Why Mess With Texas?

Twenty-two years after its humble beginnings, the South by Southwest conference is the music industry's premier schmoozefest. But labels, bands and fans alike are tangled up in retail woes and soul-searching over the future of music. We hear what SXSW has to offer guitarist Peter Buck of R.E.M., a group that is debuting its new album at the festival. We get three different takes on the value of SXSW from Will Sheff, singer and songwriter from Austin band Okkervil River (pictured at right), Amy Phillips, news editor of the online news site Pitchfork and John Kunz, president of Austin's Waterloo Records and Video.