The Features start their onslaught on SXSW tonight at 7:30pm for a KEXP live performance. From there, they play a number of showcases – both free day shows and official night showcases. I’m told that throughout this Austin trek there will be fullsize cutouts of the band placed in various locations with updates placed on WhereAreTheFeatures.com. Only time will tell if this plan is enacted upon but it’s worth a peek or two for the next few days to find out.

Apparently Twitter is absolutely everywhere these days. It took a few years for it to catch on but it’s almost impossible to consume any amount of media (radio, TV, internet) without encountering a Twitter feed of some sort. You can lay your own judgements on the technology (I happen to think it’s beneficial) but it’s undeniable, people are posting their 140 character updates like crazy – including loads of bands / businesses around Nashville. Here’s what I’ve drummed up and I’m sure there are more on the way:

• We Own This Town – our own feed of updates
• Mercy Lounge – ticket sales and show reminders
• Battletapes – various updates from the studio
• Nashville Scene – promotions and updates
• Glenn Coolfer – supplements to coolfer.com
• Parachute Musical – band updates
• The Features – band updates; specifically SXSW related
• Hurts to Laugh – band updates from the road
• Steve Cross – various updates from the mind of Nashville’s hardest working rock photographer
• The Clutters – just now jumping on the bandwagon
• MixTapesRadio – updates from one of nashville’s finest WRVU shows
• Monkey Ink Design – local screenprinters and artists
• Drew Mischke – Mr. Mercy Lounge himself
• Tony Youngblood – musing from the man behind the forthcoming Havoc EP
• American Songwriter – the magazine gone digital
• Aaron Hartley – the man behind Theory 8
• The Privates – various band updates
• Dave Paulson – musings from The Privates frontman

And I’m guessing that’s about 2% of relevant users for the Nashville area. Anyone you suggest that must be followed?

How I Became the Bomb have released the third installment of their ongoing free digital EP series. Volume III, They Can What It Seems They Cannot, is now available for free download on their site in exchange for a valid email address. This trio of songs seems a bit more focused on the forelorn / maligned love songs than the previous endeavors but they keep that funkiness you suspect.

Though still working on playing out live (April 5th- The Basement is their debut), the new band Short Ropes have posted a number of demos recorded by Andy Willhite (Carter Administration, Hands Down Eugene, etc) on their myspace. The band is comprised of Mike and Sarah Lee Shepard, Currey Muse and Rachel Valosik – names that should ring a bell if Nashville truly is as small as everyone claims.