What Happens in Austin?
Last weekend, SXSW wrapped in Austin, TX. We were not there physically, but we could get a sense of the spirit through the posts of musicians we already know and those we met last week at the New Colossus Festival. Everybody seemed to have a blast, so the news that the music leg of SXSW would be cut short by a weekend came unexpectedly. Starting next year, all three parts will be aligned in the same seven-day period from Thursday to Wednesday. While that technically means that the music festival would run a day longer, they also announced “paring down the numbers of showcasing artists.”
Partially, this is caused by the rebuilding of the Austin Convention Center, which will take until 2029. However, it can also not be denied that the significance of SXSW for the music industry has declined over the years. There are now more convenient and cheaper ways to discover the next big thing in music than physical presence at a festival.
Is this good or bad? For years, some have condemned the festival’s commercialization and hoped it would return to its true indie spirit or even create space for a new Austin-based alternative.
That is probably a pipe dream: as soon as an event becomes popular with an audience, it will attract corporate sponsors and grow into something different. There may be a sweet spot where art and commerce are balanced, but that cannot be sustainable, almost by design.
SXSW already sells music badges for the 2026 festival for the usual price (currently with a 50% rebate). However, these badges will no longer include „secondary access” to Interactive and Film events, which speaks against the idea of everybody having “the chance to experience the whole of SXSW.” On the flip side, this would also mean that they will need to develop attractive music programming.
Let‘s hope so because enjoying live music is a communal experience, and showcase festivals are particularly suited for that. The next surprising encounter is just around the corner as you move between venues instead of being crammed in front of a big stage.
Still, large concerts are booming, and young people are willing to pay more for tickets than ever. That is good news because music hasn’t stopped playing a major role in our culture. While being part of the largest fan community seems very attractive to many, others seek out smaller shows by emerging musicians. Here’s hope that this will generate more interest in local music scenes and new artists.
jasonsmommy
In the Bandcamp newsletter, I stumbled over the story of Q Lazzarus, aka Diane Luckey, and her song “Goodbye Horses,” recorded in the early 80s in New York’s East Village. By an accidental encounter, it became part of the soundtrack of Silence of the Lambs and is now finally released on Bandcamp, where you can read the entire story.
glamglare favorites
Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.
- Sofi Tukker’s 2016 super hit that put this American, German/Canadian duo on the map. We met the two in the now-defunct Rockwood Music Hall in 2017 when they just got their Grammy nomination for that song. With a song that vibrant, the spring vibes are inherent!
- Best Coast are overcoming challenges in "Feeling Ok,” maybe this spring, we all can feel okay, too? Well, at least with a hit like that, we can all sing along.
- Swedish pop-band Miike Snow offers a buoyant and infectious melody in “Animal” while lyrically hinting on transformation, suitable for spring. This brings us back to 2009.
- Keeping it with the pulsating rhythms, London-based Georgia must not be left out. Her 2020 hit "About Work The Dancefloor" makes us break out into a dance on the terrace or maybe a lawn in Central Park?
- This synthpop duo has one hit after the other and some are quieter than others. Pet Shop Boys’ “Love Comes Quickly” is a mellow one but one that lets Neil Tennant’s vocals shine beautifully, and us float carefully into the warmer days of spring, with its subtle pull of optimism versus inevitability and acceptance.
Song Pick of the Day
Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.
"DM BF" is the new single from Toronto folk-pop musician Eliza Niemi upcoming album Progress Bakery, out tomorrow. Yndling has a response to her last single, “It’s Almost Like You’re Here,” in her dramatic new song, "As Fast As I Can." Now we're asking, will those two sides ever be happy together? "Boy" by the Australian artist Zerllia summarizes frustrating relationships but is also an infectious dance banger. In his new song "Shape of Tomorrow,” London singer/songwriter Charlie Cunningham "looks at the fight for a sense of identity and the resistance to forces that threaten to take it away." He also just released his fourth album, "In Light." LEVELS is the title of Léa Sen's debut album, coming on May 30. She has already revealed level 1 and "lvl 6 - VIDEO GAMES." The UK singer/songwriter Laura Reznek dropped a new song, "The Centre," from her upcoming album “The Sewing Room,” built "around a relentless repetition." Cera Gibson is not literal when she sings “I Found God.” The song is on her new EP, pinksoak, out now.
New Albums Out This Week
The music of Cross Record, the UK-based project by Emily Cross, is not an easy but rewarding listening experience. Her fourth album, Crush Me, comes out tomorrow. It is hard to describe the music of London singer/songwriter Greentea Peng, but she gets us with every new song. TELL DEM IT'S SUNNY is her second full-length album. They/Live is an artist from Philadelphia we don’t know much about. Her new album is called Nature & Structure.
Nine Photos of the Member Reception for the Jack Whitten Retrospective at the MoMA
On Tuesday, we were invited to preview a new exhibit at the MoMA: Jack Whitten - The Messenger. Sometimes, these previews are held as real parties complete with drinks, snacks, and live music - and this was such an event. The vibe was celebratory, and rightfully so! The artwork on display is nothing short but stunning, and a feeling of being part of something extraordinary came over me upon entering the exhibition. After only looking at a few of Jack Whitten’s acrylic paintings, I thought, “I want to paint these,” - a thought I rarely have when looking at visual art. I’ll definitely be back again because I want to see these at least once more. Luckily, there’s plenty of time because the exhibit runs until August 2, 2025. Additionally, Oliver and I are planning to visit the Jack Whitten retrospective together with friends, following a little gathering on our terrace later on. Stay tuned and see this impressive and important exhibit!
The MoMA says:
Jack Whitten: The Messenger presents a revelatory history of the artist’s exploration of race, technology, jazz, love, and war. From the upheaval of the 1960s to the end of his life in 2018, Whitten faced great pressure to pursue representational art as a form of activism. Yet he dared to invent forms of abstraction—and offered the world a new way to see.
Photos: Elke Nominikat and a friendly MoMA employee