The Gay Blades and J.A.C.K. are two of the indie bands with the most fun show in town - and as the town we are talking about is indie band capital NYC, this might even be one of the most fun shows you'll ever see! Uhm, yeah, maybe we are parital to these guys because they played our Deli Parties several times and rocked da house. Jack is a weird beast of a band flirting with indie, blues, noise rock and metal, tied together by an insanely intense frontman. The Gay Blades play another weird mix of rock'n'roll, indie and pop that sometimes purposedly (and gayfully) enters cheesy territory - this is one of those bands that you MUST see live, as their recordings really don't give the right idea of what the live experience is going to be. On the bill also slightly mellower indie pop group My Other Friends. Bowery Electric on March 26 - Do not miss!

The final day of SXSW 2010 moved in slow motion. Indescribably exhausted, I meandered through a more suburban part of town to Domy Books for the “What by Whatever Day Party.” In the backyard, the sunshine beamed down on a wooden stage that bounced with ever band, beginning with The Eastern Sea (bottom picture), a folksy seven-piece from Austin. Following them were fellow Austinites, The Frontier Brothers, whose vibrant energy radiated and awakened me from my zombie state. Last but not least, The Bright Light Social Hour (top picture) substantiated their recent award from the Austin Chronicle for the “Best Indie Band” (They should also win “Funniest Band.”), closing my SXSW on a high note. Final thought about SXSW 2010: fantastic event, great experience, I only wish venues in Austin were bigger: I had a great schedule planned out but I was unable to get into a lot of shows even with a wristband because they were too crowded... I guess everyone had the same bands in mind! - Meijin Bruttomesso

The penultimate day of SXSW took a turn for the frigid, making the festival challenging to endure. Bright and early, I froze in a two-block long line for “Mr. and Mrs. T and Rachael Ray’s Feedback Festival” at Stubb’s BBQ where Steve Conte and the Crazy Truth (NYC, bottom picture), School of Seven Bells (NYC), Andrew W.K (NYC), Street Sweeper Social Club (LA), Jakob Dylan and Three Legs, She and Him (Portland, top picture), and many more hit backyard and indoor stages. Miniature pulled-pork “sammies” and chicken quesadillas were almost unattainable, but a lucky taste test of the hearty h'ordeuvres satiated me for a short shopping spree at the American Apparel Flea Market and evening events. I caught a glimpse of The Cringe at The Texas Rockfest outdoor stage, and later, a full list of trios including New Madrid (NYC), at Mugshots Bar. The day’s highlight was an unforeseen recording session on the Lifestream AOL bus with Black Taxi, who astonished all aboard with their infectious songs and instrumental resourcefulness. - Meijin Bruttomesso

Day three of SXSW left me speechless. A mid-day slot at Rusty Spurs with Deadbeat Darling lifted my spirits before a two hour wait for LA’s leather-and-sunglasses-clad Black Rebel Motor Cylce Club the Filter Magazine Party. I stepped foot in Hyde Park Bar and Grill ONE more time for the “NYC Mixer,” another show I had co-arranged. The gig united bands from across the country, serving Texas a sample of Miss Derringer (LA, top picture), Pearl and the Beard (Brooklyn), Middle Distance Runner (DC), Outernational (NYC, bottom picture), Milo and the Fuzz (NYC), and The Frontier Brothers (Austin). Jetting back downtown to an over-packed Ghost Room, an all-star line-up, including Middle Class Rut, Jason Heath and the Greedy Souls, Michael Stipe (REM), Chris Shifflet (The Foo Fighters), Billy Bragg, Tom Morello and Boots Riley’s project, Street Sweeper Social Club, and more played mini-sets and jammed for Jail Guitar Doors, a program that rehabilitates inmates with music. To top off the night, a photo-op with Tom Morello preceded an after party at The Belmont. – Meijin Bruttomesso

Day 2 was the day of honing navigation skills. The Baeblemusic.com Party at the Scoot Inn lined up promising acts that alternated between indoor and outdoor stages. A park-style area was decorated with paper lanterns and framed by two bars and a food cart, and listeners relaxed on tree stumps and patches of grass. Seabear, a sextet from Iceland, melded strings and acoustic guitars into a pleasant and exotic folk rock. Inside, Washington DC’s These United States upped the energy with a Southern rock lilt and grimy Gospel flavor, and back in the sunshine, Australia’s Dappled Cities played avant guarde electro-pop. Off the main drag at the 21st Street Co-Op, a “clothing optional” shindig hosted Austin natives, MoTeL Aviv (pic below), in an abstractly painted dorm common room. I found the city’s friendliest taxi-driver en route to Hyde Park Bar and Grill (South) for The Deli’s second sponsored show, and completed my night with some 6th Street sight-seeing.

The Deli Magazine and CitizenMusic joined forces to educate Austin on some of the best artists from New York at Hyde Park Bar and Grill (South). A spacious restaurant and bar, home to the best French fries around, opened into a patio where a tent housed the live music for the evening. A SXSW suppertime party, the “NYC in ATX Showcase” entertained a group of all-aged diners, families, and rock ‘n rollers with five Big Apple acts, including Blackbells (picture below), New Madrid, The Shake, Deadbeat Darling, and Black Taxi. Blackbells offered guests free EP’s and a superb set after traveling thirty hours straight to Texas. The fiery New Madrid pushed forward with outstanding vivacity, and The Shake’s second evening at Hyde Park resulted in enthusiastic feedback and a new population of fans. The wind picked up and carried Deadbeat Darling’s blissful and stirring reggae-rock throughout venue, and Black Taxi almost blew a fuse with their high-powered instrumentation and charisma. Mission “Rock Austin” accomplished. - Meijin Bruttomesso