SXSW! ... and online radio

If you can't be in Austin for South by Southwest, the fine folks at NPR and Woxy.com have your back. Woxy.com is streaming and archiving tons of stuff, including a session with The Little Ones (Sunday's Best fans take note). The Little Ones also are playing tomorrow 3/16 with The Broken West (formerly The Brokedown) and others at the Everybody Needs a Nurse party at Emo's Annex, starting at 3 p.m. CDT. Free beer.

Our friends at Little Radio make it like you're almost in Austin as well with live music streams. Free beer and bloodys at 3 days of parties at Red Eyed Fly

NPR also is broadcasting endless amounts live, including Apples in Stereo TONIGHT (3/15)!

Illinois is one busy band at SXSW, so really there's no excuse for seeing them at least once. The new 7-song EP "What the Hell do I know" is out, in all its melodic indie-rock glory on Ace Fu Records. It's a perfect mix of cohesiveness to get an idea of the band's sound while sounding plenty different from song to song.
Tracks:
1. Alone Again :: Chris Archibald sings like he's phoning it in _ no, literally. The wistful lyrics hit your ear like he's talking with you via Ma Bell.
2. Nosebleed :: Banjo to open! You'll hear more throughout the EP
3. What Can I Do For You :: That perfect blend of sadness + hopefulness of letting someone go. Lots of keys on this one
4. One on One :: Get a preview of the chorus from the guitars before the vocals give it to you
5. Screendoor :: aah, backyard BBQs, summer drives away from the city, sweater-day, skiing at A-Basin in april come to mind. Upbeat, poppy, "ooh-OOH"s and Monkees type background vocals
6. Headphones :: Buzzy cymbals get quiet for more of those Ma Bell vocals. "I feel so lonely when I talk, I just put the headphones on. Yeah"
7. Bad Day :: The drums challenge you not to blast this while you're stuck at that stop light that won't turn green. It's kinda like blues lyrics delivered by a spitter who's a record store clerk backed by an indie rock band.
Illinois is from Bucks County, Pa. They're touring this spring. Maybe they'll get to Denver soon.


As you might have heard, online radio might get stomped by the Copyright Royalty Board's plan to raise royalty rates that Internet stations have to pay for playing music. Instead of charging a percentage of revenue, the board is looking to have stations like KEXP pay 8 cents per song for each song played last year, then 11 cents/song in 07, and 19 cents in 2010. Supporters argue that online radio is becoming a sub for buying albums, but come on. Without WOXY, KEXP, Little Radio and others, how many people would even find out about some of these bands? It can still be appealed.

Here's the statement from KCRW GM Ruth Seymour:

“The CRB decision is truly egregious in that it treats successful non-commercial online music webcasters as if they were commercial stations. We support NPR’s plans for a reconsideration of the CRB decision.

“KCRW believes that the record companies and artists whose music we champion deserve fair recompense. We trust that the music industry is open to good-faith negotiations.

“KCRW has promoted many independent artists and introduced new musicians on-air and online. The station has also benefited greatly from their work. We therefore support reasonable royalty payments that rightly reward both artists and labels and hope that we will be able to reach an accommodation for public stations online and for other non-commercial webcasters, as well.

“Many of KCRW’s most devoted subscribers and supporters are people who work in the entertainment industry. We understand their concern for intellectual property rights in the new digital media. Many federal agencies recognize the difference between for-profit and non-profit businesses – including the IRS, the FCC and the US Congress. And we believe the CRB must honor that distinction.”