What makes SXSW 2008 different than the past two years I've attended? I have my very own Laura and Marisa to help me wade through all the slog to identify the gems buried within. Two of the many acts we saw yesterday were on Marisa's top 10 albums of 2007: El-P and Screamin' Cyn Cyn and the Pons.

And, whoa, what a difference having two audiophiles as tour guides can make.

As a loner, I wouldn’t have put Screamin' Cyn Cyn and the Pons on my list, but the theater-punk act was easily a highlight for me on night no. 1. The glitter from Shane O’Neil’s (a.k.a the Pons) face complemented his white, thigh-high wedge boots as well as the obvious upset caused him by the bitch from high school who stole his lip gloss. He even dedicated a song to his new-New Mexican friends as we had introduced ourselves before the show. Sniff. How sweet.

Go see danava @ Emo's tonight!