That’s how Kevin Moreno sums up this year’s SXSW in California’s El Pasino:

Whether you listen to hip hop, punk, pop, rock, or electronic, no matter what the genre is, SXSW will have a band you will enjoy. The greatest thing about this festival is whether it’s a big mainstream artist, an up and coming underground band, or somewhere in between, SXSW has it all.

More at El Pasino. We couldn’t agree more – and if you missed it, our 2012 Music Sampler is still available!

Mark Collins takes a look back at this year’s SXSW, although in the best tradition of the press, when he writes SXSW he means SXSW Music)

The price of Lone Star was fairly consistent. On the downside, mainstream America fully embraced SXSW after slowly creeping in on the festival for years. Whether it was the 60-foot-tall Doritos vending machine, the party sponsored by Nike, or American Express broadcasting a live Jay-Z concert on Sixth Street, everybody wants a piece of Austin. SXSW is still about music, but it’s also so much more.

With his favourite (and worst) bands, events, recycling, and the love affair from the hipsters for his Moleskine… it’s a fun read over at HuffPo.

The gig that many were talking about at SXSW? Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. And if you didn’t get a ticket (or if you want to relive the experience), then Michael Mayer has done a fantastic write up:

And on through an hour, two hours, Bruce played. He crowd surfed, at the end of songs he’d heave his guitar 30 feet through the air to a roadie, he climbed on amps and drum kits. He delivered most of his new album to rapturous applause. The hits pushed the crowd into group swaying and singing that seems like it could cure disease…

Even if you think in advance that you’re not someone who sings at concerts, you belt this stuff out. And everyone does, so there’s no reservations. And it’s not like anyone hears you. We’re all standing in the face of a 32-legged hurricane, a jet-turbine engine, the E Street Band. The sound is huge, so huge you don’t think it could have ever been matched in rock history.

More at A+E Interactive.

And it all starts up again – have you considered attending SXSW 2013?

Interactive: March 8th – March 12th 2013.
Film: March 8th – March 16th 2013.
Music: March 13th – March 16th 2013.

Here are more highlights from the SXSW schedule, as chosen by the SXSW Baby! team:

• Yellow Submarine (1968) Newly Restored (UK) (SXSchedule)
12:00pm Paramount

• Rachael Rays
Stubbs (Just stay there for the day, trust us)

Here are more highlights from the SXSW schedule, as chosen by the SXSW Baby! team:

• The Do-Deca Pentathlone (SXSchedule)
9:45pm Stateside

• Bug Girl
3.00pm Trophys Bar

• Under the Radar
Flamingo Cantina

• Third Man Records
The Stage on Sixth

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Music is in full swing, there’s duelling guitars all along 6th Street (and a cinema slap bang in the middle). You just have to love SXSW right now!

Jonathan Lisecki and Jenn Harris (Gayby),

Chat and music from Nive Nielsen.

Follow the SXSW Baby blog for more South by Southwest fun, and what we’re up to on the ground via Twitter and @SXSWbaby. Got news about SXSW for us? Get in touch via SXSW Baby’s contact form! Don’t forget to follow the podcast via the RSS feed!