A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:

South by Southwest, Austin, Texas. The cool thing about this week's five-day extravaganza is that it gathers music lovers and artists from all over the world. The best thing about this gigantic fest is somehow you still feel like you're home -- even with 1,500-plus acts -- because Jeremy Messersmith, P.O.S., Solid Gold and Gospel Gossip are in the mix.

Second Sunday Gospel Brunch, 331 Club. Even though there's really no brunch, there is gospel -- and one fantastic grilled cheese sandwich.

Good Old War, "Only Way to Be Alone." Since its first spin, this has remained lodged in my CD player. "Folky pop music with a hook" is a good way to describe these earwig-inducing melodies. Good Old War opens for Gaslight Anthem on April 4 at the Varsity.

STACY SCHWARTZ, MINNEAPOLIS

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Jack White forms the Dead Weather. It's another side project for Mr. White Stripes, but in this quartet, he's playing drums while Alison Mosshart of the Kills handles vocals and Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age is on guitar. Two early tracks streaming online are punk-flavored jams that promise to be explosive live.

Sheila E wins "Gone Country 3." After revealing she was raped as a kid and angry for years until she found God, the percussion star created the country-gospel tune "Glorious Train" -- with a glorious chorus -- to win this CMT reality contest.

Antony and Marianne Faithfull, "Ooh Baby Baby." On "Easy Come, Easy Go," her album of covers, Faithfull reenforces her rep as a dusky, deeply felt interpreter. Antony proves he can sing like a soul man. Also recommended is the Faithfull/Keith Richards reading of Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home."

JON BREAM, STAR TRIBUNE