Two BBC Streams

THE TEXAS CHEQUEBOOK MASSACRE

Every year, for four days in March, the world's music industry descends on the sleepy town of Austin, Texas. Over 1000 bands play in every bar, club and restaurant down the length of 6th Street, transforming the town into a sort of urban Glastonbury.

But why? Well, The Strokes were discovered here. And The White Stripes. And the Polyphonic Spree. And so it's no surprise that in 2004, an army of A&R men, record labels and press invaded Austin to discover the next big thing.

Presented by one of last year's big discoveries, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, 'The Texas Chequebook Massacre' takes an inside look at one of the biggest events in the music world's calendar.

Featuring Franz Ferdinand, The Thrills, Scissor Sisters, The Von Bondies, Junior Senior, The Cooper Temple Clause, Polyphonic Spree… and maybe what we'll all be listening to next in 2004.

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FRONT ROW
06 December 2004
Presented by Razia Iqbal

Listen to the programme

The Pirates of Penzance
David Mellor reviews the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of the Gilbert & Sullivan classic: "The Pirates of Penzance", which has just opened at the English National Opera . Directed by Elijah Moshinsky and starring Richard Suart as the Major-General and Karl Daymond as the Pirate King, the show is at the Coliseum until February 15th


The Heist
In `The Heist' - a new 3 part series for Channel 4, reformed criminals form a gang to attempt the perfect crime. Criminologist David Wilson reviews the programme which starts at 9 pm tonight .


The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
The Trachtenburg Family Players , talk about composing songs to accompany the slide collections of complete strangers, which they buy at garage sales. Performances at the Soho Theatre in London continue until December 23rd and the CD - Vintage Slide Collections from Seattle Volume 1 - is out now.


Christmas book picks
Richard Cork picks his top Art books of the year in the first of this week's series of christmas book suggestions.
Browse the Front Row Christmas book picks