i support sXe, not sxsw

This week marks the beginning of South by Southwest (SXSW), a bloated, Austin-based orgy of bands, music "journalists," labels, cheap booze, barbeque, overpriced hotels, overpriced everything. Many sites are covering SXSW so they can get the "inside" scoop on some of the bands that will probably be embroiled in some sort of bidding war in which the band will most likely end up on Island Def Jam (or some part of the Universal Music Group) and release a lackluster album that people will either eat up or shit on.

Like Sundance, SXSW used to be a cool little indie thing where smaller labels would showcase their bands. Recently major labels have been dipping their expensive dicks in the whole mess and it's become less about the music and more about getting signed, which I guess is the whole reason for being in a band.

Chasing Coolness is not covering SXSW -- save this lone post -- because I am not a burgeois writer. Admittedly, I don't have the money to shell out to go out to Texas where I'd pay $500 for an event pass, only to get kicked out of the shows I'd want to go to because they're at maximum capacity. Not to mention that I'd have a devil of a time trying to find somewhere to eat since I don't eat meat and Austin is the BBQ capital of the United States. If I had $500 to blow, I'd just get more tattoos. Or a new bass.

Therefore, I propose a Seattle-based music festival called sXefest, where we sit around my apartment and watch "Edge of Quarrel" and listen to Champion and Sinking Ships for 24 hours straight. Who's with me?