UPDATED for 2016 - 5 Ways to Find the Best SXSW Parties and RSVP

South by Southwest (SXSW) Music, Film and Interactive Festival is only 4 weeks away. The festival takes place March 11-20 in Austin. Each year there a hundreds of sponsored, free parties with live music, complimentary food, drink and swag for party-goers.

With the growth of SXSW Interactive, there are top tier music events to attend during interactive as well as the music week. All you need to do is RSVP and arrive early enough to enter the venue before it reaches capacity. Keep in mind, badge holders will have priority at official showcases. The amount of listings, can be daunting, so we compiled a short list of resources to... Continue reading

Live music review: Sweet Spirit and Walker Lukens led off year for Black Fret

Sweet Spirit and Walker Lukens at Black Fret 2016 opening

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Even if you are an Austin music fan that is 'in the loop" you may not be familiar with the non-profit organization Black Fret which donates $100,000 to 10 local bands each year. The funds come from annual dues collected from the group's members. The "Patrons of Local Music" charity was launched by Matt Ott and Colin Kendrick in 2013 as a way for Austin residents to support emerging musical acts. The majority of past recipients have used their $10K grant from Black Fret towards production costs to record new material.

Last week the group convened at The Parish in downtown Austin to introduce members to their first three grant candidates of the year; Sweet Spirit, Walker Lukens and Harvest Thieves. All three are... continue reading