Chicago’s NoVo Management and Publicity Celebrates Longstanding Ties to Austin, Texas and SXSW

Chicago’s NoVo Management and Publicity represents musicians, bands and record labels and has longstanding ties to Austin, Texas and the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference, which takes place March 17-22.

NoVo founder and CEO Hillel Frankel has been attending SXSW since he performed there with Grammy-nominated acid jazz group Liquid Soul in 1995. His current management clients Poi Dog Pondering were based in Austin before relocating to Chicago in 1992 and JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound have been making the trek down to SXSW since 2011. This year they will be playing various official showcases and day parties, including events presented by their label Bloodshot Records. Frankel’s newest charge, Nashville-based Americana artist Rorey Carroll, will be performing at the Bandit Town Festival, ten miles outside of Austin, on Thursday, March 19 as direct support for Nikki Lane.

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound- “Rouse Yourself”

Frankel’s business partner August Forte handles press and marketing for NoVo and made his last trip to SXSW in 2009, where he had the opportunity to network with emerging bands, label reps, booking agents and music supervisors for film and television. This year, Forte will be coordinating press and marketing from his office in Wicker Park for local indie pop group The Future Laureates, who will perform at several showcases in conjunction with Red Gorilla Music after playing a SXSW “send off” show at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge on Saturday, March 7, and Glasgow-based alt-Blues guitar slinger Dave Arcari, whose official South by Southwest Music Conference showcase is at Departure Lounge on Wednesday, March 18 with additional shows on Saturday, March 21.

The Future Laureates

Dave Arcari