Last week we heard news that some activists in Sweden were plastering pictures with Rihanna‘s beatup face all around Stockholm. Their goal was to prevent Chris Brown from performing in their town. This week, Rihanna and Chris Brown’s newest single, titled “Nobody’s Business” (of course!) leaked online. We wonder how those activists feel about the track, which we have for you down below. Also, Dave Grohl got named the keynote speaker for next year’s SXSW. And a new Kurt Cobain documentary in the works. All that and more below.

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Here’s how you know you’re missing out by skipping the South By SouthWest festival this year—on Thursday night, not only did you miss a nearly three hour Bruce Springsteen show, you missed a three hour Bruce Springsteen show that features Arcade Fire, Tom Morello, Alejandro Escovedo, the Low Anthem, Eric Burdon of the Animals, and more joining together to perform Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”  Seriously.

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As is the case every March, Austin, Texas, has become the center of the musical universe for one week, as the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival attracts thousands of bands, bloggers, and industry bigwigs for several days of debauchery and tunes.  And, as is the case every year, the ostensibly “indie” fest has thus far been more notable for the established artists who show up for surprise sets or impossible-to-get-into concerts.  Below, we’ve amassed a roundup of the big-name-news that marked the fest thus far.

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Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan thinks today’s young artists are a bunch of ‘posers’. Yesterday, during a one-on-one interview at the SXSW festival in Austin Texas, Corgan went on about the music business, saying it have been impossible for him to break into today’s record industry without setting himself on fire on YouTube.

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Last night, internet sensation Lana Del Rey held a concert for her fans at the famous Los Angeles record store, Amoeba. Despite only singing a handful of songs, fans went crazy over Del Rey, yelling things like ‘I Love You’ and ‘Marry Me’. Check below for a live performance of “Video Games.”

UPDATE: According to Pitchfork, Del Rey hasn’t cancelled US Tour. SXSW still cancelled though.

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Whether or not you made the trek to South By Southwest (SXSW), you now have the opportunity to enjoy some of the very good music featured at the festival via the new iTunes Live: SXSW EP’s.

SXSW has announced the official digital release of 20 short albums recorded, mixed, and mastered on the ground in Austin last week during the festival. The EP’s feature live recordings from Lucinda Williams, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Neon Trees and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears and many more.

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For the first time, the mtvU Woodie Awards will be picking up their gear in New York City and carrying it to set up and broadcast the show in Austin, Texas. A big factor in this decision is SXSW‘s upcoming 25th anniversary as one of the most successful and helpful indie music festivals in the nation.  The show which has honored acts such as Gnarls Barkley, Matt and Kim, Death Cab For Cutie with awards has also boosted performances from indie acts in the past such as Lykke Li, Passion Pit and The Dead Weather.

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Hole‘s leading lady, Courtney Love, has had her ups and down throughout life with one of them being estranged from her own daughter, Frances Bean. However, she’s been busy with of plenty of other tasks to keep her mind off of her woes. Although 1998′s Celebrity Skin had some catchy mainstream tunes such as the title track, it didn’t receive much critical acclaim.

Yet with new album, Nobody’s Daughter, and even with the fact that Love is the only original member currently in the band, there already seems to be a bit more substance.

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Despite a decrease in attendance in the recession-riddled 2009, this year’s South By Southwest music and film festival in Austin, TX is being touted as a complete success – if only for the fact that it drew record numbers in 2010.  According to Reuters, “a record 13,022 music industry professionals registered” to attend the fest (along with an estimated 100,000 other music fans), consume copious amounts of barbeque, and ensure that the 2010/ 2011 liver transplant registry will remain awfully busy.

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