Hip Digital Media, the industry's leading digital music distribution company, in coordination with the Government of Canada and Frontside Promotions Group, will join forces at South By Southwest in Austin Texas to drive awareness to the Canadian Music Industry and artists by launching an industry-wide download program. During SXSW, Frontside will be distributing 5,000 "Canadian Blast" download cards. Each card will contain a single pin code that can be applied towards the download of MP3's from Canadian BLAST participating artists on a custom branded site built by Hip Digital.
Record number of music related businesses to participate in Canadian Blast initiative - The Canada Stand and the Canadian BBQ are two of the flagship activities of the Canadian Blast initiative at the SXSW (South by Southwest) Music and Media Conference to be held in Austin, Texas from March 14 to 18, 2007.
Montreal has created an environment of great, imaginative music. We have our own indie music showcase and outdoor music festival, and are the artistic capital of Canada (despite what Toronto might tell you). Faster then you can say poutine, the city has erupted on to the indie stage with a flurry of good bands. Many of them (along with all of indie-dom) are descending to Austin for South by Southwest. We all know the big names, so I've been asked to comment on some of the lesser known bands being produced by my corner of the great white north.
Canada's own Mint Records and Six Shooter Records are combining to bring you a joint party at SXSW on March 15th. Billed as their AFTERNOON HOOTENANNY, takes place at Headhunters between 1pm and 6pm. Mint will also be hosting their own showcase later that evening at The Light Bar. Music starts at 10pm.
Get your invite here.
 
Quick! What's the capital of Canada? Wrong. It's not Toronto. Who's the prime minister? Nope. He's not even French. American ignorance of our northern neighbor has been documented extensively, but no one did it as well as Canadian comedian Rick Mercer. In an attempt to "satirize" our, um, "perceived" stupidity, Mercer conducted man-on-the-street interviews for his feature "Talking to Americans," a regular segment on the political-satire television show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. You know as well as we do, it doesn't take much to make us Americans look doltish.
Canada will make its biggest showing ever at the 2007 edition of the South by Southwest Music & Media Festival in Austin, Texas from March 14 through March 18 with the return of the Canadian BLAST initiative.
"What the Stones were; what the Dandy Warhols should have been."* Strong words, even in today's desensitized rock-critisphere, but Lions In The Street have already opened for Kings Of Leon, been shopped-and-dropped by major labels, and recorded their debut EP in a dingy basement with an 8-track and broken mics because they could hardly afford beer. What are you gonna tell them, be less rock and roll please? This is the kind of band SXSW exists for. (Said EP, Cat Got Your Tongue, is available as a free download on their website, so you downloaders aren't getting away with anything.) Besides that, it's obvious that frontman Chris Kinnon has plenty of love for the ATX.
After a seeming eternity as a rock & roll hinterland, Montreal's Moment arrives this year, with more than 30 bands storming the elite alt-bastion of Austin for a little Franco-on-the-Colorado cultural exchange.
With the Barenaked Ladies and Guster going gang-busters and a major Avril Lavigne release due (fittingly) in April, Nettwerk CEO Terry McBride is in a generous mood. His record company, Canada's largest independent, is sound.