We don't remember much of SXSW but of what we can remember, we think we had a pretty kickass time. During the week of March 13th to the 17th, we were out surviving on what little we had time to consume (usually free, alcoholic or "containing artificial flavors"), catching every bit of sanctioned and unsanctioned SXSW goodness. While we were out on the streets and bars of Austin, we began to realize a lot... more ›

Half the fun of South by Southwest is checking out what the visiting hipsters of the world are wearing. This year we interviewed more than a dozen stylish musicians, tourists and local fashionistas about their personal style as they made the rounds from show to show. We chose the ones that stood out the most for this video.
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Let's be honest: everyone loves SXSW week, but when it ends, you are secretly very ready to move on. Before we do, let's take a look at some of the isolated, crazy, and wonderful moments that make SXSW such an over-the-top sensory experience. – The dude at Girl Talk dancing with a broken pinata on his head. Then passing said pinata to someone else to dance with. – Isaac Hayes talking in his famous... more ›

The following is a letter written by Le and Thomas Popov, owners of South Congress boutique FactoryPeople. As life-long independent music lovers and long-time Austinites (at least one of has lived here since 1989), we have come to love mid-March when the SXSW Music Festival brings Austin to life. After the events of this year's fest, it’s unlikely we’ll ever feel the same affection for SXSW. On Thursday, March 15th, an inspector of the City... more ›

We're back in New York where people are trying to recover from SXSW, here's the last entry of Nate from My Brightest Diamond's Austin tour diary he kept for us. Read the first part here. Over at Gothamist we've got Pela's tour diary...we totally snuck in to their hotel room and found it under their pillow. SXSW DAY 2: A DAY, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER In contrast to my first 24 hours here at the... more ›

With no less than three of the biggest afterparties at this year's SXSW abruptly shut down, it's no wonder that we've been hearing all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories. But much as we'd love to blame this year's spate of buzzkilling closures on curmudgeonly old muckety-mucks, the evidence seems to point to something far less interesting: lack of permits. At least that was the case with FactoryPeople's Thursday night rager, "La Chic Disco Boum," and... more ›

Hey Austin, Jen from Gothamist here again. Your mayor is pretty cool: more ›

Send us your photos from SXSW and we'll include them in our ongoing slideshow! more ›

Sure, there are billions of day parties going down tomorrow, but how many of them are going to be a setting as intimate as Whisky Bar, eh? That’s right. Not many. In fact, one has to wonder, how exactly are they going to fit all this goodness IN there? Will there be room for you AND your lover’s crippling hang over? more ›

Over at Gothamist we have a thing called Tourist, where bands from New York keep tour diaries for us. My Brightest Diamond is one of the bands doing this for us throughout SXSW, check out Nate from MBD's first entry here. And here's an excerpt. Three days before flying out from NY to Austin for the South by Southwest music conference, I had a rather ominous dream. It was the sort of dream you wake... more ›

Tony from LAist letting you know that you have a hell of a town here. Not only did we get to see Slash last night in an amazingly intimate setting, but we also ran into some Oxfam kids who were spreading the good news while everyone was getting plastered. Now that's sacrifice. Below are some LA bands that we think you might like if you wanna check out what the West Coast has to... more ›

Next to free beer, free bbq, and checking out great bands, there's nothing we like better than interviewing people on the street to see what's going down. Over the last few days during SXSW we have had the pleasure of meeting some super cool kids. No, literally, kids. more ›

Ah, SXSW. One minute you're walking down Sixth to catch a bus, the next you're watching Wayne Coyne, lead singer of the Flaming Lips, interview some weirdo for a bit on The Tonight Show. Don't worry, this video won't bring the FCC calling. Those are some kind of gag underwear that have a plastic genatalia-esque accessory on the outside. Coyne and crew were first spotted wandering down the street until this producer (we assume),... more ›

We'll be publishing photos from each day of SXSW Music, and we'd love to include your snapshots from day parties, showcases, in-stores, and afterparties! Simply send 'em over (in JPG or GIF format) to photos@austinist.com, with a brief description and any photo credits, and we'll do our best to include them in our new slideshow feature.... more ›

Austinist and Gothamist's second annual SXSW day party (co-hosted this year with Gorilla Vs Bear) was a resounding success, drawing a capacity crowd by the early afternoon. Austin Mayor Will Wynn made a surprise visit during Earl Greyhound's set, articulating the importance of cornerstone venues like The Mohawk on our city's live music scene and suggesting that Austin musicians need better access to healthcare. His speech garnered tremendous applause from the audience, which consisted... more ›

Seems like all the -ist sites are here for SXSW this week, and we've all hacked our way in to Austinist! Gothamist arts & entertainment editor Jen here, live from somewhere off I-35 and still recovering from our Austinist, Gothamist, Gorilla vs Bear show yesterday. There are of course plenty of great shows to catch today and tonight, and thanks to this map and directory - you should be able to find the right one... more ›

Tony from LAist, here again to give you some choice picks of some of the bands that LA is very proud of. Tonight is one of those nights where you really wish you could split yourself up into several you's to check out all the bands that are rocking your fine town. The pick of the day has got to be Dengue Fever which is a multicultural group starring Cambodian pop star Ch’hom Nimol.... more ›

We realize that you have many options for delicious food here in Austin, and coming from LA home of some great Mexican food we were very happy to run into Aurelio's on 6th Street. They've only been open for a few months (taking over the location from a previous Mexican place that reportedly was ousted due to drug issues, allegedly) but Aurelio's has been one of our regular haunts as we make our way... more ›

My name is Tony Pierce, I'm the Editor of LAist, here in your fine town for SXSW. This is my third year doing the 9-day marathon of Interactive, Film, and Rock and I've gotta say that this is the best week-and-a-half that I get to spend each year. Although no one argues that Austin is the live music capital of the world, LA has been known to be home of some pretty decent bands,... more ›

Rain or shine, our day party is definitely happening today, over at the Mohawk. We're also pleased to announce that Austin Mayor Will Wynn will be delivering a brief welcome address at approximately 1:30pm. Flyer by Justin Cox. Austinist, Gothamist, and Gorilla Vs Bear Proudly Present Gonna Gonna Get, Get Down! 2 Inside (11:50am) The Shivers (12:35pm) Tom Brosseau (1:20pm) Sparrow House (2:05pm) Teitur (2:50pm) Peter and the Wolf (3:35pm) Stars of Track and Field... more ›

Andrew Bird's Armchair Apocrypha arrives officially on March 20, and after his performances here for SXSW, he'll embark on an international tour to support it. The Suzuki method-trained violinist, whistler and multi-instrumentalist is known for heart-stoppingly impressive live sets, and his use of Line 6 DL4 Delay Modelers for live phrase samples has prompted a wave of innovative live acts, as artists like Feist and Final Fantasy make use of similar modelers during their... more ›

The buzzkillers at the National Weather Service just issued a severe thunderstorm watch for almost 75 counties in Central Texas, with flash floods in Travis and Williamson Counties likely at least until 6pm. The storms are moving northeast at roughly 20 miles per hour, bringing with them the possibility of "small hail and damaging winds," plus an estimated 3 inches of total rainfall. more ›

The following films played Saturday, March 10th as part of the SXSW Film Festival: Campaign - This Japanese doc follows the travails of a "parachute" candidate for the Kawasaki city council. He's called that because he moved to the city specifically to run for office through his allegiance to the powerful LDP party. Japan is as big a character as the candidate, as the candid shots of life there offer revealing snippets of the... more ›

Little-known outside the experimental guitar scene, the immensely talented Japanese guitar-slinger Tetuzi Akiyama has been perfecting his improvisational rockabilly style for the better part of 20 years now. Due to play several shows during SXSW and a smattering of shows in Texas and elsewhere, Tetuzi kindly extrapolated on his singular talents for us: You started playing guitar when you were 13. What sort of music were you listening to at the time that drew... more ›

San Francisco rockabilly-Americana outfit Trainwreck Riders are coming for their SXSW ever, and they're doing it in grand style: apart from their Wednesday night showcase at Dirty Dog Bar, they'll be playing the free +1 House Party and NY2LON's private Saturday evening afterparty. The following are responses from three of the four lads -- Andrew (lead guitar, vocals), Pete (lead vocals, guitar), and Garritt (bass, vocals). [The Trainwreck Riders on Myspace] [The Trainwreck Riders... more ›

Rocket, Quiet Company, Blackholicus, and Golden AX squared off at Room 710 last night in a friendly LA versus Austin Battle-of-the-Bands, and Austin you came out on top. LAist held their SXSW party at the Red River mainstay and brought two bands to "compete" against a pair of local groups for a free Sunday night show that started with the My Morning Jacket-esque Quiet Company (who should change their names because they're anything but... more ›

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For the first time in its two-decades-plus history, SXSW is getting an official break from the City of Austin, after the city council last Thursday approved over $90,000 in fee waivers for this year's festival. According to the Statesman, most of this covers the cops and barricades needed for street closures (much of 6th Street and Red River Street will be shut down to car traffic). SXSW co-founder and Austin Chronicle editor Louis Black alluded... more ›

The 10th annual SXSW Interactive Web Awards were handed out last night at the Austin Hilton's Grand Ballroom, honoring 18 of the internet's top developers, designers, and websites. Comedian and video blogging phenom Ze Frank emceed the ceremony. more ›

For those of you brave enough to drive into downtown this week, Austin Police Department wants to warn you about fakester parking attendants: more ›