Peter Bjorn and John's <i>Re-Living Thing</i>
Photo: EMI

It's an unlikely love affair, but quite a few hip-hop heads have really been feeling Swedish indie-rock trio Peter, Bjorn and John lately. From Kanye West, who sampled the group's breakthrough hit "Young Folks" for his Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape, to Drake, who worked with them on So Far Gone's "Let's Call It Off."

That sonic bromance is going major August 27, thanks to producer Mick Boogie, the man behind last year's lauded Jay-Z/Coldplay mash-up mixtape, Viva la Hova. Boogie was recently handed the master to PB&J's most recent album, Living Thing, and he's done it again, overseeing a full-album remix dubbed Re-Living Thing that the acclaimed mixtape kid said is one of his finest efforts to date. The best part? It's all legit.

The results feature an impressive roster of guest spots from the likes of Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Kardinal Offishall, Wale, Young Chris & Rhymefest, Bun B, Talib Kweli, Three 6 Mafia with Trouble Andrew, Amanda Blank, 88-Keys and Big Sean with Black Milk. Boogie said he spent time with PB&J and was blown away by what hip-hop heads the soft-spoken Swedes are.

"Because of the success of that Jay-Z thing, great things have been happening," said Boogie, who warmed up for the PB&J gig by reworking Adele's Grammy-winning debut, 19, on the mashup album 1988. "This time the idea was not just remixing, but adding some vocals and getting two to three incredible, known blog-worthy MCs and putting them on every song." As usual, Boogie's job was more like a museum curator, gathering the MCs and a handful of up-and-coming producers and parceling out the songs after sitting down with the band and talking about what they had in mind.

"We talked music and production and artists and it showed me what a global phenomenon hip-hop is, because these guys who grew up in Sweden were quoting Wu-Tang lyrics — and they knew all the underground stuff, too, like Amanda Blank and Kidz in the Hall," he said. Boogie gave the group — Peter Moren, Björn Yttling and John Eriksson — a list of rappers and producers he thought would work, they gave him their list and, in the end, Boogie said they got about three-quarters of the names they were looking for.

"I listened to the album over and over again and I learned it and loved it, and I thought about all the people I wanted to work with and who fit what and then ... I would pick a producer for each song," Boogie said. "After we got the beats back, I would listen to them again and see if the vibe changed and then figure out which artist was good for which track."

 The results will be unveiled as a free online mixtape next week, available, according to Boogie, "on all your favorite blogs." Though there are still some guest spots that are in process and could be added up until the full tape drops, Boogie said he's very happy with the results, which he said might prove to be a template for his future work. Along with legends such as Jazzy Jeff, Boogie tapped such newer producers as nVMe, a Brooklyn crew he said did an amazing job on "Just the Past" with Kanye West protégé Big Sean and Slum Village associate Black Milk.

With two songs on the album, Boogie's former Ohio homeboys in the Kickdrums bring an aggressive sound to "Nothing to Worry About" with Wale, Young Chris & Rhymefest; and "Lay It Down," which mixes the Three 6 Mafia's thugged out Southern sound with Trouble Andrew's more punk-rock-skater-MC vibe.

"I think this is a great model of how to do out-of-the-box stuff," Boogie said.

The tentative track listing for the album, with more to be added later:

» J. Cole & GZA - "The Feeling" (remixed by Marco Polo)
» Kardinal Offishall, Donnis & Heno - "It Just Don't Move Me" (remixed by Jet Audio)
» Big Sean & Black Milk - "Just The Past" (remixed by nVMe)
» Wale, Young Chris & Rhymefest - "Nothing To Worry About" (remixed by The Kickdrums)
» Bun B - "Losing My Mind" (remixed by 6th Sense)
» Freebass 808 & Amanda Blank - "Living Thing" (remixed by Apple Juice Kid)
» Talib Kweli - "I Want You" (remixed by William Russell / Good Life Mike)
» Three Six Mafia and Trouble Andrew - "Lay It Down" (remixed by The Kickdrums)
» Big Pooh, Chaundon and Phil Nash - "Stay This Way" (remixed by Jazzy Jeff)
» Naledge & Mickey Factz - "Blue Period Picasso" (remixed by nVMe)
» 88 Keys, Outasight & 6th Sense - "4 Out Of 5" (remixed by 6th Sense)
» U-N-I - "Last Night" (remixed by Remot)

• Peter Bjorn and John
• Bun B
• GZA
• Three 6 Mafia
• Talib Kweli

The Killers' Brandon Flowers performs at Coachella on Saturday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

INDIO, California — In a recession year, it was only fitting that Coachella would come to an end with a power outage.

And perhaps even more fitting that the Cure continued on for two more songs — with no speakers or lights, just the help of thousands of backup singers (a.k.a. the audience).

Yes, this will be remembered as the year Coachella soldiered on. As the pocket guide put it, "On this 10th Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, take comfort in knowing that for at least 72 hours, we can put aside the woes of the world to revel in it. After all, there's a Beatle here."

There were 129 acts at this year's Coachella — a drop from the planned 131, after Glasvegas and the Clipse canceled at the last minute — but the one that mattered most was the 66-year-old music icon who lived and let die and let it be for a two-and-a-half-hour set that will go down in festival history.

(Check out photos from the Coachella festival here.)

Paul McCartney's show featured a dozen or so Beatles favorites, especially the encores (yes, there were many), along with songs from Wings, his solo material (the recent ukulele jam "Dance Tonight" was a highlight), dedications of fallen Beatles and even tracks from his side project, the Fireman.

Yes, Paul McCartney has a side project — maybe he even has a Twitter account too.

Speaking of micro-blogging artists ... Michael Franti closed his set on Saturday by telling the audience, "See you on Twitter."

It's a new world where bands are updating their fans on their every move, so the ability to make a connection through music has never been more important. McCartney and the Cure did that with ease, as did dozens of others, from the angelic-voiced Jenny Lewis to My Bloody Valentine, who connected via blistering guitar feedback.

And then there were some who struggled. M.I.A., in her first post-childbirth gig, phoned in a seven-song set full of annoying banter, an even more annoying horn sound every few seconds, and a big mess of music not unlike an earlier set from N.A.S.A.

	M.I.A., Killers, More At Coachella 2009

Girl Talk drew one of the dance tent's largest crowds, and as hard as he tried to entertain them with props and dancing on the table, all he really did was push "play" on a laptop.

Zane Lowe has a similar mash-up style and a lesser name, but the live elements (a few machines and scratching) in his show made a huge difference. And then along came DJ AM and Travis Barker, who took it to a whole 'nother level, with one of the most intense, awesome sets of the festival. Again, it was about soldiering on.

On Friday, keeping up with the lineup felt more like navigating a zoo, between Noah and the Whale, Dear and the Headlights, the Bug and Cage the Elephant. The latter band play hip-hop-infused blues rock (Kid Rock meets the White Stripes) and made their mark thanks to frontman Matt Shultz, a rock star-in-the-making.

The Ting Tings' set felt a bit slow, but they were still super fun to dance and sing along to. It was much of the same for Franz Ferdinand, thanks to their collection of party-starters, and Morrissey kept the party vibe in his following slot (as much as Morrissey parties, anyway).

Saturday was more serious, with challenging bands like TV on the Radio and Thievery Corporation (who brought out honorary Coachella mayor Perry Farrell for a song) rocking the Main Stage. Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses did the high-pitched-voice thing back-to-back on the Outdoor Theater.

The Killers wisely opened their headlining set with hits "Human" and "Somebody Told Me," reeling in fans before they could make an early run for the parking lot. It's not easy when Paul McCartney headlined the night before, but Brandon Flowers commands a stage no matter who he's competing with.

On Sunday, while the Cure worked through their catalog, Public Enemy saluted their 21-year-old landmark album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by playing it from beginning to end. Chuck D's "how low can you go" voice is still as powerful as ever, and it felt good to see Flava Flav on a stage instead of a reality show.

On the Main Stage, Peter Bjorn and John showed they are continuing to improve as a live band, especially on their latest singles, "Lay It Down" and "Nothing to Worry About," both candidates for Coachella anthems of the year.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs know a thing or two about anthems and they proved a perfect soundtrack to the beautiful Sunday sunset.

Audrina Patridge from "The Hills" was among those spotted dancing to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Paris and Nikki Hilton hung out during M.I.A.'s performance, and Zac Efron took pictures with fans while waiting for My Bloody Valentine. Emile Hirsch, Tara Reid, Dita Von Teese and Chloë Sevigny were also in attendance.

Outside of the Empire Polo Fields, Kanye West attended the ultra-exclusive Frank Sinatra house party, and Jared Leto was seen dancing onstage at the Music Loves Fashion event at Hotel Riviera. Kid Cudi performed at the URB Magazine pool party, while Doug E. Fresh got on the mic at Viceroy Hotel party.

• M.I.A., The Killers, Lupe Fiasco, More At Coachella 2009

• The Killers
• Public Enemy
• Travis Barker
• DJ AM
• Girl Talk

Peter Móren of Peter Bjorn and John
Photo: MTV News

Based on the strength of a whistled refrain, Peter Bjorn and John became everyone's favorite band in 2007. Two years later, they've returned with a brand-new album — one that features absolutely zero whistling.

"We had to ban it from the new album," PB&J's Peter Móren told MTV News. "We did use it on the last album. We put out an instrumental record last year — Seaside Rock — and we have whistling on that, but not a lot of people noticed. But it's not on the new album. It hasn't been banned from the gigs, though. Not yet."

So if you were a fan of the group's ultra-ubiquitous "Young Folks" (you know, the one with the whistle), you're probably going to have a hard time getting into Living Thing, their new album, which hit stores last week. And, of course, that was intentional, because Peter Bjorn and John are officially over the whistle.

"There's always pressure to make something different, but that's not because of that song; that's because you want to change your sound around and do new stuff," Móren said. "But that would've happened regardless of success. We would've changed anyway."

So they drew inspiration from a couple of rather, uh, disparate sources — like Jay-Z and Metallica. It might seem odd, but all it takes is one listen to Living Thing's infectious first single, "Nothing to Worry About," to understand how it all fits together.

"We listened to Jay-Z's 'Hard Knock Life' with the 'Annie' sample, and we needed clear, bright voices going straight through little radios," Móren smiled. "So we recorded with a children's choir. Plus, you know, cheap labor."

OK, we'll buy that. But what about Metallica? How did a trio of Swedes usurp the sheer riffage of one of hard rock's heaviest? Well, rather easily. And with reggae.

"Every album is important. It's hard to see the progression from album to album; you're looking forward 10 years, when you have 10 albums or something, and you can see how everything happens gradually. And I think Seaside Rock was an important part of that," Móren said. "If we would've gone straight from Writer's Block to Living Thing, it would've sounded less interesting. Because that was just letting off steam in the studio. [It was] a bit like 'Some Kind of Monster,' the Metallica [documentary], but rather than bringing in the psychotherapist, we played around with riffs and melodies."

• Peter Bjorn and John
• Metallica
• Jay-Z

The Decemberists perform at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas on Wednesday
Photo: Andrew Ross Rowe/ MTV News

AUSTIN, Texas — When the Decemberists, hyper-literate indie laureates of the Pacific Northwest, made the leap to the majors in 2006, they responded to criticism from the holier-than-thous with The Crane Wife, a conceptual long-player based on a Japanese folk tale and stuffed to the gills with proggy jams and planetarium-ready organ solos. The intent, it would seem, was to silence their detractors by making possibly the majorest of major-label debuts.

It's not clear who's angered them this time around, but boy, are they pissed. At least judging by their new album, The Hazards of Love, that is.

Because on Wednesday night at South By Southwest, the Decemberists unleashed Hazards upon the masses, playing the album in its entirety to a thoroughly slack-jawed crowd at venerable Austin rock spot Stubb's Bar-B-Q. This was certainly ambitious. After all, their new album rocks harder and stretches the conceptual angle further than anything the Decemberists have ever done before. It's less twee folk, more, well, everything else. Which translated into much soloing, some serious riffing and at least one guitar line nicked from Bon Jovi. There were five drummers simultaneously pounding, two ethereal singers emoting and one prerecorded children's choir.

It was over-the-top, it was theatrical, and it was, to say the least, a rather epic way to kick off SXSW 2009.

Expanded to a seven-piece with the addition of female singers Becky Stark (frontwoman of Lavender Diamond) and Shara Worden (a.k.a. My Brightest Diamond) — who portrayed two of Hazards' central characters, the pure-hearted heroine Margaret and the villainous Forest Queen — the Decemberists displayed newfound punch, hammering out downright Metallic chords and skittering Yes-y super-prog on the album's multipart title suite, and working out knotty rhythms on songs like "The Queen's Rebuke" (which showcased Worden's epic pipes). For the sneering "The Rake's Song," they employed five drummers, just because ... well, because why not? Throughout, frontman Colin Meloy and guitarist Chris Funk traded solos (and smiles), while multifaceted multi-instrumentalist Jenny Conlee added meaty organ lines and, in quieter moments, somber accordion.

And though their ranks were swollen, the Decemberists were by no means lumbering. Some of their finest moments on Wednesday came when they stripped things down, like the twangy guitar and accordion of "Isn't It a Lovely Night," or album (and set) closer "The Hazards of Love 4," a duet between Meloy and Stark, featuring gently swooning guitars and sparkly chimes.

And as the final chords echoed from the stage, Meloy and Co. hugged, shared a laugh and exhaled. They knew they had walked the musical tightrope and the crowd did too, lavishing them with cheers and applause. It was a brand-new look for the Decemberists — rocking, swaggering and over-the-top — and it was way better than most opening-night SXSW gigs should be. It was a lovely night, indeed.

Of course, across town at Vice, things were going down exactly like they were supposed to on the first night of South By: rather terribly.

Sharing the stage at a "Rock Band"-sponsored shindig with bands like Glasvegas and the Von Bondies, Swedish popsters Peter Bjorn and John were supposed to be one of Wednesday's "can't miss" acts, especially since they were going to be debuting songs from their upcoming album Living Thing. But rather than follow the Decemberists' lead and go for the gusto, PB&J just crashed and burned, delivering a set that veered wildly between "woefully unprepared" and "annoyingly disinterested."

They battled through a myriad of tech issues (or at least they tried to), they stopped songs midway through, and when they were playing, it was clear that they'd rather be back home in Stockholm. And when the audience turned on them, they laughed off the boos, which only further agitated the well-lubed masses and led to some rather amazing shouted put-downs ("Play like you f---ing care!" and "This would never happen in a video game!" being the two best).

Oh, and they didn't play "Young Folks." Or maybe they did. We sort of stopped paying attention.

Other quick highlights from the first full day of SXSW: A raw and rumbling set from Black Keys' frontman Dan Auerbach at the Parish, and a massive multiband bonanza at Red 7, featuring much-buzzed lo-fi punk Wavves, lo-fi-turned-hi-fi punks the Thermals and much-buzzed new-gazers the Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

MTV News was all over the South by Southwest festival this week, with blogs, articles and video on all the gigs, the artists and the scene!

• South By Southwest 2009: Looking Back

• The Decemberists
• Peter Bjorn and John

Peter Bjorn and John
Photo: V2 Music Scandinavia

Back in May, a track featuring Kanye West freestyling over the ubiquitous whistling of Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks" had the blogosphere atwitter. Now, the latest collabo between the Louis Vuitton Don and the Swedish songsmiths might just cause our nation's finest providers of "OMG"s and "WTF?"s to simultaneously combust.

Confirming reports that first surfaced last week, West and PB&J will be taking their relationship public, appearing together onstage at the Way Out West festival on August 11 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Just don't expect either party to know what will happen when they do.

"We are absolutely confirmed to do it," Peter Móren (of, duh, PB&J) told MTV News. "He's going to rap on a song and we're going to play along and I'm going to dance. But I don't know specifics, like, what we're gonna do. Just jam around a bit. I may have to choreograph a dance routine. I have to check out his videos and see what he's doing. Maybe we will put on some new suits. You know, sweat pants? Gymnastic outfits — what do you call them? Tracksuits?"

Sounds promising! And it doesn't stop there. Móren claims to have never heard West's music before he caught wind of the freestyle over "Young Folks" (which appeared on 'Ye's Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape). And no one in his band has met with the rapper to discuss their plans for the performance.

"Yeah, I guess he seems to be a nice guy. I've never listened to him, really, and I haven't heard from him at all," Móren laughed. "His manager and our manager have been talking to one another, but we haven't met. We'll meet five minutes before, hopefully, and I will say, 'How are you doing? Did you have a good meal? How's the hotel?' The usual stuff, you know? Just small talk."

And from the looks of things, the Gothenburg performance — which Móren admits will "probably" involve "Young Folks" — will be a one-time event. This despite the fact that PB&J are playing this weekend at Lollapalooza, which, A) happens to take place in West's hometown of Chicago; and B) also features Daft Punk, who West samples in his single "Stronger" (see "Kanye West's 'Stronger' Video: Japanese Motorcycle Gangs, Mad Scientists — And Cassie").

And perhaps that's a good thing, especially since West never secured PB&J's permission to sample "Young Folks," something Móren is eager to chat with him about.

"He never asked [to use it], so we're going to have a serious talk," he laughed. "Maybe we'll have to hold him up against the wall or something."

• Kanye West
• Peter Bjorn and John

Iggy Pop and The Stooges perform on Saturday night
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

AUSTIN, Texas — Every March, the music industry throws on a pair of shorts, slathers on the SPF 45 and heads on down to Austin for South by Southwest, a weeklong celebration of bands, BBQ and (sometimes free!) beer. It's a brutal bacchanal and music marathon powered by thousands of acts playing in hundreds of venues — at all hours — plus an unreal number of complimentary drinks and fancy private parties.

Sleep is not exactly a top priority, so MTV News dispatched three of its most tireless reporters into the fray. They filed reports twice each day and, as you'll see below, endured all kinds of hardship — endless lines, hipster infestation and a diet consisting almost entirely of fried food — to bring you incisive reportage on the event's hottest happenings. Saturday's report is below, and at the bottom you'll find links to coverage of the previous days. Dig in: If you spill a little BBQ sauce on your shirt, it's the next best thing to being there.

The Afternoon

James Montgomery, MTV News writer: Growing tired of the SXSW rigmarole — a routine that could charitably be described as "Get up, shake off the cobwebs, eat something fried, drink, walk to a field, drink, watch some band, drink, walk to a dingy club, eat something else fried, drink, watch another band, drink, drink, pass out" — I decided to take my pal (and Beirut/ Bishop Allen multi-instrumentalist) Jon Natchez up on his promise of a full-blown "BBQ excursion, deep into the wilds of Texas."

And deep we went, indeed, heading way west through the dusty foothills ... driving for more than two hours (we got lost) until we came upon the sleepy town of Llano, home to a BBQ mecca by the name of Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que. Joining us on the excursion was Isaac Green, head honcho of Almost Gold Records (home of Peter Bjorn and John) and self-described BBQ connoisseur. He told me that SXSW vets swear by Cooper's, a true carnivore's cornucopia of smoked meats.

We downed pounds of ribs, brisket and Cooper's famous BBQ pork chops; talked about some of our festival faves (a list that included Midlake, Beach House and Jamie T) and reveled in the fact that we were literally miles away from the SXSW buzz. Oh yeah, and we had some cobbler, too.

But now it's back to the grind as we enter the festival's final raucous hours ... of course, there's more rumors of a Rage Against the Machine reunion Saturday night (March 17), plus the triumphant return of the Stooges. What'll happen? Nobody knows ... but we're certainly gonna close with a bang. And some of the brisket I brought home.

John Norris, MTV News correspondent: Just what Austin needed this week — another reason to drink!

But yes, it is St. Paddy's Day ... so by early afternoon, the South by Southwest-ers were tying on the booze bag again, and I found myself among a 50-percent-green-wearing crowd at the Cedar Street Courtyard, an outdoor patio wedged between Irish pubs. But taking the stage at this party sponsored by Filter magazine was a trio of not Irish but English lasses: the Pipettes. Their names are Becki, Rose and Gwenno. Think Lisa Loeb, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Linda Evangelista in polka dots. Musically, think '60s girl group meets punk sass — a combination in full effect as the ladies ran through songs like "Tell Me What You Want" and "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me." Shangri-Las for the 21st century? Bananarama with a backing band? Time will tell.

Since one music-publication event deserves another, we made our way from the Filter party to the Blender house, where I met up with those Southern-indie-twang-rock-sons of a preacher man, the Kings of Leon. The brothers Followill and cousin Matthew have a third album, Because of the Times, just a few weeks away, and they're in town to play their first-ever SXSW. When I reminded them that they are one of the three or four biggest bands at this year's fest, they said there is still a challenge.

"There are so many of these beautiful girls around here hanging out with these new bands," famously randy frontman Caleb Followill laughed. "We feel like, hey, we're supposed to get our pick of the girls."

Something tells me the Kings have no problem in that department.

That said, their "kingly" status in the U.K. has yet to be replicated on their home turf, where the guys are still pretty much princes. Will that change with Because of the Times, a much more expansive record — with a seven-minute opening track called "Knocked Up" and forays into jam-band territory? Whether it does or not, the Kings are loving life.

"We'll play our show [Saturday's Esquire party at Stubb's]," Caleb said, "then sit back and watch Iggy Pop and the Stooges. And probably party."

No doubt. Good luck guys.

Gil Kaufman, MTV News writer: We've entered the dead zone: My feet hurt from standing on cement club floors 14 hours a day, my eyes hurt from constant smoke and cavelike conditions, and my soul aches from constantly denying my urge to pummel every clown I see wearing a headband and ripped-to-shreds low-top Keds.

The day started off promisingly with some smokin' Afro-Cuban funk from the 11-piece Los Angeles band Rhythm Roots Allstars. Then not-so-hot mess Mickey Avalon took the stage looking like a cross between Pauly Shore and a down-on-her-luck gutter-punk girl and sounding like the Beastie Boys on a bad day. The only saving grace was when he handcuffed an audience member to a chair and then lost the key and practically dragged her across the stage by her wrist in search of release.

Not wanting to fight the inevitable lines, I camped out at Red 7 and saw a mix of horrible "indie" comedy — OK, portly comedian Brian Posehn's set about how the closest he'll ever come to a sex scene in a movie is playing the demented killer who offs the comely teen couple was kinda funny, and David Cross was great as usual — and yet another set by the Black Lips. No vomit this time, just lots of spitting and bad wigs. The best part was when some fan tried to give Cross a copy of early porn actress Linda Lovelace's autobiography, "Ordeal," and he looked puzzled and politely declined in favor of bobbing his head to the Lips.

Toronto hardcore band F---ed Up thrilled an afternoon audience with a set of smashing tunes and lived up to their name when frontman Pink Eyes bashed his forehead bloody with the microphone and then put a drumstick where the sun don't shine. The crowd later went nuts when hardcore punk legend and original Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris took the stage and yelped one out while swinging his hip-long graying dreadlocks.

And finally: How can you tell an indie-rocker is tired? They cop a squat on the squalid, sticky floor of Red 7 and close their eyes for a quick catnap in the middle of a show.

The Evening

James Montgomery: Well, it's over. More than 100 hours of non-stop rock (and the occasional hip-hop act looking for directions back to the interstate) came to a close on a hectic, dude-master-terrific Saturday night in Austin. And as if the last night of SXSW 2007 weren't enough to pack the streets, it was also St. Patrick's Day (WOOOOOOOOOO!!!) which meant that every steakhead within a 30-mile radius was required to thrown on a green T-shirt — or backwards ball cap — and head down to Austin to gawk at girls, get in fights and get really really inebriated (Sixth Street will surely be awash in green vomit come sun-up — WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!) ...

Quote-of-the-night honors went to the — ahem — gentleman in the cocked fedora and black tank top, who bellowed into his RAZR, "No, we're down here on Fifth Street and Colorado ... No, Colorado — like the city."

Yeah, man. And after spending more roughly 30 minutes trying to navigate the packs of heavily gelled dudes (careful to avoid brushing their shoulders and setting off a testosterone OD), I sorta gave up and ducked into Habana Calle 6, where, as luck would have it, the Changes, four clean-cut young men who make strummy, summery pop, were just launching into an exceedingly nice set (seriously, these dudes make the Shins look like Turbonegro — your mom totally wants your sister to marry one of them immediately). Then, in one of those "Woah, look who's playing?!?" moments that totally makes SXSW worth it, I glanced at my schedule and noticed that former Helium frontwoman/my teenage crush Mary Timony was about to take the stage at Emo's tiny "IV" venue. So I rushed over and heard her unspool songs from her upcoming album The Shapes We Make, which were pretty excellent in that spacey, super-proggy "Revolution of Hearts, Pt. 1 & 2" kind of way (OK, 14 people in the world know what I'm talking about right now, and most of them were probably at the show) ...

Then, I bade farewell to SXSW '07 with a late-night performance from Australia's finest hirsute rockers (Jet be damned) Youth Group, who were great, but didn't hold my attention as I was starting to see spots. Soon after that I was making the seemingly 17-mile walk back to the Embassy Suites, and as I crossed over the Congress Avenue Bridge, I began to mull over my SXSW experience.

And you know what? I don't have any definitive closing statement. As I re-read my notebook, I found myself thinking things like "Wait, I saw that band?" and "Wow, I went there?" And maybe it's because, after three straight years of SXSW, things tend to blur together — or maybe because there just wasn't that much interesting stuff going on this year. I mean, I know which bands I truly liked (a discussion we'll delve deeper into when we all return back to the office on Monday), but I can't pick any that I particularly loved or hated. For better or worse, the year's SXSW was one of the more average fests in recent memory: There didn't seem to be a real defining moment or breakout star to speak of.

Then I thought, "Wait: In just five days, I spent less than $200, ate roughly seven pounds of BBQ, saw a ton of rock shows, went for a drive in the Texas flatlands, linked to a photo of the Ultimate Warrior in one of my earlier posts and saw Duke lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament — what the hell do I have to complain about?" So maybe the problem wasn't SXSW; it was me.

But that's clearly a whole other ball of wax. Right now, it's time to get some sleep, make my ears stop ringing and head back home. Plus, maybe I can finally get around to eating a salad — and you have no idea how happy that last sentence has just made my small intestine.

John Norris: Some final thoughts on the final night of South by Southwest 2007:

For some reason, the festival seemed more sane this year. Not sure if it was the absence of one hugely hyped "must-see" show on the order of last year's Arctic Monkeys gig, but the biggest this week — Bloc Party, the Cold War Kids, Lily Allen, Beirut, the Good, the Bad and the Queen — didn't feel as out of control.

Credit, as always, is due to the host city for proving yet again that it's one of America's greatest music capitals. Voxtrot, Okkervil River and Ghostland Observatory are three of the better known local heroes who played the festival, but plenty more showed that Austin not only knows how play host to great music, but produce it as well.

Also, the schedule provides a multiplex's worth of opportunities to see certain bands: Some artists play one or two gigs during SXSW week, others play eight. It's hard to imagine that anyone in Austin who wanted to see the Pipettes, the Ponys or the Fratellis this week didn't have the opportunity to do so. And speaking of the Fratellis, Interscope Records wins the Golden Sledgehammer Promotion Award for them: from the Fratellis hotel room keys to the ubiquitous Fratellis flyers all over town to the Fratellis cocktail glasses in every other club ... and I've already used the word "Fratellis" six times in this paragraph! Aaargh!! The champ for the most Austin shows this week? I'm pretty sure that title goes to Peter, Bjorn and John with NINE. That'll earn you a Swedish massage.

Mucho thanks to our team here in Austin this week — not just James and Gil, but also Alyssa Vitrano, Damian Vaca, Matt Elias, Aaron Pinkston and above all, my musically maniacal producer, Chris "CJ" Smith. They are the best, and we'll all be bringing you lots more coverage from SXSW on MTV News this week. Till then — later, pardner.

Gil Kaufman: The apocalyptic atmosphere on Sixth Street described above made it feel as if all hell could break loose at any moment, and that's kind of what it sounded like at Elysium during the scorched-earth show from Pennsylvania psychedelic rockers Black Moth Super Rainbow (that's the best band name ever), who performed with Austin's equally trip-tacultar Octopus Project. The instrumental experimentalists created a thundering, paisley explosion of beats and noise that might be the sound of a spaceship taking off — if its engines were made of two sets of drums, a bass, guitar, sitar, two glowing tambourines, a Theremin and four keyboards.

The true apocalypse, though, came a short time later with a set that was the perfect capper to a chaotic five-day journey. To say that reunited Detroit punk godfathers the Stooges blew the roof off Stubb's would be an understatement (and not only because the outdoor venue has no roof). The always shirtless Iggy Pop gyrated like a demented go-go dancer and kicked off the show with five classic Stooges songs that sounded so raw and snarling they made you forget the band took a 33-year break between their last two albums. "Loose," "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "TV Eye," "1970" and "Funhouse" were crackling with chaos and electricity and the permanently amped Pop was clearly sucking up the energy from the crowd.

During this year's festival I saw a ton of great new bands and I have a whole new arsenal of things to add to my iPod. But nothing gut-punched me like the Stooges. It's something you can't buy in a bottle, ink on your arms or piece together from a thrift-store wardrobe. As Iggy told me shortly after the show, "We're the last great rock and roll band, man."

For more SXSW coverage, check out the week's earlier reports:

· "Tom Morello's SXSW Gig Turns Into Raucous All-Star Jam With Slash, Perry Farrell"

· "Grunge Rebirth, Beyonce Nod — And Flavor Flav! — More SXSW Surprises"

· "Amy Winehouse Raises Eyebrows, Bloc Party Draw A Mob As SXSW Wakes Up"

· "Pete Wentz Clones Descend, Lily Allen Warbles As SXSW Gets Under Way"

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

[This story was originally published at 10:16 p.m. EST on 03.17.07]

• Five Coolest Things At SXSW 2007
• Morello Jams With Slash, Farrell At SXSW

• Kings Of Leon, Mastodon, Flava Flav, More Rock SXSW '07

• Iggy Pop & The Stooges
• Peter Bjorn and John
• Kings Of Leon
• Lily Allen
• Rage Against the Machine

Fall Out Boy, Lupe Fiasco, Boys Like Girls, More At 2007 mtvU Woodie Awards

• Fall Out Boy
• Lupe Fiasco
• Gym Class Heroes
• Angels & Airwaves
• Talib Kweli

2007 VMA: Red Carpet Fashion Look Book

• Maroon 5
• Peter Bjorn and John
• Nelly Furtado
• Rihanna

2007 VMA: Live And Poolside With Peter Bjorn & John

• Peter Bjorn and John

The 2007 MTV Video Music Award Nominees

• Beyoncé
• Justin Timberlake
• Shakira
• Amy Winehouse
• Kanye West

Kings Of Leon, Mastodon, Flava Flav, More Rock SXSW '07

• Lily Allen
• James Iha
• Kenna
• The Bravery
• Razorlight