Earlier in the day, The Crash Kings got things started with an incendiary set, including their kicking new track "Mountain Man" and a tightly coiled cover of the Buzzcocks classic "What Do I Get?" Given that the last time I saw the Buzzcocks was, in fact, a stunning set at SXSW, there was an elegant symmetry to the experience, as keyboardist Tony Beliveau demonstrated that a well-thrashed clavinet can be pretty punk in its own right. Melodic punk, but it's all in the attitude.
Later in the night, the social hub was the ASCAP showcase, hosting a full complement of A&R types and featuring Death on Two Wheels, who, along with Hockey, Local Natives and
While it's always a bit early to tell the tone of the thing on Wednesday alone, the crowds do seem a bit thinner this year, but the volume and variety of artists remain pretty staggering. Where else do you walk by a hotel and hear the Jayhawks' Gary Louris and Mark Olsen, or wander into a day party and see Beach House? The sheer overkill and and sprawl of SXSW refuses to recede, notwithstanding the much-discussed woes of the music business or the economy at large. And that refusal to shrink back to anything less than overdrive is pretty punk, too.
THE COUNT: COLDPLAY IS HOT, COUNTRY'S COOKIN' IN THE U.K.
The latest tidbits from the bustling live sector (3/28a)
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THE NEW UMG
Gosh, we hope there are more press releases.
TIKTOK BANNED!
Unless the Senate manages to make this whole thing go away, that is.
THE NEW HUGE COUNTRY ACT
No, not that one.
TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST
Now 100% unlicensed!
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