Dart Music International

Dart Music International in the Press

Here are links to news stories and press mentions about Dart Music International and the Artists we work with. Many of these stories are also linked on our Digg page. You can join us there to keep up with the stories we find interesting and share your own.

Please Email our News Desk with any news, updates, questions, or interview requests.

For more information please download the latest update of our Electronic Press Kit.

2009:   November   |   October   |   September   |   August   |   July   |   June   |   May   |   April   |   March   |   February   |   January

November 2009

November 27 - Altsounds caught Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle at Sick in Liverpool. How was it? "At tonight's gig Polly and her band the Pleasure Principle played with the assurance of seasoned veterans producing a set shot through with brilliance which not only demonstrated her wonderful voice but also what fine musicians her band are." Read more...

November 22 - There is a great photo of The Ganjas on stage in front of 40,000 fans at Santiago's Día de la Música festival in this week's Pulbimetro. Read more...

November 19 - Polly Mackey sat down with the Von Pip Musical Express and talked about getting started in music, the origin of the Pleasure Principle name, songwriting, and more.

November 16 - Along the same lines as the CNN story below, P.K.14 is offered up by NPR as proof that punk rock is China's newest export.

November 13 - "China's latest export -- rock 'n' roll -- hits the U.S.", by Jo Ling Kent, discusses Stateside visits by Maybe Mars label-mates Carsick Cars and P.K.14 on the eve of their first US tour.

November 13 - David Malitz, in his story for The Washington Post, discusses the photojournalism of Matthew Niederhauser and his insightful photos of bands like P.K.14, the legendary D-22 (the Chinese CBGB), and the indie rock scene in Beijing. Read more...

November 12 - Great review of the new album, Loose from The Ganjas in this month's Rockaxis - A Universe of Rock (Spanish language).

November 11 - David Ponce catches up with Intimate Stranger and their Argentine friends Cucsifae on a very brief break in their two country punk rock tour for El Mercurio - "Punk rock sin descanso".

November 9 - "With front lady Woodgate singing and on bass, Lautaro Vera on guitar, Mauricio Muñoz rocking the drums and Ismael Palma pouring over the keyboard, Intimate Stranger is a complete and talented team ready to intoxicate any listener." Derek Lactaoen, writing for Revolver Santiago Magazine, is left to declare "Intimate Stranger: Hard to Define, Harder to Dislike."

November 5 - "Maybe Mars Records, and its impressive roster of artists are currently at the forefront of a national movement, pushing contemporary Chinese rock toward international acclaim," notes Dan Shapiro for Timeout New York. Flagship bands from the label who visited New York include Carsick Cars, P.K.14, and Xiao He.

October 2009

October 26 - Andrew Schmidt traces the similarities between great Kiwi bands from years past and modern Chinese rockers Carsick Cars in his review of the new album for Mysterex - New Zealand Music and Culture.

October 18 - "Beijing's indie-rock scene is still in its infancy, " writes Erin DeJesus for The Economist. "most of the bands considered 'elder statesmen' are no more than a decade old and Zhang Shouwang, the lead singer of Carsick Cars has yet to turn 25." Read more...

October 14 - Do you have to be political to be punk? Alice Liu thinks so, and takes both Carsick Cars and PK14 to task in her Asian Times article, "China's Rockers Too Pampered for Politics"

October 9 - The Irish Pub Giessen posted a great band profile for the October 9 show by The Tornado Roosters.

September 2009

September 18 - Super45 talks about the upcoming album and new songs from Intimate Stranger. Check out the songs "Under" and "Held", as well as the video for "In The Black."

September 13 - Our Executive Director and Founder, Dave Dart, is one of Austin American Statesman's 2009 Fortunate 500. "Are the Fortunate 500 an elite class? Not in the traditional sense. The annual list of Austin's most social citizens is not defined by money, power or family status. Anyone can be nominated by readers. We take each nomination seriously, looking carefully for social investment and general accessibility... As in years past, the 2009 Fortunate 500 come from a multitude of backgrounds and represent the defining social activities of Central Texas."

September 7 - Filter Magazine believes "good music will prevail." To help ensure that comes to pass, they bring some of the best new music to the public. To that end, this month's Media feature includes a write-up and link to the new video from the forthcoming album from Bang! Bang! Eche!.

September 4 - Nick Bourne of the BBC declares Songwriter Polly does it again! He is speaking of our one and only Polly Mackey of Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle, who just won a prestigious Make It, Break It Award for the song "The Way It Works."The award includes a 5 day music academy held at the world famous Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (major patron is Paul McCartney), a recording session at EMI's London studios and a personal meeting with EMI at their London offices, and a £500 Yamaha voucher for her school. Among the judges was Chris Martin of Coldplay, himself a previous winner. Marsha Shandur, Presenter of "The Weekender" on XFM Radio and one of the MIBI judges says:

Polly has a FANTASTIC voice - strong and with a really wonderful quality to it - it's interesting without being annoying and has something that makes me sad to my bones in a really good way.  Love the way it breaks in the chorus.  Loved the song - the piano refrain was haunting and the rest of it was lovely and full.  I definitely want to keep an eye on Polly.

September 1 - Spin Earth has compiled video, photos, the song "In The Black", and a great interview with Lau and Tessie of Intimate Stranger. They talk about their music, stage presence, past recordings, and their upcoming tour in the wide-ranging interview. Read more...

August 2009

August 19 - PRI's The World says industrial music from Beijing is, "... music that just keeps screaming at you louder and louder, until it decides to abate. This is the Chinese duo White."

August 4 - News 8 Austin's Todd Boatwright sat down for an interview with Dart Music International Directors Derek Woodgate and Dave Dart on August 4 to discuss our organization and Friday's Benefit Show at the Scoot Inn with We Should Be Dead and Black Panda. Check out the interview transcript and video on the News 8 Austin website.

August 4 - Writing for The Guardian (UK), Alex Hoban attended a show in Shanghai where he finds, " Carsick Cars and P.K.14 represent two of China's most visercal new acts, taking their cues from Sonic Youth and the Fall respectively." Read more...

July 2009

July 27 - Daily Earwig says, Rising Mountains from Buenos Aires band, Capsula is a strong contender for one of my favorite records of 2009.

July 24 - Aimee Steen reports in the Evening Leader reports that Polly Mackey will compete against a dozen fellow young musicians at the Make It Break It awards 2009 at Earls Court in London after her song, "The Way It Works," was chosen from hundreds of entries. Read more...

July 24 - Dart Music International Board of Directors member Derek Woodgate is one of the personages interviewed for the feature article "What Would Jean-Luc Do?: In a post-digital world, is cinema dead or just rebooting?" by Marc Savlov in this week's Austin Chronicle, along with Richard Linklater, Janet Pierson, and Bruce Sterling. "A lot of what's going on now with film, or what film is morphing into, has to do with social change, the interaction between the film and the audience and our ability to deal with those changes and interactions. I think the most important is our ability to deal with nonlinear storytelling." Read more...

July 24 - Janis Foo of The Wall Street Journal reveals the influence of Zhang Shouwang and Carsick Cars' on modern Beijing bands (including Snapline and Xiao He) in "Rocking Beijing - China's Underground Music Scene".

July 22 - We love a success or good luck story. BLURT faves Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle - our April "Best Kept Secret" winner - recently won the Supajam competition which had been entered by more than 2,000 bands from across Europe. The band subsequently got to play at one of Europe's largest summer festivals - the FIB Heineken Festival at Benicassim in Spain, which took place last week, July 16-18.  They took to the stage Friday night when Kings of Leon headlined. Other headliners include Oasis and The Killers. Read more...

July 14 - Good Spanish language review of Capsula's latest album "Rising Mountains" in Paisajes Eléctronicos magazine.

July 12 - Dave went on the KVRX 91.7 radio show Chocolate Primate Magnetosphere with DJ OwenM and talked a bit about upcoming events and a general introduction to Dart Music International. Owen sprinkled in tracks from Tokyo Sex Destruction, We Should Be Dead, Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle, and 127 during his show.

July 7 - TuneTribeTube has an interview with most of the members of Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle after winning a slot for the FIB Heineken Festival in Benicàssim, Spain.

July 3 - "I heard Capsula for the first time during the drive to work yesterday morning," reports Harikari.com. They like the "Voices Underground" video and, like the rest of us here in the US, are awaiting the Stateside release of Rising Mountains.

July 2 - The Daily Beast reports in Soundtrack to the Uprising that Raam from Hypernova is one of the lead figures in the "Freedom Glory Project," a quartet of young Iranian-American recording artists using social media to beam out digital messages of solidarity to their peers in the streets of Tehran. Read more...

July 1 - WNYC's John Schaefer says in his Western Music in Iran blog, "Western music - and Iranian musicians making Western-style music - was forced underground. And while I'm impressed that young Iranians play this music under the threat of jail or fines or both, I'm even more impressed with the apparent perserverance of the Persian culture. Far from being a cultural threat, Western music seems to have energized some Iranian musicians to explore their own heritage; there's something distinctly Iranian about their versions of Western rap, rock and pop." Read more...

June 2009

June 30 - "Singer Kim Kix (of PowerSolo is) the kind of guy that cool kids will dig, much to the dismay of their uncool parents." Read more on Here Comes The Flood.

June 29 - Check out the article and video of Carsick Cars in Spin Earth's "Carsick Cars Drops and Rocks New Album at Beijing's Yugong Yishan".

June 25 - After over 1,700 entries and 100,000 votes in the final of this year's Supajam "Fast Track to FIB" contest, Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle tore the roof off the legendary Pigalle Club in London and will be playing the main stage at the July 16-17 FIB Heineken Festival in Benicàssim, Spain.

June 25 - Dart Music International had our first happy hour at the Tiniest Bar in Texas on the 24th. Among those hearty souls who braved 105 degree temperatures to come out to see us was the intrepid Michael Barnes, who chronicled the event for Austin 360.

June 25 - Kirsty Evans from Global Comment Chatted with lead singer Raam and lead guitarist Kodi of Hypernova about playing underground shows in Iran, moving to the U.S., and the future of Iranian music. Read more...

June 25 - the Parlotones have announced their first ever tour of Australia, debuting down under at the One Movement for Music Festival in Perth October 16-18.

June 19 - Corte Irracional has amazing pictures and video of Intimate Stranger performing live in Santiago.

June 19 - The tragic, tumultuous events unfolding in Iran right now affect us all, but are directly affecting our friends in Hypernova and 127 who hail from Tehran and have family and friends there. "Iranian rockers find their voice", by Freya Petersen in the Global Post has a very poignant interview with Raam and Hypernova's unique perspective. The band also released a statement on Plug In Music.

June 18 - Capsula present their latest album and chat with EITB Kultura.

June 17 - Rollinga Magazine reviewed shows by The Ganjas on back-to-back nights at Bar Loreto and a Sala SCD de Bellavista.

June 16 - Berlin's Stadtkind give a preview of the upcoming visit by "African megastars" the Parlotones.

June 15 - Everyone, including the writers from Super45, came away as winners from the last shows at Riot Club by Intimate Stranger and Nico Castro. Read more...

June 10 - Nick Fulton has a Bang Bang Eche tour update posted on Einstein Music Journal. Photos from Australia, the usual mayhem...

June 3 - Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle have been announced as headliners at The Red Festival which takes place at Liverpool's Barfly venue on 26th July. The Red Festival is the biggest UK unsigned event, showcasing over 500 bands per quarter at the UK's best 'local' venues. Read more ...

June 3 - LP33.TV has posted the full interview with Polly Mackey & Dan Davies that was recorded after their blistering performance at our International Night at Friends on Sixth Street showcase. Check it out.

June 2 - "Other than selected single tracks here and there from long-dead sixties bands I don't reckon I've heard much by Argentinian rock groups. For what is I think therefore justifiably classifiable as a first this, the second album from Capsula (late of Buenos Aires, now waiting to conquer the world from Bilbao), succeeded in grabbing my attention right from the start. Read more...

June 2 - Polly Mackey is featured in a new advertising campaign in the UK by Farida Guitars.

June 1 - The very cool French magazine Abus Dangereux have put the naked PowerSolo brothers on the front cover and it looks utterly amazing.

May 2009

May 29 - Freiberg Germany's Fudder introduces Lily Electric as "four Danes on their way to conquer Germany" in their article announcing their upcoming show. Read more...

May 29 - As reported on the always entertaining Crunchy Frog Blog, Powersolo's got France by the throat: Our main brothers, Kim Kix and The Atomic Child recently released their newest effort BLOODSKINBONES on Cornflakes Zoo in France. And boy do the French like PowerSolo! Three weeks on the radio and then finally in the top spot as the most played album on 24 French rock radio stations in front on artists like Franz Ferdinand, Pete Doherty and Miss Kittin and The Hacker. Read more...

May 26 - German-language internet magazine Band Base introduces the German tour by Lily Electric and even has a contest for any fans who know which band "old" drummer Rasmus is currently playing with (hint... they played in Austin during SXSW).

May 25 - Spanish-language Rated Muzik announces the upcoming tour in support of The Neighborhood, which it calls the most mature, robust, and musically diverse album by Tokyo Sex Destruction since their debut Le Red Soul Communittee.

May 23 - Dart Music International was represented at this year's Liverpool Sound City by our good friends at New Direction Music. Their profile in the Festival Guide reads, "... New Direction Music is also an affiliate of Dart Music International of Austin, Texas... a not-for-profit organisation that provides assistance and support for artists and bands wishing to either perform at US music festivals such as SXSW or who are perhaps seeking to organise their first US tour."

May 21 - Roman Casado writes for the Spanish-language portion of Radio Praha about some of the modern Spanish bands who sing in English, like Mono and Tokyo Sex Destruction. And Raul assures us that the band has nothing to do with the capitol of Japan or destructive sex.

May 19 - According to Annie Holub's analysis in Venus Zine, Rising Mountains from Capsula contains all the necessary elements of awesomeness to rate an "Extremely High Potential To Blow You Away." Read more...

May 14 - In cinemas across South Africa on May 30 The Parlotones will be the subject of an amazing cinema and music Nu Metro Beat event. At several cinemas around the country they will show "The Parlotones Unplugged," a documentary of their 2008 European tour, and a live appearance at one of the showings. Read more...

May 10 - Stokely Baksh posted a video of PowerSolo performing at Sonny's Vintage during this year's SXSW. Read more...

May 6 - From Music Week's pick of new music from New Zealand, " Bang Bang Eche - 4 To The Floor: Carefree dancefloor anthem marries a dirty bassline to electro whoopery and says that these youngsters from Christchurch are finding the same things in the water in the clubs as kids everywhere. A song that succeeds in its demands that you dance is no bad thing and SXSW attention proves they're ones to watch."

May 5 - Avenue 11 caught up with The Parlotones just prior to their show in London. They have a nice bit of live interview and music video here.

May 4 - Sam Houghton sat down with Raam Emami of Hypernova in New York City for this interview in Knocks From The Underground.

May 2 - The lucky folks at Einstein Music Journal got the chance to see Bang Bang Eche three times over the weekend at Cross Street Studios in Auckland. Read more...

May 1 - Timeout Beijing Magazine names Carsick Cars, P.K.14, Xiao He, and Snapline as bands in the "Class of '09".

May 1 - The 2009 UK Trade & Investment booklet "British Music Export and Inward Investment Guide" Einstein Music Journal features a photo of Polly Mackey on page 2.

April 2009

April 29 - Ian Morales of double stereo says, "The Limerick, Ireland music scene hasn't produced anything buzz worthy this side of the pond since The Cranberries. I think that a female fronted pop band called We Should Be Dead is going to change that very soon." Read more...

April 29 - Boston Band Crush hearts Hypernova in this preview of their show on May 2. Read more...

April 29 - The Parlotones have taken their talents to the vineyard now. "We've always wanted to know how to make wine and now, with the help of wine experts at the farm, we are making our own," says Kahn. "We've been mixing a whole lot of flavours to find what we really like . We will call it a Giant Mistake after a song in our latest album, A World Next Door To Yours." Read more...

April 28 - " Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle contribute "The Way It Works" to Music For Katherine, a free album for download compiled by LP33.tv as a tribute to the late Katherine Ann Olson. Also appearing on the album: Bigelf, Rocco DeLuca, The Webb Sisters, Black Cherry, Breathe Carolina, Bear Hands, Schiller and Madi Diaz. Read more...

April 28 - The Parlotones took first place in the Music Video category for "Overexposed" and Kahn Morbee took second place in the Performance category for "Giant Mistake" in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition.

April 27 - Check out the great photos of Hypernova on Michelle Christina's blog.

April 26 - Riot Club discuss the new recordings by Intimate Stranger.

April 26 - Game Writer Guy, a writer for NME magazine, has posted a short note and video of Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle taken from the Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party on March 18th.

April 26 - Capsula's new album "Sun Shaking" is reviewed by Stuart Morrison for Insomnia Radio.

April 26 - Kahn and the boys from The Parlotones perform "Giant Mistake" on the chilly streets of London for Balcony TV.

April 26 - Great interview and video with Hypernova on CNET TV.

April 24 - Neil Comfort gives a little background on the Parlotones in Tonight (South African entertainment guide from Independent News and Media) to explain why it's a bargain and a show not to be missed when they play Sibaya Casino's Krakatoa venue in Umhlanga next Thursday.

April 22 - Robbie at Transmission has very good taste! He caught Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle and Bang Bang Eche at our International Night at Friends on Sixth Street and has been listening to them ever since.

April 20 - Hits In The Car notes "You're In The Painting You Saw" by Lily Electric has finally seen international release and also has a link to download the single "Love Travels Far."

April 20 - The Kitchen Sink was able to catch a great lineup at Als Bar in Christchurch that included another great performance by Bang Bang Eche.

April 19 - There is a great bio, links, and video up on LP33 TV about the one and only Tokyo Sex Destruction.

April 17 - " Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle are this month's pick as Blurt Magazine's Best Kept Secret - the first non-US band to be so recognized.

April 15 - Download the conversation of Charlie from Bang Bang Eche talking to Mike at 95bFM about touring, their success in America and Europe and how not to let it go to your head!

April 13 - Rolling Stone magazine's David Fricke hit pay dirt on the first night of SXSW with Capsula, as he notes in Fricke's Picks: Spanish Electricity at SXSW.

April 8 - Alas de Tango offers a Spanish-language review of Zona Tango's latest, "Tangostoso."

April 4 - Nice photo and blurb about Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle in anticipation of their April 16 gig at Telford's Warehouse.

April 1 - Charlie! Ryder! Bang! Bang! Eche! - In late March Christchurch band Bang Bang Eche played one of the hottest tickets in the music industry, The South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. But before that they were playing at LYFE in Linwood Park. The Pulse was there and spoke to guitar/synth player Charlie Ryder. Read more...

April 1 - Lindsay Hutchens has posted a couple of great photos of We Should Be Dead taken at our International Night at Friends on Sixth Street show. Check them out on Ice Cream Man.

March 2009

March 30 - The BBC charts Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle as they go "from Wrexham to Austin, Texas, in a few short months..." Read more...

March 30 - Triggerfish has a nice German-language biography and tour dates listed for PowerSolo's upcoming German tour.

March 30 - Success at SXSW for Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle - Polly & the Pleasure Principle had a massively successful SXSW Festival in Texas with 9 performances in 5 days culminating in a showcase performance at The Liverpool Sound City day party at Latitude 30. Read more...

March 28 - Tom Crowther caught the Parlotones in Sheffield, UK, on one of their opening dates for Starsailor. "The Parlotones were first up, and impressed me with their surprisingly radio-friendly sound. The band sound like a louder Snow Patrol, with much more of a rockier chorus." Read more...

March 27 - Niall Byrne joins the Irish bands taking over Texas for SXSW : The Irish invasion and has a chat with We Should Be Dead.

March 27 - Mark McNulty attended the Liverpool Sound City showcase on Saturday and noted in his Liverpool.com SXSW Diary, "First up, was Polly Mackey - who's like 17 years old or something; has done eight gigs in four days at SXSW and is on the verge of losing her voice. She copes though and does a great show... everyone's happy that they queued around the block for the last hour or so!."

March 26 - GameWriterGuy posted video of Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle performing at Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party on the 18th.

March 26 - In the middle of Underground Bee's SXSW Diary Part 6: March 20 Robert Loerzel notes, "When it comes to noisy Kiwis this year, I preferred Bang Bang Eche." Read more...

March 26 - " Bang Bang Eche is the band name on everyone's lips this week following a rollicking debut at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas last week," says Joanna Hunkin in The New Zealand Herald.

March 26 - "Pirates of the Oblivion" is highlighted on The SixtyOne's profile of PowerSolo.

March 25 - Robert Loerzel of Underground Bee has this all-too-common experience at our International Night at Friends on Sixth Street. "9:45 p.m.: NZ punkers Bang Bang Eche very energetic. I almost got clobbered by singer jumping off stage. That was no exaggeration." Read more...

March 25 - Einstein Music Journal has photos and videos from Bang Bang Eche's knockout performance at our International Day at Agave on Sixth Street.

March 23 - The Hypernova profile in Indie Houston begins, "Having toured with Sisters of Mercy in 2008 and on their own ever since, Hypernova are an example of what hard work can do for a band. Originally from Tehran, Iran (yes, really), they are at the helm of what consists of the Iranian rock scene, ..." Read more...

March 22 - Stan D. Payne's South By Southwest SXSW 2009 collection on Flickr includes some great shots of Capsula at their SXSW showcase, Tokyo Sex Destruction at Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party, and some action photos of Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle, and We Should Be Dead at International Night at Friends on Sixth Street.

March 22 - The video for Tokyo Sex Destruction's "One more Sunday" is added to Garage Punk.

March 21 - Photographer Jay Janner, whose photos appear in the Austin American Stateman, created Collective Vision: Statesman Photo and Multimedia Blog. "SXSW Music Festival 2009. Four Days. 1,800 bands. 7,000 clicks of my camera. Fifty of my favorite images in this portfolio." Of his personal favorites, Capsula that appeared on the front cover the Statesman (and on this page) shot at Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party made the cut.

March 21 - Rahm Emami, lead singer for Hypernova is framed in front of the Dirty Dog logo during their SXSW showcase in picture #13 in Photo gallery: SXSW Music Festival day four, 03.21.09.

March 20 - Carsick Cars and P.K.14 are profiled by CNN-Talk Asia in "Scene Explosion".

March 20 - Don't Cry for Argentina: Changing Tango's Promise - It may take two to tango, but Argentina's Pedro Menéndez is part of tango's triple threat. At SXSW last year, Menéndez wowed a modest Elephant Room crowd with his electronic tango trio, Zona Tango. This year, the multi-instrumentalist returns as Pedro Menéndez JazzTango Ensamble (Thu., Elephant Room, 11:45pm), incorporating classical compositions and folk traditions like Afro-Uruguayan drumming. Read more...

March 20 - Joel Rojas of It's Not Not is picture #54 in Photo gallery: SXSW Music Festival day three, 03.20.09. Jay Janner got the picture during their set at International Day at Agave on Sixth Street. Picture #93 shows Joel dancing with people out on 6th street during their performance.

March 20 - From the Cheapo 11th Anniversary Day Party, Greg Beets of the Austin Chronicle wrote, "Barcelona, Spain, garage soul combo Tokyo Sex Destruction implored the intimate crowd to gather up front and made converts of most everyone. Vocalist R.J. Sinclair was a ball of atomic energy, combining the voice of the MC5's Rob Tyner with the dance moves of James Brown and Joe Tex's famed microphone trick to boot."

March 20 - On SXSW Weird Band Names: Saturday, the band to check out is We Should Be Dead - just, good straight-up power pop from Ireland.

March 19 - The Chuza folks settile in for an "intimate session" with Intimate Stranger in Chile amid talk of swimming pools, vodka smoothies, and the second full-length from the band. Read more...

March 19 - Brian Massey, one of the co-sponsors of Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party, has posted some great photos of We Should Be Dead, Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle, Hypernova, Tokyo Sex Destruction, and Joel from It's Not Not on his SnapTweet Site.

March 19 - Dart Music International Advisory Board Member Marilyn Faust is mentioned in South By Southwest's global warming in the Austin American Statesman.

March 19 - One of Jay Janner's photos of Capsula appeared on the front cover the Austin American Statesman in a photo taken during Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party. "The music portion of South by Southwest began in earnest Wednesday, with performances by acts such as the rock band Capsula from Bilbao, Spain. Guitarist Martin Guevara and drummer Alberto Diez got things going during a day party at Roux on Sixth Street." Both Jay's photos of the band appear in the Photo gallery: SXSW Music Festival Day one, 03.18.09 (photos 51 & 52).

March 19 - Dana Marruffo has nice things to say about Dart Music International, Capsula, Tokyo Sex Destruction, and Hypernova at Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party in her blog on the SXSW '09 Insiders Guide.

March 19 - The Wrexham Online Guide to Music has compiled photo, video, and Twitter posts from people who caught Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle at International Night at Friends on Sixth Street and Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party.

March 19 - Voilà says, "You have to see beyond geography, or languages, or tastes to truly appreciate any music you hear. But most importantly, you need to know how to have fun. That's what Bang Bang Eche is all about." Read more...

March 18 - "We took our free buzzes on to the Friends bar for the Dart Music International music showcase," begins the review of International Night at Friends on Sixth Street by Dana Plonka on Mail Order Bride Vintage. She has very nice things to say about Dart Music International, our stellar Pam Burton, We Should Be Dead and Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle.

March 18 - Roy Kasten of KDHX caught part of International Night at Friends on Sixth Street. "Down the notorious Sixth street, I headed for Friends, and a Dart Music International showcase, featuring Ireland's We Should Be Dead, and Liverpool's Polly Mackey. " Read more...

March 18 - Among his picks for Wednesday, Tony Pierce of the LA Times Music Blog Pop & Hiss mentions the appearances at Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party by Tokyo Sex Destruction and We Should Be Dead, as well as Powersolo at Sonny's Vintage day party.

March 18 - Capsula's SXSW showcase is Michael Corcoran's Critic's Pick in the Austin American Statesman.

March 18 - LP33.TV hung out with Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle at International Night at Friends on Sixth Street.

March 18 - Capsula's SXSW official showcase at Habana Bar Backyard reviewed by Pitchfork Media: "A last minute change in schedule meant that when I went to see NY up-and-comer Lissy Trullie at the Red 7 Patio, I ended up staring at some mariachi band instead. From a couple of blocks away, though, I heard something that sounded pretty right on. Turned out it was Capsula, a glammed-up power-trio from Spain ..." Read more...

March 18 - According to Rated-Muzik, Rock Is Pain ficha a Powersolo .

March 17 - Stereocourier's Flickr set SXSW 2009 - Tuesday 3/17/09 includes some great shots of Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle taken at International Night at Friends on Sixth Street.

March 17 - Amplify: The Interactive Rock Party was listed as one of the Wednesday day parties to catch in the Austin American Statesman. Our International Day at Agave on Sixth Street was also listed as one of the parties to catch on Friday.

March 17 - Jake Coyle mentions We Should Be Dead in the AP article Optimism abounds at SXSW despite economy.

March 17 - "It had been a while since I'd seen the young scenesters, Bang Bang Eche, in person. Despite splitting a plane with them to Auckland in January, November was the last, where, sharing a stage with Wellington band New Friend, BBE embarked on a whisky fuelled debaucherous, yet comical, set, punctuated by missed timings and mid-song fistfights (Charlie and Zach spent Nike throwing shoes at each other). Read more...

March 16 - Adam Brewer, Co-founder of Texas Rockfest, talked about their sponsorship of Dart Music International in a very gracious News 8 Austin television interview.

March 16 - We Should Be Dead are listed as one of the bands worth looking into at SXSW on the Dumbing of America "Under the Radar" series.

March 16 - At Capsula's New York gig, guitarist Ivan Julian from "Richard Hell & The Voidoids" appeared onstage to play 'Blank Generation' with the band at the Pianos.

March 13 - The Parlotones dominate MK Awards: Last night, viewers of the country's most cutting edge TV channel got to see SA's most successful band completely dominate the MK Awards. Read more...

March 13 - Z (who is from a country that was once a part of the Soviet Union and uses a pseudonym to protect her and her family from potential cultural/political backlash) writes in her Washington, DC concert review, "Their music is very personal. Hypernova seems to be spilling out their guts to their highly receptive audience, which thanks to media hype, sometimes tends to care about the idea of a rock band from Iran more than about their music. And Hypernova feeds that intrigue surrounding their rebellious background by songs like 'Viva la resistance.'" Read more...

March 13 - Virginia Díaz likes PowerSolo's "Pirates of the Oblivion" in her column 180 Grados for RTV España.

March 12 - In "Friends with a 'Kick Ass - Wall of Sound'" Mark Spomer says "I just witnessed something I haven't heard in a long, LONG, time... Music with talent, oozing their souls through their instruments and vocals. Working a crowd like no one does anymore. It hit me like a wall of sound and truly changed the way I've listened to music for years. The way they play you'll understand why they are named We Should Be Dead."

March 11 - The Parlotones are stirring up excitement at Canadian Music Week with a Q&A in The Ampersand.

March 11 - Time Out London recommends the March 25 show featuring Ben Lee, The Parlotones, and the Ruby Suns in London.

March 11 - Running Wolf's Rant makes a strong case for The Parlotones' song "Colourful" illustrates why "...this band has what it takes to make it internationally and do South Africa proud." Read more...

March 11 - Yahoo Events has a great profile of Hypernova in their preview of the band's March 25 show in Houston. Read more...

March 10 - Brooklyn Vegan profiles PowerSolo and Crunchy Frog label-mates 18th Dye and Jet's Amazing Bullit Band before their dates in New York City and Austin.

March 9 - Iafrica.com recommends, " The Parlotones' 'A World Next Door To Yours' world tour visits Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and the Big Top Arena at Carnival City in April." Read more ...

March 8 - Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle's SXSW showcase and visit to Texas in March are profiled in an article posted by Ceri Shaw on Ning.

March 8 - Paste Magazine has some fun with the names of several SXSW bands, including our Kiwi buddies Bang Bang Eche.

March 7 - Lisbon's Billy News notices that Capsula is no Lounge Act! "In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a couple of lovers of dark and psychedelic rock 'n roll and punk-rock, decided to form a band that, in a few years, has become one of the most active spanish rock acts." Read more...

March 7 - This Sunday (8th March) Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle will be featured in session on Adam Walton's BBC Radio Wales The Mystery Tour show in advance of her trip to the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. Read more...

March 7 - The Slums Off Hollywood Boulevard has a great review of We Should Be Dead's Forget Romance Let's Dance CD.

March 6 - Dart Music International was profiled in the "Off the Record" feature of the Austin Chronicle. Austin Powell's column also features a photo of Tokyo Sex Destruction and a mention of Marilyn Faust and the great SXSW International Housing Program.

March 5 - Interview with Coni in the Canada National Post about Capsula's performance at Canadian Music Week. Read more...

March 5 - We Should Be Dead were the subject of a story in the "This Week in Music" column of the Albuquerque Alibi.

March 3 - Alarm Press lists Bloodskinbones by PowerSolo as one of the week's best albums.

March 3 - Indian bands like Shaair and Func and Menwhopause, have been nominated for Asia's first ever Indie music awards, called Asia Voice Independent Music Awards, being hosted by Malay website Voize.my. Read more...

February 2009

February 28 - Dart Music International was profiled by Cynthia Houchin in the March Music issue of Rare Austin magazine. The accompanying photo by Derris Lanier features an artistic shot of Board of Directors members Dave Dart and Patricia Albright in front of the "Austin" skyline.

February 27 - In her Guest Column on Digital Media Wire, Fiona Bloom list Tokyo Sex Destruction among her "Severe 70" Buzz Bands at SxSW 2009.

February 26 - Tokyo Sex Destruction is profiled on LP33.TV.

February 26 - The Parlotones to support Starsailor in the UK. The Parlotones have been confirmed as the support band for UK band Starsailor during their upcoming UK tour, March 26-April 16. Read more ...

February 25 - MishMash Magazine has a great video interview with Hypernova on MishMash TV.

February 25 - "Here at CBM we like The Parlotones. We like their music, we like their look and we like their attitude. In fact, this award winning South African band really rock our socks. How pleased were we to hear their newest single Overexposed? Very. Read more ...

February 24 - Rover at Indie Blips put Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle on the Daily Radar.

February 23 - Bloodskinbones, the new album by PowerSolo rates 4 out of 7 Danish-language stars on Soundvenue.

February 23 - Peter Krogholm says 'Bloodskinbones' marks a return to their rockabilly 'n punk roots for PowerSolo in his album review for All Scandinavian.

February 22 - "We bought a bunch of this Limerick band's songs last month," said Powerpopulist of We Should Be Dead.

February 22 - Klick Track says, " PowerSolo return with an album that cuts to the bone. 12 songs in 30 minutes just like the good old days. BLOODSKINBONES. Blood, skin and bones. Tendons, nerves, muscles and not so much as a gram of excess fat on a skeleton that can be seen and felt. Read more...

February 22 - " PowerSolo is all about rock 'n' roll in the real cool redneck way. Beers, tats, dirty girls, hot rods and bad-ass attitude. This may sound like the biggest cliches when it comes to rock 'n' roll, but Powersolo is actually quite convinsing in their expression. They mix punkabilly and garagerock with elements of country and surf - and even a cool twist of psyche." Check out the rest of the Lowcut (DK) review of Bloodskinbones.

February 21 - Austin's Bob Knoxious find that he has a Favorite Band from Denmark in PowerSolo.

February 19 - The Parlotones are selected as South African ambassadors for the March 28 World Wildlife Fund Earth Hour.

February 17 - Elaine Chow at The Shanghaist says bands like Carsick Cars are like many of the other "Modern Chinese Rockers Staying Far Away From Politics".

February 14 - Ivan Jaime recommends We Should Be Dead on Blogging Away in LA.

February 13 - "Don't quite know what it is, but the first time I heard Polly Mackey I just thought 'star in the making'. Only 17 years old and has potential well beyond her years. She's going to be BIG BIG. Already creating something of a 'buzz' this year at the fest, I'm almost looking forward to standing back and watching the industry feeding frenzy when she gets off-stage," said SXSW's Cary Caldwell in the SXSW Artist Profile for Polly.

February 11 - Want to see the world in an instant? Then catch Intimate Stranger when they play in Santiago and Buenos Aires. Read more...

February 9 - The Parlotones are profiled in Parlotones - Museke African Artistes.

February 6 - The Tornado Roosters headline the 21st anniversary party for the Bremsspur, one of the few real biker bars in central Germany.

February 5 - Culture Bully's John Behm profiles Tokyo Sex Destruction for their upcoming SXSW performance in Tokyo Sex Destruction "All the People Get Ready!".

February 2 - The Parlotones' performance at the Kirstenbosch Gardens (South Africa) for the Old Mutual Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts is reviewed by Justin Hartman, MD and co-founder of Afrigator - Africa's largest social media aggregator and blog directory.

February 2 - Oorbijter says Bang Bang Eche is "indie dance punk no bullshit band from New Zealand (that) is ready to sign a record contract." They even say it in Dutch!

February 2 - Sonic Dice announces the release of The Parlotones' new single 'Overexposed' and their unique 'Artist Exchange' touring program with Starsailor.

February 1 - Wrexham. North Wales. Neither have much to boast musically. With the notable exception of The Joy Formidable, the music coming out of North Wales recently has, well, not come out. However, there's always one person determined to prove us all wrong, don't write off the scene just yet, because Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle are not just breaking out of Wales, they're breaking out of the UK altogether. Read more...

February 1 - The San Diego Troubador mentions We Should Be Dead in Steve Thorn's International Pop Overthrow Adds San Diego to its Musical Itinerary.

February 1 - "Slightly more then five years after going professional, The Parlotones are today one of the biggest selling bands in South Africa. Miriam Mannak has photos from a Cape Town show on Demotix to illustrate the point.

January 2009

January 29 - Bang Bang Eche are the Artist of the Week on Passport Approved by Sat Bisla.

January 29 - Kate Kiefer from Paste magazine lists Tokyo Sex Destruction as one of her Ten Most Inappropriate SXSW Band Names. "These may be the ten most amazing bands of 2009, but I'll never know... I've provided convenient links to the bands I wasn't too embarrassed to Google." Read more...

January 15 - Jason Lipshutz identifies Hypernova as an unsigned artists with the potential to break into the big time on Billboard Underground.

January 8 - Michael Barnes did a great profile of Dave and Dart Music International for the Austin 360 and the Austin American Statesman.

January 8 - Pitchfork doesn't always get it right. In their "gut reactions" to the first round of SXSW bands they say, "Most Awesomely Emo Band Name: Ireland's We Should Be Dead." There's nothing emo about this foursome.