SXSW Performer: Meat Puppets (Phoenix, AZ)

Arizona indie originals t he Meat Puppets rode the heights of fame during the '90s grunge wave, only to find themselves crashing on the rocks below as the one of its members spiraled into a haze of imprisonment and drug addiction--not to mention the separation anxiety between brothers Cris and Curt Kirkwood. Now they're back, and although original drummer Derrick Bostrom opted out of the reunion (his role was filled by Ted Marcus), the group showed songwriting chops as sharp as ever on 2007's comeback album "Rise to Your Knees," with lead puppet Curt Kirkwood's gifts for sun-baked pop-punk mysticism still on full display. The band's latest studio effort, "Sewn Together," drops in May.

Performing Thursday, March 19 at 9 p.m. at Stubb's (801 Red River St.)

website: http://www.themeatpuppets.com