And so it begins. Every year, we listen to mp3′s of every band scheduled to appear at SXSW. We then present you with an A to Z preview of the bands that we think should earn your attention. Whether you’re coming down to SXSW (recommended!) or just looking for new music, there’s no better time of year. There’s a variety of music here, so buckle up for some different sounds. We’ll be previewing two letters per day, which’ll take us right up to SXSW Music Week. Then we’ll give you our picks for the “Ten bands you must see at SXSW!”. This is part 3 of 13!

The band: Eisley
Where are they from: Tyler, Texas
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/eisley

The band: Fangs
Where are they from: Scotland
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/fangsfangsfangs

The band: Flying Lotus
Where are they from: Los Angeles
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/flyinglotus

The band: Follow That Bird!
Where are they from: Austin, Texas
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/followthatbiiird

The band: Forest City Lovers
Where are they from: Toronto
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/forestcitylovers

The band: Freaky Age
Where are they from: Belgium
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/freakyage

Previously: The A’s and B’s
The C’s and D’s

View our picks for #21-30 here.
View our picks for #11-20 here.

Compiling a list of this magnitude is a daunting task, so we’re going to start with a disclaimer. This is “our” favorite albums of the decade and we make no claims that this is the defining, music snob list that you should bow before as you read it. While we shunned the concept initially, we’ve been disappointed to see a lot of our favorite albums being ignored by the likes of Pitchfork and others. Obviously, there will some overlap (how many Radiohead albums does your list have?), but in general we think this list gives you a taste of what The Dumbing of America has been listening to for the last decade.
Each Wednesday, we’ll present you with a new list for you to peruse. We’ve done everything we can to make it easy for you to listen to and purchase each of these records. And with that…..

40) Longview- Mercury (2004)
Recommended Track: Further

39) Ida Maria- Fortress ‘Round My Heart (Released in Europe in 2008. Please make fun of anyone that puts this on their 2009 ‘Best of’ list)
Recommended Track: Oh My God

38) Longwave- The Strangest Things (2003)
Recommended Track: Everywhere You Turn

37) The Futureheads- S/T (2004)
Recommended Track: Decent Days and Nights

36) The Electric Soft Parade- Holes In The Wall (2002)
Recommended Track: There’s A Silence
Not available from Lala or iTunes. Click on the Amazon link to listen and order.
The Electric Soft Parade- Holes in the Wall

35) Iron & Wine- Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
Recommended Track: Naked As We Came

34) Division of Laura Lee- Black City (2002)
Recommended Track: Pretty Electric

33) The Distillers- Coral Fang (2003)
Recommended Track: Drain The Blood

32) The Black Keys- Thickfreakness (2003)
Recommended Track: Set You Free

31) The Distillers- S/T (2000)
Recommended Track: Oh Serena

Comments? Predictions of the #1 album? Questions on why our list doesn’t look anything like Pitchfork? Leave a comment!

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ED NOTE: View our picks for #’s 21 thru 30 here.