While the riot cops were in full force on the other end of Austin — thanks to Death From Above — we opted to catch the other other hype act at SXSW: The Tyler the Creator-led hip hop collective OFWGKTA.

They were on the lips of near-every passersby, and for good reason: Aside from playing the giant, free Mess With Texas party, they've had a spattering of other performances, including a Vice party and a club set at a Billboard-sponsored venue. That's right. Billboard. The very publication that had OFWGKTA, or Odd Future for short, gracing its cover this month, as pictured above.

For good reason. Here, an troupe of intensely talented teenagers with an eye for the prolific — with a mixtape under its belt, Tyler the Creator, kid brother Earl Sweatshirt, duo Mellow Hype and stoner Domo Genesis have each released acclaimed LPs. All for free via their Tumblr, all without label support, bolstered by one-upping, quasi horror-core themes and the mind-fuck production of Tyler (who has listed Eno and Liars and influences. And it shows).

Add in modern hardcore iconography — see the whited-out eyes, wolf obsession and inverted crosses — and a kinetic stage performance, and you've got a winner.

That comes with questions, of course. For an act that's been relentlessly DIY, the accolades surely bring questions: How does corporate support — hey, Tyler signed to XL for his second solo release, Goblin, which has to be one of the year's most anticipated — impact Odd Future's game? How does the band's edginess reconcile with an ever-growing pool of listeners? How the hell can a band that talks about rape so frequently appear on the cover of Billboard? Do they care?

Evidently not. As we rolled up to the Billboard lounge to catch Odd Future's show, they lasted all of, uh, three songs-ish. Blame it on the venue, blame it on the malfunctioning mics, but in the middle of Tyler's giant "Yonkers," he stopped, thanking the crowd, before proclaiming "Fuck Billboard. Fuck everyone else. Fuck this venue!," before mics were tossed and all stormed off stage.

They didn't come back. Snotty? Perhaps. Punk as fuck? Definitely.

Still, that didn't make for a satisfying show. But it does loads for their mystique — and their integrity, depending on how you might interpret it. And, as one of music's most befuddling acts, this one formally has my support.

Video below.