I have completed this year's indie music death march. The statistics for this year are less impressive than previous death marches. Our foot-sore crew saw approximately sixty-something bands while breaking a minimum of the rules.

For those of you who are playing along, here are the rules of Indie Rock Death March:

1. See new bands.

2. Given the choice between a band you have been before and I band you have never seen, go to see the bands you have never seen. What part of rule #1 was unclear to you?

3. Given the choice between two bands you have not seen, go to see the one that is less likely to ever play in San Francisco. This means seeing a lot of international bands.

4. No ukuleles.

This year I immediately broke the rules to see Viva City at the Dart Music international showcase, which was entirely worthwhile. After discovering Fight Like Apes, Dirty Epics, and Asteroids Galaxy Tour at last year's SXSW, Viva City had undeservedly fallen through the cracks. This year also brought me Le Butcherettes, from Guadalajara, Mexico. Terrifying gothic lolitas appear to be endemic to Guadalajara. Longtime readers will remember last year's Descartes y Kant, also from Guadalajara, who dressed up like characters from Alice in Wonderland and smeared each other with cake. Wikipedia informs me that Le Butcherettes are fronted by Terri Gender Bender. My own experience informs me that this band is fronted by a chick wearing a blood-stained apron and the kind of facial expression that usually precedes a violent killing spree. Also, there was stage-diving.

While Guadalajara is manufacturing scary gothic lolitas, Copenhagen is churning out pixies. The frontwoman for Oh Land is almost entirely indistinguishable from magical blonde pixie creature that fronts Asteroids Galaxy Tour and they're both clearly part of the same run that produced Giana Factory and Au Revoir Simone (nevermind that Au Revoir Simone is not in any way Danish). I assume that the Giana Factory is just the name of the place where they're making these women.

The Dollyrots and Capsula both provided high-quality levels of rock. The guy playing on the front porch of Beer Land who projectile vomited mid-verse provided something closer to "rawk." The Superhumanoids, The Good Natured, and Golden Ages provided high levels of 4AD goodness. I drank a lot and did not eat enough and my feet hurt.

Now, go listen to some new bands. I'll wait over here.