(via yvynyl)

A couple of lunchtime musings:

[B]ig city publicists/labels/writers come down to check out the bands that can’t afford to do big tours, so everyone can come back with something new to followup on. Right now, I’m digging through Twitters and blog posts to find those recommendations and observations. But 90% of coverage I’ve read online has been devoted to bands that have already been covered heavily in the past.

This is true, but ignores the sad fact that for any publication less obsessively scene-focused than a music blog it just plain makes more sense to writing about the performers that are getting the buzz or about to “break,” rather than the acts that are great but might or might not be around in six months for any number of reasons. People are writing about the other SXSW activity, you just have to look in the right places.

SXSW would better serve artists if it just became a traveling revue of buzz bands, instead of being cannibalized by the major labels as they try to find the last people on Earth interested in their products.

This idea <coughlollapaloozacough> sounds oddly familiar <coughlollapaloozacough>. Oh, wait, it’s lollapalooza I’m thinking of. Which was cannibalized by the major labels and ended up turning into a destination festival anyway, due to weak ticket sales as a tour.