Holy crap, I overheard myself telling someone that I "really liked" Texas, that's when I realized that I'd most likely been drugged and/or bludgeoned. In all fairness, Austin is an exception since that's where they keep all the hippies and Democrats and vegetarians. It's the Texas Tower District. We felt right at home. (Houston, on the other hand, is Fresno with L.A. traffic.)

Fresyes SXSW report goes as such: South By Southwest is good. Very good. Too good, actually. If you had any inclination of seeing all the music that you'd like to see, you'd go home irritated and disappointed (in addition to hungover, in love, and generally Texa-fied). That being said, I decided to focus on fewer performances rather than more.

Elvis Costello and the Imposters at La Zona Rosa, March 16th, 11:30pm:
Can't say enough. The guy brings it. Super high energy, fast paced, no bullshit, just good rock. When asked to describe his new band in contrast to the Attractions of old he said simply, "less hair, more face." It was a greatest-hits show, right through the catalog. Go see him, it'll do ya good. Plus he's touring with Tift Merritt, who, gentlemen, likes to wear low-cut blouses and sings real good, too.

Pedro the Lion at Emo's Annex, March 17th, 3pm:
It was middle afternoon and I heard someone say that they were playing down the street, so I bolted from the event where I was supposedly "working." Pedro the Lion wins the Fresyes "band who looks more suited for pumping gas than rocking" award. Despite their stained hoodie and bus-driver-hairdo tendencies, the show was terrific. Very subdued performance, they were feeling extra-emo that day, apparently.

Earlimart at Buffalo Billiards, March 17th, 11pm:
Guv and I, as we've mentioned briefly in the past (but sparingly enough so as to not seem name-droppy) went to school with Aaron in glorious northeast Fresno. I got a chance to say hello and catch up a little bit and threaten again to go public with the photos that I have of Aaron's first band, Ledge. I think I have a T-shirt somewhere too. Anyway, I hadn't seen Earlimart live before and they kicked my ass. It's a puzzle to me how they can orchestrate such a huge sound. They're on the forefront of indie. Combining piano-driven harmonies with fuzzed-out guitar and two drummers. Not like Deadhead-drivel two drummers, but more like "Whoa! They've got 2 drummers! Feels like I'm being enjoyably kicked in the face!" So again, go see them.

More to watch out for: The Sights (so sick of the), Teegan and Sara, The French Kicks, the "Real World: Austin" cast being pelted by lettuce while filming on 6th street, Bloc Party's overexposure nightmare, The Iron Cactus's vegan enchiladas, and when you see roads in Texas labeled "FM," it means Farm to Market. G'nite.