more sxsw recaping: awards and highlights

wow it was 3 weeks ago. Maybe you guys are already eyeballing oh-ten, but I am still working my way through this.

I looked through my master list....excluding local bands (with one exception) these were "the best" bands I saw over sxsw (listed as chronologically as possible).

The award to end all awards award: The city of Austin and the APD for running a soft machine for the festivities. ("yeah you can't have bands playing outside at 2 in the morning" no citation at Charlie's (moved inside). No return visit. No visit to RanchO on Thursday. No nothin anywhere. SXSW's "complaints" not honored as such.)

top bands award:
the beets, vivian girls, pterodactyl, popo, dark meat, the dirty projectors, motel motel, prince rama, what's up?, dd/mm/yyyy, tUnE-YaRdS, Quiet Hooves, The Very Best, Rad Racket, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Mayyors,

the "next year's reverb" aka this year's trendy effect because its being put to good use at this moment, although soon other bands will surely bastardize it award: slap back echo (props to Popo, Pterodactyl)

In a surprise move, dethroning reigning champion "biking" (5 years running)--
The most efficient mode of transportation award: Staying in the same place

Most charismatic front man: Jim from Dark Meat
The set I had the most fun during award: Rad Racket @ Moose Lodge
Best Hard Rock: (tie) When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, Mayyors
Most you gotta be fucking kidding me event in my festival: The saga of Brett's dog*. (*-more on this later)
Band I wanted to see the most that I missed, with story attached: Thee Oh Sees
Band I would have most wanted to see if I had known they were playing: Flower Travellin' Band (yeah! they played Thursday!)
Guru Award: Mercer West, Todd Patrick
Best/(Only) Drug Award: Coffee
Best Short-Term Hunger Stopper Award: Grilled Cheese
Best place to catch some zzzzzs on the fly award: the "office" at treasure city thrift
Most Pleasant Surprise: The Vivian Girls. They were great! Awesome band.
Overrated AND Underrated award: Sleep
Most likely heir to Phosphorescent: Motel Motel
Coolest Merch: Tune-yards vinyl debut. it comes out of recycled LPs....they took old LP jackets and cut the sides, flipped it and then screenprinted over the cardboard. Awesome! Sustainability, dawg!
Best worst best idea that will totally be repeated: booking 40 bands on the same day

Best t-shirt award: Zach from Pterodactyl had a t-shirt that read backwards "I am a fascist" in this kinda Jackson Pollock font. I swear it took me like 3 hours to figure out that it was something backwards, and not just gibberish that looked vaguely like some foreign language. Would love to see that t-shirt coming at me in my rear view mirror....

get a glimpse of it here

more maybe coming, maybe not...I'll tell the story of Brett's dog for sure...and probably Saturday night.