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SXSW Music Festival track this thread

Started by Imperator; Last updated by Imperator | View history

SXSW Music Festival

"SXSW is a circus all on its own -- but sitting across from Michael Stipe while he's sipping an espresso and chatting with him about sex toys, song-writing, and his buddies in U2 -- it's any music journalist and fan's dream," - Indiepixie aka Faith-Ann Young

Started in 1987 when Austin was cool, but not yet corporate, this little music festival in central Texas has become, according to the New York Times, "America?s most important music convention." It even got a front page article in The Wall Street Journal. And now it has film and interactive extensions of the fest. Plus, it's own Wikipedia entry. OK, anybody can have that, and this one needs improvement. Can SXSW survive its own success?

Stories

6 Stories

  • August 2008
    • The Hardest-Drinking US Cities

      The Hardest-Drinking US Cities

      (Newser) - Famous for its arts festivals and home to a large college population, Austin, Texas, takes top honors as America’s hardest-drinking city, reports Forbes in its distillation of behavioral data from the CDC. Here are the top 5: Austin—1 in 5 admit to binge drinking, and 9% of men have two drinks a day. More »

  • March 2008
    • Hip-Hop Finds New Direction in SXSW

      Hip-Hop Finds New Direction in SXSW

      (Newser) - Move over indie-rock—Hip-hop got a big bump at South by Southwest this year. Houston's emerging hip-hop scene helped spread word within the rap community, the AP reports, and some 150 acts took the stage this year. "Honestly I didn't know too much about this," says Del the Funky Homosapien, but "people would say, 'If you don't go, you trippin'!'" More »

    • Vampires, REM Win Austin Buzz

      Vampires, REM Win Austin Buzz

      (Newser) - At least one "buzz band" has emerged in South by Southwest, a music festival that is increasingly dominated by big-name artists: world-beat pop quartet Vampire Weekend. Still hot from a Saturday Night Live appearance last weekend, the Columbia University band has wowed Austin with its clean, poppy sound, the Buffalo News reports. More »

    • 1,700 Bands, Rocking as the CD Industry Reels

      “I don’t want to feel like I don’t have a future,” sang the Shout Out Louds, one of more than 1,700 bands that have been performing day and night at Austin’s clubs, halls, meeting rooms, parking lots and street corners since Wednesday....Southwest is a talent showcase and a schmoozathon, a citywide barbecue party and a brainstorming session for a business that has been radically shaken and stirred by the Internet. For established recording companies, the instantaneous and often unpaid distribution of music online is business hell; CD album sales are on an accelerating slide, and sales of downloads...

    • Tables Turn on Rebel Festival

      Tables Turn on Rebel Festival

      (Newser) - The South by Southwest musical festival finds itself in an odd spot—the once-tiny gathering is now the big bad authority figure as it tries to keep others from horning in on its success, the Wall Street Journal reports. Festival organizers routinely call the police, revoke privileges, and file lawsuits as they try to shut down the loads of unsanctioned parties and concerts that spring up on the fringes of the 5-day festival in Austin, Texas. More »

  • April 1993
    • Deep in the Soul of Texas - New York Times

      "Bad Girls Upset by the Truth," a combination of songs and monologues, was performed in Austin as part of the annual South by Southwest Music Industry conference in March. Last year, a bunch of Austin singers recorded versions of her songs for a tribute album, "Across the Great Divide: Songs of Jo Carol Pierce," on the local Dejadisc label. At this year's Austin Music Awards ceremony, which opens the conference (or SXSW as it is abbreviated), "Across the Great Divide" swept top honors: album of the year, songwriter of the year and producer of the year. At the age of 47, Ms. Pierce is an official...

6 Stories

Seattle Washington's The Cops, with Mike Jaworski, Drew Church, and Brandon Ball, right to left, perform during a party at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin Thursday, March 13, 2008.   (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)
Vampire Weekend performs at one of the day festivals surrounding the SXSW Music Festival in Austin on Thursday, March 13, 2008.   (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)
Former Disney chief Michael Eisner participates in a question and answer panel at the SXSW Film and Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, March 11, 2008.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
Musician Moby speaks at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, March 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
R.E.M's Michael Stipe peforms during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas on March 12 , 2008.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
Actress and director Helen Hunt participates in a panel at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas on Sunday, March 9, 2008. Hunt directed and acted in the new film "Then She Found Me". (AP Photo/Jack...   (AP Photo)
The Ting Tings' Katie White, from Manchester, UK, perform during a day party at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas on Thursday, March 13, 2008.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
Sharin Foo of The Ravonettes perform at a day party during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas on Friday, March 14 , 2008.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
John Doe of X performs at a day party during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas on Friday, March 14, 2008.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
Duffy performs at a day party during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas on Friday, March 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
Santi White of Santogold performs during the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas on Friday, March 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Thread Heads: SXSW Day 5   (ThreadBanger (YouTube))
SXSW Day 4, Music, Veggie Bus, Peter and the Wolf   (ThreadBanger (YouTube))
SXSW Day 3 - Film Premier of Beautiful Losers   (ThreadBanger (YouTube))
Thread Heads at SXSW day 2, How-to make a Slack Dress   (ThreadBanger (YouTube))
Threadheads at SXSW, Day 1   (ThreadBanger (YouTube))

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

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Background

South by Southwest
Wikipedia

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas. Originating as the Austin Battle of the Bands, SXSW officially began in 1987 and is centered around the downtown Austin Convention Center. Each of the three parts...

» Read more about South by Southwest at Wikipedia


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