South by Southwest Festival

The ten dumbest things overheard at SXSW

For every insightful conversation I have heard or had at SXSW over the years, whether it was talking to Matt Pinfield while walking the streets of Austin talking about David Bowie, or telling The Clash's Mick Jones that he was in fact, in The Clash, I have overheard a thousand awful ones. Years of e ... More >>

SEX at SXSW: Bang With Friends provides a tipsheet of who's DTF in Austin, apparently

"All the single dudes put up your phone. Now all the single ladies put up your phone. Turn to the nearest person with a phone up. Now type in your phone number. Now you have something to do after this." That was Chuck D, talking from the Doritos Main Stage. Or at least I think it was Chuck D. I wa ... More >>

The five biggest sellouts at SXSW

SXSW is not a music festival so much as it is an experiment in excess. If Coachella is a glass of water that keeps getting bigger until it more resembles a kiddie pool, then SXSW is a flood with a neglected cup somewhere in the middle. The natural result is rampant crowds and ever more rampant lame ... More >>

Macklemore on his new record and what rap album he'd take with him on the mothership

The last time we caught up with Seattle rapper Macklemore (due tomorrow at the Westword Music Showcase on the mainstage), he was working on his latest album with such fervor, he chose to skip SXSW. That, combined with having been inducted into XXL's prestigious 2012 Freshman class and performances a ... More >>

Macklemore: "I'd rather take my time and put out something I'm truly proud of."

Macklemore, one of the headliners at this year's Westword Music Showcase, is playing two sold-out shows at the Fox Theatre this week on Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 12. The rapper and Seattle native, also known as Ben Haggerty, has truckloads of momentum right now. From being featured in ... More >>

The Worst Moments from SXSW 2012

The last few days, Village Voice Media's indefatigable music staff has been regaling you with stories of the best from SXSW 2012. In the midst of these discoveries, we've been culling another list: the worst shit. The acts that ranged from huge bore-fests to downright lame. Below, you'll find our cr ... More >>

SXSW travelogue: Take to the Oars checks in from the streets of Austin

There is a place somewhere in the pacific ocean that is essentially a cesspool for plastic waste and various other bits of debris and man-made trash. The rudimentary physics and science behind this collection is that all ocean currents from all over the world eventually whirlpool and cycle through t ... More >>

SXSW travelogues: The Photo Atlas recounts its time in Austin

Coming into our seventh year playing SXSW, we've got it down to a science. We've already been out on the road for two weeks and have two to follow after SXSW, so it's about getting in, playing your heart out, supporting your friends and hopefully catching a few new bands to write home about.

The Best of SXSW Music: Friday 3/16/12

If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the chaos, Village Voice Media's roving music editors have selected t ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Thursday 3/15/2012

If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the bright, scintillating chaos, Village Voice Media's roving music e ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Wednesday 3/14/2012

​If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the bright, scintillating chaos, Village Voice Media's roving musi ... More >>

William Breathes's South by Southwest (mis)adventures

A few months back, we here at Mile Highs and Lows begged and pleaded for you to help convince the folks at the South By Southwest Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas to let us talk about marijuana journalism at what is arguably the most important media conference in America. Thanks to you, we go ... More >>

Alert: SXSW coverage ahead

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." -- Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that all of the above building ... More >>

Andrew W.K. in Denver at Bluebird on 3/20

Grab your party shoes, kids. Andrew W.K. is coming back to Denver. In honor of the ten year anniversary of I Get Wet (hands up if you can believe it's already been a decade since dude first hit the scene), Mr. Party Hard is bringing his party to the Bluebird Theater on Tuesday, March 20. Brace yours ... More >>

Spring Break in Denver: Days 2-4 of a week of shows with Sara Century and Tom Murphy

​Hot on the heels of SXSW and in the midst of spring break, we sent Sara Century and Tom Murphy on the town for a week of shows and had them report back what they saw/heard, with Sara drawing all of the pretty pictures and Tom stringing all the words together. Click through for the next three ... More >>

Foster the People

Wednesday, March 30, Walnut Room, 303-292-0529.

Welcome to Spring Break in Denver: A week of shows with Sara Century and Tom Murphy

Hot on the heels of SXSW and in the midst of spring break, Sara Century and Tom Murphy hit us up with the idea of sending them out on the town for a week of shows and then reporting back to us what they saw/heard, with Sara drawing all of the pretty pictures and Tom stringing all the words together. ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: Air Dubai engages in water gun fight and plays its first showcase

​ Saturday, March 19 (or Friday, March 18 -- since the night just isn't over) Let me first start today's travelogue by saying how amazing a time it has been here in Texas. It's 4 a.m. currently (technically, still the night of Friday the 18th, but whatev), and I am writing from our hotel roo ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: Wheelchair Sports Camp named among Top 25 essential hip-hop acts to catch by Boston Phoenix

Photo Roadies​ Saturday, March 19 Good morning -- or should I say afternoon? -- from the beautiful city of Austin! SXSW has gotten crazier by the day, and the day has come for Wheelchair Sports Camp to tear the roof off of Austin at the legendary Red 7 venue! We were cited as one of the top ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: The Photo Atlas checks in

Brian Frederick​ Thursday, March 17 And it begins ... 4 a.m. we arrive in Austin, Texas, at Casa de Epilogues greeted by hugs and cases of Upslope, after an amazing day of riding rollercoasters and playing three sets at Six Flags-Dallas and an awesome run of shows with the Epilogues, which i ... More >>

The five weirdest products at the SXSW Interactive trade show

Somehow, this guy will pay you to eat at restaurants.​Tight jeans and awesome hair have replaced the cargo shorts (and jorts) of Austin's 6th Street by now, as SXSW Interactive 2011 is in the books and SXSW Music gets rolling. The SXSW Trade Show -- which didn't open its doors until Monday, th ... More >>

SXSW Tip Sheet: Colorado bands

The Uncertain Sea is certain about purple

​Purple: Perhaps the least popular color in the Crayola box next to taupe and coral. Save for fans of Prince, the Minnesota Vikings, the Fluid and Grimace, it's not exactly the most enticing color in the world. Amazingly, however, the Uncertain Sea has combined purple with a sort of sea green ... More >>

Candy Claws' plan for SXSW: pack plastic sea creatures, stream shows live

candyclaws.blogspot.com​ Fort Collins' strangest, savviest band are only one of many representing locally at SXSW. However, they continue to demonstrate their ability to stand out from the pack, which is a skill we're sure they'll find particularly handy in Austin. The duo posted the merch ... More >>

Moving Pictures: First look at Hideous Men's "Dreamscene"

Experimental noise/pop outfit Hideous Men (read our recent Q&A with the band) are moving at a furious rate. In their first month of existence they toured with Pictureplane. They're playing at SXSW next month. And now they've got an utterly bizarre video to accompany their thoroughly freaky music. It ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Why, ma'am, what a lovely paper dress

Our weekend started Thursday, with a bizarre made-from-paper fashion show, and continued through Saturday night with a not-at-all-bizarre parade of drunk people at the downtown Lodo's. In between we looked longingly at photos sent from our colleagues in Austin for South by Southwest. See pictures ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, March 23 edition

The Photo Atlas live in Texas. March forward. Today in Backbeat Online: • The Photo Atlas live at SXSW 2009. • Overcasters SXSW tour diary. • Epilogues SXSW tour diary. • Aloft in the Sundry SXSW tour diary. • Meese SXSW tour diary. Today in Cafe Society: • Appleman's cooking in Bould ... More >>

Meese SXSW tour diary

Saturday March 21 - Day 4: So here we are. Our last day in Austin. Going to try and take it easy today, seeing as how we have to drive to L.A. tonight, but I'm sure we'll still get into some trouble. We've got a show at 9 p.m. tonight at Maggie Mae's rooftop, and it's our official SXSW showcase show ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, March 20 edition

Photo by JensenThe 3Oh!3 fans in Texas know how to throw signs, too. It seems so unfair that I've been stuck inside all day... Today in Backbeat Online: • 3OH!3 SXSW tour diary by Kam from Chain Gang of 1974. • Epilogues SXSW tour diary. • Overcasters SXSW tour diary. • How to cope with SX ... More >>

Enjoy 1,200 free songs, courtesy of SXSW

If you can't make it to Austin's fabled South by Southwest event this year (and who can? I can't even afford the gas it would take to drive there, much less the other expenses), here's something to ease the pain -- 1,267 songs from various SXSW artists, absolutely free of charge. That's enough musi ... More >>

Denver bands announced for SXSW

While it's still a bit early, the official list of Denver acts invited to play SXSW seems pretty narrow. Given the extraordinary talent we have here, we're guessing that the number of artists who submitted this year is down and that this is really more of a reflection of the economy -- bands weighin ... More >>

The Stooges Cover Madonna and Other Assorted Goodies

SXSW 2008 Preview

On the Download

Free music, yours for the taking.

SXSW 2007 Preview

Texas Toast

Editors Note

The latest British import is learning how to handle the hype.

Goin' South

Denver bands make tracks to Austin.

The Beatdown

The Golden Triangle was really golden during the Westword Music Showcase.

The Beatdown

Get out of Denver, baby, go!

The Beatdown

Scenes from SXSW

Backwash

Fear of a hip planet? Austin swarms with the übercool during SXSW.

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Source Tags & Codes (Interscope)

Bang to Hype

At SXSW, it's all about the buzz, not the Buzz Band.

Backwash

We remember the Alamo, but South by Southwest is now a blissful blur.

South By So What

Unknown bands can't expect much from SXSW, just ask the Czars' Chris Pearson.

Southern Exposure

South by Southwest chooses an eclectic Denver lineup.

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