David Newgarden, nice guy manager (is that an oxymoron? Just kitten! However, I did tour manage a band for him, and he just seemed so normal), heads to SXSW this year with his artist, the lovely Tift Merritt.

Way back in the stone age, when SXSW took place at the Hyatt (or maybe it was the during the Pleistocene epoch when we were at the Marriott), young David, then the Program Director at WFMU, moderated SXSW’s first “Alternative Music” panel. Isn’t that a nice story?

Have a gander at DN’s Pick Three…

The Homosexuals: More mysterious than Jandek, more legendary than Half Japanese…

Dan Melchior Und Das Menace: 90% rock 15% roll

Blitzen Trapper: A lesson for young bands – tour for two months straight – you will become great or you’ll kill each other.

Emoticons on the SXSW blog… I just wanted to see if they worked. Thanks for reading. I know I said something about “fast and furious posting” and I meant it. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be content crazy around here. No one reads this part of the post, anyway. Well, Melissa does. She even emailed a wombat to me. Are you reading? Why not drop me a line at musicblog@sxsw.com. Just don’t say anything too mean or try to sell me Viagra. Yes, I’m kooky! lp