Country Guide to SXSW 2011 - Spinner

Nearly every musical genre under the sun will be represented in Austin for the annual SXSW festival, but the number of cowboy hats per capita in the great state of Texas suggest that alt-country music has a leading role in the upcoming proceedings. Here are some of the better bets -- speaking of country and alt-country, of course -- that Austin has in store.

'Austin City Limits'

Fri., March 18, 8:05PM CT at Moody Theatre (310 W. 2nd St.)

Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

'Austin City Limits' will put forth a stellar lineup on this night, culminating with a midnight set by Lucinda Williams, who will no doubt play material from her new album, 'Blessed.' The evening also includes Houston-based Hayes Carll, Robert Earle Keen and an as-yet unannounced "special guest" at 10PM CT. Any thoughts of it being Williams' current touring partner Levon Helm are mistaken, as the Band's legendary drummer plays Tarrytown, N.Y., that same evening.