Now that we are back from the holiday break, it is time to focus on our next escape from the office: South By Southwest! This year’s SXSW Music Conference and Festival is already shaping up to be a mighty awesome one, with a handful of performers already announced. So far they have confirmed The Stooges, Interpol, Lily Allen, Bloc Party, Devin the Dude, Hoodoo Gurus, Matt & Kim, Ghostland Observatory, the Watson Twins, Stax 50th Anniversary Soul Review, Ozomatli, Turbonegro and Cold War Kids.
Although many just go for the bands, it should be noted that many of the panels are totally worth attending. A few interesting ones include Idiots Unite! Reconstructing the Music Biz, Rock and Roll Is For Kids, and Breaking AAA Careers in a Multi-Platform Environment.
SXSW has already announced this year’s keynote speaker, which just happens to be the legendary Pete Townshend. They have now also announced their interview series, including chats with Gilberto Gil, Emmylou Harris, David Byrne, Terry McBride (Nettwerk co-founder), Ricki Lee Jones, Booker T and Joe Boyd. Is it time to head down to Austin yet? Let the countdown to March 14 begin!
