Music
March 19, 2024
For Rap Duo Flyana Boss, Success Is Best Worn With Elf Ears
The viral sensation on best friendship, “fairycore” style, and when they’ll know they’ve truly made it.
SXSW
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1-50 of 165 Articles
Film & TV
March 18, 2024
The Duplass Brothers Want to Do for TV What They Did for Movies
With a wide-ranging television showcase at SXSW, Mark Duplass shared how he plans to bring the offbeat creative freedom of independent film to the small screen.
Music
March 15, 2024
This Year, There’s Also an “Anti-SXSW Fest”
Eighty-plus acts have dropped out of SXSW over the festival’s ties to the U.S. Army and defense contractors. Boycott organizers quickly stepped in to book a weekend’s worth of protest concerts.
Film & TV
March 15, 2024
How ‘Civil War’ Managed to Thread an Impossible Needle
Alex Garland’s film, which premiered in Austin during SXSW, accomplishes something few movies have.
Music
March 15, 2024
Has SXSW Lost Its Cool?
Many bands are boycotting, more of the brands are square, and attitudes have soured toward big tech. Where is the festival going?
Music
March 14, 2024
The New Billy Preston Documentary Will Take You to Church—When It Sticks to Music
The film on the Houston piano prodigy and so-called “fifth Beatle” honors Preston’s career but strays when it depicts his personal life.
Film & TV
March 13, 2024
Border Pundits Need to Watch ‘The In Between’
The Eagle Pass–set documentary is a thoughtful meditation on nostalgia, grief, and what life really looks like on the border.
Film & TV
March 13, 2024
A New Film Says Goodbye to an Austin Legend and the Austin of Legends
‘Faders Up: The John Aielli Experience’ pays homage to the longtime KUT radio host and the city that embraced him.
Film & TV
March 12, 2024
A Rennie’s Guide to HBO’s Texas Renaissance Festival Documentary
‘Ren Faire,’ a three-part “docu-fantasia,” is ‘Succession’ meets Dungeons and Dragons.
Film & TV
March 11, 2024
Is It Still ‘Road House’ If the Plot Makes Sense?
Amazon’s remake, which premiered at SXSW, swaps Patrick Swayze’s soulfulness for a more coherent script—but is that a good thing?
Style & Design
March 24, 2023
Fifty, Flirty, and Attending All the SXSW Panels About Aging I Could Find
After decades of visiting the fest, I set out to create an “age-appropriate” schedule packed with talks on menopause and death.
Politics & Policy
March 16, 2023
What Is the CIA Doing at SXSW?
Recruiting, mostly. But also trying to see New Order.
Film & TV
March 15, 2023
Eva Longoria Is a Flamin’ Hot Movie Director
The Corpus Christi native’s directorial debut is a self-assured, joyful ode to inclusivity and snack foods.
Style & Design
February 27, 2023
A Fashion Lover’s Guide to SXSW 2023
From 3D knitting to clean beauty, these panel discussions, keynote speeches, and day-long activations address current topics for the fashion-conscious.
Music
March 22, 2022
SXSW 2022 Felt Like SXSW, and That’s Impressive
The festival was smaller and less overwhelming than in times past, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing—or a sign of things to come.
Film & TV
March 22, 2022
Four New Movies Texans Won’t Want to Miss
The Lone Star State was well represented at this year’s SXSW, and these films feature settings, accents, and subject matter to remind you of home.
Film & TV
March 14, 2022
Richard Linkater’s ‘Apollo 10½’ Continues a Winning Streak From America’s Most Successful Experimental Filmmaker
The light-on-plot, heavy-on-nostalgia animated feature is Linklater at his Linklaterest.
Film & TV
March 14, 2022
‘The Lost City’ Is an A-List Blockbuster From a Bygone Era
The joyful Sandra Bullock flick, chockablock with Hollywood’s finest, will lend itself to repeat viewings for many years to come.
Music
March 10, 2022
Live Music Is Back at SXSW. Don’t Miss These Texas Artists.
Four sibling punk rockers, Houston’s greatest soul band, and three more acts you need to catch at SXSW 2022.
News & Politics
March 8, 2022
You Won’t Escape SXSW 2022 Without Knowing About Crypto
Read our guide and avoid getting talked at by a crypto bro, at SXSW or anywhere else.
Food & Drink
March 7, 2022
New and Noteworthy Spots to Dine in Austin During SXSW 2022
After two years, the festival makes its glorious return to the Capital City, and the dining scene is a little different but no less enticing.
Music
April 13, 2021
Veterans and Upstarts Alike Are Optimistic That Austin Hip-hop Will Finally Get Its Due—Even During a Pandemic
Those who have long worked in the shadow of creative epicenters like Houston and Dallas believe Austin rap’s moment to shine is approaching.
Film & TV
March 24, 2021
A New Genre of Film Is Already Here: COVID Movies
The first COVID films are poised to address a pandemic that isn't through with us yet. Here's why these early, imperfect takes on the past year are still worth watching.
Film & TV
March 19, 2021
‘Language Lessons’ Nails the Art of Zoom-Era Filmmaking
In this feature-length series of video calls, Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass manage to create a relationship with lightness and heart.
Film & TV
March 19, 2021
Liz Lambert’s Documentary on the San José Motel Offers a Glimpse at South Congress Before Gentrification
Before she revamped one of Austin’s seediest motels, kicking off the neighborhood’s transformation, Lambert spent three years running the place—and filming her interactions with customers.
Film & TV
March 11, 2021
How SXSW Transformed a 280,000-Person Festival Into a Virtual Extravaganza
With no long lines, no traffic, and no parties, South by Southwest is going to look a lot this different this year. Here’s how organizers pulled it off.
Music
January 15, 2021
Willie Nelson Finally Shows Up for His SXSW Keynote, Thirty Years Later
Plus: Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Love and Hip-Hop’ audition is eerily prophetic, Nick Jonas stars in ‘Jersey Boys,’ and Selena Gomez drops a new Spanish single.
Film & TV
June 24, 2020
Richard Linklater, the Everyday Auteur
For decades, the Texas director’s movies have celebrated the sort of mundane yet consequential interactions that the coronavirus took from us. He’s still at it, albeit temporarily cut off from the film community he helped build.
Film & TV
April 24, 2020
Beyoncé Is Taking on the Coronavirus
Plus, more charity from Post Malone and the ‘Dallas’ cast, Travis Scott in concert on ‘Fortnite,’ and McConaughey’s mom needs wine.
Film & TV
April 17, 2020
Hollywood, Texas: ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ to Spend Another Season in Fake Texas
Plus, the ‘Cheer’ team choreographs a Zoom routine, Myst heads to TV, and Matthew McConaughey debuts “Bobby Bandito.”
Music
April 4, 2020
Fifteen Years On, the Tastemaking Dallas-Based Music Blog Gorilla vs. Bear Continues Championing Artists
The scrappy blog is one of the few remaining websites of its kind.
Film & TV
March 27, 2020
Hollywood, Texas: The Squad From Netflix’s ‘Cheer’ Ends Season Because of the Coronavirus
Plus, ‘Supernatural' wraps for “a while,” SXSW announces film awards, and another Matthew McConaughey pep talk.
Music
March 20, 2020
Following Widespread Show Cancellations, Musicians and Programmers Across Texas Take Action
Smaller March festivals in places like Denton and McAllen were meant to raise funds for asylum seekers at the border and bolster local music communities.
Film & TV
March 20, 2020
Hollywood, Texas: Matthew McConaughey Has Your Coronavirus Pep Talk
Plus, scores of Texan films and TV shows shut down over virus fears, while SXSW and Jamie Foxx gamely soldier on.
The National Podcast of Texas
March 10, 2020
Podcast: Mayor Steve Adler on SXSW and the ‘Inevitability’ of COVID-19 in Austin
On the National Podcast of Texas, Adler Insists that although SXSW is canceled, Austin is open for business.
News
March 10, 2020
Austin Mayor Steve Adler: Why I Canceled SXSW
A Q&A on the public health decision that sent Austin reeling.
Music
March 6, 2020
SXSW 2020 Is Officially Canceled
The writing had been on the wall, and now it’s official.
Music
March 6, 2020
Hollywood, Texas: Megan Thee Stallion’s New Album Finally Drops Today
Plus, Tony Romo gets a much-deserved raise, William Jackson Harper gets his first movie lead, and more.
Music
March 5, 2020
Amid Increasing Coronavirus Concerns, How Could SXSW Potentially Play Out?
Analyzing how the festival might handle the growing public health concern.
Music
March 3, 2020
What It Would Mean to Cancel SXSW
Suspending the festival amid coronavirus fears would be The Big One for Austin’s economy.
Film & TV
February 11, 2020
‘The Nowhere Inn’ Is a Meta Look at St. Vincent and Carrie Brownstein’s Friendship
The musician BFFs are bringing their movie about the making of a movie about musician BFFs to SXSW.
Music
February 7, 2020
Join Us at SXSW for Texas Music: The Untold Stories
On March 17, we're taking over the Moody Theater for a night of storytelling from some of your favorite Texas artists.
Film & TV
February 5, 2020
The Documentary ‘Boys State’ Delivers a Dose of Political Hope to Our Divisive Age
The Sundance Film Festival award winner follows teenagers from across Texas as they convene in Austin for an immersive lesson in government.
Film & TV
March 22, 2019
‘Becoming Leslie’ Pays Homage to Austin’s Beloved—and Complicated—Leslie Cochran
The film, which premiered at SXSW, shares a nuanced perspective of the man behind the leopard-print thong.
Business
March 20, 2019
The Rest of the World Wants a Piece of the SXSW Action
Cities, countries, and regions capitalized on Austin’s premier international event to seek tourism and economic development dollars.
Music
March 15, 2019
Khalid Said Goodbye to his ‘American Teen’ Days at SXSW on Thursday
With just three weeks until his new album, ’Free Spirit,’ the singer from the city of the 915 played the songs that made him a star one last time.
Film & TV
March 14, 2019
“Who Let the Dogs Out?” Apparently Austin’s Reagan High School Is to Thank (or Blame) for the Baha Men Hit
A SXSW premiere documentary explores the song’s strangely complex origin story and comes to a surprising conclusion.
Film & TV
March 11, 2019
Is Lupita Nyong’o SXSW’s New Queen of Horror?
Few actors start their careers as Lupita Nyong’o did. Her very first feature film role, in Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave, earned her an Academy Award. From there, as one of the most sought-after young stars in Hollywood, she managed her decisions very carefully. She focused on voice acting—a recurring role
Business
March 8, 2019
At SXSW, HBO and Amazon Go Over-the-Top on “Immersive Experiences”
The entertainment giants are going all out— think a ’Game of Thrones’ renaissance faire, angel/devil cosplay, and puppies. And manicures.
Film & TV
March 7, 2019
SXSW Award Winner ‘Short Term 12’ Has Become This Generation’s ‘Dazed and Confused’
The micro-budget feature launched a number of A-list careers.