South by Southwest  The idea I had for covering South by
Southwest 2005, in Austin, Texas, was simple: Try to see (and
write about) artists I hadn't seen before.  This would have been
easier on Wednesday, March 16, if two of the three showcases I
was most interested in didn't belong to local labels. Sub Pop's
lineup at Emo's boasted the A Frames (20 superb minutes I
couldn't describe better than Yancey Strickler's piece, to the
left of this column) and Portland's Thermals, whose first three
songs sounded as brisk and on target as on my previous viewings
and listenings.  A little after 11 p.m., three colleagues and I
took a cab to the Back Room, an off-the-path suburban bar whose
walls were filled with metal posters and whose stage was filled
with rappers.  We got there in time to see Philadelphia DJ Chops
play to a full, nonchalant house. Since we were in Texas, it
only seemed right to party with the Houston-themed evening—the
primary sound was bottom-heavy Southern rap (which the Back
Room's crappy sound sys