The Black and White Years were the highlight at 2009's South by Southwest with four showcases including a performance with Devo, Tricky and Datarock; and were the recipients of five awards at the 27th Annual Austin Music Awards, the ceremony that kicked off the SXSW Music Festival.

The Austin, Texas four-piece were presented with SXSW trophies for "Best New Band" and "Best Song" for their single "Power To Change," "Best Performing Band � Rock" and "Best Bass Player" (John Aldridge). In addition, Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads, Modern Lovers) won the award for "Best Producer of the Year" for his work on the band's eponymous debut album.

The single, "Power to Change," became a hit song in Austin after the city's key rock station, KROX-FM, added it into full-time rotation after nearly a year of airplay on their weekly new music program, Next Big Thing.