Check out these videos for some of the highlights of the trip.  It was another amazing time in Austin, and I’m already looking forward to next year.  I should be fully recovered from this year’s by then…

Tarkio – Omnibus: This is my favorite band to come out of Missoula, Montana. To be honest, they are the only band I know from Montana. However, if the voice sounds familiar, it is because Tarkio features Colin Meloy, of Decemberists fame. The songs have the same whimsical air, but with a decidedly more country flair, and it is fun to hear the sound that would later evolve into the Decemberists.
Tarkio – “Tristen and Iseult”

Death Cab for Cutie – Forbidden Love EP: I can’t even call Death Cab an indulgence, because I don’t think I have any sense of shame in loving their sound, despite that when I show up to shows the crowd typically consists of me and a bunch of high schoolers who probably keep poetry journals. The song “405″ acoustically performed is definitely the standout.
Death Cab for Cutie – “405″ (acoustic)

The Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs: Yes, yes, I know that it is a travesty that it took me this long to buy this box set. In all honesty, it wasn’t until I moved in on my own that I found myself without these sounds, because I could always count on a roommate to provide my fix.
The Magnetic Fields – “I Think I Need a New Heart”

The High Dials – A New Devotion: My brother started getting me progressively more into British psychedelic and garage rock. While the High Dials might actually be a Canadian band, their Montreal sound is certainly inspired by that power-pop flair of the 60′s.
The High Dials – “Diamonds in the Dark”

Matt & Kim – Grand: I always say that Matt & Kim may best acoustically represent the essence of Max. The pure joy and revelry that comes across in their songs, and it is hard not to listen to a song like “Daylight” and have a smile on your face. Their sophomore album is definitely worth picking up.
Matt and Kim – “Daylight”

Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion: Maybe I was attracted to this album because I saw my first concert at the venue that gave this album its name (it was the Allman Brothers), but I think it was because this album rocks. This was my first foray into the band, and I’m glad I gave it a go.
Animal Collective – “Brother Sport”

Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes UK Import: I first had this band come across my radar when a friend twittered how someone described Fleet Foxes to him as “the Shins at the Renaissance Fair”.  Sure enough, my mother brought this album with him when the Engel family convened in Vermont, and I appreciated why my first descriptive impression was quite representative in a most excellent.  I picked up the import, which includes a second disc with five extra tracks.  In college I would have called this a “studying album”; now I tend to think of this as a “Mitch album”.  This moniker comes from Dazed and Confused, when, at the end of the movie, Mitch finally makes it home, throws on his cans, rocks out in a very personal way, and smiles.
Fleet Foxes – “White Winter Hymnal”

Well, there you have it.  These albums have been keeping me company while I’ve been off the blogging grid, and I definitely recommend you give these all a listen.