Two weeks ago, I got the privilege of dog-sitting my roommate’s two heartbreakingly cute Chihuahuas. Of course, I was thrilled to play mommy to them for an entire week--but I couldn’t help feeling just a tad bit left out. After all, my roommate’s band was headed to Austin, Texas for the much-lauded South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival, which took place March 7 through 16.

SXSW is an annual event that showcases hundreds of mainly “indie” rock bands from around the world. Since the nature of independent labels is, well, that they’re not major labels, most of these bands tend to be a smidge more off-the-radar than, say, Madonna or Coldplay.

Yet, the past few years have seen SXSW and events like it explode. When it first started in 1987, the Austin expo garnered a mere 700 attendees. Its 2007 incarnation brought nearly 87,000 attendees and numerous big-name acts, and made the city a whopping $95 million in direct revenue, surpassing even Texas Longhorns home games. In fact, SXSW is now one of the largest music festivals in the U.S. It’s even spawned direct offshoots such as Toronto’s North by Northeast (NXNE) and even the playfully named, Austin-based GAYbiGAYGAY (yes, it’s a gay and lesbian-themed event).

The growing number--and popularity--of indie-themed music events makes travel both entertaining and educational. Who knew, for example, that central Austin boasts more original music nightclubs in one concentrated area than any other city in the world?

Trivia aside, it’s the art, films, nightlife, and great crowds that make the upcoming indie-themed festivals below more than worth your while--even if major-label names do creep into several of the lineups. Oh, and did I mention the music? Suffice it to say that it totally rocks.

Coachella - Indio, CA (near Palm Springs), April 25 to 27, 2008
Sasquatch Music Festival - George, WA, May 24 to 26, 2008
North by Northeast (NXNE) - Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 12 to 15, 2008
Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival - San Francisco, CA, July 17 to 20, 2008
Reading Festival - Reading, United Kingdom, August 22 to 24, 2008
Mid-American Music Festival - Omaha, NE, September 3 to 7, 2008
Austin City Limits Music Festival - Austin, TX, September 26 to 28, 2008