Music Press

"South by Southwest is at least three music festivals in one: a wall-to-wall audition for new bands, a place for familiar names to announce new projects and a celebration of homegrown Texas music." New York Times, March 21, 2005

"In its 19-year history, it has grown from being a jolly spring get-together for a few hundred US indie labels and musicians in search of a deal, to an international gathering that is the most important date in our music industry calendar." The Guardian, March 25, 2005

"If you're a musician, South by Southwest (SXSW) - which takes place annually in Austin, Texas - offers an irresistible combination of activities: Interviews with music luminaries, informative panel discussions and mentoring sessions, a tradeshow with exhibits from indie-music resource companies, and lots (and I mean lots) of great performances." Electronic Musician, April 5, 2005

"Austin is the perfect place to host this event, as there are dozens of music venues all within walking distance, so you can watch one band, then hop next door to hear someone else." KCRW March 16, 2005

"With 1300 acts playing over the course of five days, it is the biggest and most prestigious event of the global music industry calendar." Scotland on Sunday, March 20, 2005

"From the White Stripes via the Strokes to Ryan Adams and Norah Jones, SXSW has been the springboard which has launched numerous acts out of the backwaters and into blockbusting status." Scotland on Sunday, March 20, 2005

"But however appealing an afternoon of live music, frosted beer and Texan spring sunshine is, the real business of SXSW is business. The concerts provide plenty of entertainment for the general public but the whole shebang is a music industry feeding frenzy of deal-clinching, band-scouting, networking and money-making." Scotland on Sunday, March 20, 2005

"There are so many reasons to love Austin – the music clubs, the sunshine, the tacos, the local brews. But most importantly, the city's famously liberal way of thinking is absolutely essential during the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival, which runs through Sunday. Even the most experienced (and jaded) music industry movers and shakers are likely to fall for a band they've never heard of, but only when they get out there and look." cmt.com March 18, 2005

"This was the year the South by Southwest Music conference tail started wagging its music industry dog." Newsday, March 21, 2005

"What started 19 years ago as a small regional festival with about 200 bands has grown into a music-business behemoth with a global reach." Hartford Courant, March 27, 2005

"Consisting of panel discussions with musicians and industry suits and a slew of live performances, the annual event has become essential for a large chunk of the music industry because it's a preview of the year in music." Hartford Courant, March 27, 2005

"There are no two ways about it – if you are serious about breaking into the worlds biggest music market SXSW is the place to start." VIP News, April 4, 2005

"SXSW has become an increasingly important event for UK acts, and is seen as an essential gateway to the world's biggest market by all levels of the business." VIP News, April 4, 2005

"... SXSW is still an experience which will give you something back every time." VIP News, April 4, 2005

"SXSW is one of North America's biggest, most influential and revered music festivals; one with a reputation of creating buzz for unknown bands and putting formerly obscure acts on the musical map." Winnipeg Free Press, March 17, 2005

"The days of going down there and meeting people and establishing relationships that may help you in future endeavors is what it's all about." Winnipeg Free Press, March 17, 2005

"With the style purveyors of Brooklyn, Oslo, Omaha, London, etc., all on hand for the festival's four days, South by southwest has become a sort of de facto hipster Model U.N.; an underground Constantinople situated squarely along the trade routes of cool." SF Weekly, April 6-12, 2005

"Known for propelling new musical talent in the mainstream..." Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 21, 2005

"... rock's most important showcase." Boston Globe March 27, 2005

"The myth of this music festival – that an A & R guy might wander into a tent outside the Austin Hilton, lose it over a lo-fi pop-punk band, and two days later be meeting with them in the LA headquarters of his major label, which is exactly what happens – comes into surreal relief." Boston Globe March 27, 2005

"... the most important music festival focusing on music outside the mainstream." Montreal Gazette, March 19, 2005

"It's also worth attending just for the atmosphere; during SXSW, Austin's air feels somehow different. There always seems to be the promise of something..." Montreal Gazette, March 17, 2005

"Imagine moving Jazzfest to Bourbon Street and you'll begin to understand the sensory overload that is the South by Southwest Music Conference." The Times-Picayune, March 2005

"South By South West is a foot in the door for many bands hungry for what remains the rockin' grail, success in America." The Indepenendent on Sunday, March 27, 2005