We're shipping off to SXSW on Saturday, and even though we're in for a ton of music in Austin we're really sad about what we'll be missing here in San Francisco. For instance, this weekend we're missing some of our favorite bands including Silversun Pickups, Virgil Shaw, and Electric Six at the Independent (say hello to our buddy John R. Dequindre for us). We're sending one of you to a show we wish we could......

Win it before you can buy it! We've got a copy of The Long Winters' excellent new Ultimatum EP that comes out October 11th. You can download the title track here and be sure to catch them opening for The Fiery Furnaces at Cafe Du Nord on Saturday. (Contest ends Weds. 10/5.) Tonight at the Rickshaw Stop Casiotone for the Painfully Alone celebrates a CD-single release, and at 12 Galaxies there's a Quintron and......