On the record

JIM CARROLLon music

I’ve lost count of the number of music events around the world that claim that they’re just like South By Southwest (SXSW). These me-too festivals certainly cover the same terrain – showcasing new and established bands – but they can’t compete with the scale of what happens each March in Austin, Texas.

It’s Wednesday afternoon on the corner where Red River Street and Sixth Street meet, and the music festival is just hours old. The geeks who were here for SXSW Interactive have left town, and the film buffs are indoors catching up on new flicks and documentaries.

For the next few nights and days, these streets will be over-run by thousands of fans and industry professionals looking to see as many of the 2,000 bands in town as possible.

You have brand new acts looking for a dig-out, semi-established bands seeking more traction and, increasingly, a rake of big acts looking to capitalise on the SXSW media buzz to promote a new release or tour.

That’s why Foo Fighters, The Strokes, Kanye West, Queens of the Stone Age, TV on the Radio, Sleigh Bells, Emmylou Harris and a couple of other marquee acts are heading to Austin this week for high-profile “secret” shows.

While SXSW is regarded as the world’s leading new-band festival, it’s always had its share of superstar gigs. In SXSW Scrapbook, a new book marking the festival’s 25th anniversary, co-founder Roland Swenson talks about past SXSW shows from such legends as Johnny Cash (1994) and Tom Waits (1999).

For OTR, though, it's all about catching the best of the newbies. Stay tuned to the OTR blog for ongoing SXSW music coverage over the weekend. There will be a full round-up in The Ticketnext week.

EAT MY NOISE

Cork producers David Duffy and Peter Power are old hands at the electronic music game, accumulating a decade-long run in other combos before launching Eat My Noise to concentrate on providing tunes and sounds for film, theatre and ads. Debut EP due in April. breakingtunes.com/ eatmynoise

GERMANY GERMANY

Lovely sunkissed grooves from Drew Harris, the prolific producer from Victoria, Canada who also runs the Distorted Disco label. His latest jam, Take Your Time, is a mesmerising bleepathon. Download previous releases free at distorteddisco.com myspace.com/germanygermanymusic

YOUNG BOYS

Fuzzy, noisy, dastardly pop with a dose of the post-punk (and post-goth) furies from snarling, scowling Brooklyn dudes. Check out their Bring ’Em Down single for Chi-Town’s so-hot-right-now Rococo label. myspace.com/ killyoungboys

Now playing

Willie Wright Telling the Truth(Numero) Another brilliant find from the Numero reissue label in the shape of this beautiful, warm-hearted folk-soul album from 1977.

B-Music Lightning Take Yourself to the City(Micropolis) A taster for Michael Smalle's forthcoming debut album and further proof of the Galway man's dreamy pop smarts.

Adele 21 (XL) The biggest, boldest, brashest and brightest pop-soul album of the season. No wonder people can’t stop buying it.

Various Back Forth(Hotflush) Excellent compilation from Scuba's dubstep imprint with tracks from James Blake, Untold, Joy Orbison, Boxcutter, Mount Kimbie and others.

Dusty Springfield Dusty In Memphis(Atlantic) Another outing for this peerless southern soul classic. Check out the deluxe edition, which features Dusty's "lost" Atlantic album, Faithful.

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