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[SXSW 2011] Corporate and Sponsored
Upon first glance the 25th anniversary of Austin’s South by South West (SXSW) was a huge success: higher attendance, especially within the interactive (technology) section, more day parties, and mostly (except this) good spirits. The festival known for spurring the careers of many bands has each year attracted more and more musicians both unknown and famous. This year, digital music video company Vevo, showcased a huge list of popular artists w…
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Featured Label: Numero Group
Amongst the growth of repackaged soul (Lee Fields & Sharon Jones) and revitalized reissues, is a record label doing its own thing: Numero Group. Numero Group is not a record label signing artists, it’s a crate diggers’ dream occupation of reissuing lost gems. I stumbled upon a write up of the label at Aquarium Drunkard, where they were highlighting a group called 24-Carat Black. At the Numero Group website they have a smattering …
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Featured Label: Ghostly International
Ghostly International is a label that prides itself on the juxtaposition of music and art branding. Created by Sam Valenti IV when he was 19 yrs old, the label was realized through Valenti’s experience as a DJ, interest in live performances, and art history background. With the incorporation of art, and expression, the label encouraged exploration. In the beginning, Tadd Mullinix, best known as Dabrye, comprised 50% of the label’s ro…
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Featured Label: Warp Records
Warp Records has become a staple of good electronic, artistic, experimental, and new wave music since the early 90s. This is not Arista, or Def Jam with pop hit, one time wonders. While some of their artists have topped charts, most of their music remains known by DJs and music collectors. Like most hustlers in the music industry, the label’s first two releases by LFO (not “Summertime Girls” LFO) and Nightmares on Wax were sold…
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Bonnaroo (not Bonnarroo) 2010 Lineup Announced
Tis the season for music festivals, and Tennessee’s Bonnaroo is no exception. The three day festival takes place in Manchester from June 10-13th, and features an eclectic list of bands: Jay Z, The Flaming Lips (Performing Dark Side of The Moon), Tokyo Police Club, Jay Electronica, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, Regina Spektor, Mayer Hawthorne & the Country, and the list goes on. The festival’s broad range of group w…
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Inside Scoop on Outside Lands
…he lines for bathrooms, I never saw more than four people in line for a port-o-potty. The bathrooms were spread evenly throughout the grounds and were kept rather clean (never was there a wafting stench, as can be the case at festivals). When I first entered the festival grounds, I was concerned that some of the pathways between stages were narrow and would prove difficult to traverse as the crowds swelled. I was also informed that this had been …
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No Sleep at SXSW 2010
…o reclaim his glory. With so many bands at SXSW for most journalists and music enthusiasts every other band is just a just another band. People plan around showcases that are national (German, French, Irish, etc.), publishing labels (Team Clermont, Biz3), or magazines and record labels (Warp, Duck Down, Paste, Filter). Music then becomes allied with a brand, emphasizing that these showcases are as important to the bands as for their sponsors. Ins…
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Featured Label: Tres Records
Step 1: To learn music outside the radio-pop realm, follow and learn about music labels. From Death Row to Om Records, music labels don’t just release records, they showcase particular styles and genres. In the weeks to come, I will feature different labels, assisting you in finding artists you might enjoy. Tres RecordsThis is Tres Records “About US”: Tres Records, a label founded and run by artists, is committed to procuring t…
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San Francisco’s Coachella Week
Last week was San Francisco’s Coachella, the pre-Coachella Bay Area takeover, better know as SFCoachella (try saying that five times fast). While many fans decided to trek south for the real Coachella, the Bay Area got its own taste of the festival’s offerings. Here at SFCritic it was our duty, our mission, our responsibility, and goal, to see as many shows as possible just to make our fans happy; and yes, our motives were selfish in…
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Fillmore Jazz Festival Controversial Budget Cutbacks
…ll our events have increased dramatically this year. We can offer you lots of free publicity and put you in front of thousands of attendees.” Restivo had sent similar last-minute emails before the Union Street and North Beach festivals, both of which are held in June and are booked by his company. Though some musicians look upon these festivals as a chance to increase their exposure, in the end, exposure alone won’t pay the bills. As a result, ma…
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