TCB
By Christopher Gray, Fri., Jan. 28, 2005
The Octopus: SXSW 05
A defining moment in music history happened recently, and hardly anyone noticed. Several weeks ago, analog-tape manufacturer Quantegy closed its last remaining factory, a move SXSW panels coordinator Andy Flynn calls "another watershed in the move toward digital." Indeed, zeroes and ones look to be the main topic of conversation this year, with Digital Distribution, Alternative Digital Deals, and Legal Ethics in the Digital Age on the docket. The continuing mobilization of music is likewise hot, with further panels on ringtones, satellite radio, and, correspondingly, The Retail Store and Its Predators. Even the man who lit the fuse, Napster creator Shawn Fanning, will sit for a SXSW interview. Technophobes should have plenty to choose from as well, including a discussion of the 13th Floor Elevators' continuing influence, a songwriters' panel with Michelle Shocked, Rick Trevino, and Susan Cowsill, a slide show from Rolling Stone photographer/UT alum Mark Seliger, and old standbys like Record Keeping and Taxes for Musicians and Indies in Today's Marketplace. Flynn is even trying to nail down an interview with a former Beatle, but probably not the one you're thinking of. Go get the new Backbeat DVD for clues.
