NPR Music posted a 100 song, six hour (!) sampler of their favorite SXSW bands.  Download the tracks and get listening before the music gets started in Austin.

For more from SXSW, tune into World Cafe next week when we head to the festival and celebrate it and the Austin music scene all week with a special set of programs.  Some highlights include interviews with Jim Eno of Spoon, up and coming band Wild Child, and Austin songwriter Patty Griffin.  Plus we talk with Roland Swenson, one of the SXSW founders, who shares memories of that first conference when the organizers were surprised to have 700 people attend (their goal was to get 150 people there!).