Austin, Texas… the new music city USA! Momo''s was the place, and diversity was the word of the weekend. With styles from metal to hip hop to funk to rock and all everything in between, Austin showed it''s the place to be for up-and-coming musicians around the world! The weekend was kicked off by a great overall sound, accented by great synthesizer work. The Clints'' performance was marked by a loss of balance by the bass player and a loss of clothes by the synth player. Memorable show! Real, powerful metal from I, Misery was marked by aggressive and versatile vocals. Great timing and excellent guitar and bass work! What a team! Amy Wallace is a talented lead singer, moving from acoustic guitar to keys. Everyone plays their part, and no one oversteps their role. The Subtle Creeps were marked by hearty vocals backed by steady bass playing and good lead riffs. Inspiring rock! Bad Advice brought lots of energy to the stage with their mix of rock and hip hop. Great work from the front man! Interesting lyrics brought to the front by a powerful band, the Oklahomos'' stage presence was one to win over any crowd, and the music got everyone pumped. Thursday night wrapped up with a very tight performance by Andice. With a lot of minor key use, they portrayed a style of music uniquely their own. For a heavy name, 1000 lbs of Sound was able to jump around musically through intricate guitar mixed with trippy rhythms and solid bass. Great instrumental work! Coming with power to the stage was Soul Strung. Powerful vocals with great driving hooks led the way to a great set! With versatile style from melodic pop to power rock, A Pocketful of Deng''s unique sound rounded out a terrific set of original music led by Thom Yorke-esque vocals. Half Orphan brought a driving force to the stage with not only their meaty vocals and pulsing rhythms, but also with their talent in the first tag team of percussion. Like a greased pig, it''s hard to hold down Sunglasses & Mushrooms. Their diversity was shown through their grasp of reggae, rock and punk mixed an energetic stage performance and strong vocals. Face-melting rock. That''s the only way to describe Demonio''s solid sound! Ultra Hyde rocked Momo''s with soulful vocals backed by an impressive backline. For someone of her stature, Amanda Lepre is a lion on stage. Her strong and passionate vocals were matched by her spirit on the guitar, which could only be tamed by her bassist and drummer. Missing Zori gave the crowd a treat with the entire band''s versatility, moving from instrument to instrument and handling everything they did well! Blown came with the force of a tidal wave, and was then able to wash away all the damage with melodic vocals and great acoustic work. Their song “Soldier Song” was a quality tribute to our troops overseas, some of which are friends of the band. Backed by a time machine on the drums, Derbin''s entire band brought a great original rock sound to Austin. Ska? Reggae? Nope, just Navin''s Thermos. Aggressive vocals were backed by tight horns and articulate guitar riffs. Their energetic show captured the audience with their closing rendition of 2 Live Crew''s “Me So Horny.” Despite the bass player snapping his entire headstock off, Monument was able to hold their own with excellent melodic vocals over powerful primal screams from the lead vocalist. Sigmund Fraud is the kind of band I could listen to for hours, from their strong lead vocals to their heavy guitar. Jabarvy brought yet another unique element to Momo''s, with strong horns and a funky, jazzy rock jam. Phoenix Down''s driving music was led by vocals reminiscent of a young Eddie Vedder. Their ability to feed from the other members of the band showed in every song. Billy Harvey brought a soulful, almost tearful vocal presence to the stage, all the while maintaining a simple format to his music. The show was capped off by a beautiful melodic piece “Honey,” which featured nothing less than a bowed saw! D