South By Southwest (SXSW)

MUSIC EXPORT FINLAND at SXSW 2004
Please find us at the joint Nordic stand at L3+L4

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference will once again display some of the dynamic and fruitful pickings of Finland’s harvest of talented artists. The Latebirds, fronted by the multi-talented singer-songwriter Markus Nordenstreng and the soulful songbird Erja Lyytinen will grace the SXSW stage this year.

THE LATEBIRDS
“One of the coolest bands on the planet!” - Wayne Kramer/MC5

The Latebirds, a unique combination of dark pop, moody ballads and hard-driven rockers, will be taking to the stage onThursday, March 18
at 10:00pm
at Lava Lounge Patio (405 East 7th St.)

The Latebirds’ two outstanding album releases so far are debut Fortune Cookies (1999), a dark pop album that shows the band in full form featuring guests like Marc Ribot (Tom Waits) and Ken Coomer (Wilco), and Latebird, a more exposed album focusing on lead man Markus Nordenstreng’s sensitive side (August 2003). Song-writing collaborations have included Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) and James Mastro (The Bongos).

Notable performances: CMJ 2000 music marathon (NYC), numerous gigs with the Jayhawks and A Camp, Nina Persson’s (The Cardigans) solo band and even arena shows with Bon Jovi. The Latebirds, winging their way around the world, have settled on occasions in NYC and LA, performing and writing songs with legends Ken Stringfellow (REM, Posies) and John Stirratt (Wilco/Autumn Defence).

ERJA LYYTINEN
“A classic!”. Rytmi

Erja Lyytinen will be performing at the SXSW trade fair event on Friday, March 19
at 12:00am
at Momo’s (618 West 6th St.)

Erja Lyytinen is an unparalleled guitarist who plays everything from dobro to slide guitar. Diversity is an integral part of her style. Drawing influences from all over the musical map - blues, jazz, pop and even country, her songs in English defy easy categorization. Erja’s second album Wildflower (Bluelight Records) was released in June 2003 and it has received exceptional responses from fans and critics alike. Erja has also supported Koko Taylor and Bonnie Raitt, both huge influences of hers.

“I like to invoke different moods in my songs. I’m also very lucky to have a great backing band that also contributes to my songs”.