My blogging train derailed after, oh, a day. But hey, I was on borrowed computer time, and there were both copious amounts of bands to see, tacos to eat, and hangovers to cure. Can you really blame me?

So, instead of doing a day by day thing as was probably my original intention, may I just offer you both my stats, highlights, and low-lights:

Total Number of Tacos Consumed: Ten (had I not had to come home on Saturday afternoon, that taco crown would have been mine!)
Total Number of Beers Consumed: Too many for one liver.
Total Number of Bands Seen: Somewhere in the fifty range, or, in other words, a freaking ton.
Total Number of Bands Seen Twice: Three (Jens Lekman, Born Ruffians, Be Your Own Pet)
Total Number of Bands Seen Three Times: One (Bodies of Water)
Total Number of Bands Not Seen But Wanted To See: Four (Neon Neon, Wye Oak, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Okkervil River)
Total Number of Man-Crushes I Finally Admitted To Myself of Having: One (Jens Lekman!! SWOON!)

Continue after the jump for all my post-drunken insight on the insanity that was SXSW.

This is the conversation I had with a friend the day after the Constantines show on Friday night, which, consequently, was probably my favorite show of the entire week:

"So, have you seen anything good?"
"Yeah, I saw the Constantines last night"
"I had no idea they were even down here! Damnit!"
"Yeah, they were really fucking great, too."
"Of course they were great. They're the greatest live band in the world. You know, the Constantines were the only band you could have answered my question with that would have bummed me out. Thanks for destroying my South By in one single sentence"

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. They really are incredible. If you don't believe me, listen to this fan boy go off on how much he also loves them.

Other than that, I'd have to say my biggest highlights were both Jens Lekman and Bodies of Water, both bands I have consequently already seen live. I caught Jens twice, once solo and once with his full band, and both times were incredible. He is without a doubt my favorite current musician. He closed both sets with "A Sweet Summer Night on Hammer Hill", and after the whole "my heart beats like..." portion of the song, he just glazed over with a hint of a smile on his face, stared off into the back of the crown, and rested the microphone right on his heart. It was incredibly twee and adorable, and I can't help it: I love that man.

Bodies of Water I managed to catch three times, which means they were either doing something incredibly right or I have the worst planning skills of all time. Luckily for me, they are doing something right. I can't quite pin their sound down exactly, but I think a lot of it sounds very Talking Heads-ish, at least in the way their songs are structured. Really though, it's all about the vocal harmonies. Hearing four people (two guys, two girls) belt it out the way they do is everything it should be: uplifting, chill-inducing, and beautiful. Give it six months and all you'll be hearing about is this band, for sure.

Los Campesinos! were great, even though they experienced some sound difficulties and really only played stuff of their not-yet released new album. Times New Viking killed it. I like the records, but seeing them live is the only way they should be experienced.

Other bands that I can really recommend although not at length here because I just spend four days drinking and drinking and drinking and my mind isn't quite functioning: El Guincho, Fleet Foxes, The Mae Shi, Fucked Up, Born Ruffians, The Ruby Suns, Bon Iver, and Kid Sister.

Sadly, there were two disappointments this trip. I was really excited to see The Wedding Present, but they only played as a two-piece, guitar and bass, and while I love that band immensely, the whole acoustic feel to the show wasn't working for me. And sadly, although it was sound difficulties and not her fault, I only lasted about three songs through Robyn's set. The first song, when everything was working, was amazing, but then her computer stopped working and the show devolved into her singing over an electric piano. Again, I love me some Robyn, but have no desire to see her do an acoustic set.

And that was it. There were a ton of bands. There was a ton of drinking. There weren't enough tacos. Next year that taco crown is mine!