The South By Southwest Music & Media Conference and Festival takes place at the Austin Convention Center and on over 80 stages throughout downtown Austin every March.

We’ve just had through a partial list of who is playing this year and it looks great!

We’ve just had through a partial list of who is playing this year and it looks great!

We’ll keep you posted on more updates as and when they happen

a few highlights selected out of over 10,000 music applications include:

!!! (Brooklyn, NY), Amaral (Madrid, SPAIN), Anita Tijoux (Santiago, CHILE), Apoptygma Berzerk (Oslo, NORWAY), Athlete (London, ENGLAND), Bajofondo (Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA), Balkan Beat Box (Tel Aviv, ISRAEL), Band of Skulls (London, ENGLAND), Bear In Heaven (Brooklyn, NY), Black Milk (Detroit, MI), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Los Angeles, CA), Bomba Estereo (Bogota, Colombia), Broken Social Scene (Toronto, CANADA), Chalie Boy (Hearne, TX), Chamillionaire & Paul Wall (Houston, TX), Cymbals Eat Guitars (New York, NY), Deer Tick (Providence, RI), Evan Dando (New York, NY), Frightened Rabbit (Selkirk, SCOTLAND), Fucked Up (Toronto, CANADA), Grant Hart (St. Paul, MN), Hauschka (Dusseldorf, GERMANY), Here We Go Magic (Brooklyn, NY), Hudson Mohawke (Glasgow, SCOTLAND), Invincible (Detroit, MI), jj (Gothenburg, SWEDEN), Killer Mike (Atlanta, GA), LA Riots (Los Angeles, CA), Les Savy Fav (Brooklyn, NY), Maldita Vecindad (Mexico City, MEXICO), Marina & The Diamonds (London, ENGLAND), Mayer Hawthorne & The County (Ann Arbor, MI), Midlake (Denton, TX), Miike Snow (Stockholm, SWEDEN), Mr Hudson (London, ENGLAND), Mundo Livre SA (Recife, BRAZIL), Murs (Los Angeles, CA), Natalia Lafourcade (Mexico City, MEXICO), Pretty Lights (Charlottesville, VA), Rye Rye (Baltimore, MD), Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (Brooklyn, NY), She & Him (Los Angeles, CA), Shwayze (Malibu, CA), Spoon (Austin, TX), Steve Aoki (Los Angeles, CA), Systema Solar (Taganga, COLOMBIA), Texas Tornados (San Antonio, TX), The Drums (Brooklyn, NY), The Middle East (Townsville, AUSTRALIA), The Soft Pack (San Diego, CA), The Very Best (New York, NY), The xx (London, ENGLAND), Trae (Houston, TX), VV Brown (London, ENGLAND), and Wolfgang Gartner (Austin, TX).

This list is subject to change. This is only a portion of the bands that will be performing at the SXSW Music Festi

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Fused Magazine along with UKTI are organising a mission to SXSW Music 2010. The visit is being organised by UK Trade & Investment and FUSED.

Companies from the West Midlands are invited to join a UKTI supported visit to SXSW Music in Austin Texas from the 17th to 21st March 2010. The aim is to take a group of companies representing Music in the region in order to network, develop partner relationships, increase international trade  and meet companies interested in developing opportunities and investment in the West Midlands.

Benefits of the Visit:
-Pre-visit and in market briefing by UKTI staff
-Excellent networking opportunities through SXSW networking events, trade show and panels
-A networking event hosted by Fused
-New contacts and shared intelligence within the market visit group

Why apply?
The SXSW MUSIC AND MEDIA CONFERENCE showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin. By day, conference registrants do business in the SXSW Trade Show in the Austin Convention Center and partake of a full agenda of informative, provocative panel discussions featuring hundreds of speakers of international stature.

The fund covers up to 50% of your costs. These costs can include: your event pass, travel expenses (flight) and accommodation costs.
Costs will be reimbursed upon production of receipts up to a maximum of: £500 (in retrospect).

Deadline for applications: 19th Ocober 2009.

On your application you must demonstrate the following:
• The reason you or your company would like you to attend the event.
• What markets you would like to reach?
• A list of potential companies or contacts you wish to talk to.

Conditions of Funding
Successful applicants should currently work within the music industry in the West Midlands and will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to working with Fused and UKTI to ensure they gain maximum benefit from their visit and to share knowledge and experience gained with the music and creative sector.

This will include:
• Pre and post event meetings with Fused, Screen WM, UKTI and partners
• You may be asked to appear as a panel member at a public event to discuss your experiences at the festival and must show willingness to share information with the sector by contributing to blog posts and/or written reports.

In partnership with: UKTI

To apply please email kerry@fusedmagazine.com for an application form.

Terms and conditions:
1) If awarded funding, you will be expected to attend a meeting with Fused. UKTI and partners before and after the event to discuss your objectives and to feed back what you learnt. You may also be expected to attend a public event as a panel member to share your experiences.
2) Any funds awarded will be paid retrospectively. You will be required to keep receipts for your expenses. Costs will be refunded based on the limits outlined above.
3) Applications are open to companies working within the music industry in the West Midlands region.
4) Only one person per company can apply for this funding.
5) The person attending must hold a valid passport.

For more information on SXSW visit: http://sxsw.com/attend/
For more information on the trip call Kerry or David on 0121 246 1946 or email kerry@fusedmagazine.com.

The last of our SXSW coverage is from our final day at the event – Saturday 21st March.Having popped in to see the Yorkshire Showcase at the British Music Embassy we managed to catch the rather charming Rolo Tomassi on stage. I am not sure I will ever get how such a sound can come out of a pretty girls mouth.

We had spent all week looking for a suitable place to meet some friends but during South by restaurants are so busy they refuse to take bookings. However we managed to twist the arms of the kind people at The Iron Cactus on 6th Street to let us invite some friends and our West Midlands delegates for a few hours of food, drink and networking.

UKTI West Midlands helped support 10 delegates to get out to SXSW 09 and Fused were asked to organise an event that would give the delegates the opportunity to meet some new people. So luckily for us some people thought it was a nice idea to get out of the midday sun and away from all the music attacking the senses and join us for a bite to eat.

After all the networking action and winding down it was time to fit in our last few showcases.

We popped over to Pangaea a ‘classy’ joint in the warehouse district, where tables are reserved for the moneyed people of SXSW, to catch ex Death in Vegas frontman Richard Fearless with Black Acid. The psychedelic show, complete with strobe lighting, was one of the highlights of the 4 days.

From Pangaea it was over to Mexican Restaurant Rio Grande, the waiters of which offer up a mean line in Margaritas and Tequila’s. However that was not what we were there to sample (well maybe a bit) but it was The Gin Riots who were the pulling power. An odd setting for the band who managed to shirk off film posters of the good the bad and the ugly along with giant neon cowboys to play to a small but very grateful crowd – most of which were wearing the bands t-shirts and hung around to get posters they had taken off the walls signed.

The showcases may finish at around 1.45pm in Austin but when you are on the right guest list, and can muster up the stamina to stay out, there is plenty happening until the early hours. As it was our last night of SXSW 09 we worked our way to the Red Bull party – out past the suburbs and on an industrial estate.

Red Bull had set up a stage with an impressive list of acts over 4 nights. However we weren’t so successful that night. Having passed through some tight guest list procedure, had a fake and much too large tattoo pasted on to our arms – settled in with free Vodka with (yes of course) Red Bull we waited for the bands to arrive. First was a set from Shout Out Out Out Out, which was pretty unimpressive or dull dull dull dull, then queen of the chavettes Goldielocks came on stage. Unfortunately for her two to three songs in and the whole thing was shut down by the local law enforcement.

Not too much of a problem given now it was about 3am however over a thousand people leaving an industrial estate at the same time, most headed in a similar direction, and with no taxis to find meant a long long walk home.

If you want to see more of what we did at South by South West then take a look at our video.

Continuing with our adventures at SXSW 09 – see what team Fused got up to whilst out in Texas.

Friday: Once again we headed out to the convention centre to catch up with two other West Midland Delegates Clare Edwards of Gigbeth and Vijay Kishore’s very busy manager Rob McKenzie to find out what they had been up to.

As it was Clare’s first day in Austin we took her hostage and went to the Fused and Dance Your Face Off ‘Backyard Blowout’ which was housed in a Austin native’s back garden – of course.

We stuck around as the guests arrived, the beer flowed out of a handy little pump and the DJ’s got busy in the sun but at SXSW there is no time to stop for long so it was off to hail a cab and back to 6th street.

West Midlands band The Culprit were playing their second gig at the event and having picked up second hand guitars at the local thrift stores they set about making a big noise on the rock stage.

Dinnertime soon swings round so the North-by-North East BBQ was where we went to eat. Taking at the same beautiful house as last year Bedouin Soundclash were the main act and as the sun set and the temperature dropped it was time to leave and head down to Mohawks to see Nashville band The Ettes. Playing to a packed crowd the band managed to squeeze in an extra song at the end of the set – much to the crowds delight.

Funny thing about SXSW is the amount of sponsors that are everywhere willing to give you free stuff so when non-smoking Fused headed to the ‘Smokin Lounge’ to see rock ‘n’ roll old timers the New York Dolls we ended coming out with 4 packets of fags a new 10 a day habit!

Finally last band for us on Friday night was the much anticipated viewing of King Khan and The Shrines at EMO’s. King Khan had been very busy doing the rounds over the event playing several times a day however he was in no way lacking in energy. Jumping around the stage in his crown and hailing his staff he kept the crowd truly entertained – especially when he stripped off to reveal his sizeable belly. What a nice man.

Primal Scream at the Cedar Courtyard

SXSW REVIEW THURSDAY: SXSW is no walk in the park let me to you – it’s more a walk down lots of streets but by-the-by it is really hard work. Endless standing around in the sun watching bands drinking free beer and eating fine BBQ food – phew! Someone has to do it right?

So Thursday started with us heading down to the Convention Centre to hand out CD’s and Flyers to the good and the great of the music industry – and it was all going fine until we passed the Smoking Lounge (heavily sponsored by a US tobacco brand who give away umpteen packets of fags) where Entertainment Magazine were having a littles soiree. “Come inside for free food and drink” said the girl on the door and who is going to turn that down? Not Fused! It may have only been noon but the drinks were flowing and we managed to catch a little bit of the Annuals and Laura Marling which was very pleasant indeed.

So we tore ourselves away and headed to meet our buddy Mikey from Dance Your Face Off at Buffalo Billiards. Now we were in for a treat – LA hair band Steel Panther were being interviewed by a local radio station. Imagine Motley Cru, Poison and 80’s Cher tossed in a blender and regurgitated out of a dog and you should have a good idea of what we are talking about. They did a little ‘turn’ of a song about something rude and we knew it was time to leave.

Next it was over to The Wave for Kerrrang Magazine’s party where we caught an excellent and lively set by The Bronx. All the action made us peckish so it was on to see what the Spanish have to offer – it was Paella and Sangria and some not so Spanish bands apparently.

NASA at Emo's Annex

The afternoon continued in to the evening with more bar hopping and a visit to EMO’s annex to catch the NASA boys doing their up-beat techno best to get everyone moving. $5 lap dancers painted green and a few aliens in the mix made for an eye-catching stage presence that really woke us up.

Finally it was over to the Cedar Courtyard to catch The Black Lips and the mighty Primal Scream. We managed to wiggle our way to near the front of the stage and were awarded with an amazing set from Bobby and the boys. Crowd surfing ensued and security got a little angry but a cracking set left the audience shouting for more a good 10 minutes after the band had departed stage right.

So Fused has made it to SXSW. We arrived on Sunday night and have been hanging out with the West Midlands Interactive Delegates for most of that time and planning where to do and who to meet while here. (Image: Our SXSW bag of swag).

As Wednesday was the official first Music day we had a sizeable list of things to do. The first thing on the list was to drop off flyers for our parties and the West Mids Wasted Youth CD’s to the Convention Centre – we then headed over the road to sit in the sun where we bumped in to – who we think is the only Birmingham Music Representation at this year’s festival – Vijay Kishore. After a catch up with Vijay, whose been gigging around Toronto and NYC before heading to Ausitn, we headed to the Canadian Blast event at Brush Square gardens for a very generous and tasty BBQ.

During the latter end of the day we bumped in to our buddies from The Culprit who are playing 3 gigs at SXSW and went on to watch Juliette Lewis strut her rock ‘n’ roll stuff with her new band The New Romantiques.

So we’ve seen bands on streets, in venues, in shops and today we are at the Barbers to catch more. It seems busier this year in Austin with the streets packed with music and punters so the sensory overload begins – wish us luck!

Also when we get back to the UK along with Capsule we will be on the panel for the ‘How Bostin’ was Austin?’ event hosted by Creative Republic. If you want to hear what we got up to, where we went and who we met then come along and ask us. The event will be lead by music experts Andrew Dubber and John Mostyn and takes place at Stageside, Thorp Street, Birmingham on Monday 30th March from 6.30pm.

If you want to come along you will need to sign up to the Creative Republic charter either before or on the night.

Fused is heading out to SXSW on Sunday for some Rock ‘n’ Roll action stateside. We’ve got a few parties on the go with our buddies Moshi Moshi and Dance Your Face Off so if you find yourself in Austin, Texas come and say Howdy Ya’ll!

On Wed March 18th we team up with the hippest UK label Moshi Moshi (Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Florence & The Machine, Kate Nash, Friendly Fires etc..) to host a party at Club 1808 in Downtown Austin. 

Fused Magazine & Moshi Moshi Records Present:
Pictish Trail 
Slow Club 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Casiokids 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Still Flyin’ 
Transmography 

WEDNESDAY March 18th 7pm-1am 
Outside stage: CLUB 1808, 1808 12th st @ chicon.  No cover

On Saturday 20th Fused Magazine are throwing an electro-hip hop backyard party with Texan club kids ‘Dance Your Face Off’ with free beer, food and sunshine.

Dance Your Face Off & Fused Magazine Party
Le Castle Vania
Ocelot 
Vega 
Genova 
Damaged Good$
Eli Smith
Justin Bell & Richard Blake 
Sydney Confirm
Yeahdef
Blixaboy 
Teenage Wolf 
Ishi
Schwa 
Killtron 
T0MMYL33J0N3Z
Whack-A-Tone

Friday March 20th 11.am- till 8.pm 
2207 Eastside Dr. 
Free Beer for 21+ and free food. No cover.

Fused have compiled a limited edition CD in deluxe digi-pack packaging of some of our fave bands out of the West Midlands. The CD will go out free to anyone lucky enough to be attending this years SXSW in Austin, Texas. But if you’re not going to be there, don’t despair, as we’ve uploaded it here for your listening pleasure. Dig it!

Track 01: Yelps – Cavalier Frontier (3.40)
A name like that needs to inspire shameless caterwauling, so it’s a good job Yelps’ scattershot pop does the job. Shout for joy upon hearing their glam, ragtag party music, already given the thumbs up by BBC Radio 1 DJs following the release of single P.E.O.P.L.E on 1965 Records. Yelps are currently writing/recording their debut album, so see ‘em live and spread the word before everyone and their mom is, well, yelping along.

Track 02: Voluntary Butler Scheme – Fffoolsih (2.28)
“Love is a game, a game for two/Love is a game I wanna play with you,” sings VBS head butler Rob Jones. After one listen, you’ll wanna crack open your toy box and hand over your heart. Along with the two members of his live band, Jones spins a refreshingly old-school mix of stomping Northern soul and brassy, very British love songs. With witty but honest observational lyrics and boyish good looks to boot, this one’s a star in the making.

Track 03: The Traps – Echoes (3.39)
Get caught. The Traps are one in a long line of British bands (hello Oasis et al) who combine laddish, balls-out bravado with bare emotional resonance. They do it supremely well, so much so that Noel Gallagher has already declared himself a fan. More, from high profile rockstars to council estate everymen, will follow, the band having just released their debut EP on their own label, Speech Fewapy Recordings.

Track 04: The Scarlet Harlots – Backlash (3.00)
Loved by the hot young things of our isle’s largest city, the Scarlet Harlots do a nice line in ‘anthemic’ that is propelled by Sam Baylis’s snarling and charismatic frontman. Recent opening slots for Howling Bells, Jamie T and local-boys-done-good the Twang will have no doubt widened their appeal, but it’s the charm of their ramshackle tunes that will have the girls and boys of indie disco-dom falling in love with them all over the UK and beyond very, very soon.

Track 05: Deluka – Black Cloud (5.01)
Straddling that ever-precarious line between electro and indie rock, Deluka are one of Birmingham’s hottest properties and not just because they had the guts, after a night of alcohol-fuelled brainstorming (as ya do), to steal their name from Pretty Woman. Think a drunk and bubbly noir flick rather than romantic comedy, though; their femme-fronted new-wave is certainly crazy, sexy and cool. They could give Metric the run-around, which is no small praise.

Track 06: Youves – On Probation (3.51) This band has already survived one major name change, and you get the feeling that Youves’ (formerly Mirror! Mirror!) schizoid mash of angular guitars, danceable beats and hardcore spirit was what pulled them through. If you like what you hear – and that will be a spitting, macho punk party, no? – prepare yourself to get sweaty upon the release of their mini-album, released on Holy Roar Records, in spring 2009.

Track 07: Copter – Can’t Help It (1.46)
Visiting us from 500 years in the future, the deranged but quite possibly brilliant Copter are here to save us with their rocket powered rock & soul. Their live shows are glammed up, pants-down parties-cum-sermons curated by intergalactic preacher Stevie and, on occasion, their android pal. The sci-fi theatrics are what you would expect from a band with their own comic book, but let them probe you with their music and you’ll realise they come in peace and so much more besides.

Track 08: Untitled Musical Project – Endless Deodrant and Bad Shoes (2.11)
Who needs a moniker when you’ve got NOISE?! Pairing snotty with smart, UMP have caused a stir on the live scene with their energetic performances and cutting lyrics. Want controversy? This no-nonsense trio have a song titled Why Isn’t Paul McCartney Dead Already? So, Heather Mills may be a fan but don’t let that put you off this fearless, and weirdly winsome, punk.

Track 09: The Big Bang – Vampire’s Hand (3.25)
Dinosaurs, be-fuckin-ware! Indeed, us humans might wanna think about gettin’ outta Dodge too. And why’s that? Well, Big Bang’s ballsy, bluesy rawk ‘n’ roll is certainly big enough to blow a hole all the way through this sphere to the next. With hip-shaking rhythms and dirt-under-the-fingernails riffs, one thing’s for sure: you’ll have one heck of a final night on Earth before their sweet, heady explosion makes us all go bye-bye.

Track 10: Kelli Ali – Rocking Horse (3.23)
Providing a welcome dose of oestrogen to the tracklist, Kelli Ann is a feisty singer/songwriter who deals in pop that cuts with a fiercely independent edge. She’s toured with Garbage, collaborated with everyone from Marius de Vries to Primal Scream, and even Madonna – yes, Madonna – is a fan. Make no mistake, though; she’s in charge, of both her own sassy electro-pop credentials and, sooner rather than later, your very own dancing shoes.

Track 11: Swampmeat – Sister Mary (2.35)
You would be forgiven for thinking Birmingham, UK had nicked this bluesy duo from Birmingham, Alabama, such is Danny C and T-Bird’s tight embrace on Americana. The two brothers blend tales of heartache with the rough hues of their soulful rockabilly, resulting in grizzled ballads made for a darkened bar. So grab a whiskey and drown your sorrows in the Swamp…

Track 12: Seeland – Call The Incredible (4.37)
This trio may indeed ‘see land’ but, upon hearing their dreamy symphonic pop, you’ll be in no doubt that they’re happily freewheeling somewhere between clouds. Forming amidst the fallout of Birmingham’s ‘retro futurist electronica scene’ (who knew?!) back in ’04, the boys have been playing with analogue synths and all manner of instrumentation favoured by Brian Eno and Krautrock pioneers. The woozy, transcendental results have bagged them a record deal, and an album due in March promises to take you to the skies.

Track 13: Grandmaster Gareth – Oh No! B-List Celebrity (1.21)
Taking fun seriously (but not too seriously), Grandmaster G is perhaps Birmingham’s only creator of ‘minute melodies’ that combine SFX, cartoon voices and whimsical melodies and are named things like Dr Dre Gets Complacent. So combat your own complacency by getting to know our Gareth, a member of revered Brummy collective Misty’s Big Adventure, and no doubt that frown you’re wearing will turn a full 180 on its axis!

Words: Luke McNaney
CD: Compiled by Fused
Artwork: Newtasty