BigChampagne's Ultimate Chart (a/o February 10th):
1. “What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger),” Kelly Clarkson
2. “Set Fire to the Rain,” Adele
3. “Turn Me On,” David Guetta
4. “Rack City,” TYGA
5. “Good Feeling,” Flo Rida
6. “Smooth Criminal (Glee Cast Version),” Glee Cast
7. “Young, Wild & Free,” Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa
8. “Domino ,” Jessie J
9. “Sexy and I Know It,” LMFAO
10. “Ass Back Home ,” Gym Class Heroes
#sxsw
As SXSW Interactive bleeds into SXSW Music, the crowd suddenly shifts. One geek joked that SXSWi is definitely over when the 'faux-hawks and beards' arrive. And once the volume knob starts cranking on Sixth Street, the laptops definitely need to be tucked away. Layer in St. Patrick's Day festivities, and the party-in-the-streets insanity is complete.
Actually, the SXSW Interactive and Music segments are hardly distinct, and plenty attend both. And on a broader scale, these are worlds now interminably intertwined.
In fact, SXSW Music itself is almost like a physical manifestation of the internet. Log onto the streets of Austin, and endless variety comes with a price tag; namely chaos and an overabundance of choice. That opens opportunities for curating showcasers - whether Fader, eMusic, Duck Down, Digiwaxx, NPR, URB, KCRW, or Perez - as well as curating technologies and apps.
And like most years, a number of acts are buzzing the hardest. Sure, bigger names like Muse are easy picks, and SXSW is colossal enough to attract established superstars every year (often unannounced). But a number of up-and-comers are probably more interesting.
Perhaps organic discovery is the most rewarding process. Everyone is heading to one showcase or another, and word-of-mouth - whether online or off - tends to herd listeners. But some of the best gems come randomly, the result of unplanned sampling.
But who's the buzziest of them all? That would be a relative newcomer - Broken Bells - the supergroup that just scored a top-selling album. The Bells' self-titled release shifted 50,000 units in its debut week in the US, and "The High Road" is registering serious spins across a number of major cities.
Well, 'newcomer' is a relative term. Perhaps 'supergroup' is a lame choice of words, but the duo of Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) and James Mercer (The Shins) brings some serious starpower to the table. The group played to a packed crowd at Stubb's on Wednesday, a showcase put together by NPR Music. The less expected gig came from a Spinner-sponsored 'Pop-Up' show in a... parking garage.
But who else is hot? Also buzzing are Brazos, Lost In the Trees, The Soft Pack, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Diplo, Spoon... the list goes on and includes a lot of local talent. More ahead.
Report by Alexandra Osorio in Austin.
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