"I'm just trying to take it in. Being here in Austin is just wild," drummer Pearson Constantino grinned while his bandmates prepped for their SXSW showcase in their room at a Hotel 6, where they slept two-to-a-bed. "We've definitely bonded," singer and Plushgun brainchild Dan Ingala said from outside their cramped quarters. "Through many means -- Goldbond, sleeping with my friend Sam, who isn't my romantic partner, though I could see how that could come across."

They're a quirky bunch -- as evidenced by their frontman, who has a penchant for pre-show pacing and says that the band's moniker reflects "something soft, something killer." And they're often compared to the Postal Service for their synth-heavy songs, which they would later play for their industry-saturated, discerning crowd at Maggie Mae's.

The four piece has come a long way since its origins in Ingala's tiny NYC bedroom. With the release of their self-titled EP in October 2007, Plushgun garnered attention for 'Just Impolite' -- a dance-y, accessible track about dying romances -- which was featured on artist-friendly outlets like MySpace, where you can hear their entire EP for free, and OurStage, the Web site responsible for their slot at SXSW.

Plushgun have been OurStage favorites for some time now, winning top honors in the site's monthly contests. They were January's No. 1 artist in Alt Rock and have held residencies in the top ten of several other genres, including Indie/Alternative and Pop -- a testament to Plushgun's unpretentious, genre-blurring accessibility.

"We're here because we made it," Ingala said. "There's a long, rocky road ahead. But after this experience, we know we're ready for it. I think."

Check out a day in the life of Plushgun, and download free Mp3s after the jump.

SXSW Rule #147: When in doubt, stay away from the road-weary indie bands (you can always catch them two weeks from now at that cool club up the street) and seek out the weird stuff.

This strategy paid dividends for me three times this year:

1) Goat the Head (left): I wandered down a broken-bottle-strewn back alley to catch these Norwegian black-metal men. Amid the bowling-ball-like round dudes in black smashing into one another, I (in my flowered shirt) got walloped by ferocious sounds that can only come from men dressed in animal pelts and smeared with mud. I followed this show with She and Him, the cutesy indie-pop band featuring M. Ward and 'Elf' actress Zooey Deschanel. Goat the Head could snort them.

As this year's South by Southwest mayhem comes to a close in Austin, we've prepared another photo roundup of our experiences in the Texas sun. From the frat-laced chaos on 6th Street, to death metal in an alleyway and some local shopping flavor down on South Congress, the Spinner staff saw everything from M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel's She and Him to Norwegian death-metal kings Goat the Head.

Have a look at SXSW through the Spinner prism with action-packed photos of N.E.R.D., Jay Reatard, White Shoes, Chuck Prophet, the Night Marchers, Does it Offend You, Yeah? and countless others.

Our decidedly New York Spinner staff has descended on Austin, Texas, and we aren't looking back. Wednesday night we warmed things up a bit with some blissful familiarity, catching up with both R.E.M. and the Lemonheads. Yesterday morning we started things off right with gingerbread pancakes, then promptly ventured off to see some young blood.

Settling in at NPR's handpicked showcases, we caught up with Jens Lekman, Shout Out Louds, Yeasayer, Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend at the Parish Room venue on 6th Street. Ra Ra Riot also provided us with some hometown flavor with their show at Emo's. Get the visuals from these shows and more of our outings after the jump.

If you're going to pick a fight with a man, you might as well do it in his hometown, and -- what the hell -- you might as well call out his mom. So went the thinking of Michael Stipe, as he and his R.E.M. mates took the stage of Stubb's Bar-B-Que in Austin to cap off the opening night of South by Southwest.

Stipe blamed President Bush for turning this decade into an "overreaction to 9/11" and introduced the new song 'Houston' as a reaction to Barbara Bush infamously suggesting that many of the Katrina refugees actually benefited from the disaster. Lyric summary: R.E.M. disagree.

It's an annual pilgrimage: Music industry bigwigs and regular fun-loving music fans rub shoulders in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest festival -- where barbecue and the stars of today and tomorrow also converge.

Couldn't get time off from work to join the festivities? No worries: We're bringing a taste of SXSW to you. (Sorry, you're on your own with the Texas spare ribs.) Read about the 25 artists we've selected -- some you may already know and some you should know -- then listen and download free mp3's of their music.

Artist No. 1: Sia

The Deal: Although her hit 'Breathe Me' garnered the attention of television audiences and Starbucks coffee drinkers everywhere, the Australian singer's passionate and peppery vocal style is ultimately what kept people wanting more. A romantic at heart, this blue-eyed blond surely knows how to tug (or tear) those heartstrings.

Sounds Like: Beth Orton, Aimee Mann

Free Song: 'Electric Bird' (MP3)

[Need Help Downloading?]

Artist No. 2

The Deal: Not yet 25, this unproper Bostonian is a soul shouter of the very old school, evidently receiving his R&B Ph.D. at the University of Stax. Backed by his hot-pants-tight combo the True Loves, and sometimes accompanying himself on guitar, Reed is much more than just the male Amy Winehouse.

Sounds Like: Otis Redding, Joe Cocker

Free Song: 'Am I Wasting My Time' (MP3)

[Need Help Downloading?]

Artist No. 3

The Deal: Despite being the youngest band to ever play SXSW (ages 12 and 14), the Brooklyn siblings' genuine punk-rock sound should keep them from being pushed around. That is, unless, they're not the ones starting the mosh pits themselves.

Sounds Like: The Kills, Sonic Youth

Free Song: 'Hey Mr. DJ' (CSS Remix) (MP3)

[Need Help Downloading?]

Artist No. 4

The Deal: Brooklyn's one-man-band Cassettes Won't Listen -- aka Jay Drake -- has been making waves by delicately threading together ambient, electro, trip-hop and indie sounds. He is largely known for his remixes of artists including Midlake and EL-P and is also notable for his '90s indie covers of Liz Phair and Sebadoh songs.

Sounds Like: The Flaming Lips, Jamie Lidell

Free Song: 'Paper Float' (MP3)

[Need Help Downloading?]

Artist No. 5

The Deal: Pete Rock needs no introduction, but for all those who came into existence after the '80s, the hip-hop producer has been rocking strong since the days of his vaunted duo Pete Rock and CL Smooth. Considered one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, Rock is commonly associated with meshing elements of jazz into hip-hop and creating a template for artists such as A Tribe Called Quest and the Roots.

Sounds Like: A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr
Free Song: ''Til I Retire' (MP3)

[Need Help Downloading?]