The boys of Vampire Weekend gave an early start to the festival, serenading souls left and right. The New York natives kept listeners entertained and sustained throughout the hottest part of the day. Most songs were familiar memories from their self-titled debut album, but a few new tricks were released during the show....

Austin Western Swing institution Asleep at the Wheel open a diverse day of rock, hip-hop and everything between on the AMD stage at Austin City Limits. Proggers Mars Volta headline....

Eugene Mirman is much funnier than you. A mainstay of New York's alternative comedy scene, Mirman's profile has been even higher of late. In February, his Comedy Central Presents special debuted, and earlier this year, he was asked to cover the New Hampshire primaries for 236.com. He can also be seen as Jemaine and Bret's strange landlord in HBO's Flight Of The Conchords. A multi-year veteran of SXSW, Mirman is hosting this year's Web Awards at SXSW Interactive and is also performing at multiple SX venues during the music festival. ...

SXSW has announced the schedule of events for this year’s official showcases -- start here! Also, check out Greg Hewgill's site for (unofficial) Torrents featuring the various artists playing SXSW 2008 (as well as past years)....

The list is here....

With the geographic world continuing to shrink in the 21st century and the increased ease of travel and communication opening new doors every day, today’s musical landscape is constantly evolving. Instruments from other cultures have always been utilized in western music, but of late, world styles are making major dents in the indie scene. Be it Vampire Weekend’s African accentuation, M.I.A.’s Bollywood beats, or Beirut evoking adventures in far off lands, we have been privy to some choice innovations in this decade. New York based Gogol Bordello’s brand of “Gypsy Punk” (falling in the geographic vicinity of Beirut’s concoctions) has been garnering momentum with the release of 2005’s Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike and last year’s Super Taranta!...

“Don’t believe the hype,” Public Enemy warned us way back in 1988, and as on their eerily prescient “Cold Lampin’ With Flavor” which made the surprising case for Flava Flave’s longevity, they were right, of course. And hype, by definition, should always be suspect. From the moment Vampire Weekend, the quirky New York quartet began making the blog rounds and collecting the sort of adjectives that pointed their way toward them becoming The Next Big Thing, we, as a music community, needed to take a breath, sit down, and just relax. Losing our shit about inventive New York rock debuts are just going to result in another band like The Strokes, and we all know where that got us....

The relevance of a 7" originally pressed in 1987 (two years after the band broke) being reissued now, in 2008, speaks volumes about a band with impact beyond its lifespan, beyond its then-insular and divided scene, and beyond our own expectations. In 1985, the punk scene in D.C. revolved around a sort of Machiavellian machismo which turned many punks into disgruntled outsiders at their own shows. Rites of Spring retaliated (even before Fugazi did), with unapologetically emotional lyrics about friendship, love and (oh my god hardcore scene) personal issues and groundbreaking song structures that took the hardcore scene by storm. ...

SXSW has announced via official mailing that there are a few bands confirmed for the festival aside from those we've mentioned already: R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Daniel Lanois, The Black Keys, The Kills, My Brightest Diamond, Pato Banton, Vampire Weekend, Joe Lean + The Jing Jang Jong, Jens Lekman, Sia, $olal, Tech N9ne, and Mala Rodriguez have received the official nod. A couple of those names will look familiar to those of you following our ongoing coverage, but the big names are news to us as well. ...

White Shoes & the Couples Company are rumored to be coming in from Indonesia (via) for SXSW 2008. The band, formed in 2002, is inspired by Indonesian films of the '70s and retro disco beats, as well as classic '30s jazz. They recently signed to Minty Fresh, and we predict 2008 as their break-out year, provided they roll into town with a couple of good shows booked....

San Diego’s Grand Ole Party joins a quality bill of local acts this Saturday at Emo’s Lounge. The band is fresh off a jaunt with Vampire Weekend, having toured with Rilo Kiley prior to that. Produced by Rilo Kiley’s Blake Sennett, the trio’s debut record Humanimals (no connection to Manimal) showcases singer/drummer Kristin Gundrer’s powerful vocal chops that pace Grand Ole Party’s raw garage rock. The album has been available through iTunes this year and a more traditional release on DH Records is expected in early 2008....

Image provided by Soundcheck MagazineWhile attending the University of Texas at Austin, one faces a constant barrage of “the weekend starts on Thursday” type advertisements. Although largely for exposure of Thursday night drink specials at bars on 6th Street, the intrinsic appeal of that statement bleeds through on days like these. Kick off your weekend early (and gently) with Swedish singer-songwriter José González at The Parish or dance away at the Electric Six show at......