As sxsw is all but a week away, I figured it's time to unveil "The Sheet", which, in my opinion, is the best sxsw band review spreadsheet edited by 6 random people who may or may not know each other...known to man.  I decided that this year, I'll use my blog to get it out to the masses, and by "masses" I really mean a few friends who might read this and probably my mom in Michigan (hi mom!)

So without going into a dissertation on how this will be the best and/or worst sxsw ever, or the annoyance and/or necessity of shortening the event name to just "south-by", I'll get right down to the sheet.  It's located here.

For those of you who have stuck around to read more for whatever reason, I thought I'd give you a small bio on some of the reviewers so that I could point out their particular style and taste in music (moving from left to right on the sheet):

Natalie

Natalie is a curly haired, indie music-loving, force to be reckoned with, if you don't see her bouncin up and down at a concert you're at, then you're probably at the wrong concert.  As you can tell from the sheet, she's easily the most prolific reviewer of the bunch but will readily admit to you that she really only likes indie music so if a band happens to fall into any other category, chances are, Natalie gave them a 1 or 2 for no other reason.  Besides the 300 things she also does during any given day (like powering the sun), you can see her running around town lake with her dog Guinness.

Jason

That's me!  Like Natalie, I tend to stick with indie music, but I also enjoy electronica, rock, folk, bluegrass, industrial and the occasional DJ.  I can be found at a variety of venues, ranging from my favorites like Mohawk (prior to them getting that damned cement wall), Emos, Club De Ville and even at the worst venues such as La Zona Rosa (if there is no other option).  I am the guy in the group who suggests music to everyone even when it's not asked.  

You: "I went running yesterday and got shin splints and it hurts like a bitch".

Me: "Hmm, interesting, have you heard of this new super group with the lead singer of the Shins and Danger Mouse called Broken Bells?"

BJ

BJ is this year's obligatory guest from a different state, coming in to brave 4 days of non-stop partying.  He probably doesn't know exactly what he has gotten himself into, but he shows a lot of fire and I like that.  He's ventured into a variety of music over the years, ranging from rock to hip-hop and even took me to my very first concert: Foghat and Friends.  When we left that concert, his mom told us to tell everyone around us "thank you for the contact high".  He also enjoys Phil Collins, like any self-respecting man of our generation should.

 Kerry

Kerry is a seasoned sxsw-goer even though she hails all the way from Boston.  Unlike me, she actually writes blogs that people read, including posts for about.com and bostinist.com.  If you're interested, this is a jumping off point for her work: http://www.kerryskemp.com/content/  As far as music, her taste probably most closely resembles mine and Natalie's, but she specializes in turning up some of the more obscure acts that you might not know now, but will soon.  

Todd/P. Lane

When Todd isn't demanding his DJ to blow his speakers up or writing stiletto related memos, he does dabble in good music from time to time, as does his girlfriend, Penny Lane.  They didn't really rock out the sheet as much as the others as far as reviews, but don't be fooled, they know their music and I just know that Todd won't be able to resist the free-everything of those day parties.

Anthony

Before you have time to realize what just happened, Anthony will be at your concert and in your group making you dance to the music with his signature moves like the "weak knees" and/or the "overheating robot" (even if you're sitting down at Bass Concert Hall).  Late last year, he was personally responsible for spreading our crappiest of pop music to all of Rio and they are probably eternally grateful to him for this.  His ratings make you think that the number 5 is the only number on his keyboard, but then again, that's how he lives his life, it's either at the top, or not worth rating.

Lundy

A new and welcomed edition to my musically inclined friends, Lundy knows her indie bands, and probably knows you because she's one of the most social people I've ever met in this town.  She likes to tell me that the Passion Pit concert at Emos (that I was too sick to see last year) was one of the best she's ever seen.  Good for her, sad for me.  Recently, she turned it around by acquiring a ticket for Passion Pit at Stubb's for me while I was stuck in a class and couldn't get out my credit card (I'll pay you back, I swear).  She is still weary of sxsw after having a few bad experiences, but I'm hoping we can turn it around for her this year.