PSFK Author:
TreyShelton

The main story of this year’s SXSW was the changing dynamic of power and cultural relevancy. It used to be that big companies or record labels were revered, but this year all bowed down to the online pundits. Niche bloggers, such as Perez Hilton, Scoble, Stereogum, and the like, whom appeal to a fragmented section of society now determine the fate of what’s next and have taken control of SXSW.

While these bloggers are relevant in their perceived world, even LA mega blogger Perez Hilton was not even known by the locals of Austin coordinating his very own party.

Most of these bloggers never did anything before their blog… a few mid level jobs perhaps but no major accomplishments. This is a pattern that seems to follow every major blogger. While no past accounts for major accomplishments, suddenly they stand up and make their voice heard saying controversial statements most of their peers are scared to say.

During the SXSW Interactive conference, I was discussing the rise of blog fame over a few beers with a fellow tech entrepreneur. He accounted their fame to one thing… “Everyone these days is looking for a leader.” While the next guy checks his blackberry to see what someone else is saying, these guy start writing about what they feel. They stand up and make their voice heard.

Today’s information ingestion versus expression was first brought to my attention by SXSW panelist Henry Jenkins, Co-Dir of CMS at MIT. Henry talked about how he always tells his children to monitor the amount of information they take in versus the amount they put out. This concept flipped my mind but instantly made perfect sense. We’re a culture of information overload and if we don’t turn around and put out information then we can quickly lose our ability to process information.

Bloggers such as Perez, Scoble, Lefsetz, Pitchfork, etc. have the ability to quickly process information. Sharing these thoughts has made them wealth, influence, and notoriety. Whether people agree with those opinions is one thing. Whether other people will equally stand up to make their own voices heard is another. Either way SXSW has shown that corporate/major label power has been supplanted by the new media.

SXSW

The Smashing Pumpkins just revealed that they will be abandoning the album format in favor of a less formal 3-4 song EP approach. “Anyone under the age of 24 just buys songs,” Corgan explained. “It’s just in our best interest to release blocks of songs.”

This format makes sense as singles have far replaced albums in digital sales. Why should an artist invest so much energy in a 10-15 song album on which they will be judged for the next 1-2 years? As album production costs have reduced substantially, artists could now start releasing new EPs every three to six months constantly feeding fans bite-sized doses of new material. An artist could even take bigger chances with new musicals directions since fans know they will have new material coming out a few months later.

Sales wise this could make even more sense. Fans could be more willing to pay $1-$2 for an EP versus $9 for an album. A subscription model could also work where fans can sign up for an entire year’s worth of releases as part of an overall fan club. Brands could come on to sponsor the EP with the songs in the brand’s commercials and the mp3’s only available at a special brand micro-site.

Concept albums are great if you are a band that can create a cohesive 45 minutes of music, but with an increasingly distracted audience would your fans ever be able to fully sit still to listen to it?

A new drink is rising up in the bars of LA, Tequila Espresso. Served over ice and in a rocks glass, it’s an interesting alternative for anyone looking for the simultaneous caffeine and alcohol buzz. As for the origins of the drink, the farthest back we can trace it is to a rather mischievous bartender at the Chateau Marmont, where many a great thing has begun and ended.

Directions are simple: Pour your choice of tequila over ice, pull a fresh espresso, and pour the espresso into the glass.

The drink often creates a polarizing love/hate reaction depending on your passion for the ingredients. Word of caution: drinking more than 2 of these is probably not great idea if you plan on getting any sleep that evening. Also, apparently Patron has even come out with an espresso flavored Tequila as well.