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SXSW 2015: How the Austin music fest regained its edge

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We're at South by Southwest, the annual interactive, music and film festival going on in Austin, Texas, until March 22. Keep up with our ongoing coverage here and follow our reporters @AmyKinLA , @IndieFocus , @mikaelwood and @Toddmartens on Twitter.


The gaming world tries to get inside our heads

Austin American-Statesman

Having attended SXSW now for 12 years, I can safely say that excitement happens on the fringes, far from whatever brand is hoping for a slight edge in attracting the attention of more than 30,000 attendees.

The gaming portion of SXSW is entirely on the fringes.

-- Todd Martens

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SXSW regains edge, with emphasis back on emerging talent

J Cole performs at the ACL Moody Theater.
(Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press)

J. Cole performs at the ACL Moody Theater. Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press

At this year's SXSW music festival, fewer corporate brands led to fewer boldface names -- with the notable exception of Snoop Dogg, who delivered the festival's keynote address -- and that cleared the way for a reemphasis on emerging talent.

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Photos from SXSW's music scene

Guitarist Ben Weinman and vocalist Greg Puciato of the Dillinger Escape Plan performs at Converse & Thrasher Magazine's Death Match.
(Michael Loccisano / Getty Images for SXSW)

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images for SXSW

Guitarist Ben Weinman and vocalist Greg Puciato of the Dillinger Escape Plan at Converse & Thrasher Magazine's Death Match

Closer on Tove Lo as she performs at Perez Hilton's One Night in Austin Party.
(Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press)

Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press

Tove Lo at Perez Hilton's One Night in Austin Party

Brian Harding and Amalie Bruun of Ex Cops backstage.
(Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora)

Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora

Brian Harding and Amalie Bruun of Ex Cops

Daniel Armbruster of Joywave onstage.
(Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora)

Rachel Murray / Getty Images for Pandora

Daniel Armbruster of Joywave

Miley Cyrus, right, joins Mike Will Made It onstage during his performance at South by Southwest.
(Jack Plunkett / Invision/Associated Press)

Jack Plunkett / Invision/Associated Press

Miley Cyrus, right, joins Mike Will Made It

Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan performs at South by Southwest.
(Michael Loccisano / Getty Images for SXSW)

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images for SXSW

Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan

Earl Sweatshirt performs at South by Southwest.
(Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press)

Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press

Earl Sweatshirt

Killer Mike, left, and El-P of Run the Jewels perform at South by Southwest.
(Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press)

Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press

Killer Mike, left, and El-P of Run the Jewels

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Colin Hanks discusses his Tower Records documentary

Colin Hanks at the SXSW premiere of his documentary "All Things Must Pass," on the history of Tower Records.
(Michael Loccisano, Getty Images for SXSW)

(Michael Loccisano, Getty Images for SXSW)

"All Things Must Pass" recounts the rise and fall of Tower Records, the once-powerful music retailer that went out of business in 2006, nearly half a century after it was founded by Russ Solomon in Colin Hanks' hometown of Sacramento. The documentary also takes a broader -- and unexpectedly touching -- look at the rapid change that's beset the entire music industry over the last 15 years.

-- Mikael Wood

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Todd Martens recommends

Soak . 'I pray for you and you know I don't like Jesus.' Fragile, sharp, humorous confessionals.

Chastity Belt . Hard hitting indie rock that moves in slow-motion.

Lowell .'You live in a man's world. I live in my own world.' Dance pop with a welcome socially conscious edge.

Shamir . A funky take on dance music that shimmied through hip-hop and '80s-era warehouse raves.

Torres . Tension-building rock 'n' roll full of guilt and a lifetime of anxiety.

Vic Mensa . You probably already know, but he's going to be Chicago's next big hip-hop star.

Amason . Amanda Bergman was dressed sorta like like Jessie from 'Toy Story,' just part of this Swedish band's charm.

Girlpool Guitar/bass vocal duo. Completely rural. Completely urban.

Sweet Spirit . Exuberant indie-pop, even when in a laundromat.

Little Simz . "Try and catch what I'm saying. It's going to be really fast." It's worth the effort.

The fifth time's a charm for Tobias Jesso Jr.

Tobias Jesso Jr. performs Friday night at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
(Iggy Rahav / For The Times)

(Iggy Rahav / For The Times)

If I was at this show I'd want my money back.
Tobias Jesso Jr., musician

Tobias Jesso Jr. isn't exactly the typical SXSW act. A gangly, grinning 29-year-old who looks a bit like Andy Samberg, he plays delicate, sparsely arranged piano ballads about heartbreak and disillusionment -- no sleek dance beats or crunchy indie-rock guitars included.

Jesso took five tries to get through his song "True Love," the fifth a success only because someone in the audience handed him a phone displaying the song's lyrics.

-- Mikael Wood

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Jimmy Kimmel's trip pays off in barbecue and viewership

Musician Cleto Escobedo Jr., left, host Jimmy Kimmel, singer Brad Paisley and TV personality Guillermo Rodriguez perform at a party in Austin, Texas during SXSW.
(Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung)

(Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for Samsung)

No. 1, it's really for the viewers. People are interested to see when you travel to a town -- and you get a big boost in the local markets. And a plate of barbecue has just been delivered to my desk. That's reason No. 2.
Jimmy Kimmel, TV host

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Snoop Dogg talks 'Bush,' HBO series in friendly keynote

Snoop Dogg appears Friday at the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas.
(Michael Buckner / Getty Images)

(Michael Buckner / Getty Images)

The first thing to know about Snoop Dogg's keynote address Friday morning at the South by Southwest music conference: His interlocutor was his manager, Ted Chung.

This was image-crafting in its purest form, from the bit of showbiz news he and Chung unveiled to Snoop's anecdote about getting high and sharing a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken with Willie Nelson in Amsterdam.

-- Mikael Wood

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From Snoop Dogg's keynote address

Tove Lo, Best Coast power up their pop

Known to American fans for her top 5 electro-pop hit "Habits (Stay High)," Tove Lo first found success writing tunes for acts such as Girls Aloud and Icona Pop. Appearing at the Belmont as part of an Island Records showcase, the singer was gleefully unabashed from the get-go.

Best Coast, fronted by Bethany Cosentino, performed Thursday at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
(Harvest Records)

(Harvest Records)

Also among Thursday's highlights was L.A.'s Best Coast, which played one of its nine scheduled SXSW at the Palm Door.

-- Mikael Wood

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Remembering 'The Breakfast Club' with Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy on its 30th anniversary

Molly Ringwald, left, and Ally Sheedy walk the red carpet for the 30th anniversary screening of "The Breakfast Club" during the South by Southwest film festival.
(Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press)

Jack Plunkett / Invision / Associated Press

Before a screening to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "The Breakfast Club," a choir of local Texas students marched on stage and began singing the movie's theme song.

Three decades after the John Hughes film debuted, the questions posed in Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me" still perfectly summarize teenage angst: "Won't you come see about me?" "Will you stand above me?" "Will you recognize me?"

"We all feel alone, right?" said one of the film's stars, Molly Ringwald, to the South by Southwest film festival audience after the performance had concluded. "And that message [from the movie] is very powerful, no matter what technology comes along."

-- Amy Kaufman

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The Fairfield Four, the McCrary Sisters and Brandi Carlile take the SXSW crowd to church

The Seattle-based singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile performed Wednesday night at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.
(David McClister)

David McClister

There are far too many musicians at South by Southwest to keep them confined to the bars, clubs and theaters of downtown Austin. So all kinds of alternate venues get pressed into temporary service while the festival goes on, including restaurants, street corners and the two churches where I caught performances Wednesday night.

Neither, though, could be described as a make-do-with-what-you've-got affair: First, I saw a pair of interconnected Nashville gospel groups -- the Fairfield Four and the McCrary Sisters -- singing at the sanctuary of St. David's Episcopal Church. Then I wandered around the corner to Central Presbyterian Church for an unamplified gig by the Seattle-based singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile.

As [Carlile's] voice rang out, bouncing off the church's high ceiling, you understood what she was after: a moment unimaginable amid the clamor of Austin's 6th Street.
Mikael Wood

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It's I-G-G-Y take two at SWSW

Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Samsung

Even in the days before Iggy Azalea's performance at SXSW, the Internet pounced on a video showing her rapping incoherently -- a small crime for some but a damning one for a white MC many have criticized for appropriating a black style with little regard for its meaning.

So with its high visibility and its audience happily susceptible to spin, SXSW offered Azalea a chance to reclaim her damaged narrative, to brush off the haters and show us why she's still worth paying attention to.

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But what did Iggy Azalea's show smell like?

Iggy Azalea performs at the Samsung Milk Music Lounge during the SXSW Music Festival on early Thursday morning, March 19, 2015 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)

Jack Plunkett / Invision/ Associated Press

Iggy Azalea performs at the Samsung Milk Music Lounge during the SXSW Music Festival on early Thursday morning, March 19, 2015 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP)
(Alexandra Le Tellier)

Jack Plunkett / Invision/ Associated Press

Meet up-and-comer Natalie Prass

Ryan Patterson

Natalie Prass has already outgrown the tiny space she performed in, which meant getting a glimpse of the stage was mostly impossible. It wasn't until Prass introduced her band that anyone except those in the first row had any idea that there were four people on stage.

Still, going by sound alone, Prass was in fine form. This is a compliment, but if Cinderella left the Disney films to start a band, it may sound something like Prass' mix of pop classicism and lush, yet restrained arrangements. Hints of jazz and varying shades of warmth appear throughout as Prass' tales of love gone wrong unfold, leaving ample space for an orchestra within them.

-- Todd Martens

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The VIP scene

As a line of more than 200 so-called VIPs snaked around the side of a club Tuesday night in an attempt to see Austin-bred rock band Spoon, an already exasperated SXSW volunteer struggled to maintain control.

Please stay on the sidewalk. We'd like to minimize deaths.
SXSW volunteer

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Torres is all taut energy at SXSW

Torres, who performed on the first night of the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, was all taut energy.
Torres, who performed on the first night of the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, was all taut energy.
(Shawn Brackbill)

Shawn Brackbill

Not every artist will shine in a setting like SXSW. It takes a certain mix of confidence and perseverance to survive this week, and with 20 minutes or less to set up a stage, any sense of perfectionism is better left at home. Tuesday night's highlight, Torres (real name: Mackenzie Scott), didn't waste any time getting on stage five minutes early and then packing high drama into taut, guitar-driven songs. ...

There's a sense with Torres' songs that a whole life has been lived within them. "Sprinter" views the world as a predatory one, and "Strange Hellos," the lead single off her forthcoming sophomore album, simmers with tension-building guilt. Songs start out as ballads, and then become something louder, more brute, as Torres lets every chord change creak like a rusty door hinge.

-- Todd Martens

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SXSW Film Festival gives out its awards: And the winners are...

A still of subject Dub Lawrence from the film "Peace Officer," which won the documentary feature grand jury prize at the 2015 South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas.
(Brad Barber / South by Southwest Film Festival)

Brad Barber / South by Southwest Film Festival

'Peace Officer,' pictured, a look at the militarization of U.S. police, won the documentary feature grand jury prize Tuesday night. Meanwhile, 'Krisha,' a drama about family and addiction, won the narrative feature grand jury prize

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Working off that Texas barbecue

Gorgon City performs at a SoulCycle class at the Spotify House during SXSW 2015 on March 16.
(Alli Harvey / Getty Images for Spotify)

Alli Harvey / Getty Images for Spotify

Gorgon City performs at a SoulCycle class at the Spotify House. Check out the latest photos from SXSW.

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Game Oven has a touching swan song in 'Jelly Reef'

(Game Oven)

“Jelly Reef” looks adorable. At the start, players will have a school of jellyfish -- all of them wide-eyed and smiling. Then, in a matter of moments, they will all be dead.

-- Todd Martens

Meet 'Smooth Operator,' a kissing simulator

(Beardo Games)

It was easy to spot “Smooth Operator” on the show floor, as brightly animated tongues twisted and turned and slid around the screen like reptiles protruding from human mouths. It's a slightly silly, somewhat tricky game of hand-eye coordination, but don't worry if things go bad. There's no messy saliva to stress over.

Though it's simple in conceit, where “Smooth Operator” shines is in its character portraits. There are hippy-looking men, green-haired women, tattooed tough girls and bearded old men. It's a range of diversity rarely found in far more complex games.

-- Todd Martens

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George Miller on 'The Road Warrior' and 'Mad Max: Fury Road'

I have to say I felt a lot of emotions, memories.
George Miller, director
A scene from "Mad Max: Fury Road." Director George Miller previewed some footage from the upcoming film at SXSW.
(Jasin Boland / Warner Bros.)

(Jasin Boland / Warner Bros.)

It was a mix of the old and the new Monday night as SXSW held a screening of the 1981 film “The Road Warrior” with director George Miller in attendance. His upcoming “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the fourth in the series and the first in 30 years, opens May 15, and Miller treated the enthusiastic crowd to two brief selections of footage from the new movie.

-- Mark Olsen

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From 'The Road Warrior' screening

Were you nervous -- and/or how nervous were you -- presenting this in front of a live audience being completely, absolutely and unapologetically ... racist and hysterical at the same time?
Questioner at the Q&A; following the "Get Hard" screening

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