SXDC
As much as we’d like to be, DCist isn’t at SXSW right now. A couple of our ist-a-verse brethren made the trek to the oh-so-awesome music, film and interactive festival out in sunny Austin. What’s even more exciting than that is that so did two D.C. musicians! We’re beaming like proud parents as our very own Three Stars alum The Hint head to Texas. It’s kind of like sending our kids off to college. Also representing the D.C. is DJ Sharkey, who we aren’t familiar with, but have a sudden interest in checking out. Baltimore’s Page France rounds out the local presence at the festival. Good luck out there in the big leagues, and don’t forget where you came from.
UPDATE: Sorry for the omisions folks. I mis-read the SXSW band listing page, and only gave credit to bands playing on Wednesday. I still can’t find a mention of Exit Clov on there, but the band’s site does confirm their presence. Nethers, WSC, Alexandria’s Doujah Raze and Baltimore’s The Frauds and Spank Rock are also all playing. Good luck, and appologies for the oversight!
The Men Walk Home
Though they deem themselves an NYC band these days, we all know where The Walkmen got their start (that would be D.C.’s St. Alban’s for the non-superfans in the audience). They’ve been very, very busy since they wowed us all with Bows & Arrows in 2004, including recording a new album (A Hundred Miles Off, which hits stores May 23), writing a book, recording another album (this one a remake of Harry Nilsson’s 1974 album Pussycats, titled Pussycats Starring The Walkmen), and planning UK and US tours, set to include dates with The Pogues and a stop at Coachella. See — very, very busy. Lucky for us, they’ve included a date in their old stomping grounds on the tour. You’ll have two days to listen to the new album before their show on May 25 at the 9:30 Club.
Ris Paul Ric Gets Forked
Whatever your opinion of the indie hegemony that is Pitchfork, a review there is a guaranteed flash on the radar of music buyers far and wide. Yet another Three Stars alum going national, Ris Paul Ric’s album Purple Blaze garnered a 7.0 from the highly critical crowd at Pitchfork. Not too shabby!
Bloggers Beware
Universal Music Group has thrown down the gauntlet in the world of online music hosting. Two fans face up to 11 years in prison for leaking Ryan Adams tracks before the release of Jacksonville City Nights last summer. While bloggers worldwide brush up on their prison lingo, we hope that the music industry will consider easing up on the knee-jerk reactions, and start embracing the medium that just may breathe new life into their enterprise.
Pandora Road Trip
We already love Pandora, the tool of the Music Genome Project that introduces listeners to new bands, based on ones they already like. The minds behind this ingenius invention are taking it on the road. The mission: discover local bands across the country for the analysts back at the project to “sink their teeth into.” And guess what? They’re coming here! If you’ve got any suggested listening for Tim’s trip in early April, visit his blog and let him know.
