Playlist

Twitter Poll Guidelines: We, that's GuideLiveMusic, ask our followers on Twitter a question every Thursday. We're hoping these polls will not only help us get you know you better, but also help you get to know the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene better. The polls close around 4 pm every Monday, and shortly after we'll post the question and results here on our Playlist blog for everyone outside of Twitter to respond.

I've yet to make it to Austin for the annual South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival, but I do know that those badge prices are a bit high for me. I mean, really? Nearly $700? And so this week we asked: Has SXSW gotten too big to break new acts, or just your wallet? Continue reading to see the results, then comment and tell us your thoughts.

Also, check out all of our SXSW coverage, and tell us about your experience at the festival.

AUSTIN - Jeffrey Steele knows how to sell a song. It's no wonder so many of his compositions turn into huge hits for mainstream country artists. In concert Saturday night at the Ranch, accompanied by his four-man band, Steele delivered 45 minutes of scorching country-rock with more than a few nods to R&B and blues. As a performer he's full-throttle from the first note. He sang with grit, honesty and gusto, letting his soulful wail carry him on a set of songs the crowd knew such as "Help Somebody" (a hit for Van Zant), "I'm Tryin'" (Trace Adkins), "What Hurts the Most" (Rascal Flatts) and "My Town" (Montgomery Gentry). His originals were even better, particularly the hilarious "Drunk Girl" and the Cajun-spiced corker "Something In the Water." This guy's almost too good for Nashville. He belongs in Texas.

Photo: Steele in a concert shot from 2008 (Anthony Scarlati).

AUSTIN - Certainly much of the arty nonchalance, the elegant despair and the graceful melancholy at the heart of Echo & the Bunnymen can be credited to lead singer-songwriter Ian McCulloch. Onstage Saturday afternoon at the Bat Bar inside the Austin Convention Center, McCulloch led his four Bunnymen cohorts through an hour's worth of familiar songs during the band's return engagement to South by Southwest. The SXSW Live taping - yes, large cameras took up valuable space in an already overcrowded room - encapsulated the Bunnymen magic. McCulloch, dressed in black with dark sunglasses, epitomized the new romantic British movement from which the band emerged. Angst, psychedelia, new wave and anthem rock played into cheered-on staples "Seven Seas," "Bring On the Dancing Horses," "Nothing Lasts Forever," "The Killing Moon" and of course "Lips Like Sugar." McCulloch, an expert at brooding resignation, can now be definitely seen as one of the architects of the sound that would influence big bands of today such as Coldplay, the Killers and Radiohead.

Photo: Ian McCulloch during a SXSW gig back in 2006 (Erich Schlegel/DMN).

AUSTIN - During a long walk, about an hour and 35 minutes, that took me through much of downtown Austin, even to the Texas Capitol building, I went scoping for people wearing T-shirts emblazoned with musician logos. Here's what I spotted: Cher, the Beatles, the Clash, Depeche Mode, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Johnny Cash, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Coheed and Cambria, Os Mutantes, Arctic Monkeys and even High School Musical. OK, that last one is iffy. I must say I thought I would see more of them. This is Austin, live music capitol of the world. And this is the South by Southwest Music Festival. I was a bit disappointed.

Photo: The AC/DC T-shirt I saw (Courtesy of www.allposters.com).

Read about performances from local bands the Paper Chase and Fight Bite, and go inside a top-notch hip-hop affair featuring Asher Roth and the Cool Kids -- all right here.

AUSTIN - Devo is almost indescribable. The new wave icons, now considered godfathers of electronic music, put on a refreshingly unusual show before a packed crowd late Friday night into Saturday morning at the Austin Music Hall. It was the five-man band's debut concert at South by Southwest.
Leaders Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale along with Bob Mothersbaugh, Bob Casale and Josh Freese delivered quirky, satiric, symbolic and energetic madness for 80 minutes. They traced career tunes and threw in some new ones, especially the cool opener, "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man."
Using video montages, a guitar, drums and lots of synthesizers - not to mention gray uniforms, orange crossing guard vests and those signature red flower pot hats - the group mesmerized the audience. Highlights were plenty, but let's mention "Whip It," "Girl U Want," "Secret Agent Man," "Freedom of Choice" and "Beautiful World."
In fact, during "World" they were all in black T-shirts, matching boxer shorts, knee pads and calf-high black socks. Well, except for Mark Mothersbaugh who became Booji Boy, a Devo character from the group's inception. He wore a child doll head mask complete with backward baseball cap and a football jersey nightgown.
The point? Perhaps it was the irony of innocence in a world now completely devoid of it.

Photo: Devo during their keynote panel Thursday afternoon at the Austin Convention Center (Erich Schlegel/Special to DMN).

AUSTIN - I spent the better part of Friday afternoon with the Del Castillo guys - Mark Del Castillo, Albert Besteiro, Mike Zeoli, Alex Ruiz and Rick Del Castillo. Austin's premier Latin rock band played a 30-minute set at the Viper Room inside Rusty Spurs during South by Southwest. Four of those six songs in their set came from Del Castillo, the group's great fourth album, which will be released April 7. Fans of the group's ridiculously rhythmic fusion of flamenco, rock, blues, cumbia, reggae, salsa and ranchera will definitely want a copy of the disc. It will be available at Waterloo Records in Austin and through the Del Castillo website. Mark Del Castillo says they are negotiating national distribution and that should be in place by the end of the summer.

Meanwhile, check www.guidelive.com and GuideSunday for my piece on Del Castillo.

Photo: The cover of Del Castillo (courtesy of the band's myspace page).

AUSTIN - I'm not a smoker, but I couldn't help but marvel at the old-fashioned cigarette vending machine, the kind with the pull knobs, standing in the back area of Rusty Spurs on East 7th Street. I haven't seen one of those in, oh, decades. Or perhaps I just hadn't noticed. Anyway, this one had packs of Marlboro, Camel Lights, Natural American Spirit and Parliament Lights. It works because I watched two people purchase cigs while I stood nearby. Are these things still pretty prominent?

Photo: It wasn't exactly like this, but real similar. So you get the idea. (Courtesy of www.artomat.org)

AUSTIN - So I'm walking back to the hotel Wednesday night after the Austin Music Awards at Austin Music Hall and I'm immediately halted in my tracks by the sounds of a band covering A-ha's 1985 hit "Take On Me." Me being an '80s music aficionado I had to hear more. Turns out it was the Spazmatics, a band that bills itself as "the ultimate new wave 80s show." The four-man group has a sense of humor, of course. Notice the bicycle helmet, the neck brace and the geeky attire. Anyway, they did a faithful cover of "Take On Me" and then launched into the Romantics' "What I Like About You." Pretty cool! The crowd at the Cedar Street 208 Courtyard, where the band was playing, were loving it. Plus, like me, many passers-by were stopping to get a glimpse of the '80s fun. What a blast!

Oh! I just noticed on the Spazmatics' myspace page that they have a Dallas gig tonight at 10 at the Loft. Just FYI for you fellow '80s music fans.

Photo: The Spazmatics in a photo from the group's myspace page.

Yesterday's blog entries are right here for your reading pleasure, including blips on Tori Amos, Micachu and the Shapes, Vivian Girls and more. We've also got performance videos of Wavves and Roy G and the Biv.

AUSTIN - Mexico's intriguing new singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana, who looked incredibly child-like even at 23, made her South by Southwest debut late Thursday night at Momo's. Armed with her firecracker four-piece band, the brunette artist offered several songs from her acclaimed debut disc, Mediocre. Her songs, especially "Mediocre," "Pocas Palabras (Juan)" and "Sintiendo Rara," have a darkly emotive undercurrent and soaring pop choruses. She sang with passion, like a sonic punch, which belied her youthful appearance. Also, she's very much a Latina of our modern era. She belted in Spanish but always spoke to the crowd in English.

Photo: Ximena in a posed shot (Zony Ma).

AUSTIN - Thursday afternoon was all about speeches and forums at South by Southwest. In about four hours, I listened to enlightening comments from Quincy Jones, Oak Ridge Boys and Devo. All of them spoke at the Austin Convention Center. Here are highlights from each.
Quincy Jones - "Q" was at the podium for nearly 2 hours. That was way longer than his allotted time. But hey, this is the man Quincy Jones. You don't cut him off. Especially since he was so personable, relaxed, chatty and expounded on an extraordinary 50-plus years career that took him through music, movies, philanthropy, television and business. At 76, he's clear as a bell and eager to tell anybody about his experiences. He name dropped - Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Willie Nelson - and you knew he wasn't just boasting. I could fill up five blog posts and still not cover everything he said. I'll just let "Q" say it best: "Music is the only thing that affects the left and right brain simultaneously. That's why it's so powerful...it's the universal language."
Oak Ridge Boys - Yes, those Oak Ridge Boys. On their first visit to South by Southwest, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban and Duane Allen talked about career reinvention. They've gone from gospel to country to pop and now to rock 'n' roll. We learned that their upcoming CD is produced by rock man Dave Cobb (Shooter Jennings) and features a more stripped-down sound a la what Rick Rubin did with the late Johnny Cash. Sounds like it will be a cool record.
Devo - The five-man, iconic new wave group gave us a rundown of their existence, from 1972 to today. We got to see a nifty new video for the fresh tune, "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man." They were decked out in gray uniforms, orange crossing guard vests and of course the signature red flower-pot hats. A new CD is coming this fall. How will it be released, particularly in this age of alternative ways to deliver music to the masses? Ah, the possibilities are endless with forward thinkers like Devo.

Photo: "Q" at an Essence magazine awards luncheon last month (Dan Steinberg).

Be sure to visit us over at Quick's Nightlife blog to read our up-to-the-minute coverage of South by Southwest's music fest. Right now, you can read all about yesterday's highlights (Janelle Monae, St. Vincent, Department of Eagles, Damaged Good$) and you can also get ready for today with a music playlist. Enjoy!

AUSTIN - How about walking in on the Austin Music Awards Wednesday night at Austin Music Hall and feasting your eyes and ears on a mass of musicians up on the platform jamming an intoxicating mix of blues, folk, rock and enough Americana groove fusion to set the house ablaze. That was the scene and the players were Suzanna Choffel, Ruthie Foster, Carolyn Wonderland, Laura Scarborough and many others. They were loose and passionate. So much so that Scarborough went from the vibraphone to the accordion to the hoola hoop. Yes, you read that right. She was a twirling ham with a glittery hoola hoop on the side of the stage.
The Austin Music Awards, presented by the Austin Chronicle, have traditionally been the official ramp up show for the South by Southwest Music Festival. It was no different this year. A bunch of plaques were presented by host Andy Langer. In fact, Wonderland took two of them - best blues band and best female vocals - while Choffel won in the best indie band category and Scarborough went home with best keyboards honor.
But the star of the shindig was Bob Schneider. Austin loves him. He, backed by his band Lonelyland, snagged best male vocals, best bluegrass band and band of the year. When he performed on the platform, he was there for four songs. That might have been too much Schneider, but the crowd adored him. Give him credit for this, he's a maverick with the instruments. With help from best teen band winners the Fireants, Schneider employed a steel drum player, a cellist, a trumpeter, a violinist and even a musical saw player. He worked the guitar, the keyboards, the harmonica and one trumpet. And he never broke a sweat.

Read more about the Austin Music Awards Thursday in www.guidelive.com and Friday in GuideDaily.

Photo: Carolyn Wonderland in a posed publicity shot.

That's right. Now that awards season has officially come to an end (thanks to all that Oscars business last night and the Grammy Awards two weeks ago) we can focus on more important things. SXSW is March 18-22 and it's not too late to register and book a hotel for the annual Austin music festival.

You should probably start planning your days there now, because there's just no way to see every one of the bands on this schedule. Maybe this will help:

Following is a list of D/FW area bands at SXSW 2009 sorted by the day they're scheduled to perform. This is all according to the SXSW Web site as of today, so be warned that anything can change.
(Each name links to their MySpace or Web site so you can preview their sound.)

Comment below and tell us who you're most excited to see.

The South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival will be here before you know it. In real time, that's March 18-22. Already announced is this year's keynote speaker: Quincy Jones. We've got the list of the first round of bands scheduled to perform at the 23rd (!) year of the fest. They had over 10,000 applications. Highlights for me include 8Ball & MJG, Dead Prez and Dallas' St. Vincent (Annie Clark, right). You can tell where my head is at ...

Follow the blog post to read the rest of the list.

Shoes in hand, sisters Grace and Laura Neeley power walked alongside Taylor Hanson.

"Did you hear how shaky my voice was?" Laura whispered to Grace after asking Taylor how the Hanson brothers' "Walk Around the World" tour is going.

The sisters were among hundreds of fans who walked barefoot with Hanson at Southern Methodist University Sunday afternoon. The Hanson brothers are walking a mile barefoot in every city they tour in to help raise awareness about poverty and AIDS in Africa.

Laura and Grace said they didn't mind walking barefoot on mulch, grass and cement if it meant having a chance to talk to the Hanson brothers. Self-described "die-hard fans," the sisters have traveled throughout Texas and Oklahamo to see the brothers perform.

"We've only been following them for, like, 11 years," Laura said.

Their friends wonder why they haven't outgrown their Hanson phase, but Laura, 24, and Grace, 21, said they're not ashamed to be teeny-boppers at heart. By the end of the walk, they were tired from trying to stay up toward the front of the line where the Hanson brothers were.

"Ouch, my feet ..." Laura said as the walk ended.

"I know," Grace said, looking down at her dirty feet. "But it was worth it."

Are you still hoping some mythical record-label Mr. Big will sign you?
Dreamers can apply now to perform at next year's South By Southwest. Or if you'd rather just see bands and attend the conference, you can buy an all-access "badge" for $550 until Sept. 26. The walk-up rate is $695. The 23rd annual music confab takes place in Austin on March 18-22.

Ever since I helped roadie for area indie rockers The New Frontiers (well, sort of; I got to handle up on some drums and cases) at this year's South By Southwest in Austin, I've been rooting for the guys. (OK, that's not totally accurate: ever since I listened to its impressively restrained and refined CD on The Militia Group, Mending, I've been cheering 'em on).

Others are finally listening, it appears. Mending earned a four-star rating in Paste Magazine recently, and now Spin magazine has recognized the band formerly known as Stellamaris as a Buzzcatcher artist on its web site.

Something tells me if the band performs at SXSW 2009, it'll have a more choice location and time slot than the woozy 1 a.m. dregs it played in front of at the Thirsty Nickel in March. And that'd be perfectly proper.

By the way: the band will open for the Honorary Title at the Granada Theater on Aug. 10.

(Photo: Patrick Rutherford)

Jean Grae said, "Hip-hop ain't dead, it was on vacation!" And then came Talib Kweli. I'll admit it. This will not be objective; I even waited a couple of days after his Saturday evening show at Auditorium Shores, thinking that maybe I could write with a little less adoration. But I love Talib Kweli, love him more than Funyuns and Fanta! Do you even understand how much love that is?!

And everything was great until he introduced three other MCs "from Cali," and then it was just so much jumping around and yelling (though one of the MCs sounded a bit like Busta Rhymes). And then everything was great again, until this really tall guy stepped into my light, leaning over my notepad and dictating his Web site. "www.MySpace.com back slash ...," he yelled. And I said, "What the?!" But my eye roll obviously didn't work as he continued, "I don't know who you work for, but hit the Web site up and give me some love." Whatever ... my new friend Nick (who knew every Ice Cube song, word for word) had my back. Anyway, the three rappers called Kweli the MCEO (cute) and then he brought out a real live band and backup singers, one of whom looked bored, bored, bored.

Haha, poor Mike. (Eric Schlegel / DMN)

... Oh, and Mike's story about playing roadie for local band the New Frontiers is worthy of resurrection from among the other weekend stories, so check it out, too.

... Ok, it's later and I'm back with more video: Tokyo Sex Destruction | The People's Party | Ice Cube | The Barker Band | Nathan's wrap-up/street scenes

Maggie Mae's rooftop is one big sardine can. It's a horrible place to play a showcase: the only sightlines are just in front of the stage because the remainder of the upper floor is tiered downward. So if you want to see a band as well as hear it, you have to squeeze into the roughly 60-by-30-foot area at the head of the space.

Well, I'm here, against the rear rail. The Autumns just wrapped up a set that sounded like a meld of OK Computer-era Radiohead, Richard Hawley and, well, British Sea Power, which is what I'm here to see.

Last band, last showcase slot, last venue, last day. It's about time. My sinuses may be somewhat normal now, but my lower back is about to start screaming at me ...

I only lasted five songs, but man I wanted more. The Brighton, England band isn't the most exact, nor the most showy, nor the most transcendental act in person, but live it builds momentum in a very similar way to Arcade Fire (no wonder that comparison's been made before). It becomes a breathing, primitive and familial entity in spite of what each of its members want to do as individuals on stage; beyond that, the totality of the band's delivery is very hard to pinpoint. The touring version's six members include a horn player and violinist, and along with some vehement antics and a knack for finding pockets of pop prescience within dichotomous song structures (Win Butler can actually learn a bit about that from these lads), British Sea Power brings the power. Even when it's off (guitars and voices were both out of tune during "Waving Flags"), it redeems itself immediately with an 'on' moment, such as the version of "Canvey Island" that immediately followed.

Our tireless Austin Bureau photographer, Erich Schlegel, stayed for the finish, which he described as "incredible." That's it, then. I start hitting the gym three times a week again and playing tennis. I'm not missing any more incredible endings.

Bad name, boys. Or maybe not, since those in emo are quite fond of self-deprecation ...

Anberlin stole the emo spotlight at last year's SXSW. That showcase helped net it a major-label deal, and though we have yet to hear that fruit, it'll be plenty ripe when it's ready to pluck from the internet as well as store shelves in a few months time.

All Time Low is set up to be this year's Paramore, with all sorts of momentum such as magazine covers, kooky online meet-the-band contests and such. The attention's well deserved, though right now singer Alex Gaskarth is swearing too much, talking too much and asking for too much (a circle pit at SXSW? To pop-foundated emo punk? Um, that's be a no!). But when it's performing, there are few bands in this genre who stay this energetic, this tight and this infectious. Even its harmonies are like-able, even if its songwriting borders on the banal (it's energy mostly overcomes that).

Now, onto witness British Sea Power ...

I'm now back at Bourbon Rocks but in the main room (no gravel in here unless it's been tracked in), where one of my favorite neo-punk acts, the Matches, is performing.

The Bay Area act's previous CD, "Decomposer," was one of my top albums of 2006. Too bad almost no one heard it ... though on Tuesday its new effort on Epitaph, "A Band In Hope," may very well make bigger waves. It's more accomplished in that it's even more experimental than "Decomposer" in key ways, yet it also rocks harder. But I'll say no more, since my full review will be in Tuesday's paper ...

It started off with "Decomposer"s opening track, the bleary and carnival-ish "Salty Eyes." It's playing up the red theme of that album with an over-the-top wardrobe for the showcase - red blazers, silk shirts, jeans and such among the four members. It's straight-up rocking out on the second track (which I sadly don't quite recognize), and revising the opening number's whimsy on "What Katie Said" and "Clumsy Heart."

All are tracks from "Decomposer," which is a bit odd for a 40-minute set. Will they introduce any of the new stuff? Yeah, it's not quite as catchy as the now-old material, but ...

... ah, yes. Here's a new one (right after the guitarist says "we have a new album coming out on Tuesday" without naming the darn thing). "AM Tilts," I think it's called. Pretty buoyant stuff, with heavier bass content and a more structured pop approach. Trust me: it's not a typical track on A Band In Hope (though its Led Zeppelin-ish ending is).

As is typical of the Matches' live set, the guys are leaving a lot of sweat and catharses behind. Remember this line: "There's a little suicide in all that we do." If its cards fall right (or: if the cards that should fall do so in a perfect musical world) it'll become a rallying cry for neo-punkers everywhere this summer.

That's without the "Bear" at the end, you hipsters. And it's pronounced "banda".

Why? These modern-rock children hail from Monterrey, Mexico. Country and Latin Music Critic Mario Tarradell turned me on to it early last year, and I'm paying attention.

Again: Why? Because Rock en Espanol is a growth market in pop, and bands like El Tri and Aventura aren't the only representatives nowadays. Mexico's a big country, and Monterrey is one of its biggest cities. There's gonna be some talent there.

There's gonna be some lookers, too, and these guys are hunks. (Well, except for "thick" drummer Jorge Vasquez, but he's partially hidden, anyway) Unfortunately, the mix at this outdoor venue isn't doing Panda any favors: the drums are too sharp, the bass too uneven, the vocals too low (and Jose Madiero's singing is already rather raspy). Aww, man ... I was expecting such big things ... it's pretty flat and derivative. Its latest CD, Amantes Suntamentes, is a much better representative. Such is luck sometimes in the music biz ... rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, mi amigos. Develop some stage presence already.

Onward ...

LOVE the dress, Miss Sharin Foo. Black sequins from shoulders to just above the knee, with white-sequined leaves draped across the shouders like oversized Greek epaulets.

Sune Rose Wagner? Just his usual black-and-white horizontal-striped T-shirt. He must have a gazillion of those things ...

The set's over, and it was better than expected. Raveonettes' music is disarmingly simple, based as much as it is on primitive 1950s rock and soul, so in recorded form it doesn't pop like it does live. The punky and romantic nature of Raveonettes' sound really translates on stage, especially when it decided to do a cover, as it did with Stereolab's "French Disco."

Cool that they do their own soundcheck; they don't have to. Not cool that it relies on tracked sounds and rhythm machines for much of its live heft. Again, they don't have to.

I traipsed up to St.David's Episcopal Church to check out angular hipster acoustic guitar hero M. Ward, who I've never seen before. I was excited. I don't dig all of his material - it can get exceedingly spare and ingratiating to my ears at times - but some other stuff is absolute genius. I admire his propensity for innovation, not to mention that's he's a severely underrated guitarist.

I made the line 10 minutes before set time, and stood there for 25 minutes. It moved maybe 30 feet. Then, a SXSW hack ambled outside and announced that it would be at least an hour and a half before anyone else would get in because the venue was at capacity.

Sigh. OK, onward ... to Emo's, where the Raveonettes go on in 30 minutes. It's at capacity, too, but the badge line was short (the wristband line wasn't, heh)

Aaah, there Sharin Foo now, helping to set up. Beautiful, though unusual, since roadies (four are on stage) are a luxury at SXSW; they have to pay (or be paid for) to have access to help out.

Ok! This was worth declaring my adoration to Ms. Merritt. For now.

There's actually a fair amount of Dallas-area figures in the crowd of 125 or so: the new music editor at the Dallas Observer is here, for instance (and he's taking pictures, too).

We're all being treated to some raw but toothsome 1970s-era ... arena gypsy rock? It's very free and unassuming, yet the guitarist, Yonatan Gat, has major rhythm chops, especially considering how much he's moving around ...

And in the middle of the second song, both he and the singer, a curly-haired and handlebar-moustached spaz named Ami Shalev, hit the gravel. The singer uses a tarp for a cape and goes all James Brown amongst the crowd, body-slamming with anyone in range.

Whoa ... that tarp was the mixing board cover! The board op just barged into the pit and grabbed it back. Oooh, the scowl on his face was priceless ...

And now a stagehand helps bring the drum kit down to the rocks. How's that thing gonna work out on a non-flat surface?

Pretty darn well, it turns out. Photographers are everywhere: word's obviously spread about this band's schtick. It's amazingly organic and participative. People are spontaneously body-surfing, and the crowd's completely enclosed the band as if egging on a high-school catfight in mid-scratch and claw.

"We gonna play two more songs!," Mr. Shalev exclaimed. He then proceeded to pour a can of beer (a tallboy, too) over his drummer's kit, fetched a large plastic trash can, dumped its contents onto the drummer and capped the overturned can onto the drummer's head. And the guy didn't miss a beat.

By the end of the set, audience members were banging on drums, pouring beer on the band, giving piggyback rides to Mr. Gat and proclaiming all sorts of warm and fuzzy (emphasis on fuzzy) wishes toward Monotonix.

Israeli punk stoner metal. It RAWKS!!!

I skipped the great and infinitely attractive Tift Merritt for a show that's ALREADY running late? At 8 p.m., the start of the evening's showcases?

Guess so. I'm intrigued by Monotonix, an Israeli pop-metal band that purports to play much of its sets on the floor, at crowd level and often in the crowd.

That'll be a problem on Bourbon Rocks' patio, which is covered in a four-inch layer of gravel. That doesn't exactly lend itself to intense movement, pogoing and the like (at least landings are relatively soft).

We shall see, eh? I'll catch Tift some other time ... maybe even send her flowers ...

Another slideshow! We bring you the bands, the hoards and the streets of Austin from the 22nd annual SXSW music fest.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5

So it was between Euro-pop chantreuse Robyn (bad review froma friend who saw her in London recently), emo darlings Paramore (at La Zona Rosa, clear across downtown), indie superstars Tapes N' Tapes (also too far away) and this Austin freak-pop act, which recently got a breaking-out writeup in "Spin" and has toured with Rilo Kiley.

That was before the tap dancer was excused in favor of a traditional drum kit - so says former TDMN Music Editor David Okamoto, who's standing beside me. I know little about this band before I caught its quizzically nerdy and spontaneous act at Wall of Sound in Fort Worth last summer and was suitably charmed.

Its starting late. This isn't good. It's sure as heck not fashionable; not at this time of night. It's 1:12, and the band's still sound checking and situating. Balloons, which have been tossed around for the past 15 minutes or so, are starting to drive people a little batty. C'mon, already ...

... and well whadd'ya know: the tap dancer's still around, throwing down a forest-green tutu (OK ... ) with a slate-grey hoodie (hipster alert!). This is a first: soundcheck for a tap dancer ...

... the two female singers (uh?) are acting like they've never soundchecked before ... or maybe its the stage manager ... or the board op ...

... They're done. And they LEAVE THE STAGE? Guess they need the grand opening for the 1 a.m. time slot ...

... and at 1:26, it's on. And it's fabulous. It's reminiscent of a percussive and more ethnic Arcade Fire, with emphasis on harmonies and a barbarian sense of pacing instead of classical instrumentation and orchestral pomp. It also has soul, primarily because of the female singers (dressed, uh, provocatively as they are in gaudy prom dresses) and the thunderous rhythms.

Will you like it? Dunno. It's just good and unique and charming. There's a lot of all three things here at SXSW, but not at the same time. Bravo!

Well now. I now realize that I'm hungry. I haven't eaten anything but a granola bar all day, and Blue Cheer's unbelievably oscillative 40 minutes on stage made my innards chafe since there's nothing in 'em..

Despite that description, it was gooood. Real good. You'll have to read more about on Guidelive.com late tomorrow afternoon to understand why (at least I hope).

Now it's onto a bit of White Denim at Habana Calle 6's patio. Then, a trip to a local Whataburger is in serious order. My intestines need a salve of some sort right about now.

... at Wave to check out PPT's first couple of songs. Erv's such a nice guy, I had to humor him - though no humor's needed for PPT's genre-hopping and genuinely appealing brand of ... well, hip hop's at the core of it. I told Erv this: PPT will be big in England (and he tells me that there's already interest there as PPT's new cd, "Denglish," approaches its April release)

I'm in positiom to be damaged by what's considered by many to be the original heavy metal band - Blue Cheer. It's one of the products of the Haight-Ashbury psychedelic music scene of the late 1960s, and it was originally managed by the Hell's Angels; that should tell you enough.

In the meantime, I'm checking out Austin-based Lions, whose groovy retro metal wowed enough label reps at SXSW 2006 that it almost signed with Roadrunner Records. It didn't, though, deciding instead to go it unassisted by self-releasing its latest, "No Generation," late last year. Lions is solid live, with a sexiness that other band of its ilk (The Sword, Dead Meadow, even Wolfmother, really) lack. But like many of its contemporaries, its character isn't quite broad or mysterious enough. Damn, they can rock, though ... and they must feel honored to play just before one of the bands that made their deal possible.

So I'm at Dallas-based Idol Records' very own night-long showcase at Wave, which is yet another impossibly narrow Sixth Street club.

Still, Idol owner Erv Karwelis landing his own showcase at SXSW is quite a feat, even though he's had them before. What reeks is that I'm here during the evening's only non-Dallas act: Ohio-based roots-punk act Watershed. Mitra and Glen Reynolds performed just before this, and PPT, The Crash That Took Me and Black Tie Dynasty go on afterward.

So, more fresh blood for me ears, matey . Arrr, these guys aren't too shabby, either. Bunches of Midwestern energy, a nice dose of enthusiasm and some well-written up-tempo tuneage is winning me over. Good choice from beyond the Trinity, there, Erv.

OK: gotta make sure I'm in place to catch Blue Cheer at midnight. Gotta think ahead at SXSW, ya know.

So I'll be brutally honest. I'm not all that jazzed about MGMT's debut, "Oracular Spectacular." I think that it's got a few trippy synth-pop moments and that there's some fleeting moments of defined style on it, but overall I find it to be an average CD.

I'm thinking the exact same thing about its live performance at Stubb's. The energy's tired, the enthusiasm muffled, the music's too unfocused and meandering. It's like they can't decide if they want to be My Morning Jacket, Franz Ferdinand or a rootsy version of ELO with a stiff upper lip..

I've heard a number of musicians froth at the mouth over seeing these guys live. But the payoff is too hard to both predict and grab once there. Not enough hooks, not enough virtuosity, not enough transcendence. Sorry. I'm not sold.

So I moseyed over to Emo's to catch Does It Offend You, Yeah?, one of the Brit-punk bands that I'd really wanted to see down here. It looks like fun to watch, and though the name's a bit clunky, it gets a point across ...

... the place was full, and at this point in the evening, yeah. That offends me.

So I'm now one of the mass of at least 2,000 badgeholders who're rapidly filling up Stubb's' backyard (it's a lot like a shrunken version of the North Forty in Fort Worth). They're all here to see MGMT (say 'mangement', dear readers), the latest electro-punk revivalists to generate enough buzz to fill a Toni & Guy's salon.

I'll let ya know how it is in a bit. Gotta find a good vantage point ...

This, I had to see.

Most of you likely know this Dallas native as Ashlee Simpson's old squeeze. In the meantime, Ms. Simpson has released two moderately successful albums. But she's also lip-synced on "Saturday Night Live," stank it up badly during a Super Bowl halftime show, been the recipient of a nice little ol' nose job and hooked up with emo auteur extraordinaire Pete Wentz.

What has Mr. Cabrera done? Eh. He's offered up one or two albums and had token song placements on TV shows - now as much his demographic's stock in trade as pop hits - but otherwise, well, eh.

And now for something completely different. Mr. Cabrera's abandoned the bleach-blonde spike-cut haircut for a shaggy, shoulder-length Bob Schneider-style 'do (and OMG! He's got a moustache! Does that deserve an LOL or a WTF?). He's all of the sudden trying to channel his inner Damien Rice ... or maybe Kid Rock, who he slightly resembles now, especially with the 'stache and this chest-baring, deep-V black shirt that he's throwing down on DirecTV right about now. Be warned: he is completely unrecognizable from what he was.

So what's he sound like now? It's somewhere between OneRepublic and Snow Patrol, with some dark edginess and well-considered synth licks in between an upbeat guitar drive. One can even detect a scoche of emo-pop in the delivery and structures.

"We haven't played live in two and a half years or something like that," he said. Well, now we know what you've been doing in the meantime. At least it wasn't spent moping around, lamenting the loss of his teen idol-hood.

So noe he's throwing out an old hit: "True." Cute. The falsetto still works. And folks, somehow the new look gives this song, which dates back several years, added tenderness. It's not sweet anymore; it's attractive.

Here's a report from pop music critic Thor Christensen, on outsmarting the lines:
Look! There's Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine walking alone on a deserted downtown street. Look! There's Fastball guitarist Miles Zuniga trying to steal the taxi I just flagged down.

Turns out, Mr. Zuniga and I are both headed to see R.E.M., so we share the cab, which works out well for me: I pay the fare, and he gets me into R.E.M. without having to wait two hours in a mile-long line.

At SXSW, that's what they call "schmooze or lose."

Now you can hear and see what Dawn was blogging about (below). Another of our awesome photogs, Nathan Hunsinger, was also at the Big Red Rooster show last night (more like early this morning). He video'd Big Red Rooster on stage, along with the Dallas band's prep and chill time beforehand. Check out the six guys hawk their hair for the show, drink beer, discuss the dynamics of the six-man group and perform at Bourbon Rocks Patio.

• Video: Dallas' Big Red Rooster

Also, band members Reyez and Multi-ID have been live-blogging their SXSW experiences for Playlist. Catch up here.

It took a moment (more on that later), but I'm a Big Red Rooster booster. Their show started at 1 a.m. on the patio at Bourbon Rocks (the BoDeans were playing the main room). Drunk is the outfit of choice, it seems, on Sixth Street after midnight, but I waded through that to get to my destination.

Then, out of rap-where, lead singer Reyez unleashed his falsetto. And that's when I noticed that I was sinking into the gravel and sand (the term "patio" was used very loosely by the venue); My chocolate suede boots will never be the same. But I digress. These guys put out slick music that is a danceable hybrid of every genre they claim to be a member of. I love truth in advertising ...

Check 'em out ...

From Multi-ID of Dallas rap group Big Red Rooster, before its rullll late Thursday night show ...

It is 9:42 the night of the show and I am dressed and ready to go! We got into Austin around 6pm and went straight to registration and load in. We are playing at The Bourbon Rocks Patio. The venue looked sick. I then swung by the hotel and headed over to Phils lil bros apartment here in Austin. We have been just hanging out for a lil bit having some beers. Trying to relax and get everything off our minds except the show. We are about to head over to the venue. The word on the street is that its mayhem. In a good way. We will prob just grab a bite to eat and hit up some bars. We have an interview at Bourbon Rocks before the show at 11. After that its time to rock.

From Reyez of Dallas rap group Big Red Rooster, before its late-late-late Thursday night show ....

Wuzzup yall. Its almost 10 o'clock and the whole band is finally together just chillin getting ready for the show. Its been a long day of travel and preperation and now all we got to do is kill it tonight. We've had a camera man from Dallas Morning News following us around shooting footage of us being us and that's been pretty cool. Now we're going to head out and get a bite to eat and grabb a couple drinks before heading to the venue. We're playing at a spot called Burbon Rocks tonight and when we loaded in earlier the set up was real cool. I heard that the club is packed so that's good news so all that's left to do is do what we do best, KILL IT!!! I'll hit yall after the show.

SXSW describes this Canadian guitarist's genre as "experimental." But in actuality, Kaki King's music is rather traditional as acoustic new age music, which is no longer considered an experimental genre for the most part.

What perhaps keeps Ms. King in the experimental camp is her guitar-playing technique, which incorporates percussive and rhythmic qualities - fret tapping, body slapping, string mashing -seldom heard from a guitarist these days. Think of her as Bootsy Collins mated with Sarah McLachlan, and you'd just about have her approach nailed.

But not quite. Her plain and frank singing voice brings to mind Suzanne Vega, and her diminutive stature (she barely five feet tall) and intense, raven-haired features give her stature among the songstress and emo crowds despite her relatively avant-garde compositions.

Her latest, "Dreaming of Revenge," is more electrified and mainstream than any of her previous albums. Her showcase at the 18th Floor of the Hilton Garden Hotel was a fitting meld of edgy quaintness and technical brevity, and with a full five-piece rock band to boot (please forgive the gain overload of the electric guitarist at the beginning: Ms. King could only smile herself at that)..

No wonder Foo Fighter Dave Grohl loves this musician so much. She has limitless potential. But will she sell out to fulfill that potential?

First verse: the singer leapt into the crowd. Within five seconds, he'd lost th sound on his mike. The bassist and guitarist stood in lyric-wise, as did the crowd: a fair amount of the 300 or so here knew the lyrics. The bassist has a flashlight taped to his instrument's headstock. Everyone but the drummer is bounding left and right constantly as Enter Shikari's dissonant electronica-metal-screamo wafts, envelops, overtakes.

No wonder this act has such a fervent following in Europe. It's a ball of absolute extreme petulance. And it's bloody fantastic to watch.

The singer-screamer-croaker just mounted the p.a. risers during "Return to Energizer. " He looks like he wants to jump. But he's already broken two mikes ... "Crappy American microphones," he said in predictably bratty Brit fashion.

One problem; these guys can't harmonize. They're always out of breath!

That's how the gents in Enuff Z'Nuff would have spelled it, anyway ...

Now that i've got antibiotics in me and a nice supply of medical-grade painkillers in my possession, the sinus infection seems to be at bay. So I'm finally out and about ...

... and I'm about to check out my favorite British breakout act of 2007. Not Amy Winehouse. Not Does It Offend You, Yeah?. Not Robyn (she's Norwegian, anyhow). Not any of those.

Enter Shikari plays in about 10 minutes at La Zona Rosa. Never heard of 'em? Well, it's one of just two unsigned acts to sell out the Astoria in London. It's Britain's example of how a band can get big without The Music Man behind it. It's neo-screamo - a little metal, a little punk, a little emo and a whole heap of attitude and aptitude - and it puts nearly all extreme music in America to shame.

Basically, Enter Shikari makes Avenged Sevenfold sound like Dokken, and My Chemical Romance sound like Winger. Yeah, that good.

Yakuza is finishing up here now ... hard-core ambient prog-metal with a saxophone. Think Crowbar crossed with Isis with a long-haired and tattooed Dave Koz at the helm. It's not as bad as it sounds.

(Eric Schlegel / DMN)

• Slideshow: SXSW, Day 1

We've also got a few reviews on the SXSW coverage page, plus our first video, of Argentinean band Capsula performing at BD Riley's there in Austin.

The GuideLive crew down south is tired but excited. How could they not be? 1,700 bands and artists in five days, y'all. Get to feeling better, Mike!

I was in the convention center (again) and decided to check out the DirecTV live shows, starting with Martha Wainwright. Since I was about 30 minutes early, what I got instead was an earnest ode to Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson. Even better, it came from a band from Belfast who rocked like some latter-day version of Creedence. I love it when pale Irish boys give shoutouts to a blues legend for spawning their kind of rock 'n' roll.

I just caught the tail end of their set, but it was almost like a tent revival. Especially after the Answer lead singer Cormac Neeson decided to divide the crowd right down the middle and have what he called a "Belfast blues-off." After leading the crowd in some old-fashioned call and response, the band jumped into some weirdly wonderful mix of low-bottom blues and '70s rock (is that the same thing?). It was as if the lead singer was spreading a special kind of holy ghost through the crowd, going so far as to even sing from his knees and punctuating it with a "Lord, have mercy!" (I swear it sounded as if it came from a singing deacon in one of the South Georgia churches from my youth.)

From Reyez of Dallas rap group Big Red Rooster ...

Wuzzup, its Thursday afternoon day of the show and Multi and I are on our way to austin. Our trip got delayed a bit cuz throughout the chaos of getting ready and trying to be on schedule, Multi forgot to bring our in-ears and mics. WOW!!! Good thing he remembered to go back to get them, otherwise it could of been a disaster. Now we're just outside of Waco about 2 hrs from austin, just tryin to relax and prepare for tonights show. Man, I just got great news, I heard Play n Skillz were on BET's 106 and park and they metioned that they were flying to Austin later on tonight for our show. Good lookin yall. Well, Im signing off for now, ill hit yall when I get to the spot ...

Multi-ID of Dallas rap group the Big Red Rooster ...

Whats up! Its early afternoon on Thursday. I am sending off this email from the road in Waco! Reyez has been in the back sleeping all day, guess he had a crazy time in New York. Well I thought I had everything ready for the trip and the show but I was wrong. About an hour outside of Dallas I realized I left my in ears and microphones back at my house. Well we went back and got them and that set us back a lil but we are still on our way. Ha Ha no matter what we always come through! So back on the road and ready to rock! Ill hit you up again when I get to Austin.

From Reyez of Dallas rap group Big Red Rooster ....

Wuzzup its ur boy Reyez again. It was another long night in the studio, I didn't sleep cuz I had to be at the airport at 4am. I almost missed my flight cuz I still had to go to my hotel room and pack but I made it. Feeling real tired I tryed to sleep but I couldn't cuz there was a baby crying the entire time. I landed in North Carolina and changed planes to come to Dallas. It seemed like a 10 minute flight when I woke up from the impact of the Dallas runway. I grabbed my bags an waited for Multi ID to pick me up. Finally on my way to Austin, hopefully I can get some rest... I'll hit yall up later.

This from Multi-ID of Dallas rap group Big Red Rooster ...

Wednesday night I was up till the early morning again. We had our final rehearsal for SXSW. After that I took a trip over to DJ PAC and Phil's to help them load up all the gear. Everyone but me and Reyez took off Thursday night after practice. I woke up Thursday morning about 8:30, after my alarm didnt go off! Did some last minute packing then hit the road with one of our managers. After a quick early lunch at my favorite taco spot, Urban Taco, I had one last stop picking up promo cd's before heading to the airport to get Reyez. His flight lands at 11:30 Thursday, then we will be on our way. After all the mayhem we are actually on time!

So I'm gonna help the fine boys of Dallas-based indie rock band the New Frontiers (or: the artist formerly known as Stellamaris) load in and out at its showcase tonight at 1 a.m. at the Thirsty Nickel.

Well, that's not totally accurate; load-in is at 6 p.m., a full seven hours before the gig. Rather than get all sweaty and gross for the evening's showcases, I'll probably help with final setup at 12:30 or so and with load out about an hour after that. That way, I can be as April fresh as can be expected until after the night's done.

I'm pretty stoked to do this for this act, which was one of the ones that helped out Oxford, Miss. band the Colour Revolt when its gear was stolen in Dallas just before SXSW in 2007. Be sure to check out the New Frontiers' new CD on Militia Group, "Mending": it sounds as friendly and gentle as the guys in the band are.

No, I didn't just arrive here in Austin. I've been here since early Wednesday evening, actually. But Lucifer's very own sinus infection kept me chained to my hotel room, where it hurt like the dickens to even look at a TV, much less listen to loud music ...

... so it's temporarily at bay, and I'm here at the Austin Convention Center awaiting the 1 p.m. Bat Bar performance of what could be emo's breakout act of 2008 - Augustana. Actually, the band didn't do too badly in 2007 since its debut, "All the Stars and Boulevards," ended up sneaking in a few hundred thousand in sales. A new CD is in the works for the San Diego, Calif. laddies, and it's sure to debut a few songs today

(Oh, for all you parents out there: Augustana is likely one of your daughter's favorite bands. So pay attention).

Here's hoping that the tender spot behind the start of my left eyebrow doesn't flare up in the next 12 hours or so ...

Christy was right in her earlier post. When I got to Austin, there was a long line of cars. Then, when I got to the Austin Convention Center, the center (no pun intended) of activity at the music conference and festival, there was what seemed like an even longer line for my badge. And then that line did not move. The computer system was down, meaning that I just had to cool my heels. No badge, no access. And trust me, being press didn't help one bit. On the plus side, there was promotional merchandise (CDs, magazines, etc.) everywhere. And everyone seemed to be in high spirits. And then the system came back online, and things went back to what passes for normal at SXSW: people everywhere, many carrying instruments, and music in the air.

From Multi-ID of Dallas rap group Big Red Rooster ...

Today is the day before SXSW and I am all nerves. Today we found out that our single "How You Like That" is the number one requested song at 96.1 The Beat Colorado Springs. That right there is all the inspiration we need to make sure we kill the show tomorrow night. All day we were putting all of the final touches on our travel and sleeping plans. We are kind of in the mentality of just getting there and everything else will fall into place. I got a bunch of phones calls from friends and family excited about the show an wishing me good luck. I also received e-mails and texts from friends and fans who were letting me know they couldn't wait and some were already on their way to Austin. Half of the band is taking off for Austin tonight while I am waiting in dallas for our lead singer to land tomorrow morning. I'm picking him up from the airport heading straight there. I'm on my way to our final practice before SXSW and we are ready to go! Everyone is in a positive mindset and ready to rock the show.

The New York freak folk band Akron/Family got all Gregorian Wednesday at the Convention Center and asked the crowd to chant like monks.
"Welcome to the church of the record industry," said singer Seth Olinksy. "Maybe someone will like your voice and sign you."
Not likely. But if nothing else, it was the perfect mood-setter for Akron/Family's enchantingly weird ragas about honey-sniffing bears, nacho stands and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.

Today is Tuesday and it is a crazy day. We were up practicing till the early morning last night getting our set together for SXSW. We were back up again this morning to take care of some last minute business with the band. I woke up this morning thinking about SXSW! I cant wait to be on the road to Austin! Today we have to be at the studio to put some finishing touches on one of our new tracks called "Dead Inside". I laid down some key vocals tags and we remixed and added some parts. "Dead Inside" was recorded a year ago today and it was our first collaboration with our Grammy Award winning super producers Play N Skillz.

Hey wuzzup world ... I'm going to be writing a series of blogs explaining what I do on a day 2 day basis in preperation for SXSW this coming weekend in Austin and what goes on in my world as a musician... Monday was basically a travel day for me, jumping in and out of planes all day to finally reach my destination, New York City... while my band mates are in Dallas putting on the finnishing touches and last minute musical adjustments to our set without me, I am more then confident that we will rock the house cuz we praticed together weeks before.

• Because most of us can only experience SXSW vicariously, local act Big Red Rooster members (get to know them via video above) will blog here about their random and hopefully deleterious experiences down in Austin. Check back for that around, oh, sometime this evening.
• Our Spanish-language publication, Al Día, already has a story here about Aterciopelados, Molotov and other alternative Latin music acts at the festival.
• Stuff: SXSW vets around the office say our critics and other media types probably spent most of today standing in lines for credentials and other official kit. Thor reviews Van Morrison tonight; Mike will have a show picked out to review by tonight, too. We'll be snapping mad pics of bands, the scene, the hordes. Oh, and Mike will paint us a picture of what it's like to be a SXSW band roadie after following around local act the New Frontiers. Stay tuned.

• All SXSW coverage

I posted this earlier on the Screening Room blog, but I figured I'd drop it over here as well since it has such a strong music tie.

AUSTIN -- This morning I had the chance to interview one of my musical idols, Daniel Lanois. Never heard of him? Odds are you are familiar with his work: He, along with Brian Eno, produced many of U2's albums, including The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and All That You Can't Leave Behind. And he's also produced acclaimed albums by Willie Nelson (Teatro) and Bob Dylan (Time Out of Mind).

When he sat for our interview, he looked as rock and roll as one can get, wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, dark shades and a black cap. And as we talked, he fiddled with an acoustic guitar, which he referred to as his security blanket.

I promised a one-stop-shop page for SXSW stuff, and I'm here to deliver. The page includes flim and music coverage; our movies team is already down in Austin covering the film part of the festival, and our music team heads down there between tomorrow and Wednesday. (The music part runs Wednesday through Sunday). They'll be writing reviews, taking photos, shooting video and blogging blogging blogging. Stick the link below in your favorites. The music fun gets started late tomorrow afternoon/early evening with Thor's SXSW preview.

• GuideLive.com: SXSW 2008

We'll have a one-stop shop page with all things SXSW on it, including photos, video and blog feeds. I'll be posting the link to that page soon.

Meanwhile, tons of the same bands and artists performing at SXSW are also performing up here over the next couple of weeks, starting tonight.

• SXSW bands-up-here sked
• SXSW bands-down-there sked

A South by Southwest basic: The annual Austin fest takes place in three parts — interactive, music and film. In some cases, the parts intersect. SXSW just announced music-related films that will be shown during the film portion of the fest, March 7-15.

Here's the music-movie lineup:

Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year With Andre Williams
Director: Tricia Todd. A year in the life of Andre Williams, one of the unsung heroes of the American R&B community, who walks us through the hard life he s led over five decades of making music. (World Premiere)

Bananaz
Director: Ceri Levy. An in-depth and revealing glimpse at the cryptic cartoon band, Gorillaz. (North American Premiere)

The list appeared late this morning on South By Southwest's web site, a few days later than usual -- the lovely folks that run the nation's largest music-industry conference usually get the list of offical showcase music acts out by the first weekend in February -- but it's finally here. And it's quite interesting.

For the first time in my memory, Houston-area acts have claimed more slots than North Texas acts: 45 to 41. The majority of musicians from Space Town appear to be hip-hop acts, a phenomenon surely spurned by the still-strong chopped-and-screwed Houston rap style.

Of the local acts many are sage picks, including Calhoun, the Crash That Took Me, Fishboy, Glen Reynolds, Mom, Record Hop, Play-N-Skillz and a recently re-formed Centro-matic. Others are, well, odd (Ryan Cabrera? Lumba? C'mon). Post-emo act the New Frontiers made the cut, possibly thanks to its helping out down-on-its-luck acts such as Mississippi's the Colour Revolt (which made it again this year) in 2007. Also in: the hyper-artsy ambient electro-noise duo Tree Wave. Big local names: Bowling for Soup, Brave Combo, the Feds, the Drams and classic-rock wayback-machine torch bearers Kenny and the Kasuals.

On an international level, second-tier nationalities on the world's popular-culture rubicon appear to be championing their pop-music scenes to SXSW more than ever. Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand and the Netherlands all have multiple acts performing at showcases. Iran's got three (and it may be the last chance for bands from that country to come in quite a while if the political atmosphere continues to devolve in Tehran), and acts from as far away as mainland China (FM3), Slovenia (Volodja Balzalorsky), Latvia (Mona De Bo), Indonesia (the s.i.g.i.t.) and Uzbekistan (Navruz) have snagged spots.

Am I gonna see any of 'em? I doubt it. But judging from this list, SXSW's offerings have leapt to a new level of stylistic broadness in 2008. And I'm not sure that it's a good thing.

Tapes n' Tapes' people sent out an email today saying that SXSW is one of the band's tour stops, too.

If you're not familiar with this annual interactive, film and music conference and festival, check the site's about page and our blog posts from last year, housed on the original, pre-Playlist mothership of all GuideLive.com blogs, Over the Top.

Confirmed acts for the fest so far include R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Dolly Parton, David Banner, Bun B, Sia, Black Keys and tons more. Lou Reed will be the music conference's keynote speaker.

Stay tuned.