Like everything else, the techies have a head start at SXSW. Today marks the beginning of SXSW Interactive, where companies gather to hash out emerging technology, websites, video games and cool new start-ups. (And we do mean hash–why, there are session-specific hashtags, of course).

We’re testing out the ways to engage more with video technology alongside other proud geeks who are also thinking ahead. There are keynote speeches, panel discussions, a trade show, an arcade to kill some serious time in and the annual Webby Awards (we’re a former finalist!).

And since our business is music and technology, one of our stops during the upcoming week will be at SoundCtrl’s FlashFwd event next Tuesday. RSVP at http://flashfwd.eventbrite.com

From poverty in Jamaica and music therapy in the Bronx to health awareness in Haiti and warm clothes in cold Canada, it’s clear that musicians are actively using their public platforms to further social causes in the name of empowering lives.

Take a peek at artists like Moby, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Margaret Cho, Metric and Ziggy Marley sharing their thoughts on how they create change.

Moby cites the Civil Rights Act and the Environmental Protection Agency as successful reasons to work within the system for change.

John Legend describes his philanthropic partnership with Jeff Sachs, the Show Me Poverty Action Tour – an effort to help college students fight poverty.

Wyclef Jean discusses his Yéle Foundation, a foundation committed to improving lives in the singer’s native country.

Margaret Cho sheds light on the West Memphis Three, a group of teenagers she thinks was unjustly imprisoned.

Metric find tangible ways to reach the needy by donating money raised on tour.

Ziggy Marley discusses how he is serving the poor of Kingston, Jamaica through his charity, U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment).

What’s the Open Video Conference, you ask? Why, it’s a gathering of all the talented foks out there tinkering and pushing the boundaries of online video technology. The world of online video is pretty proprietary, but there are plenty of cool companies working toward widening the playing field and offering viewers more variety, flexibility and interactivity.

That’s where we come in! We’ll be there talking about the scalable, versatile content we offer; how we partnered with Creative Commons earlier this year to let others use our clips for bigger projects and using the royalty-free Ogg-Theora as our open source codec for fans to download.

If you’re attending the conference and need a little comic relief while in the Big Apple, The Notorious MSG have you covered.

Metric saw firsthand what can happen when random muttonheads are given free rein (promises of crowds numbering 15,000 turn up 300; beatings; a bottle of whiskey and four Power Bars). Share their pain:

Before we start panicking, let’s take a deep breath and a closer look at this little dernier cri. Here are our top five picks for festivals that won’t suck, given the brains behind things.

5. David Byrne, Curator, Bonnaroo

The sonic polymath (because founding the Talking Heads, snagging Grammys, Oscars, Golden Globes, writing operas and being a photographer only takes up so much of one’s time) is taking on the legendary festival. He’s approaching it with the same level of stress and OCD-obsession with which a normal person might approach figuring out which bagel shop to hit Sunday morning. “I thought, ‘OK, then, I’m just gonna reel off some names that I like…and we’ll see where it goes,’” Byrne told reporters. Alrighty then! The laid-back attitude seems to have worked; so far, the lineup includes Santigold, the Dirty Projectors, Katzenjammer, Public Enemy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Band of Horses, St. Vincent and of course–David Byrne and Brian Eno. The show goes on June 11.

4. The Flaming Lips, Curators, All Tomorrow’s Parties

The Oklahoma all-stars are playing the show too! Woot! It’s tough to predict what a band that produces gems like “Psychiatric Explorations of the Fetus with Needles” and shows that feature puppets, confetti and big, scary hands will come up with, but that’s part of the fun. Set in Monticello, NY, just as summer winds down, this promises to be one final outdoors Bacchanalia anyone can get behind. And with bands as disparate as The Jesus Lizard, Suicide, Black Dice, the Feelies and the Melvins playing, maybe this is a show all of your friends will actually enjoy (for once). The show goes on Sept. 11.

3. Fans, Curators (Kind of), Pitchfork:

This is one of the most insane notions in the annals of musical festivaldom–ergo, BRILLIANT. Pitchfork actually decided that the unwashed masses (that’s us!) will be able to formally request songs in the hilariously titled “Write the Night.” That’s instead of our usual wild shrieking, flashing various body parts and holding up misspelled signs. Unsurprisingly, the Flaming Lips are the guinea pigs. The DL: all ticket buyers will be sent an email so they can vote which songs they want bands to perform. Yo La Tengo, Beirut, Matt and Kim and Vivian Girls are also playing (among dozens of others). The show goes on July 17.

2. Brian Eno, Curator, Luminous:

Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno–music theorist, producer, singer, grand poobah of ambient music–is taking on Sydney’s Luminous Festival. Naturally (Eno being involved n’ all), this is no mere slapdash musical get-together. It’s going to include 30 acts, performances, various light and sound installations and relatively formal intellectual chats. Some artists set to perform are Battles, Ladytron and Lee “Scratch” Perry. The festival starts today and will continue until June 14.

1. Uncensored Interview, Showcase Curator, Northside Festival:

Clearly, our showcase in this festival will be the most seamlessly coordinated and brilliantly executed in the bunch. But seriously, The Speakeasy: A Showcase of Transatlantic Alt-Folk, featuring Ólöf Arnalds with François Virot, Lisa Li-Lund, Sharon Van Etten and Ivana XL will provide a veritable cornucopia of troubadourian fun sprinkled with Hank Williams fairy dust and general offbeat tweeness. The show goes down at Union Pool on June 11. The Northside Festival itself, featuring Screaming Females, the Hold Steady, Brightblack Morning Light and many many more, promises to be a good time.

Please, don’t forget the grandmas too –
the ones who buy guitars for you.
Just ask Jared Scharff and his band the Royals.
They’ll tell you there’s no one else who spoils
a child out there like grandma could
or teach them what is bad from good.

No wonder there’s this desire to be
just like our moms. You’ll watch and see
how Tina Dico picks dear mum
to fill her shoes and understand her some.

There’s so much to be thankful for,
how could we even expect more?
But moms, you know, they’ll keep on giving
until they cannot keep on living.
‘Cause that’s what moms are all about
and why today we want to shout,
“Mom you’re the best!” Now, what to give you?
How about a rhyme from Uncensored Interview?

Seriously. Nobody likes a big ol’ sausage party, not even the ladies. So you can see why the girls of Tilly and the Wall were so psyched. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2008 was the year of the rat, but in the world of indie music, it was the year of “Damn, who’s that?” Everywhere you looked there was a hot indie band with a totally hot woman up front, and Uncensored Interview was there to document this undeniable trend. We caught up with cuties like Alexandra from Ra Ra Riot and the no longer so rare sight of the all-female indie power house like The Donnas and Vivian Girls.

Hey, if you can rock a pair of stilettos, and you can rock the stage even harder, then you won’t hear any complaints from us. This trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, so stay tuned in 2009 for indie with even more estrogen and style. Oh, but for those of you out there who miss the bands of ugly dudes whom you could probably smell from 50 feet away and wouldn’t sleep with for 50 dollars or less, not to worry. I don’t think we’ll be experiencing a shortage of those for a long time to come.

To celebrate our superb tastemaking skills, we’re offering a week of reflective year-end posts that also introduce regular new features! From The Perry Train’s sagely wisdom in “Sound Advice,” to who we think is on the brink in “Almost Famous,” you’ll keep coming back for more in 2009.

But holograms are now sooo yesterday. Say hello to the new freshness–motherfucking Flying Cars, bitch! That’s right, Moller International, now known as The GREATEST Company In The World, is just two measly years away from launching the first ever fully functional flying automobile. I can’t tell which is throbbing faster, my heart or my boner.

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve only ever wanted two things – the death of all of my enemies, and a flying car. I never thought the flying car was realistic, though. I was more than ready to settle for a hoverboard, or a jetpack, or even just a car that could jump occasionally. But this changes EVERYTHING. Fuck traffic, fuck bridge and tunnel tolls, fuck flat tires, fuck potholes and unpaved roads. As a wise man once said “Roads?. Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”

Of course, with any emerging technology, there are going to be issues that arise regarding safety, and the flying car is no different. Where the hell is the car gonna land? What happens if you run out of fuel mid-flight? Can you have sex in the backseat while flying? Does that count as membership into the Mile High Club? Do we need to establish a new Half-Mile High Club? What if a flying car hits a plane? Or better yet, what if it hits a flying man?

A flying man? That’s some sort of superhero fantasy, right?

Wrong! I said earlier that the future is now, and I meant it. As we speak, scientists are using genetic engineering to create the supersoldier – a human war machine maxed out to the genetic (not to mention genital) limits. And I’m not talking about just messing around with human DNA either. These guys are fucking around with gorilla and bird DNA too. Translation – superstrong humans with the ability to fly.

So just when you thought your flying car meant the end of those pesky vehicular manslaughter charges you’ve been piling up, boom! You hit a flying soldier and its back to county lock-up for you.

God, I love the future.

The first thought that crosses your mind is to apply at the local Starbucks (the one on your corner, not the one across the street from the one on your corner) and become a part-time barista. Hey, they have health care and decent pay.

But then you think about the embarrassment of a demotion from a bean counter to an actual bean grinder, and that dreaded day when one of your friends comes in and sees you in a cute green apron and Starbucks cap. Well I’m here to tell you, taking a retail/service job to stay afloat during this scary financial crisis is totally alright, even if it means wearing a stupid hat and pretending to like people. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to survive.

It’s like my grandpa always used to say “Your grandma’s a total bitch, but I put up with her because a divorce is too expensive and messy.” Now don’t go thinking that working at a Pep Boys or a Lumber Liquidators will do anything to hurt your indie cred; in fact, having a crappy job is one of the most indie things you can do. Don’t believe me?

Fully nude GRAMMAR SCHOOL model – Indie Cred – 7

Fully clothed Disney figurine Telemarketer – Indie Cred – 6

Ice cream hawking cow mascot – Indie Cred – 10

In case you hadn’t heard, today is Election Day, and what better way to inspire you to get out and make a difference than having a foreigner tell you to vote? But seriously, get the fuck out of your house and vote today. I don’t care who you’re for – Obama, McCain, Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, David Cook, Walter Mondale – it doesn’t matter. You still need to go to your local polling place and pull that lever.

There’s absolutely no acceptable excuse for not using your inalienable power to choose the next President. And don’t tell me you aren’t registered or you’re an illegal immigrant or a convicted felon; with a little bit of hard work and that world-famous American ingenuity, you can get around any silly voting regulation. Just remember who works at the polls – the elderly. They can be easily fooled with a ball of yarn and a digital watch.

Now as most of you know, there’s really only one person who I believe is worthy of ascending to the highest office in the land: Don Cheadle. Not only is he a great American and one of the finest actors of our generation, but he’s also going to be War Machine in the upcoming Iron Man 2 (which should really help him in the 2012 election).

Unfortunately, though, he didn’t make it onto the ballot this year, so instead I’m going to vote for Barack Obama. He’s no Cheadle, but he’s pretty damn close. After having my heart broken by “The Real America” the past two elections, I actually have a little bit of hope that this country won’t fuck things up a third time.

In fact, I’ve already started compiling a victory playlist on iTunes that I plan on blasting the second that Obama is officially declared the winner–IF in fact that does happen. (Just in case of a McCain win, I’ve also compiled a Shit, We’re Fucked playlist which consists of It’s The End of The World As We Know It by R.E.M. and the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars). Feel free to add any suggestions or comments, or your own victory playlist:

• Queen – We are the Champions
• Stars – Today Will be Better, I Swear!
• Toadies – I am a Man of Stone
• The XYZ Affair – Smile
• Andrew WK – Party til You Puke
• Bang Camaro – Pleasure (Pleasure)
• Dio – Stand Up and Shout