Thoughts on SXSW 2010 Music

It use to be that merely being invited to showcase at SXSW was enough to garner attention, networking, and with a bit of luck perhaps a leg up in an act’s career. Not any more. There are more acts than ever showcasing at the fest, not to mention what seems like hundreds of parties, official and not, and tons of unofficial shows (“official” meaning registered with the fest, and many parties & shows are not). So, as with SXSW marketing, bands ideally should really hustle themselves to get lots of opportunities to play during the fest. One show ain’t gonna cut it any more.

Oh, you thought this post was going to be about all the new discoveries in music at this year’s SXSW? Ok, well I definitely missed out on a lot of shows but one standout, at a Berklee College of Music daytime showcase, was Audible Mainframe. WOW.