When there are so many indie bands playing at a great festival such as SXSW, it’s hard not to feel guilty when you’re not checking out all the new ones. However, seeing a band such as Broken Social is an exception.

So, I headed over to The Parish again and just as expected… There was a line just as  It was a free show for only badges and wristbands and I finally decided to take advantage of my wristband capabilities and see a big act. If you are unaware of how the system works at SXSW, badges are first, wristbands are second and those without registration credentials are sometimes given the option of paying a cover. However, this was Broken Social Scene, so this was definitely not a free show for everyone.

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After hearing the nonsense that was Uffie, I went over to I Guess I’m Floating’s day party over at Love Joy’s for The Ruby Suns. The line was a bit long though, and I was afraid I was going to miss their set. However, after I settled in with a beer, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they had not even gone on yet. The Ruby Suns, another band hailing from New Zealand, is definitely a band that should be on anyone’s to-see list. Although they are considered an indie pop band, The Ruby Suns give off an Animal Collective/Miike Snow vibe, and for such a crowded and stuffy place, they pulled off a great performance.

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After a set by Leslie and The Badgers at Trailer Fire Records’ party, I quickly hopped over to the The Hype Machine’s day party (which went on every day from 12 pm to 2 am – talk about commitment!) over at the dance club, VICE. After seeing Fenech-Soler the night before (See Day 2), I was curious to see if there were any new fun bands I could discover. I walked in because I saw New Zealand’s Bachelorette on the set list and had always been meaning to catch one of her shows. However, I was utterly disappointed when I walked in and saw press photos of Uffie projected onto the walls. I look over and sure enough, rapper-singer, Uffie was hyping up the crowd.

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By day 3 of SXSW, my fellow colleagues and the festival goers surrounding us were all complaining about lower back pain, feet on fire, and legs feeling like they were about to fall off. However, that didn’t stop us from going to see some great shows for the day and well into the night.

Friday was a bit chillier than the last two days, but the Austin sunshine was still there to greet us as we decided our next moves. First stop for me was Los Angeles’ Trailer Fire Records’ day party where Justin Gordon, Olentangy John, We Are Country Mice and Leslie and The Badgers were playing at Shakespeare’s Pub.

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Day two of the SXSW festival didn’t start until about 3pm for me thanks to a late night taco spot and plenty of free drinks to go around. I caught the tail end of The Low Anthem at the Paste party before moving outside to see Black Prairie. Next up was Crystal Fighters who put on one hell of an energetic show. More on that interesting event to follow…

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To cap off the night of SXSW Day 2 around 12:45 AM, I popped into the club Vice where The Hype Machine was holding their daily/nightly “Lose Control 2″ party. The club was crazy as expected; they had everything from DJs to strobing lights to people dancing for a crowd. It was a nice environment to let loose in after a long day. Just as I thought I was going to dance the night away to some DJ’s, a UK group by the name of Fenech-Soler took the stage. Apparently they were supposed to go on a half hour earlier but as special guests, the delay might have favorably gone toward them.

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With my satisfaction at getting in touch with the singer-songwriter scene again, I decided to go out and explore in celebration. It didn’t take me long to find another showcase. I just hopped across the street to Maggie Mae’s and stayed because I saw The Rocketboys on the set list. With the grace of my wristband, I was lucky enough to up go upstairs and see these guys live.

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After deciding I was utterly over The xx after five or six songs and grabbing some grub, I decided to head into The Parish where The Hotel Cafe showcase was being held – and to my surprise, singer-songwriter Laura Jansen was up next. I had been curious about her as an artist for a while but only because I tend to fall in and out of my relationship with the singer-songwriter genre. There is no doubt that performers who play shows like The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles are talented, but sometimes it isn’t enough to entice me to go out and see a show.

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With a location beyond the freeway, the walk was lengthy and I arrived to see a ridiculously long line for The xx at The Lawn Party. Knowing that they were scheduled to go on at 6 PM and that it was well past that point already, I regretted hiking all the way to a party to see a band I didn’t even particularly like. I’ve had an odd relationship with The xx’s latest album. There was an incredible amount of hype surrounding it during the end of 2009 and out of curiosity, I took a listen. My initial conclusion was that this was an indie rock band slipping into R&B territory, and that it sounded good but it also wasn’t anything extraordinary. My decision to walk to this party anyway was a way to give them a second chance. I thought perhaps I would enjoy them more live.

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