Covering the behemoth that is South by Southwest is the journalist’s equivalent of running a marathon. It requires a lot of training and energy, and at the end, you’re exhausted but inspired. Many of our staffers have covered the festival for years. Here are their picks in music, film and interactive.

■ Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Writer, composer, actor and generally creepy musician Nick Cave and his band the Bad Seeds just released their 15th album, “Push the Sky Away.” — Peter Mongillo, music writer

■ SXSW Comedy. Comedy enjoyed a growing presence at SXSW 2012, taking over Esther’s Follies for the better part of a week. This year, there will be more venues. — Dale Roe, Go-To Guy

■ Jim James. My Morning Jacket’s lead singer will be here behind his new solo record, “Regions of Light and Sound of God.” — Sharon Chapman, entertainment editor

■ Matthew Inman. Inman has parlayed his Internet fame as creator of the hilarious online comic “The Oatmeal” into several noble crowdfunding efforts. — Omar Gallaga, tech writer

■ Amaral. One of Spain’s most popular bands combines rock, Spanish folk and synthesizers to create a unique blend of music. — Gissela SantaCruz-Parra, Ahora Si reporter

■ I’m excited to see what all the buzz is about Eddie Huang, a New York restaurateur who just released a tell-all memoir.

— Addie Broyles, food reporter

■ The streets of Austin. For 10 days, our town becomes a true cityscape with pop-up venues, street entertainment and diverse pedestrians wherever you turn. — Michael Barnes, social columnist

■ Documentaries are always a strong part of SXSW. This year, we’ll get to see director Al Reinert’s take on the unjustly convicted Michael Morton. It’s called “Unreal Dream.” — Charles Ealy, film editor

■ Brazilian music showcase. It’s a good party and the perfect opportunity to discover something new to add to your iPod. — Nancy Flores, features reporter

■ Red Baraat. New Orleans brass band meets Bollywood dance party. Funky, sweaty insanity ensues. — Deborah Sengupta, Austin360.com producer

■ After hearing so much chatter about “Upstream Color” at Sundance, I’m very excited to check out Dallas filmmaker Shane Carruth’s film. — Matthew Odam, film and restaurant critic