Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com » SXSW

Crystal Bowersox, Oh Land, Miguel And More Send Postcards From SXSW

Erika Brooks Adickman — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:04:03 +0000

We’re still recovering from SXSW 2011, but before we hang up our cowboy hats until next March, we want to thank everyone who Pray-ed For Pop along with us in Austin and across the globe — specifically the fans who entered our postcard contest. Below are the personal notes to our five lucky winners from Crystal Bowersox, Neon Hitch, Miguel, Oh Land and Eliza Doolittle. Their sentiments are the same as ours: wish you were there! Thanks to everyone who entered, and we hope to see y’all down in Texas next year!

Crystal Bowersox to fan Jami:

Oh Land to fan Nayeli:

Miguel to fan Kendra:

Neon Hitch to fan Marc:

Eliza Doolittle to fan Celine:

Miguel Glows At Idolator’s Pray For Pop Party At SXSW

Idolator Staff — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:44:43 +0000

Our Pray For Pop party at the Pure Volume House at South By Southwest was almost an all-female affair, but we had the XY chromosome represented impeccably well by the likes of sultry crooner Miguel. The “Sure Thing” singer brought his smooth, silky blend of R&B, pop and rock to the stage — as well as one totally funkadelic mic stand. Jump below to watch Miguel make the crowd melt by performing tunes from his debut LP, All I Want Is You.

“All I Want Is You”

“Quickie”

Besides staring at Miguel throughout his set, fans couldn’t keep their eyes off his glowing mic stand — check out the neat-o effect it had over at Pure Volume House’s SXSW gallery! Trippy!

After marinating in Miguel’s smooth groove, take a gander at all the photos of our Pray For Pop artists, as well as performances by Crystal Bowersox, Eliza Doolittle and Neon Hitch.

Kanye West To Have A G.O.O.D. Time In Austin With Kid Cudi, John Legend & More

Becky Bain — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:22:48 +0000

When Kanye West rolls into South By Southwest and takes the stage at the Vevo Power Station this Saturday night at 11:59 p.m., he’ll be joined by a bunch of his G.O.O.D. Music family members — John Legend, Common, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Mr. Hudson, Cyhi The Prynce, Big Sean, and Mos Def will also make appearances at the inevitably overcrowded show. If you can’t get in, don’t sweat it too much — the all-star performance will be broadcast on Vevo on April 22, which, of course, is Good Friday.

Kanye West Will Perform At South By Southwest — CONFIRMED

Becky Bain — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 21:01:49 +0000

Heard the rumor that Kanye West would take a break from the studio to make a special appearance at South By Southwest? Us too (and this cryptic video sure stoked the fire). Well let’s have a toast: we can now exclusively report that it’s true — Kanye will be taking the stage at SXSW on March 19 at midnight at the VEVO Power Station. The good news came via a new video montage of Kanye’s videos, various appearances and interviews. Watch it below and prepare to see him turn on all of the lights (at a 1950s-era power plant in Austin, no less) this Saturday!

This isn’t the first time Yeezy has headed to Austin for the music fest — in 2009, West performed at the Fader Fort venue alongside special guests Consequence, Mr. Hudson and Big Sean.

Kanye’s special guests this time around haven’t been announced yet, but our fingers are crossed for pretty much anyone featured on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. (Can’t you just picture Nicki Minaj rocking a hot pink cowboy hat?)

So for all you party people who will be at SXSW on Saturday night, better show up waaay earlier than midnight to nab a spot for the big show. And don’t forget to come hang with us at Idolator’s Pray For Pop party at The PureVolume House on Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m.!

Yummo

Maura — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:30:00 +0000

Polarizing TV chef Rachael Ray is having another party at South By Southwest this year; it’ll take place Saturday March 21, and last all day, and probably be ridiculously hard to get into once again. And yes, there will be food (like, um, seven layer sliders, the ingredient list of which gives me stomach cramps). And drink! And bands: The Hold Steady, The New York Dolls, Bob Schneider, The Airborne Toxic Event, Ra Ra Riot, Semi Precious Weapons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Thermals ,and John Pringle. Also The Cringe, a.k.a. her husband’s band. There is a flyer, but I kind of like the one that Christopher R. Weingarten and I brainstormed a little better. [RachaelRay.com]

Rachael Ray To Allow Bands To Play 30-Minute Sets At SXSW Once Again

Maura — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0000

The extremely polarizing TV chef/daytime host/magazine editor/lifestyle brand Rachael Ray will once again host a showcase at Austin’s South By Southwest Festival, the sequel to a 2008 concert that featured the Raveonettes and band-whose-name-you-can’t-say-on-TV Holy Fuck. No artists have been confirmed yet, although rumors floated by MTV claim that barroom standbys the Hold Steady and the Pitchfork-disliked, NBC-beloved Airborne Toxic Event may be on the bill. There’s a warmup party at Andrew WK’s New York City club Santos Party House scheduled for late February, although alas, Mr. WK is not on the bill for that yet. (Maybe he’ll be Rachael’s sous chef for the evening instead? We can all hope!) [MTV]

South By Southwest 2009: It Begins

Maura — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:30:00 +0000

The first batch of bands for this year’s installment of the South By Southwest Music Festival has been announced, which means that we can finally put festival programmer Darin Klein’s claims about just how bands are selected for Austin’s annual Shiner-and-short sets fest to the test. (Aww, the lede of Lucas’ piece mentions free Sparks. How sad.) Among the highlights on the list, which is after the jump: Ida Maria, Ebony Bones, St. Vincent. And Primal Scream, hey!

8Ball & MJG (Memphis, TN)
Akron/Family (Williamsport, PA)
Al Kapone (Memphis, TN)
Alina Simone (Brooklyn, NY)
Amanda Blank (Philadelphia, PA)
Amber Smith (Budapest, HUNGARY)
Angry vs The Bear (Essex, ENGLAND)
Anthony Snape (Sydney, AUSTRALIA)
ARABROT (Oslo, NORWAY)
Arc Angels (Austin, TX)
Asher Roth (Morrisville, PA)
Asobi Seksu (Brooklyn, NY)
Astrid Williamson (Shetland Islands, SCOTLAND)
B.o.B. (Atlanta, GA)
Banda de Turistas (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Bar-Kays (Memphis, TN)
Bavu Blakes (Austin, TX)
Ben Kweller (Austin, TX)
Benny Gallagher (West Wickham, ENGLAND)
Black Cherry (London, ENGLAND)
BLACK SKIES (Chapel Hill, NC)
Blaqstarr (Baltimore, MD)
Blue Scholars (Seattle, WA)
Bomba Estereo (Bogota, Columbia)
Brick Bandits (Philadelphia, PA)
Buck 65 (Halifax, NS)
Buraka Som Sistema (Lisbon, Portugal)
Candy Coated Killahz (Toronto, CANADA)
Cashier No.9 (Belfast, IRELAND)
Casiokids (Bergen, NORWAY)
Charles Hamilton (New York, NY)
Choc Quib Town (Bogota, Columbia)
CHOO-CHOO (Bern, SWITZERLAND)
Chris T-T (Brighton, ENGLAND)
Come On Gang! (Edinburgh, SCOTLAND)
Crystal Method (Los Angeles, CA)
Crystal Stilts (New York, NY)
Damero (Berlin, Germany)
Dananananaykroyd (Glasgow, Scotland)
Dave Alvin (Los Angeles, CA)
David Garza (Austin, TX)
Dead Prez (New York, NY)
Dekadens (Bucharest, ROMANIA)
Dirtblonde (Liverpool, ENGLAND)
Division Miniscula (Matamoros, Mexico)
Doctor Krapula (Bogota, Columbia)
EBONY BONES! (London, ENGLAND)
Ella (Bristol, ENGLAND)
Empire ISIS (Montreal, CANADA)
Explosions in the Sky (Austin, TX)
Flood of Red (Glasgow, SCOTLAND)
Franki Chan (Los Angeles, CA)
Free Sol (Memphis, TN)
Futumomo Satisfaction (Tokyo, Japan)
Gabi Almedia (Sao Paolo, Brazil)
Gary Clark Jr. (Austin, TX)
Grimy Styles (Austin, TX)
Hacienda (San Antonio, TX)
Hickoids (Austin, TX)
Ida Maria (Stockholm, Sweden)
Insite (Mexicali, Mexico)
Invincible (Detroit, MI)
Jokers of the Scene (Ottawa, ON)
Kap Bambino (Bordeaux, France)
Kid Sister (Chicago, IL)
Killer Mike (Atlanta, GA)
LA Riots (Los Angeles, CA)
Los Fancy Free (Mexico City, Mexico)
Madi Diaz (Nashville, TN)
Manana (Basil, SWITZERLAND)
Mandi Perkins (Los Angeles, CA)
Mexican Institute of Sound (Mexico City, Mexico)
Micachu (London, ENGLAND)
Midnight Youth (Auckland, NEW ZEALAND)
Mika Miko (Los Angeles, CA)
Mike Badger (Liverpool, ENGLAND)
Mistah FAB (Oakland, CA)
Monokino (Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS)
Moriarty (Montreuil, FRANCE)
Motel (Mexico City, Mexico)
Mundo Livre Sa (Recife, Brazil)
My Crew Be Unruly (Baltimore, MD)
My Federation (Hove, ENGLAND)
Nacho Vegas (Gijon, Spain)
Nacional (Glasgow, SCOTLAND)
NAVEL (Erschwil, SWITZERLAND)
Outasight (New York, NY)
P.O.S. (Minneapolis, MN)
Pato Machete (Monterrey, Mexico)
Peter Bjorn & John (Stockholm, Sweden)
Peter Rosenberg (New York, NY)
Port O’Brien (Cambria, CA)
Primal Scream (Glasgow, Scotland)
Reflection Eternal (Ohio/New York)
Rob Quest (Houston, TX)
Sage Francis (Providence, RI)
San Quinn (San Francisco, CA)
Scribe (Christchurch, NZ)
Shad (London, Ontario)
Shawn David McMillen (Austin, TX)
Simplifires (Mexico City, Mexico)
Soulico (Tel Aviv, Israel)
St. Vincent (Dallas, TX)
Suzy & Los Quattro (Barcelona, Spain)
T Bird & The Breaks (Austin, TX)
Tanya Morgan (Brooklyn, NY)
Temposhark (London, ENGLAND)
The Beat Poets (Belfast, IRELAND)
The Carrivick Sisters (Devon, ENGLAND)
The Courteneers (Manchester, UK)
The deBretts (London, ENGLAND)
The Deep Dark Woods (Saskatoon, CANADA)
the Devil Wears Prada (Dayton, OH)
The Everyday Visuals (Boston, MA)
The Knux (New Orleans, LA)
THE MOOG (Budapest, HUNGARY)
The Pepper Pots (Girona, Spain)
The Sonics (Seattle, WA)
The Temper Trap (Nth Fitzroy, AUSTRALIA)
thecocknbullkid (London, ENGLAND)
Thee Oh See’s (San Francisco, CA)
This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb (Pensacola, FL)
Tittsworth (Washington, DC)
Tommy Tee (Oslo, Norway)
Toy Horses (Barry, WALES)
Twilight Hotel (Winnipeg, CANADA)
Virgin Passages (London, ENGLAND)
Volodja Balzalorsky (Ljubljana, SLOVENIA)
WAZ (Los Angeles, CA)
We Have Band (London, ENGLAND)
We Should Be Dead (Limerick, IRELAND)
White Lies (London, ENGLAND)
Whitechapel (Knoxville, TN)
Willem Maker (Turkey Heaven, AL)
Willy Joy (Chicago, IL)
Yarah Bravo (New York, NY)

SXSW Music [Official site]
Earlier: In Case You’re Thinking Of A Last-Minute Application, Here’s How Bands Get Picked For SXSW

No Bathroom Line For Old Men

andybeta — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:00:52 +0000

Adding to the “I’m missing everything” feeling provided by the fact that during SXSW every bar with 10 square feet of space turns itself into a temporary music venue is the ever-growing number of day parties, which are hosted by PR companies, blogs, hair products, and anyone else who wants to promote themselves along with the music they love. In the photos below, Andy Beta takes us through his final days at the festival, where he navigates long bathroom lines, celebrity spottings, and the strangely muffling racks of spangly cotton at American Apparel.

The Last Day: When The Questions Posed Six Months Ago Still Linger

Maura — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Judging by some of my RSS mainstays, SXSW backlash coverage is the new SXSW coverage, and part of me can see why; the sameness of the posts, the “OMG WISH YOU WERE HERE”-ness that permeates the live-blogging of each margarita downed, the fact that most of the really interesting stuff that’s going on is stuff that is either a surprise or much more interesting in the moment than it is hours after the fact. I thought about this a lot during my last 48 hours in Austin, because while I think going to SXSW is a pretty worthwhile endeavor, the obsessive coverage can be, frankly, boring if it isn’t done right; Ben Sisario’s four-word reviews for the NYT were a refreshing counterexample. I’m navigating between the gaping maw that is Idolator’s content hole and the fact that going to Austin every year is useful from a (shock!) reporting standpoint, if only to sorta-gauge the industry’s current mood; it’s something that I hope to figure out better for next year, because while the whole feeling of missing 99.9% of everything going on was rip-the-hair-out stressful at times, the sunshine overall did wonders for the seasonally affected blues.)

DEPARTURE FROM HOTEL ROOM: Saturday, 12:12 p.m. CT.
RETURN TO HOTEL ROOM: Sunday, 12:14 a.m. CT.
WEATHER REPORT: Not as hot as Friday, but still sunny enough that waiting in line was a really dumb option.
BANDS SEEN^*: Nine: High Places, Jealous Girlfriends, Film School, Kimya Dawson, Grand Old Party, Darker My Love, Sea Wolf, Kate Nash, Robyn. Final SXSW total: 33.
ARTIST WHO WAS A LOT LESS CLOYING THAN ON RECORD/IN THE PRESS: Kate Nash.
ARTIST WHO CONTINUED TO TEST MY PATIENCE AFTER THE TWO-SONG MARK: Kimya Dawson.
BLOG-SPONSORED PARTIES ATTENDED: Two. Final SXSW total: Four.
PANELS ATTENDED: Zero. Final SXSW total: One.
NUMBER OF TACOS CONSUMED: Three (one green chile pork, one “trailer park”–which was stuffed with fried chicken–and one mahi mahi.).
SHORTEST WAIT TIME FOR THE LINE TO GET INTO THE RACHAEL RAY PARTY: 25 minutes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this wait was shorter when her husband’s band was on stage.
BEST AMENITIES, NON-OPEN BAR VARIETY: This is where I give credit where it’s due: the Stereogum/Paste shindig distributed water guns, which helped burn off the tensions that had built up throughout the week even when empty.
HOT AMENITY: Hairdos, which were available at both the Mess With Texas park bash and Perez Hilton’s party. The accompanying free product was limited to the “packet that is really only good for half a use” variety.
TOP “WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN AND WHY ARE WE HERE” MOMENT: Perez Hilton’s party–which was held in a white-walled raw space that made it seem like Perezzers was putting on an old-timey barn-raiser–was allegedly the SXSW hot ticket. (A friend told me that the RSVP list bulged with 9,000 names, and the top-shelf sponsors certainly outshone the middling-save-Robyn announced lineup.) But were people really queuing outside because they wanted to champion the artists that the gossip blogger loves, or did they want to just get some of his hair dye fairy dust on their trip? It wasn’t really clear.

Idolator’s complete SXSW coverage
[Photo: AP]

^* Where “seen” = “caught two or more songs by.”

Seeing The {{{Sunset}}} From The East Side

andybeta — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:15:43 +0000

Adding to the “I’m missing everything” feeling provided by the fact that during SXSW every bar with 10 square feet of space turns itself into a temporary music venue is the ever-growing number of day parties, which are hosted by PR companies, blogs, hair products, and anyone else who wants to promote themselves along with the music they love. In this installment, we follow former Austin resident Andy Beta to a Daytrotter session and a visit from the Ice Cream Man.

The afternoon finds me back on the east side, where wider spaces and better parking abound. I take in a Daytrotter session over at Big Orange Recording Studio off East Fourth Street. (In the interests of full disclosure, I made some ambient noise in that studio space two years back with a fellow from Voxtrot as well as one of the fellows in the band currently playing out in the neighboring tin-lined shed.)

{{{Sunset}}} is a six-piece plying some ramshackle country rock rendered on twelve-string, Vox organ, and homemade tape loop that runs across the ceiling’s two-by-four. The Vox comes in handy when these locals cover yet another local legend’s tune, Sir Douglas Quintet’s “Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day.” Considering I presented a paper last year on SDQ and am obsessed with Doug Sahm, I’m particularly smitten. Perhaps the Daytrotter session brings that out, as the following band, with the unfortunate name The Physics of Meaning, unfortunately covers Joanna Newsom with its most ragged Palace Brothers impression. I stay as the Ice Cream Man has finally shown up, meaning a healthy lunch of cookies and ice cream sandwiches.

I then catch wind of free Vitamin Waters being handed out next door at the Scoot Inn, and walk on over to chug some dragonfruit-flavored water. The cleverly named Scoot Inn is not some recent arrival on the gentrifying wave that is inundating East Austin. In fact, it is the exact opposite–it’s the oldest bar in Austin, dating back to the days of the Texas Republic. It looks it, too, all ancient wood and corrugated tin. Their outdoor stage has red cedar walls and banners from sponsors like Barefoot and Redwood Creek wines.

You’d think that their stage set-up would feature some snap-button jean shirts and local alt-country or something that your stepdad would dig, but instead, Parisian electroclash trio Thieves Like Us were there with their electric drums and darkwave synths. It’s hard to imagine a worse context for these guys, since they shouldn’t be allowed out in their Alan Vega costumes until nighttime. Don’t they know how sweaty you get under your Michael Jackson leather jackets in the Texas afternoon sun? How you shouldn’t mix scag with wine you can buy at Trader Joe’s? But perhaps I’m not in the proper mindset; rather than follow the suggestion of their single “Drugs in My Body,” I instead have B-12 flowing through mine.