It's Chaos in Tejas time, and the little hardcore festival that could has become a 21st century Austin institution, featuring more than 100 acts over four packed days. Each year has been a little bit different, adding and subtracting genres built on a solid base of international hardcore punk and extreme metal.

Here is a quick guide to what is going on and when, broken down by genre.

All of these shows have their own covers. Please know that this is not nearly all of the music in each genre, especially punk and metal, but stuff that might fit into a thematic weekend of rocking out and getting down.

If you're into: Reunion shows and/or sets by veteran acts

See:

The Mob (10 Thursday, Mohawk): English Anarcho-punk; classic album was the brilliantly named "Let the Tribe Increase."

Cockney Rejects (12:30 a.m. Thursday, Emo's East): All but founded the working-class punk called "oi!"

Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments (10 p.m. Saturday, Club DeVille): Once gave away a 12" to promote a 7"; I'm still bitter I never got one.

The Clean (11 p.m. Saturday, Club Deville): Their stunning jangle-drone is a rock upon which much of indie is built.

Antisect (11:15 p.m. Saturday, Mohawk): Massively influential on virtually every political hardcore act here.

If you're into: Japanese punk

See:

Reality Crisis (8:15 Thursday, Mohawk): Two vocalists over in-the-red crust.

Skizophrenia (9 p.m. Friday. Mohawk; 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Red 7): Raw, catchy screaming.

Forward (9:45 p.m. Friday, Mohawk): These vets rocked Chaos ‘06.

Zyanose (8:45 p.m. Saturday, Mohawk; 6 p.m. Sunday, Beerland): Punk but almost trippy/pyschedelic in spots.

If you're into: Hip-hop

See:

Big Freedia and Katey Red (10 Thursday, Club DeVille): Nawlins bounce of the "sissy" variety; absurdly, stupendously fun shows.

Main Attrakionz, Fat Tony, Nick Wojm Fast Ronald, Children of the Night (10 p.m. Saturday, ND): Chaos in Tejas' first hip-hop showcase, featuring artists signed to the brand-new, New York-based Young One Records.

If you're into: Punky and not so punky indie rock

See:

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (9 Thursday, Mohawk): Anthemic, fist-pumping rock from a lifer.

John Wesley Coleman (9 p.m. Friday, Scoot Inn): Golden Boys guitarist can write in any idiom.

The Young (11:15 p.m. Friday, Beauty Ballroom): The new album sounds more like Neil Young than fuzz pop.

A Place to Bury Strangers (10 p.m. Saturday, 29th Street Ballroom): The new album sounds more like heavy Jesus and Mary Chain than simple shoegaze worship.

Best Coast (12:30 a.m. Sunday, Emo's East): Perfect pop songs.

If you're into: Metal

See:

Nasum (1 a.m. Thursday, Red 7): Savage Swedish grind, like a freshly waxed armored tank.

Whitehorse (11:40 Thursday, Red 7): Hellish Australian doom.

Church of Misery: (11:45 p.m. Friday, Red 7): Japanese doom; the sound of wind and ghosts.

Saint Vitus (12:45 a.m. Friday, Red 7): Classic doom from vets who practically invented it, post-Black Sabbath.

Midnight (5 p.m. Saturday, Beerland; midnight Sunday, Red 7): Underground deathpunk brutality.

Absu (12:45 a.m. Saturday, Red 7): Cultish Texas death metal.

Contact Joe Gross at 912-5926