SXSW 2008

It's that time of year again. The list of showcasing artists has been released

Here are 20 musical acts that I hope to see:

Birds Of Avalon (Raliegh NC)
Black Moth Super Rainbow (Pittsburgh PA)
Black Mountain (Vancouver BC)
Blitzen Trapper (Portland OR)
The Breeders (Los Angeles CA)-- *Mess With Texas Show
Centro-matic (Denton TX)
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip (London UK)
Dr. Dog (Philadelphia PA)
Earlimart (Los Angeles CA)
Holy Fuck (Toronto ON)
My Morning Jacket (Louisville KY)
No Age (Los Angeles CA)
Jay Reatard (Memphis TN)
Rogue Wave (Oakland CA)
Rotary Downs (New Orleans LA)
The Spinto Band (Wilmington DE)
Tapes 'n Tapes (Minneapolis MN)
Times New Viking (Columbus OH)
Toddle (Tokyo JAPAN)
Yo La Tengo (Hoboken NJ)

Full list here.

Who are you excited to see?

Also, There's a new process for getting wristbands this year.

Happy 10th Birthday "In the Areoplane Over the Sea"

Today is the 10th anniversary of Neutral Milk Hotel's classic album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It's really hard to believe that it's been ten years and even harder to believe that it was the last album that Jeff Mangum and co. would give the world.

Like My Bloody Valentine's Loveless it was a groundbreaking record that would never be followed up by its creator. As if the act of making something so completely beautiful and magical took everything that the songwriter could give.

I recall that when my band toured through Athens, GA in 2001, everyone I talked to said that Mangum was very reclusive and was tired of being "treated like a god". I suppose if that's what caused him to essentially retire from songwriting or if it was the feeling that he could never surpass what he and the band had accomplished.

Either way, ITAOTC stands up just as well today as it did in the Summer of 1998 when I became obsessed with it like many of my friends.

Look for a cover of a song from this album this week along with many other things. I promise.

P.S. Speaking of brilliant bands that seem to have disappeared (repeatedly). The Breeders will be appearing at SXSW in March and will release their 4th (5th if you count The Amps - Pacer, and I do) full length in their 20 year history. It is titled Mountain Battles and I am psyched.

More about SXSW 2008 later...