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SXSW sets the stage for music
Festival likened to audio paradise for bands, fans
When the Swedish quintet the Shout Out Louds comes to play Austin's South by Southwest music festival this month, don't expect to find the group feasting on barbecue or lounging by the city's famed Barton Springs pool. The band hopes to play as many as 10 shows over the course of the week, including several day parties in addition to its official festival showcase.
"They don't want free time," says Merge Records' Christina Rentz, who serves as the band's publicist. "They come over here to work."
Take a look at the raw numbers and you'll understand why a band would feel compelled to slog it out in the hot sun, playing afternoon shows to industry veterans: This year's festival, which runs March 12-16, will showcase 1,700 acts in 80 venues, both records.
Roughly half the bands playing the festival are unsigned, but the bulk of the media will undoubtedly gravitate toward the big-name acts. Those confirmed to play include country music doyenne Dolly Parton, London rapper Dizzie Rascal, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Van Morrison, former teen heartthrobs Hanson and the recently reunited L.A. punk band X.
With media outlets ranging from MTV News to NPR blanketing the festival with wall-to-wall coverage, SXSW offers bands the perfect opportunity to spotlight new material. Alternative rock stalwarts REM will make their first-ever SXSW appearance to promote "Accelerate," due April 1 on Warner Bros.
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Psychomike
