It's here, folks. And not a moment too soon. Not even a month after ACL, and before Thanksgiving, the folks at from South by Southwest sent out there first missive detailing the 2011 event, scheduled for March 16-20. Rocks Off is shuddering already, but in a good way.
This year's musical panels look very interesting, even though we hardly make it out to them due to our nightly/dawn misadventures on Sixth Street. It's hard to wake up early to sit and listen to someone drone on about the industry when all you want is a breakfast taco and coffee. A few panel titles have piqued our interest, though, so maybe we will set an alarm for some of these, which include:
Are Metalheads Smart Enough to Be Online?
Critics vs. Publicists: Why Must Things Be Contentious?
How Much Does Your App Suck?
Three Drummers Walk Into A Bar...
I'm Not Old, Your Music Does Suck.
All of those appeal to us in so many ways, especially the last one, seeing that Rocks Off himself is undergoing a late quarter-life crisis. And as for the one dealing with us critics and publicists, well that should be pretty self-explanatory to anyone who has to hear us bitch about the countless emails we get on bands we wouldn't touch with MySpace's dick.
As for the bands coming to town, the list seems to be growing, and of course we will be on top of all the rumors. Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M. and Peter Gabriel will be running up promo on their new albums, in addition to the usual cast of reunions and showcases in the works. Stay tuned to Rocks Off and Twitter for that noise.
Here are a handful of the accepted acts already in line for March...
A Place To Bury Strangers The Appleseed Cast Asobi Seksu Coliseum Designer Drugs Dredg Ed Harcourt Erykah Badu Givers In Fear And Faith Iron Age Klaxons Mark Eitzel MSTRKRFT Nite Jewel Parts & Labor Toro y Moi Wye Oak
See the complete list (so far) at sxsw.com.