Once again, comin’ down to the wire for my monthly mix, but hey, it’s been a pretty crazy month. We had Obama visit Facebook (my team was in charge of making that happen!) and then as the month ended, I can finally claim to have pulled an all-nighter by covering the Royal Wedding for E! Yep, my new claim to fame is being able to still speak in complete sentences on television without any sleep. (My Mom must be so proud.)

Regardless, some great new music made it into the mix this month…and yes, one cheezy-as-hell Rihanna song that I really wish I didn’t like so much. (I deleted Katy Perry’s “E.T.”…couldn’t maintain ANY music street cred with that.) I’ve been singing – actually, belting it out in my fabulous off-key voice – “Rolling in the Deep” nonstop, so of course it made it to the top of the mix. The lyrics of “Crystal Vases” are what got me hooked on this band, and like my friend Morgan, I rediscovered Admiral Fallow from “Squealing Pigs” inclusion in Chuck, one of my favorite TV shows. (I also got a hand-written note and DVDs from McG, the Director of Chuck, so that totally made my month as well!) My most exciting discovery, however, came (as it so often does), courtesy of my friend Jay Parkinson*, who introduced me to J Mascis.  The entire album is delectible, so go & buy it. Now. (I’ll wait.) You’re welcome.

So now without further ado, here’s “Next Things First: April 2011 Mix”  – ENJOY!

1. Rolling in the Deep: Adele
2. Something to Die For: The Sounds
3. S&M: Rihanna
4. Crystal Vases: The Last Royals
5. Colours: Grouplove
6. Must Be the One: She Wants Revenge
7. Need You Now: Cut Copy
8. Whirring: The Joy Formidable
9. Squealing Pigs: Admiral Fallow
10. Several Shades of Why: J Mascis
11. Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise: The Avett Brothers
12.  California Sunrise: Dirty Gold
13. Exile Vilify: The National
14. Jesus Fever: Kurt Vile
15. Tamer Animals: Other Lives
16. The Stranger: Lord Huron
17. Corsicana: The Antlers
18. Ladder Song: Bright Eyes 

*He also took that kickass shot of his back yard when I was in Brooklyn last weekend that I’ve used as the album cover.

March is always a crazy month…prepping for SXSW takes the first week or two, BEING at SXSW takes another ten days, and then the recovery? Well, let’s just say that I’m sneaking this in on the last day of the month, and it was a challenge.

Speaking of SXSW, I feel like I didn’t get to discover as many new bands as in years past. Granted, I worked the first week, something like 80+ hours in six days, so by the time music rolled around all I wanted to do was sleep. Add an ill-prepared pseudo-Gluten Free meal and just sheer exhaustion, and I’ve painted a picture of musical mediocrity.

Though the bands I *DID* see were pretty awesome…the best show of the week was Middle Brother, the ‘supergroup’ made up of the three lead singers from Dawes, Deertick & Delta Spirit. They invited their bandmates up on stage with them for an afternoon show in a courtyard, and it was AMAZING. I stood on the back of a couch (literal couch surfing, in fact) and danced my ass off. A close second was The Naked and Famous, who I got to see twice, though really only remember one of them in detail. (Thanks, Ryan Mickle, for that seventeenth vodka soda.) That aforementioned night I also “saw” – at least some of which I remember – Alex Ebert from Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros performing a solo show under the moniker “Alexander”. Givers – a band from Louisiana with more energy than I’ve seen in a while – brought the fun to the Dickies concert (Yes, you got me, I just wanted to write ‘dickies’ in a post. Somehow. COMPLETE!) and I saw The Vaccines play twice at Stubb’s. (They were good, but played four and six songs respectively; I wanted more.) I avoided the night shows, because really, if I wanted to go see Kanye, I’ll pay for it, final confirmation that I am, in fact, old, lazy and grouchy. And possibly curmudgeonly. I’m ok with that. Anyhoo, you’ll hear songs from all of the artists I mentioned on this month’s mix, with the exception of The Vaccines because, crap, I’m just now remembering that I wanted to add one of their songs. Next month, I promise.

So here you go: Letters from Twilight Skies, my March 2011 Mix. (And that photo is from a sunset at Squaw in Tahoe in early March…unphotoshopped and taken with my iPhone.) ENJOY!

1. All of This – The Naked & Famous
2. Vapour Trail – Ride
3. Black Night – The Dodos
4. Listen to your Love – Mona
5. Think You Can Wait – The National
6. Belong – Pains of Being Pure at Heart
7. Skip the Charades – Cold War Kids
8. A Million Years – Alexander
9. Blue Eyes – Middle Brother
10. Too Young to Burn – Sonny & the Sunsets
11. Living in America – DOM
12. Letters from the Sky – Civil Twilight
13. Barnes’ Yard – The Royal Alberta Advantage
14. All Die Young – Smith Westerns
15. Shook Down – Yuck
16. Will Do – TV On the Radio 

So I'm going to SXSW.

And so are you.

And probably so is your neighbor, your best friend, your client, and your employer. And maaaayyybeee even that cute guy that you see every now and again at one of those oh-so-cool startup parties they have here in San Francisco/NYC/WhereverYourTechSceneIs. Because, haven't you heard? This is *THE* year for SXSW. And, goshdarn it, I just *KNOW* you're as excited as I am!!!

Except, frankly, I'm not. Well, at least not for what you think. Let me explain.

This post was going to be many things before it's iterated into this one; a handy packing guide (don't forget your sunscreen and your Mophie iPhone power case!), a reminiscent look back on SXSWs past (you know, the good ol' days), or even a detailed exclamation of all the awesome things I'm working on for Facebook as we prepare for SXSW. (Which, frankly, you'll hear more about later today, and don't let this post take away from that. Seriously, it's awesome.) But what I am NOT looking forward to – in fact, the word 'dreading' could be used here with some accuracy – is the overpacked, overeager clusterf&*k that is sure to ensue in three short days when twenty thousand people descend upon Austin. (Yes, 20,000. Just for Interactive. Refilling my Xanax now.) I'm all for entrepreneurship and innovation and reconnecting with like-minded people near and far, but seriously, companies who are betting the farm to be the next Twitter or Foursquare or whatever last year's breakout was are – in my opinion – going to be sadly disappointed.

Because SXSW has strayed far from what it used to be. (Here comes the "I miss the good ol' days" part of this post, I suppose.) When you arrived and immediately went to go Break Bread with Brad, and the room was full with forty people. When karaoke happened spontaneously with twenty people in some dank basement, and you went to one of two or three bars and drank beers (that you paid for!) and braved the pop-up rain showers and talked to people you hadn't seen in a year and met some new friends and made these connections because you wanted to, not because you thought it was going to further your business model. Like culture at a startup, SXSW's vibe was organic in nature, people hanging out and playing kickball and going to panels (oh yeah, did you know there's actual PANELS at the CONVENTION CENTER in between the meetups and Tweetups and 'tech influencer' gatherings and overhyped corporate parties?) and, well, just having a fun week without ulterior motives. 

And I miss that.

That's not to say that this doesn't happen – it does, but in an understated, natural way that I would bet doesn't take place at some overcrowded party where getting a drink is harder than getting funding. It's on those days where you 'take off', where you grab your friend and hide out on the back lawn of the Four Seasons and drink overpriced drinks – that you pay for yourself! – because if you have to hear one more "we're the next…", you may change your flight and go home that afternoon. It's when you call your friend in Austin who you haven't seen in a while and beg them to take you boot shopping out of town, and play hooky that afternoon. It's when you text a handful of people – and yes, I suppose you CAN use Beluga or FastSociety or even GroupMe if you have to – and go watch a movie. (There *IS* a film conference going on concurrently, you know.) Basically, it's putting the person back in personal connection, and giving yourself that time to do so.

So leave the two-hundred-person apartment complexterf*&k you rented with four other people in your room and go for a run by Lady Bird Lake. (The weather is supposed to be lovely, btw.) Go find a patch of grass, grab a bottle of rosé  from Whole Foods, some friends and 'waste' away your afternoon. Skip the 'hottest' party with the line around the corner and catch up on your sleep. And don't be surprised if I don't see most of you at SXSW; I'll be buying my own drink at an undisclosed location. And loving every minute of it.

Just three days into March and I’m finally posting my February Mix. It’s been worse, people, it’s been worse. What with travel and a new job and Pilates and, oh, I don’t know, catching up on Fringe, you can forgive me that it’s a bit late. (Though the Type-A part of me hates hates hates this, esp. when I go back into my archives and looks for my February Mix, only to find it in March. SO UNCOOL, AUBREY.) But regardless, lots going on, I rarely post here, am supposed to be redesigning it, tralala, ok I’ll shut up now. On to the music.

2011 started off a bit slow music-wise, but oh, did it catch up. Thus far I’ve only seen one show, but it was Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit opening for Josh Ritter, and not only is he phenomenally amazing live, but there was whiskey. So there was that. But with SXSW fast approaching (one week and counting!) I’m excited to see many of the bands on my February Mix, none moreso than New Zealand’s The Naked and Famous, which are this year’s MGMT, only minus that last crappy album and with a bit o’ Tegan & Sara (minus the angsty lesbianism) thrown in. They’re GOOD people, and top my list of who to see live at SXSW. Alexander Ebert finally – FINALLY! – released his new album, so the Internets can stop trying to record off of SiriusXMU and bootleg it galore. It’s a solid solo album, though “Truth” remains my favorite song. Twilight Singers have a new one, which is also pretty damned good, but the most airplay on my iTunes is from Middle Brother, which is the ‘supergroup’ project from the lead singers of Dawes, Deertick and Delta Spirit that’s seroiusly knocking my socks off. I’m not at McDonalds but damn, I’m LOVIN’ IT! 

So take a listen. Enjoy. And as always, if you like the music, buy – with actual cash money, yo – their albums and support these artists. Happy FebruMarch!

Download ‘music when the lights go out: Aubs’ february 2011 mix’ here! 

1. If You Wanna: The Vaccines
2. Electrify: MUTEMATH
3. Lines Are in the Sand: Mona
4. I Hope This Gets to You: Daylight
5. Weekend: Smith Westerns
6. In The Twilight: Alexander
7. Broken Open: Cold War Kids
8. Moves: The New Pornographers
9. Punching in a Dream: The Naked and Famous
10. Killin the Vibe: Ducktails
11. Older Brother: Pepper Rabbit
12. Helplessness Blues: Fleet Foxes
13. Blood and Guts: Middle Brother
14. I Still Remember: Bloc Party
15. Music When the Lights Go Out: The Libertines
16. Do What You Will: Papercuts 
17. The Unfazed: Delorean
18. Gunshots: The Twilight Singers
19. Good Night: The Rural Alberta Advantage