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.
NEW & DEVELOPING
ARTISTS: Q3 EDITION The stars of tomorrow—and one star of the moment (8/8a)
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RISE OF THE INDIES
How they're reshuffling the biz deck.
THE LATIN-MUSIC MARKETPLACE
Thoughts on a changing landscape.
KETCHUP
It's everywhere.
THE NEXT HUGE CATALOG STORY
Another stunning return.
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