A premium blend of country/city boys made good, Brooklyn's Hymns rocked a small but enthused SXSW closing night crowd at Cedar Patio with the horns-heavy jam, "I Can't Be What You Want," insisting their brass section was an impulse buy: "We found them at IHOP this morning," frontman Brian Harding told the audience.

SPIN's annual SXSW bash at Stubb's BBQ is always a hot ticket, and this year it was also just plain hot. Like, over 90 degrees hot without much shade, cooking pasty faced East Coasters low-n-slow, much like the racks of ribs in the Stubb's kitchen. But our lineup was up to the challenge, leading off with shape-shifting British outfit Switches.

Oakland's Port O'Brien may have been collectively suffering from sore throats, as Neil Young-sounding frontman (and part-time Alaskan fisherman) Van Pierszalowski revealed, but luckily a little extra scratchiness goes a long way for the Americana quintet, who played the SFxSXSW showcase at Bourbon Rocks on Saturday.

Each year, SXSW always helps a handful legacy artists connect with a new, younger fanbase, and at SXSW '08, '80s soul crooner Daryl Hall turned out to be one of those performers.

Sounds from rock'n'roll's most Southern-fried past were definitely on display at SXSW '08, and Portland's Blitzen Trapper were at the forefront of that trend. Watch them perform the unreleased song "Love You" at SPIN & MySpace's San Jacinto Saloon on 6th Street in Austin.

Blitzen Trapper, "Love You"

Tilly and the Wall and Flowers Forever turned in two of our favorite SXSW performances. Not shockingly, they share a common thread: Derek Pressnall. The irrepressible guitarist sat down with our William Goodman to talk about these varied and sundry projects. Plus, watch a snippet of his performance on Friday night.

Watch as Peter Moren performs a song from his forthcoming solo debut, The Last Tycoon, out April 8. Recorded live at the SPIN/MySpace San Jacinto Saloon, Austin, Texas, March 13, 2008.

Tilly and the Wall have got spirit. Yes, yes they do. Exhibit A: As the evening's headliner for the Team Love/Polyvinyl showcase at Habana Calle 6, the Omaha indie pop collective practically pogoed to the stage chanting their own Mickey Mouse Club style cheer: "Austin: Tilly's back! We want you to shake your ass!"