Australia, South Korea, Puerto Rico, UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Turkey, Norway, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, ...

That is just a partial list of countries represented in Austin tonight on the first night of the SXSW music festival!  It wasn't very many years ago when you could manage to see all the visiting international bands at the festival over the course of four days.  This year it has exploded!  With more than 500 performances by artists from all over the world, this is like a United Nations of music!  

Arts & Crafts showcase Wednesday

There are some very exciting labels and international showcases this year that festival goers should definitely hit!  

The Arts & Crafts showcase will feature some amazing bands from Mexico and Canada.  It will be great to see Mexico's Rey Pila (who has played previously with DMI) and Native American sensation A Tribe Called Red.  

There are also several great showcases for bands from Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, and the UK.  The British Music Embassy and Japan Nite are perennial favorites.  

Beyond the official festival, there are a metric ton of other showcases happening around Austin that feature great international bands.  

On Friday, DMI's own Dave Dart is curating the Guero's International Showcase down at the beautiful

Guero's International Showcase Friday

Guero's Oak Garden on South Congress Avenue.  This is a free, all-ages public event featuring 9 performances by bands from 8 countries!  It will also be attended by representatives of Global Austin, who will have information about the organization and how to get involved in making Austin one of the truly special international cities in the world.

02:00PM IDIOTAPE (South Korea) - Indie/Electronic - http://www.idiotape.com/
02:45PM DeltaFoxx (Brazil) - Vintage Electronic Magic - 
http://www.facebook.com/DeltaFoxx
03:30PM Ice Cream Cathedral(Denmark) - Space Pop - https://soundcloud.com/icecreamcathedral
04:15PM The Great Wilderness (Costa Rica) - Dream Rock - http://www.thegreatwilderness.net/
05:00PM Glitches (England) - Indie Pop - http://www.glitchesmusic.com/
05:45PM The Launderettes (Norway) - Fuzz, Farfisa, Fjords, and Frenzy - http://www.facebook.com/launderettes
06:30PM The Parlotones (South Africa) - Alternative Rock - http://www.theparlotones.net/
07:15PM PuraPharm (Texas) - Psychedelic / Space Rock - http://www.reverbnation.com/purapharm
08:00PM The Foreign Resort (Denmark) - New Wave / Indie - https://soundcloud.com/theforeignresort

What a great week!

NEW: Consulting Services for International Artists

DMI is now offering inexpensive consulting services to help international artists understand the confusing process and decide whether this is the right time to invest in a tour of the U.S.A. With Rockin' In The USA international artists save valuable time and money, and have the tools they need to plan a tour within their budget.

Rockin' In The USA is a 27-page PDF guide that addresses the major issues international touring artists face:

• Planning Your US Tour (timelines, geography, setting realistic goals)
• Work Visa (who needs a work visa, visa types, risks vs. benefits, tools for creating a strong visa application)
• Logistics (transportation, housing, per diem expenses)
• Tour Issues (booking, festivals, performance agreements, publicity, promotion, merchandise, backline and rental gear, taxes and accounting)
• Interactive Budget (customizable planning budget)
• References & Resources (DMI services, further reading)

Skype Consulting is also available to discuss your individual situation. We can set up a convenient time to talk one-on-one about your unique needs in real time. For a special price you can download the Rockin' In The USA Guide and schedule a Skype Consultation.

See our Consulting Services webpage for pricing and more information.

The Halfbreed Lovers & Mattox winter tour dates for December:

How about some Australian music for Christmas?



The video above was shot at one of our Voodoo Cowboy Session parties in 2011 by our friend Marty.  The McMenamins actually broke our long drought that night when their song Umbrella Town made it rain.

The McMenamins are an Independent Acoustic Folk / Roots /Alt Country Brother & Sister duo from Far North Queensland, Australia.  They are funding a new album through crowdsourcing site Pozible with support from people like us.  The plan is to go into a fantastic studio in January and have the new album out in time for Australian and U.S. tours in the summer and fall of 2013.

Pledge as little as $1 at http://www.pozible.com/themacs and help support this exciting new album.  And for as little as $15 you can get a copy of the new CD as a belated Christmas present!  Hurry, the pledge drive ends December 15.

You can even try it before you buy it, so to speak!  One of the tracks for the new album, "My Way Home", was debuted at this year's Queensland Music Awards.

Visit them on the web at www.themacswebsite.com and listen to their music on SonicBids or iTunes.

Your pledge could get you a private party, a candlelit dinner, a skype concert, signed albums, and more!


"Rock-solid folk debut" - Rolling Stone Magazine

"Fleur possesses a pristine voice... stretching from sotto voce lullaby lilt to animated cowgirl... Long Time Gone merits a place in the record store racks alongside albums by acts such as The Greencards and Nickel Creek..." - The Australian

GinaChavez Halloween Concert & Fundraiser | Dart Music International

Austin Latin-folk songstress Gina Chavez is on a quest for her second studio album and needs your help! Grab a costume and join us for a Halloween Happy Hour to raise funds for Gina's new album and for Dart Music International!

Date: Friday, October 26 | 6:00-9:00 pm

Location:  Mark McCrimmon's Office,  704 W. 9th St., Austin TX 78701

Live Music by Gina Chavez & full band

Complimentary beverages provided by Austin Beerworks and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Free Jim-Jim's Water Ice to the first 50 people!

Check out the great video and donor awards on Kickstarter:  GinaChavez and the Quest for Her Second Studio Album

Dart Music International:  dartmusicinternational.org

Gina Chavez:  www.ginachavez.com

HEAR THERE. EVERYWHERE.

September/October 2012

Read the Dart Dispatch on the Web Not in Today's Economy Yep we've all heard the phrase "not in today's economy" more than enough lately. But the simple truth is that the general economy in the United States and around the world is exceptionally tight now and for the foreseeable future. In times like these it is natural to pull back on expenses. It is an understandable reaction to uncertainty. Music and cultural arts are usually among the first things to be cut out of the ledger, whether it's our personal budgets or national spending priorities. But I urge you to remember the importance of the arts in our daily lives and the lives of future generations. When President Lyndon Johnson signed the National Endowment on the Arts into existence he noted, "Art is a nation's most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish." Groundbreaking events like the Austin Icon Awards, Dart Music International House, and free community events happen because of your participation. We have been able to reach thousands of people from all over the world using music to promote international relations through interpersonal interactions. Please commit today to support DMI. Your one-time gift or a small recurring donation will help us keep the lights on and continue to be a champion for international cultural education through music. You have the power to keep the arts alive in your community by supporting organizations like DMI, shopping at your local independently owned record store, going out to see live performances, or making your own art. In these tough times - especially in these tough times - your support is vital. - DD

ARTISTS

Artist of the Month: Tammurriatarock They’ve been compared to bands like Gogol Bordello and Manu Chao, and their style is referred to as Italian world-music, gypsy-folk-rock, and even “rock-folk-swing.” Enrico Capuano is the band’s founder and is known in some circles as the “Bob Dylan of Italian folk-rock.” He and singer Dunia Molina of Tammurriatarock spoke with us from Rome on the eve of their 2nd US tour. “Our style is Rock Italiano,” say Enrico and Dunia. “Italian rock is very different from American rock. We try to keep the Italian roots and mix the traditional music with rock sounds and reggae. The base of our music is Tarantello. It's from South Italy - like American country music. It's like when you try to mix rock music with country music. It's underground music. We mix these kind of sounds with progressive music and old school music of the 70's.” Check out the full interview and more on the DMI website. Listen: Traccia from the album Tammurriata Rock

============================ Artist of the Month: The Foreign Resort I got to talk with Mikkel and Morten from The Foreign Resort to talk about their ambitious touring schedule and how important it is to team up with bands from the countries you are visiting. We got to feature them at the2010 Dart Music International House, where they blew the roof off the place. Check out the video for "Take A Walk" and tell me they're not great. TFR have been working on a new album over the summer (with new bass player Patrick Ryming and long-time guitarist Henrik Fischlein) and are now heading out on a globe-trotting world tour. Between the Iceland Airwaves festival, touring Denmark with LA band Nightmare Air, and coming back to the States in October for several festivals and club dates - it's a pretty busy fall 2012. Check out the full interview and more on the DMI website. Listen: Delayed from the album Scattered & Buried

============================ What We're Listening To: Music from around the world that is dominating our play list this month. Click on the link to listen and purchase. Sauti Sol (Kenya) - "Love or Leave" ------- The Valery Trails (Australia) - "Ghosts And Gravity" ------- Nive Nielsen & the Deer Children (Greenland) - "Good For You" ------- Astro (Chile) - "Colombo" ------- Kabul Dreams (Afghanistan) - "Don't Try to Freeze My Mind" ------- Tokyo Sex Destruction (Spain) - "It Was '69" ------- Steven Brian (Hawaii) - "Going Home With You" ------- Residual Kid (Austin) - "Friend" Suggest music for the Dart Dispatch.

============================ Travel Tip: As a musician heading to an overseas festival or tour, there are some unique concerns posed by international traveler that don't usually come up when playing at home. Most of your backline will have to be rented or borrowed locally, so make sure you have arrangements for amplifiers, drumkits, and other gear that you can't bring with you. Bands coming to the US, for example, normally bring guitars, effects pedals, computers, drum breakables (snare, cymbals, pedals), and electric keyboards. Be sure that you have power transformers if necessary for keyboards or electronic gear that require them.

PARTNERS Partner of the Month: Disc Nation The team at Disc Nation have been huge supporters of Dart Music International. The photo to the right is a special edition mini marker disc they created for us. Disc Nation is the world's largest online retailer of disc golf equipment and active supporter of great community organizations like the Beyond the Lights Celebrity Disc Golf Classic. Disc Golf is played much like traditional golf. Players use flying discs and play holes that start with a tee area and end with a Disc Golf Basket or Target. The object: complete the hole by putting your golf disc in the basket in the fewest number of throws. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and is governed by the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA). There are over 3,800 courses worldwide with over 3,200 in the U.S. EVENTS Upcoming Events September 23- October 22: Tammurriatarock US/Canada Tour September 27-29: The Foreign Resort European Tour September 28- October 23: Jackie Bristow Arizona/Texas Tour October 4-19: The Foreign Resort US Tour October 26 - Backyard party and Kickstarter fundraiser with Gina Chavez - 6:00pm at Mark McCrimmon's Law Office, 704 West 9th Street - 6:00 to 9:00pm October 31: The Foreign Resort at Iceland Airwaves Let us know about your upcoming event, or suggest an idea for a DMI event. PARTICIPATE Come join the Dart Music International team! Check in on our Contact Page to volunteer and find us on social media everywhere. Check out the various ways you can help support DMI through monthly contributions, donations, and online initiatives. Please Forward the Dart Dispatch to a friend and share it with your social media friends: Like the Dart Dispatch? Hate it? Please use this link to subscribe to or leave the mailing list. THE LAST WORD HAAM's 7th Annual HAAM Benefit Day will be held on Tuesday, October 2, 2012. HAAM Benefit Day, presented by Whole Foods Market, is a uniquely Austin event where businesses donate 5% of the day's proceeds to HAAM to support musicians' health. Musicians, most of whom are HAAM members, perform throughout the day at retail stores, outside stages, City Hall and more. The event runs from 6am to well past midnight and community members are invited to shop, eat out, listen to great live music and enjoy! Dart Music International 711 San Antonio St. Austin, Texas, USA dartmusicinternational.org

Halfbreed Lovers Song Featured on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

The lovers crew have been busy moving on up to the east side this month with songs featured on the CFDA 2012 Fashion Awards, Maxim.com, PGA Golf Tour, and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.