SXSW 2012: Temper Trap, Kaiser Chiefs, Girls & More Invade Spinner Showcase

Spinner isn't just covering shows at the South by Southwest Music Festival, we're presenting them as well, with Milo Greene, Dry the River, Girls, Kaiser Chiefs and the Temper Trap rocking SXSW Thursday night at Stubb's, one of the biggest clubs in Austin.

After impressive opening sets from Milo and Dry the River, the casually dressed Girls took the stage at 10PM. Lead singer Christopher Owens had an acoustic guitar while Chet White (the band's other official member and producer) played bass and the rest of the lineup was filled with electric guitar, drums, keyboards and a female backing singer.

There was a bit of a rootsy edge through the first three songs before Owens strapped on an electric guitar and upped the ante for the rest of the set, nowhere more so than on an extended version of the dynamic 'Honey Bunny,' which shifted moods and tempos. The large crowd was on side with Girls and the amount of dancing seemed to jump a bit when the keyboards were kicked up to a higher level.

There were brief flashes of blues, gospel and soul thrown into Girls' indie pop mix -- which drew from 2009's 'Album' and last year's more successful 'Father, Son, Holy Ghost' -- and they almost seemed to be trying to channel the Band on set closer 'Love Like a River.'

Watch Kaiser Chiefs Live at SXSW Video
If Girls are relatively pretty new to the game, that certainly isn't the case with the Kaiser Chiefs, the most seasoned group of the night has been making vibrant and often danceable alt-pop since 1996, with four albums (including last year's 'The Future is Medieval' (which has just been issued in the U.S. with the title 'Start the Revolution Without Me'). As Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing' blasted, the Leeds, England, band launched into 'Never Miss a Beat.' And they didn't.

They had more energy than Girls right from the start, and singer Ricky Wilson ratcheted it up in the crowd as well with his frequent and fruitful urging for people to sing and dance along. New song 'Listen to Your Head' had an easy to remember chorus, while it seemed everyone already knew the 2007 UK chart-topping 'Ruby.'

Wilson showed he was a master of mic stand twirling and he stood on the barrier that separated the stage from the audience through 'The Angry Mob' and 'I Predict a Riot,' which cranked the crowd enthusiasm level up yet another notch. 'I Predict a Riot' stands up as well today as it did when it was one of the best songs of 2005.

'Oh My God,' another track from 2005's 'Employment,' alternated between jaunty and anthemic and left the audience wanting more when Wilson concluded the song by declaring "Ladies and gentlemen, we are the world-famous Kaiser Chiefs" before walking off the stage to end a thoroughly enjoyable 35-minute set.

Check Out SXSW 2012 in Photos Melbourne's the Temper Trap formed in 2005 and burst into global consciousness four years later with the release of their debut album, 'Conditions,' which has gone gold in the U.K. and platinum in the group's homeland.

Indonesian-born singer Dougy Mandagi is pretty, plays both guitar and percussion, and can hit the high notes using his impressive vocal range. He claimed that he and his four bandmates were a bit rusty since they'd hardly performed over the past year, but any cobwebs seemed to be shaken out by second song (and new single) 'Need Your Love' and 'Love Lost.'

Mandagi teased the crowd by introducing the Temper Trap's final song by saying, "Here's something a little sweet to remember us by." The band then played an extended introduction for its best known song, 'Sweet Disposition' (which had its profile boosted Stateside by its use in commercials and the Zooey Deschanel film '(500) Days of Summer'). It seems that the Temper Trap endeavours to be the next commercial face of indie pop and, judging by the adoration it received at Stubb's, they seem to be well on their way.