The Best of the 2009 SXSW Music Lineup for Watching from Home

Here's my little guide to the highlights of the 2009 SXSW music lineup for those of us stuck watching from home. First, a little background on the festival, coming to Austin, Texas, March 18 to 22.

There will always be haters who think they are more indie than the next guy or the entire world, really. The Sundance festival isn't as cool as the experimental film festival in their basement and South by Southwest, the massive music festival better known as SXSW, is too lame and corporate.

When it comes down to it, though, they will all be there for SXSW - if they can afford the steep price. They'll also probably be kissing up to some of the corporate honchos they hate to get into the premium showcases and exclusive parties.

Why? It's simply the best lineup in all of rock music. Sure, Coachella and Bonnaroo have their fantastic headliners, but SXSW brings together more than 1,800 bands for four days of sleepless, ear-splitting joy. Music legends and upstart garage bands alike pack downtown Austin, Texas, and if you care about music, you'll be there (unless you can't afford it and can't get press credentials, in which case you'll vicariously watch as much as you can online).

It's those upstart garage bands that make the festival really interesting. I don't know which band will go from local neighborhood favorites to international indie darlings after SXSW. Nobody does. That's the coolest part.

Oh, and the huge legends playing legendary shows in small clubs. That's pretty cool, too. Most attendees aren't hip enough for these shows, but you can have a front-row seat for some of the shows sitting in front of your computer or TV. Granted, it's not the same as being there. It won't sound as good and you can't rubberneck for celebrities, but you probably won't get beer spilled on you and you (hopefully) won't have to listen to some label schmuck jabber on his cell phone all night.

OK, enough bull. Let's get to the TV and Internet lineup. For a full lineup, your best bet is the official SXSW Web site. But prepare to be overwhelmed and feel pressured into trying to buy tickets. Instead, avoid the heartache and accept that your choices are limited. Here are a few of them:

• It's not too late to sign up for DirecTV. The network will broadcast eight hours of SXSW music each day of the festival. Previous broadcasts included music as diverse as the Polyphonic Spree, Tift Merritt and Dizzee Rascal. The lineup won't likely be announced, but grab a drink, sit on the couch and just soak it all in.

• The popular online radio station WOXY.com is streaming at least 25 concerts and studio sessions from SXSW, including Iran, Viva Voce and Future of the Left. Those helpful folks have even posted links for most of the groups at the above blog post.

• Stream the highlights at the NPR Web site. Sign up now for email updates on the festival, but National Public Radio streamed dozens of great shows last year, and promise the same this year, including the debut live performance of the new Decemberists album in its entirety. The Heartless Bastards and the Avett Brothers open the show, so expect perfect-quality streams of their anticipated shows as well. Don't miss the Heartless Bastards, who sound like Janis Joplin fronting Crazy Horse.

• Keep checking the KEXP site. The Seattle station may be the best radio station in the country, and it streams shows almost every day from the studio and from live concerts in Seattle and elsewhere. It has a tradition of streaming in-studio radio station shows by SXSW buzz bands. This year will be no exception.

In addition, bands and other bloggers will likely livestream from the festival, but you can be guaranteed of great sound quality and few technical hiccups on the above sites.

Happy listening.