iHeartRadio Celebrates SXSW with Events Spotlighting Up-and-Coming Artists

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, today announced a series of events to showcase breaking musicians at Austin's SXSW 2012, where every year thousands of bands, artists and other music industry elite gather to get a glimpse of the latest trends in music.

On Monday, March 12, iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's free, industry-leading digital radio service, will host iHeartRadio Live: After Hours, a late night private music event featuring live performances by K'NAAN, Foxy Shazam, T.Mills, ZZ Ward and Dead Sara with live sets by DJ Skee at the BUZZMEDIA PureVolume House Presented by iHeartRadio in Austin. (Details about each artist below.)

BUZZMEDIA's PureVolume House is a legendary late-night SXSW destination and home to BUZZMEDIA's many leading music brands, including Stereogum, Idolator, Buzznet, RCRD LBL, AbsolutePunk and of course PureVolume. The 2012 BUZZMEDIA PureVolume House Presented by iHeartRadio will host additional events throughout the week, featuring live musical performances curated by the BUZZMEDIA music brands. For more information about iHeartRadio Live: After Hours and the BUZZMEDIA PureVolume House Presented by iHeartRadio visit www.purevolume.com/thehouse.

Beginning March 14, 98.7 FM KYSR, Clear Channel's alternative rock station in Los Angeles, will broadcast from SXSW. The station's on-air personalities will interview up-and-coming artists and host intimate “campfire performances” throughout the event. For updates throughout SXSW and the latest on emerging artists, fans can visit KYSR.com, keyword: Austin. Fans can also listen to 98.7 on the station's website, as well as on iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio mobile apps.

iHeartRadio will also feature “Austin 2012,” a digital custom station highlighting the music of emerging artists and bands and will also include exclusive interviews.

“iHeartRadio super serves a wide audience across multiple distribution platforms and provides listeners with access to new artists and music discovery through a vast array of digital and custom stations,” said Bob Stohrer, CMO, Clear Channel Digital. “We are excited to celebrate up-and-coming artists in Austin and to continue to offer our users a diverse and compelling listening experience.”

iHeartRadio Live: After Hours Line-Up

K'NAAN is known for his dynamic live performances and songs of hope and freedom inspired by his experience growing up in Somalia during the civil unrest of the 1980s. The multi-talented Somali-Canadian recently collaborated with Clear Channel Media and Entertainment as part of the company's Artist Integration Program, an integrated marketing campaign to support new music projects by leveraging Clear Channel's platforms and audiences. The program introduced his first single, “Is Anybody Out There,” featuring Nelly Furtado, from his latest album Country, God or The Girl.

Foxy Shazam's unique caliber of musicianship features vocalist Eric Nally, pianist Sky White, guitarist Loren Turner, drummer Aaron McVeigh, bassist Daisy, and Alex Nauth on the trumpet. Foxy Shazam is a soul band with a punk rock attitude that spreads their bombastic gospel and electrifies audiences with their rock music. In January 2012, Foxy Shazam released their fourth album, the Church of Rock and Roll, with the recently revamped I.R.S. Records.

T. Mills, the California-native hip-hop artist, has come a long way from making music in his bedroom. After self-releasing music online and landing a spot on the 2009 Warped Tour, T. Mills signed with Columbia Records in 2011. His music is uninhibited by genre and he has played sold-out shows throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. This past December, T. Mills released his Leaving Home EP, featuring “Vans On,” and will release his full-length album in 2012.

ZZ Ward is a singer/songwriter who mixes her bluesy roots with hip-hop beats. Her musical interest was sparked by her father, who played in blues bands. She later connected with the hip-hop community in Eugene, Oregon, where she began to write and perform hooks at high-energy rap shows. ZZ's bluesy upbringing and rhythmic journey laid the foundation for her signature “dirty blues and beats” sound. ZZ released her mixtape, Eleven Roses, in January 2012.

Dead Sara is a Los Angeles based four-piece rock band known for their supercharged music and electrifying live performances. The band is led by Siouxsie Medley's guitar riffs and Emily Armstrong's powerful vocals, along with bassist Chris Null and drummer Sean Friday. Dead Sara, whose first single “Weatherman” is currently the No. 1 most requested song on KYSR, will join the Vans Warped Tour this summer. Dead Sara's self-titled debut album is slated to be released on April 10 via the band's own label, Pocket Kid Records through Fontana/Universal.

About Clear Channel Media and Entertainment

With 238 million monthly listeners in the U.S., Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment serves 150 cities through 850 owned radio stations. The company's radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, Sirius/XM satellite, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company's radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile application on iPads and smartphones, and used via navigation systems from TomTom, Garmin and others.

The company's operations include radio broadcasting, online and mobile services and products, live concerts and events, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment is a division of CC Media Holdings, Inc. CCMO, a leading global media and entertainment company. More information on the company can be found at clearchannel.com, clearchanneloutdoor.com and ccmediaholdings.com.

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About BUZZMEDIA

BUZZMEDIA is the leader in pop culture and millennial audience reach - the world's fastest-growing digital media company with more than 100 million monthly unique visitors. The over 35 BUZZMEDIA brands – including Celebuzz, Stereogum, Videogum, Buzznet, TheSuperficial, Idolator, Just Jared, Just Jared Jr., PureVolume, Hype Machine, Absolute Punk, What Would Tyler Durden Do?, SocialiteLife, Go Fug Yourself, Pink is the New Blog, Gorilla vs. Bear, RCRD LBL, TheFrisky, Egotastic!, Concrete Loop, Brooklyn Vegan, Crunktastical, Punknews.org, and others - are category-leading, authentic, influential voices. BUZZMEDIA is currently the fifth largest Web destination among adults 18-24. Via comScore, the company is the second largest digital publisher in Entertainment News and the tenth largest in Music. BUZZMEDIA uses its massive reach, deep audience engagement, and understanding of the young adult audience to provide customized, innovative marketing and advertising solutions across its branded properties.