South by Southwest Mixtape

Every March, the independent music world gathers in Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival. This lively, all-night party atmosphere has expanded over the years to include a Film Festival and an Interactive Festival. Based on Twitter reports, it is all about the parties. There was even a Wired journalist Twittering from an undisclosed location and pretending he was in Austin. He made up such bad behavior that he had to tell his mom that he was only kidding.

Anyway, since the Festival is still based around music, and showcasing the latest independent bands, the Aquarium Drunkard blog has put together an MP3 playlist of the bands worth checking out. Download these tracks. Load ’em up on your ipod and take a listen. If you like any of the songs, tell the artists, or even buy their music. Indie musicians everywhere will thank you.

SXSW Mixtape Part 1
SXSW Mixtape Part 2
SXSW Mixtape Part 3