In which High Highs continue to remind me of Radiohead (this time, “These Are My Twisted Words”) and continue to be terrific. This is from the group’s SXSW 2011-closing set at the Velveeta Room during the festival’s final moments earlier this year. The group’s debut EP is out now on Small Plates.

More: High Highs | SXSW 2011

Earlier this year, I covered the South by Southwest Music Festival for the Los Angeles Times’ Brand X; since Brand X has since been wiped from the Internet (and since I’m starting to think about next March already), the photos are now here. You can find shots from my unofficial Waynestock party with TwentyFourBit (and Sondre Lerche, Pepper Rabbit, ARMS, etc.) in the recap post.

Rawkblog chamber-folk heroes Pepper Rabbit have a sophomore album coming out this summer. Here’s a live take on one track that should make the set, the anthemic “The Annexation of Puerto Rico,” from the band’s set at our Waynestock party on Thursday.

More: SXSW | Waynestock

New York’s Ravens & Chimes spent their appearance at our Waynestock party previewing upcoming sophomore album Holiday Life. Here’s “Past Lives,” which bears a striking resemblance to the Manic Street Preachers’ classic “If You Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next” (right?).

“If you book them, they will come,” a great man once said. And indeed, though a couple of the busier groups cut it close, seven of my favorite bands made it to Waynestock — my first-ever unofficial day party at you-know-where, a collaboration with the thoroughly rad TwentyFourBit. I’m too emotionally attached to give this one a proper review, so I’ll offer a full round of thank-you’s: to LA Font, Scott Bartenhagen, Little Scream, Ravens & Chimes, Pepper Rabbit, ARMS and Sondre Lerche for playing and gracing us with so many great new songs; to the Liberty and Transmission Entertainment for having us; to Traci Larson for the sweet poster; and to Etnies, thinkThin and Origami Vinyl for their generous sponsorship. Enjoy the photos and look for a full SXSW 2011 recap later today. See you next year. 

LA Font – “The American Leagues”: mp3
ARMS – “Floaters”: mp3
Little Scream – “The Heron and the Fox”: mp3
Pepper Rabbit – “Older Brother”: mp3
Pepper Rabbit – “Heat and Hot Water” (ARMS cover): mp3
Ravens & Chimes – “Division Street”: mp3
Scott Bartenhagen – “Beacons”: mp3
Sondre Lerche – “Bluish” (Animal Collective cover): mp3

If you came to Waynestock, my and TwentyFourBit’s first ever SXSW party yesterday, thank you. It was a blast. (Though, a tip for next year: if you’re writing “+2″ on the Facebook wall after the party has started, you’re doing it wrong.) I’ll have a full recap with photos and more videos next week, but for now, here’s headliner Sondre Lerche playing “Domino,” the lead single from his upcoming self-titled album.

Oh, yes. Sondre Lerche at 6 p.m., ARMS at 5 p.m. and so on. Get to the Liberty at noon and we’ll have free beer, free snack bars from our sponsor thinkThin, free shirts from our sponsor Etnies, and free good vibes from our final sponsor, Origami Vinyl. See ya there, and be sure to use #Waynestock on the Twitters.

Bands:

Here’s 10 of the non-local bands I’d like to catch, mostly fresh/new stuff; unlike last year, I didn’t struggle through the SXSW bands torrent this week, so you’re on your own with that. I will suggest, however, that any band named “______ and the _____” probably sucks bad and you should skip them.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
High Highs
The Stepkids
Curren$y
Lia Ices
Smith Westerns
Gentleman Jesse and His Men
Mr. Heavenly (Will Michael Cera be there?!)
Still Corners
Maritime

Plenty more worthy acts, obviously (Mind Spiders, International Waters, Memoryhouse, the list goes on forever).

Parties:

Waynestock on Thursday, obvs.! A few of my friends and colleagues are also throwing serious shindigs:

IAMSOUND showcase
Force Field/Terrorbird day party
Storychord day party
We Listen For You walking show
Consequence of Sound Dot Com Stage
IGIF Killer Tofu party
Stereogum Last Night in Texas

Venue map:

View SXSW 2011 in a larger map

Etc.:

Go to Torchy’s Tacos and Homeslice Pizza. Walk around on South Congress. Try to catch a show at the Central Presbyterian Church.

And so on. Will you be there? Holler at me at @daverawkblog or via e-mail — we’ll get tacos. See you at Waynestock.