Here’s a classic video from the Barfield archives. Let’s get funky now.

MARTIN SEXTON, Fall Like Rain (EP) [★★★★/3.800]
Singer/Songwriter/Soulster Sexton continues to perspicaciously reflect back on life with his songwriting while delivering mind-bending falsetto with his song. What this album lacks in length it makes up for in content. Four soul-searching originals plus a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” – a song perhaps as meaningful today as it was 46 years ago.

CHUCK PROPHET, Temple Beautiful [★★★★/3.667]
12th studio album and 3rd on Yep Roc. Best described by Prophet himself, “The record’s an unsentimental (though loving) tour of San Francisco. Made in San Francisco by San Franciscans about San Francisco. My effort to tap into the history, the weirdness, the energy and spontaneity that brought me here in the first place.” Lo-fi rockin’ goodness sure to make Dylan and Petty proud. Standout: Castro Halloween

RUTHIE FOSTER, Let It Burn [★★★★/3.500]
Recorded in New Orleans, this is Foster’s first album where she’s not playing an instrument putting extra focus on her vocals. William Bell and The Blind Boys of Alabama contribute to add extra layers of soulfulness to this collection of originals and covers.

DREW GIBSON, The Southern Draw [★★★/3.250]

Recorded over a period of four years with childhood friend, Paul Curreri, The Southern Draw is the follow-up to Drew Gibson’s debut record Letterbox. Drew and Paul team up to provide most of the instrumentation with guitars, pianos, organs and more. Drums contributions come from Nate Brown and Todd Wellons (Sons of Bill). Curreri’s wife, Devon Sproule, contributes on a stunning duet called “We Move By Wagon Train”. Forget the Jayhawks, this is rainy day music. Don’t we all need a little rain?

Levon, you will be missed.

• Simone Felice performs “Radio Song”
• Lisa Hannigan, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
• Drive-By Truckers with Megafaun, “The Weight”
• The Black Keys with John Fogerty, “The Weight”
• The Punch Brothers, Jesca Hoop, Aoife O’Donovan, “The Weight”
• Frank Turner, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”
• Warren Haynes Band, “It Makes No Difference”/”The Weight”
• Bon Iver, “Ophelia”
• Megafaun, “I Shall Be Released”
• The Band of Heathens, “One More Song”
• Mavis Staples with Glen Hansard, “The Weight”
• Bruce Springsteen, “The Weight”

The keynote speech was clearly geared towards the musicians in attendance. Springsteen delivered a rollicking history of rock and roll with the personal perspectives on how it influenced his music. It was filled with humor and a rock and roll attitude, plus a few acoustic guitar performances to illustrate his points.

If there was a singular message, it was that musicians need to fully commit to their craft. Without directly saying so, he cautioned that there are no shortcuts to success. He stressed the importance of studying those who came before you to learn from their experience. And he counseled that the live show matters, both to sharpen your style and build your audience.

You can view the entire Bruce Springsteen SXSW keynote speech here, courtesy of NPR.

Springsteen continued the lesson that night with a special performance with the E Street Band. The show took place at the 2,700 capacity Moody Theater (home of Austin City Limits), a much more intimate venue that the arenas and stadiums that the band usually plays. The band more than rose to the occasion with a nearly three hour show that, while heavy on songs from his newly released Wrecking Ball, included some gems from his extensive catalog.

And the special guests? Spectacular. Tom Morello reprising his contributions to two tracks from the new album plus a furious “Ghost of Tom Joad.” Jimmy Cliff, decked out in all red, joined for three of his classics (although curiously not “Trapped”). Eric Burdon, whom Springsteen had lauded earlier in the day during his SXSW keynote speech, appeared for the Animals classic “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” And perhaps the most random moment of the evening, members of Arcade Fire suddenly appearing alongside Joe Ely, Garland Jeffries and openers the Low Anthem and Alejandro Escovedo to join Springsteen and the E Street Band for a closing rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.”

The exclamation point, for me at least, came just over a week later when I saw the band play at the nearly 20,000 capacity Boston Garden. Simply put, the energy was the same! Springsteen and the E Street Band brought the same fervor to a venue ten times the size of the Moody Theater.

Now that’s talent and commitment to craft. Here is an artist in his early 60s not content to rest of the laurels of his forty-year career. Rather, he throws himself into every performance with an unbridled enthusiasm, making it a mission to connect with his audience regardless of whether the venue is big or small.

Said Springsteen in the keynote, “young musicians, learn how to bring it live and then bring it night after night after night. Your audience will remember you.”

And there endeth the lesson.

• Tom Morello, “World Wide Rebel Song” from the New West day party
• Bahamas, “Caught Me Thinking”
• The Lumineers, “Gun Song” performed at St. Davids Historic Sanctuary.
• Glen Hansard performing sans microphone and amplification. Watch him roll with the punches as an electric band begins playing nearby about halfway through his performance.
• The Posies, Jody Stephens, Peter Buck and Markus Nordenstreng (of the Latebirds) paying tribute to the legendary Big Star with the band’s classic “In the Street.”
• Alejandro Escovedo and friends featuring Garland Jefferies and Bruce Springsteen taking on the Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden”
• Lucero, “Nights Like These”
• Bob Mould, “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”
• Lydia Loveless, “Can’t Change Me” at the Twangfest party.
• Frank Turner, “I Am Disappeared”
• Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys and Girls, “Sally Was a Cop” from his forthcoming release.
• The Dunwells, “Elizabeth”
• Adam Duritz with Kasey Anderson, “Like Teenage Gravity” (Anderson’s song that was covered by Counting Crows on their latest release.)
• The Stone River Boys (featuring Barfield and Dave Gonzalez) performing “Love On the Dial” at Threadgills for Music Fog.
• Brendan Benson, “A Whole Lot Better”
• Tom Morello with Wayne Kramer, “Kick Out the Jams” (and, wow, did they ever!)
• Tom Morello’s complete Occupy Austin performance at 2am on the street in Austin.

Click here for more Twangville coverage of SXSW.

To celebrate the release, The Mastersons will be visting Twangville for a live online Q&A and performance tomorrow. Visit Twangville tomorrow at 2:30pm et for this exclusive event.

And you can get in on the action! Have a question for the band? Post it as a comment and we’ll pose it to the band on Tuesday!

To get you in the mood, here are two special videos. The first is the Mastersons, backed by Steve Earle and the Dukes & Duchesses, performing the song “Crash Test” from the new release. The second is a video chronicling the recording of Birds Fly South.

Below are a few favorites from artists like Mic Harrison & the High Score, Doc Dailey, Jo Wymer, Kasey Anderson, Glossary, and Matthew Ryan. See the CXCW site for many, many more.