Thanks to NPR Music, I can have a beer and a taco at home and at least pretend I’m at SXSW, an event I’ve never been to and one I’m afraid my job will keep me from forever.

But don’t cry for me. NPR put on a wonderful showcase in Austin on Wednesday and already had audio downloads of sets by The Walkmen, Broken Bells and others available via its Web site by night’s end. (Spoon was playing as I was writing this, but I’m guessing a stream and/or download will be available here later.) You can also subscribe to the NPR Live Concerts podcast and get all this.

I’m quite appreciative of the downloadable set from The Walkmen, who were accompanied by a horn section and played a tight nine-song set that included new songs; a few choice cuts from You & Me; All Hands and the Cook; and, of course, The Rat – a song that probably gets old only to them.

• The Walkmen | live from SXSW (NPR showcase) (40:51, 128 kbps, 37.5 MB)