's Hot Chip, they bring a similar exuberance to their live shows. Casiokids are actually opening for Hot Chip on their UK tour.

Banjo or Freakout is Alessio Natalizia. An Italian in London, Alessio began conjuring his noise from the depths of his bedroom to thwart the loneliness lurking in the din of a new city. He sings, plays guitar, drums and programs beats, and then drenches them all in effects to create an affecting lo-fi dreamy pop

As well as his soaring originals, Alessio covers his favourite songs and posts them on his blog (banjoorfreakout.blogspot.com). Perhaps most notably, his version of Burial’s ‘Archangel’ attracted universal critical acclaim on both sides of the Pacific, print and blog.

Brooklyn Vegan's Bill Pearis djs between sets.