BBC - South by Southwest

THE TEXAS CHEQUEBOOK MASSACRE

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Every year, for four days in March, the world's music industry descends on the sleepy town of Austin, Texas. Over 1000 bands play in every bar, club and restaurant down the length of 6th Street, transforming the town into a sort of urban Glastonbury.

But why? Well, The Strokes were discovered here. And The White Stripes. And the Polyphonic Spree. And so it's no surprise that in 2004, an army of A&R men, record labels and press invaded Austin to discover the next big thing.

Presented by one of last year's big discoveries, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, 'The Texas Chequebook Massacre' takes an inside look at one of the biggest events in the music world's calendar.

Featuring Franz Ferdinand, The Thrills, Scissor Sisters, The Von Bondies, Junior Senior, The Cooper Temple Clause, Polyphonic Spree… and maybe what we'll all be listening to next in 2004.

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