This, it seems to me, is huge news. SxSW is an invitation only gig - bands apply for a placement and get selected by a panel. Perhaps this is the beginning of an increased realisation of the boundless goodness of music from NZ amongst the guitar-based music cogniscenti in the USA? What do you US-based people think?

Hopefully New Zealand wont be pillaged while foreign territories are conquered.

Oppps ... ! What I meant to say was that the good news is that these additions to the SxSW bill are all a direct result of The World Series in Auckland in November. Before The World Series, only The Datsuns and The D4 were on the bill. After The World Series, six more NZ bands were invited to play SxSw - all of them acts that played The World Series - PanAm, goodshirt, Damien Binder, 8 Foot Sativa, Evermore and betchadupa. More NZ bands at SxSW this year than Australian bands? That's got to be good.

I do think that NZ rock has a growing respect amongst the some of the minor powers that be in the US music world. I find that Shihad/Pacifier has a pretty universal respect/familiarity with anyone who knows much about rock here, and clearly the Datsuns and the D4 are now on the radar screens here (a nice little piece about an upcoming D4 gig in the local Boston rag this week).

It was probably likely that the SxSW selectors were pretty impressed with the NZ contingent last year (Datsuns/D4/Neil Finn) such that they were prepared to let a few more in this year. However, I think that the new NZ additions may find that at SxSW they play at venues not much bigger than Temple/Dux/Old Bodega. So, in itself, while its nice to be picked, they gotta get on the road and play gigs and push their albums.

And of course, come to Boston!