Wednesday, March 22, 2006
By Rodel Delfin
We definitely had way too much Red Bull and vodka, but is it finally over? Not really. It seems like there’s a little bit of the Austin fest in L.A and N.Y. this week, as several of the SXSW buzz bands perform at a number of venues on both coasts to capitalize on continued weasel attention. So did the not-so-little Austin music confab live up to its name as the biggest music festival in the country? Absolutely! Where else can you stroll down one strip of clubs to see established artists such as My Chemical Romance, the Flaming Lips or the Beastie Boys play secret perfs at small venues, as well as catching a bevy of up-and-coming indie, international and unsigned artists? And do it all with a Shiner Bock in hand? Not only did acts showcase, but we heard that there was plenty of deal-making and heavy networking going on. However, the general consensus this year from industry folks that we shared a drink with is that there were too many parties, showcases and events going on at the same time. Some of the daytime parties included showcases that started at 11 in the morning! One thing for sure is that people were overwhelmed. And it was evident that some events, which would have been filled beyond capacity years ago, were not well-attended, simply because there were other things competing against them at the same time. The attendance for the daytime panels at the convention center seemed to have decreased, with conference-goers opting to party on Sixth St. Hopefully, SXSW organizers will address the overlapping conference events/parties in the years to come. Speaking of panels, big thanks to Panels Director Andy Flynn for the invite to once again moderate the Saturday A&R Panel, The New A&R Playing Field. The panelists shared a realistic view of how the job of A&R at the majors has changed in the wake of the business downturn, the rise of the Internet and MySpace and the indie-major upstream relationship. The DIY mantra was yet again the answer by our panel to audience members, who asked the common question of what they need to do to get major-label attention. Muchas gracias to panel participants: Interscope’s Mark Williams, producer Howard Benson, Virgin’s David Wolter, Jive’s Jeff Fenster and Sony Music’s Michael Caplan, who all gave straightforward and humorous anecdotes. So, who were the standout acts that generated lots of weasel attention? The two big obvious standouts were the Arctic Monkeys and Tapes `N Tapes. But A&R types were also buzzing about Love Is All, Forward Russia!, Wintersleep, Nico Vega, Mystery Jets, Your Highness Electric, the Cribs, the North, Magnet, Auto Vaughn, the Flairz, Glass Intrepid, Scissors for Lefty, Colored Shadows, the Office, the Sword, Street to Nowhere and White Rose Movement, among others… BACK IN THE REAL WORLD: Expect an official announcement very soon for Ron Fair’s ascension to the Geffen throne. Meanwhile, is the deal done for a veteran studio guru to take a top-level creative position in Fair’s new lair?.. BUZZIN’: Adrian Hood… Hit me up: [email protected]
BUZZ&GIGS:
TAPES `N TAPES Wed., March 22, TBD, Spaceland
SCISSORS FOR LEFTY Wed., March 22, TBD, Viper Room
MYSTERY JETS Fri., March 24, 11:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, N.Y.