The new face of indie rock.
 
Every year I say I’m not goin’, but once again I will be at SXSW. I live in Austin, so it’s hard to avoid. I plan to spend more time this year checking out new bands and avoiding the crush of people trying to get in to see major label warhorses like Green Day, Stevie Nicks, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Cave and Iggy and The Stooges. If established acts are what you’re interested in, there’s plenty of free shows (no badges or wristbands required), including Flaming Lips, The Coup, The Zombies (with Argent and Blunstone) and Tegan & Sara.

As SXSW continues to grow far beyond its humble origins, there’s hundreds of alternative events that are keeping the original vibe alive. If you’re coming, be sure to check out sites like the Unofficial SXSW Guide and SXSW Side Parties Database.

With Prince, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and Lil Wayne added to the 2013 schedule, SXSW continues its long death march to Grammy Awards irrelevancy. Help me keep it real. If you’ve got a band, a film or some cool product you’d like to talk to me about, contact me at marcdangermind@gmail.com.