Google Leaves Trail of Clues to Mystery Musical Event

One thing Google appears to be learning from Apple is this: how to build buzz around a product launch by being short on details but long on clues.

That's certainly the case with the invite Google sent us and others in the tech press Friday, to an event next Wednesday in Los Angeles. The company isn't saying what the event is about, exactly, but here are your clues:

1. It's being held at Mr. Brainwash's Gallery — yes, that Mr. Brainwash, the videographer and artist of doubtful legitimacy featured in the Oscar-nominated Banksy documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop.

2. The title of the invite: "these go up to eleven." That would be a reference to This is Spinal Tap, of course, and to Friday being 11/11/11. But don't get thrown off the scent; the key part of this clue is the plural.

SEE ALSO: 11/11/11 Is "Nerd New Year:" Here's How to Turn It Up to 11

3. The event will be livestreamed at, and the invite features a waving android logo in the corner. By Jove, Holmes, this may have something to do with Google's mobile platform!

4. The photo of Mr. Brainwash's gallery on the invite also features a T-Mobile banner. Random advertising, red herring, or clue?

5. The RSVP link for the event includes "Music 2011" in the URL.

Could we be looking at something so prosaic as a set of speakers? At Google I/O, the company gave us a demo of Project Tungsten, wherein sets of speakers could be remotely controlled via an Android tablet.

The speakers would also know to play an album when you swiped a CD embedded with Near Field Communication in front of them. That's an interesting gimmick, but who buys CDs any more — let alone NFC-enabled ones?

We're hoping there's something more to the mystery, and look forward to letting you know next week. In the meantime, feel free to add your guesses in the comments.

BONUS: Mashable's Google I/O Coverage