Prince loomed over South By Southwest Music–first as a rumor, then as a confirmed booking that sent fans scurrying around Austin for a ticket giveaway, and finally as a smooth force whose nearly three-hour performance ended at 3 a.m. He led his 22-piece New Power Generation band through a dizzying run of classics, obscurities and covers.

He followed an emphatic set by A Tribe Called Quest, whose four members were tight despite rapper Q-Tip’s quip that they got hired for the show “at the last minute.” Later, pausing among songs like “Can I Kick It” and “Bonita Applebum,” when he sensed the crowd wasn’t reciprocating Tribe’s energy, he cracked, “maybe we should break up again for the third time.” Read more

Buzz Track: Those Times Are Gone

Fallen Riviera were formed by members attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston. They hit the studio with British record producer Ken Scott widely known for being one of the 5 main engineers for The Beatles. The track “Somebody Take Me” is now in rotation on terrestrial FM radio programs such as KWSS, KTHO, and KRHV and they released their full length on March 5th.
Contact: management@fallenriviera.com

Buzz Track: This

Singer-songwriter Mariah Grace, a newcomer on the scene, recently finished her EP and tracked her songs in Nashville with predominant producers and songwriters. For fans of Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Carrie Underwood. Check back for upcoming dates.
Contact: pinkglamour4@gmail.com

From Showbiz 411:

Rob Thomas–not the one from matchbox twenty– really wanted to make a movie of his long-cancelled TV series “Veronica Mars.” So he launched a Kickstarter campaign with Kristen Bell and other stars of the show that left the air 8 years ago.

Thomas writes on the Kickstarter site:  “Warner Bros. wasn’t convinced there was enough interest to warrant a major studio-sized movie about Veronica and the project never got off the ground. After that, I tried to tamp down expectations. I didn’t want to be guilty — at least not twice — of building up hope when the odds seemed so long. Still, without fail, in every interview I do or every place I speak, I get the “will there be a Veronica Mars movie?” question. Even after a couple of years of downplaying the chances, I’d still run across blog postings headlined, “will Rob Thomas shut up about the Veronica Mars movie, already!” I was trying to. I promise.”

As Bell says in the video below, if they get $2 mil, they’re on to shoot this summer. It’s great pr, a fun video, and it builds on viewer loyalty. So I guess by summer 2014 we will have “Veronica Mars: The Movie.” Why not?

As of this morning, they’ve raised $2.5 million– a record for an indie film on Kickstarter–and it keeps climbing.

Buzz Track: Want It All Tonight

News Update: Kings favorite Irene & The Sleepers just released a new EP and have been making a name for themselves across the south for their energetic live show. For fans of Tom Petty and Gaslight Anthem.
3/13 – Stellar Beans, Lake Charles, LA
3/14 – King’s Cue Stick, Port Arthur, TX
3/15 – Turtle Bayou Landing, Anahuac, TX
3/16 – Super Happy Fun Land, Houston, TX
3/18 – The Raven, San Antonio, TX
3/19 – Flipnotics, Austin, TX
3/20 – Head Hunters, Austin, TX
Contact:  imchrisrimmer@gmail.com