by Penn Collins

It's that time of year again. That's right. Hipster St. Paddy's Day, otherwise known as South By Southwest, the music showcase/giant effin' party that takes place in Austin during UT's spring break so that somehow even more indie-rock, scarf-wearing, ironically-tattooed can move into Austin than were already there to begin with. 

1331494805.jpeg

Rather than give a rundown of the event itself, which hasn't changed much at all (save for the bands), I am going to recommend that you just get back to last year's guide, which can be found right here. 

To see what will be different this year, well, that list begins and ends with the music. With literally thousands of bands to choose from, it's impossible for ANYONE to create an exhaustive rundown with narrative. However, there are tons of big(ish) name bands playing, so for details on set times, consult your local listings. By that, I just mean you should Google the names with "SXSW 2012" attached to the end of your search. 

Here's what you're in for. Or what you're missing, if you wanna be pessimistic about it. 

Bruce Springsteen

Fiona Apple

The War on Drugs

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Miike Snow

The Shins

Santigold

Jay-Z

Chairlift

Best Coast

Hot Water Music

Tennis

Polyphonic Spree

The Ting Tings

Cloud Nothings

Against Me!

Of Montreal 

Lana Del Rey

Deerhoof

The Black Angels

and, of course, what indie music festival wouldn't be complete without....

The Counting Crows

Obviously, these are some of the lowest common denominators of music appeal, so if your tastes run a little more esoteric...trust us. You'll be fine. This list may appear high-order, but as we creep up, we'll be getting more and more in-depth with our studies, so stay tuned!