South by Southwest
Conferences and Festivals

IFC Cannes Cam: Live from the Red Carpet
Great front seat to the fabulous Cannes red carpet.  Live feed 24/7.  Check out the pre-premiere shows hosted by IFC’s Matt Singer and special guest hosts including Austin’s own Tim League.

The Pleasure of Being Acquired
IFC Films Picks up SXSW premiere The Pleasure of Being Robbed, before it’s Cannes screening

WATCH THIS NOW: Hey Ladies!
SXSW favorites and comedy sensations, Flight of the Concords, post their latest video.

Get a Grip
Filmmaker Magazine talks to Miguel Arteta, Peter Sollett, Miranda July, Aaron Katz, Kelly Reichardt and Ronald Bronstein about the relationship between lighting and the creative process.

Keep on Jaman
Scott Kirsner weighs in on Jaman’s decision to start running ads in front of their films.

TREE!
Office closed today on account of hail

• The RIAA explains how it catches alleged music pirates
  Story from Houston Chronicle.
• Kanye’s space odyssey
  Review from NY Times.
• Music can lower blood pressure
  Story from WebMD via CBS.
• CBS to buy CNET for $1.8 bil
  Story from Reuters.
• Radiohead fans protest rain-marred Virginia concert
  Story from Billboard.
• Ticket pricing could hurt concert biz
  Story from Rolling Stone.

We’ll start things off today with a new Flight of the Conchords video because seeing Jemaine’s meatless autograph wasn’t quite enough, right?

Weezer’s third eponymous album has had its release date moved up to June 3 due to overwhelming excitement from geeks around the world. Apparently this one is called The Red Album. Please enjoy this Guitar Hero version. This record is produced by Rick Rubin who is currently enjoying success with Neil Diamond. Everything that guy touches turns to gold (or platinum, if you will). It’s kind of scary. Did he sell his soul to the devil or something?

The Cure are releasing a single a month leading up to their 13th full length. Here’s one of them, “The Only One,” and though Robert Smith’s lyrical musings have become a bit suspect, the song is pretty undeniable and who doesn’t love The Cure? Who didn’t spend all of 1986 dressing up just like RS? I know it wasn’t just me!!!

That’s all for now. Email us at musicblog@sxsw.com. Or don’t. It’s cool either way, man.

Until tomorrow, lp

Two more world premieres from SXSW 2007 acquired for distribution
Even though Matt Dentler has moved on from his post at sxsw, his blog posts remain indispensable.  Here’s the latest pick up news about Audience of One and Frat Girl (formerly titled Pretty in the Face.)

Indies Versus Indy
It’s Hollywood vs. Indywood as the Cannes Film Festival gets underway in France.

Thumbs up for Twisters
David Mamet’s latest, Redbelt, has Roger Ebert rethinking film classification

What Would a Jedi Do?
A man dressed as Darth Vader was sentenced to a two-month jail sentence after assaulting members of the Jedi Church. Yes, a Jedi Church. I wish I was making this up….

Are you a man or a mule?
HBO’s “Recount” points a finger at Democrats.

In celebration of “the most innovative and finest self-published books and the people behind them” Blurb has launched The Photography.Book.Now International Salon and Symposium. Photographers can submit their books to compete for a number of prizes, with a grand prize of $25,000. Photography.Book.Now includes a traveling salon showcasing the winners of the book competition. The salon will be on view at the San Francisco Awards Ceremony, international Meet-ups, and at the Photography.Book.Now symposia in San Francisco, London, and New York.

Blurb was one of the innovative companies exhibiting at the SXSW Interactive / Film Trade Show + Exhibition this year. Contact Katie King to learn how your company can get exposure at the 2009 SXSW Interactive Festival.