Navigate NXNW Intro ABOUT LAST NIGHT Schedule by Club Reviews of the Acts: Thursday Friday Saturday A-to-Z List of Acts Club Descriptions Conference Info Critics' Picks The Winners! Preview: Seattle's Sweet Mother record label zaps electronic music with an organic touch Preview: Dave Bazan keeps Pedro the Lion running after his bandmates split. Preview: L.A. DJ the Angel spins her way out of the conception that women can't bring the beats

The Conference literary events | panel schedule Hey, tough guy. Is three nights of music not enough for you? Well, there's more to North by Northwest than a bunch of bands playing their hearts out on the stages of Portland's clubs. For those who can roll out of bed while the sun's still high in the sky, a plethora of panels and other diversions await at the Hilton Hotel (921 SW 6th Ave.), providing insight and information to musicians, industry personnel and avid fans. If you can't stand going a few hours without live music, singer-songwriters will perform throughout the day on the Daytage--sponsored by Spin and Bacardi--inside the trade show. Panel discussions begin Thursday afternoon and continue through Saturday. This year, the trade show--with booths featuring record labels and other music-related companies--opens Thursday afternoon and runs through Saturday. Daytime events at the hotel are open only to NXNW registrants. The walk-up registration fee (payable at the Hilton) is $195. The panels are geared toward various aspects of performing, managing, writing about and contemplating music, with a host of local and out-of-town experts sitting in on the discussions. Indie label owners and booking agents like Satyricon's Ben Munat and Thrasher Presents' Mikey Thrasher will discuss the process of scoring a gig at "Can Club Dates Lead to Meaningful Relationships?" (12:45 pm Thursday). A&R representatives from A&M, Sub Pop, Sire, Arista, Hollywood and Atlantic debate the formula for attaining high record sales at "Why Certain Records Succeed" (4:15 pm Thursday). An elite group of West Coast managers wrangle with the question "What Do Managers Manage?" (11 am Saturday). Reprise Records president Howie Klein oversees an artists' discussion with Richard Buckner, Johnny Dowd and Ian Moore in "When Your Dream Becomes Your Job" (12:45 pm Friday). The media panels feature writers and editors from publications such as CMJ New Music Monthly, allstar, The Stranger, Sidewalk, Seattle Weekly and Willamette Week. They tackle topics about print and online music coverage in panels like "Publicists and Press: Stuck in the Spin Cycle?" (12:45 Thursday); "The Revolution Will Not Be Downloaded" (2:15 pm Thursday); "Bringing It All Back Home: Dilemmas of Regional Coverage" (12:45 Friday); and "Online Music Reporting: Does All the News Fit?" (11 am Saturday). This year's conference features potentially incendiary topics of a more philosophical nature, as well, with some big-name panelists. Former Nirvana bassist-turned-political activist Krist Novoselic sits in on the discussion "Can Music Make You Murder?" (2:15 pm Thursday), and noted rock author Dave Marsh moderates a debate about the enigmatic Northwest anthem in "The Real Story of 'Louie Louie'" (4 pm Friday). Besides the panels, the daytime program includes mentor sessions where registrants can sign up for a 10-minute one-on-one consultation with music-industry movers and shakers. Demo-listening sessions provide musicians with frank critiques from A&R reps, journalists, label owners and managers. Labels, publications and organizations participating in the trade show include Cavity Search, Tim/Kerr, LA Weekly, N.A.I.L. Distribution, NARAS and more. Restricted to NXNW badge holders, the NXNW Trade Show is open from 3 pm to 6 pm Thursday and noon to 6 pm Friday and Saturday. literary events Give your ringing ears a break and settle in for some audio literature. NXNW Music Festival and Media Conference-goers (and the general public) can attend these free events at local booksellers Powell's and Borders. Powell's and North by Northwest present: NXNW Portland Lights Reading Powell's Books, 1005 W Burnside St., 228-4651. 4:30 pm Saturday, Aug. 22. Four poets from the Portland Lights anthology--Janice Gould, Kate Gray, Vern Rutsala and Peter Sears--read, with editors Barbara La Morticella and Steven Nemirow also on hand. Borders welcomes North by Northwest artists: Penny Arcade, Marcel K. Troubadour, David Vanadia Borders Books and Music, 708 SW 3rd Ave., 220-5911. 7 pm Thursday, Aug. 20. This evening of spoken word features Penny Arcade, an artist who got her start as a member of Andy Warhol's Factory; Marcel K. Troubadour, a poet active on Boston stages; and New Jersey bass player and storyteller David Vanadia. Borders has also scheduled readings and performances by: Roni Sarig 7:30 pm Friday, Aug. 21. Incisive rock critic Roni Sarig has written for publications such as The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Spin and Willamette Week. He reads from his brand new book, The Secret History of Rock: The Most Influential Bands You've Never Heard. Lea Krueger, Bryan Kelley, McKinley, Warren Pash, Richard Buckner Noon-6 pm Saturday, Aug. 22. A full day of singer-songwriter action from NXNW artists.

panel schedule

THURSDAY, AUG. 20 "Can Club Dates Lead to Meaningful Relationships?" Grand Ballroom, 12:45 pm "Publicists and Press: Stuck in the Spin Cycle?" North Galleria, 12:45 pm Mentor Sessions 2-4 pm "The Revolution Will Not Be Downloaded" Grand Ballroom, 2:15 pm "Can Music Make You Murder?" North Galleria, 2:15 pm "A&R: Why Certain Records Succeed" Grand Ballroom, 4:15 pm

FRIDAY, AUG. 21 Mentor Sessions 11 am-5 pm "Know Your Rights" North Galleria, 11 am "Artists: When your Dream Becomes your Job" Grand Ballroom, 12:45 pm "Bringing It All Back Home: Dilemmas of Regional Coverage" North Galleria, 12:45 pm "How Publishers Help" Grand Ballroom, 2:30 pm "Promoting Your Band: How to Publicize, Not Antagonize" North Galleria, 2:30 pm "The Real Story of 'Louie Louie'" Grand Ballroom, 4 pm "Demo Listening No. 1" North Galleria, 4 pm

SATURDAY, AUG. 22 "What Do Managers Manage?" Grand Ballroom, 11 am "Online Music Reporting: Does All the News Fit?" North Galleria, 11 am Mentor Sessions 11 am-3 pm "Retail Sells: Promotions at Street Level" North Galleria, 12:45 pm "How Is Consolidation Changing Radio?" North Galleria, 12:45 pm "Smoothing Out the Bumps on a Couch Tour" Grand Ballroom, 2:30 pm "Demo Listening No. 2" North Galleria, 2:30 pm "Making a Name in the Indie Scene" Grand Ballroom, 4 pm "The Road Back: Recovery and Musicians" North Galleria, 4 pm