A scant few years ago, the prospect of an Os Mutantes reunion seemed about as far-fetched as seeing Morrissey and Marr patch things up and hit the road, even in these reunion-crazed times. If Kurt Cobain’s public pleading to the Baptista brothers to reconvene Mutantes for a gig didn’t work, what would? Nevertheless, 3/5s of the São Paulo-based Tropicalia legends found enough common ground between them to reunite for a brief international tour in 2006, 34 years after the original lineup splintered off into their various solo careers. more ›

His name is Jamey Huggins, he records under the name James Husband, and he’s releasing his first album A Parralax I on the Polyvinyl label this month. But this is really the first time Huggins has pulled his personality to the forefront. For years, he’s been better known as a multi-instrumentalist and part of the noise/pop confederacy of the Elephant Six Collective (or, to his disdain, simply as “the drummer” for of Montreal). Huggins’ past relationship with classical form and experimentation come to a head on his new record, as well as on an accompanying EP of cover songs. He was in the middle of his first rehearsal with his touring band when I gave him a call. more ›

The Waco Girls will play a heavy metal version of Erik Satie's "Vexations," a 24-hour composition. more ›

• Interracial couple in Louisiana denied marriage license.
• Bank of America loses $2.24B as loan losses rise.
• Bomb kills 4 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Each week, we'll look at some reasons to taunt, belittle, and bully the Longhorns' football opponent. There's a lot to of material work with here: presenting the Oklahoma Sooners. more ›

Diligently peddling wares from bands like Grupo Fantasma, Ume, and Ocote Soul Sounds during the daytime shift, local PR firm Learning Secrets continues to make a name for itself, all the while acquiring a healthy reputation. But the LS crew doesn’t stop at 5 p.m. They curate regular late night shindigs in town and are veritable purveyors of sweaty dance-floor mayhem. The event planners extraordinaire recently hosted quite a party to close out day one of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. A typically robust Voxtrot effort and some choice Loyauté Soundsystem selections had Beauty Bar bumping all night long and the tangible energy in the club definitely helped revive our tired legs. We’re pleased to hear that a pre-Fun Fest bash is currently being planned, especially since early reports cite a DJ set by Yeasayer inside plus performances by Best Fwends, Total Michael, and Josh Mills’ (Clap!Clap!) new project Missions in the Beauty Bar parking lot. more ›

This past weekend might have been one for the ages but The Mohawk is not resting on its mighty laurels just yet. This Saturday, prepare for yet another sonic blast at the venue when Japanese band Mono sets up shop to peddle its atmospheric post-rock compositions. Mono’s forte is epic instrumental soundscapes that build up gradually before erupting with ferocious splendor, à la Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. The members’ technical expertise is evident in the intricate details and it’s no surprise that they bring it all together in a very cohesive fashion -- they’ve been honing their skills collectively for over a decade now. The band formed in 1999 (a few years after that other Mono) and has released five full-lengths, including 2009’s Hymn to the Immortal Wind. No strangers to the use of assorted string instruments in their work, the band employed a chamber orchestra to further embellish Hymn’s lush, grandiose sound. more ›

What’s the Deal: Fun Fun Fun Fest is always a yearly fix for punk lovers from Austin and beyond. And, bands like the L.A. noise/punk fivesome Miko Mika are responsible for bringing the stuff that makes the voices stop… or start. They have an energetic punk sound full of snappy drumming, power chord distorted guitars, catchy bass riffs and female vocals that make you miss groups like The Slits and The X-Ray Spex. They have a long list of 7 inches, self-released tapes and other recordings under their belts, but none do justice to their live show. more ›

Fun Fun Fun Fest has just announced the addition of The Sword to Saturday's lineup. They'll play at 4:25 on the Black Stage. More Info and tickets at Funfunfunfest.com. more ›

Sunset are one of the busiest bands in Austin, so it's no surprise that they're continuing to host shows at their east side studio Baby Blue and have a new release planned for the near future - an album entitled Gold Dissolves to Gray out on Autobus records. According to the band's blog, a vinyl form of the album (with a cd version included) will see release on November 24th. more ›

There's a story on one of Kevin Smith's comedy DVDs where he talks about being on the set of Live Free or Die Hard. He explains that, during a particularly heated argument with the director about what his character was doing, Bruce Willis picked up the phone to call the studio. They sided with the director, and he finally offered to end the argument for good. "Let me ask you something," He says in Smith's recount of the conversation, "Who's your second choice to play John McClane?" The point was made, and they made the choice that Willis wanted. more ›

Sooner fans, I'm really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. more ›

A surprise guest-star leads to some good ol' fashioned police work. more ›

In Cheever, A Life, Blake Bailey combines a biography with some literary criticism. Weighing in at 679 pages, it is an even-handed and meticulously researched picture of this fiction writer best known for short stories. Bailey’s authority comes from his knowledge of John Cheever’s writing and access to his unpublished journals. Although it pains me to say this, in general writers make boring nonfiction characters.They are of deep interest only to biographers and close family. In this case, however, the troubled man-boy who never finished high school made both a mess and magic out of his personal life, creating enough controversy to carry a story. more ›

How far were you allowed to travel alone when you were a kid? Are you per chance Vicky Thomas, from Sheffield? If by some very unusual fluke you’re from Sheffield, England and your name is Vicky, you are now in your late thirties, married and have a lovely son named Ed. Most of your extended family has lived in Sheffield for the entirety of their lives; the Thomas’ are Sheffield through and through. When you were eight years old your parents let you walk a half a mile by yourself to the local pool. At the very same tender age of eight, your father was allowed to walk a mile to the woods, while your great grandfather walked unattended six miles to the local pond. For a host of complicated reasons ranging from dangerous streets to a lack of nearby play spaces to a largely media induced fear of many things, I am sorry to report, that you only feel comfortable letting your son walk by himself to the end of the block. Otherwise, you drive Ed to the football pitch and the entire family drives to the countryside for bike rides. more ›

Tonight, Laguna Gloria presents what is arguably one of the most highly-anticipated food and drink events of the year. Now in its 20th turn, La Dolce Vita will host 50 restaurants and 20 vineyards this event for its international tasting party, benefiting Austin Museum of Art. more ›

"Spoon bending is a metaphor for change," she continued. "Internal and external changes both start with energy applied to clear intent. Spoon bending shows us that everything is changeable as long we have clear intent." I couldn't help but be distracted by the couple who'd just joined us. The woman held a big wooden staff. Think Moses. Or the kind of thing they ban from festivals. And she was wrapped in a white sheet-like contraption. She had a calm smile on her face- one that signifies either inner peace or really awesome drugs, or perhaps some causally-vague combination of the two. more ›

• Tip on how to get along in life if you are a criminal: Do not fire your replica gun in a police officer’s face. He’ll just have to take you into custody.
• Ewwww, ick! It’s not even Halloween, yet a Houston man was found asleep inside a closet, with a corpse next to him! The corpse may have also been treated "in an offensive manner."
• Being a billionaire won’t keep you out of fights while you are in prison.

As the economic slump continues, Austin continues to see casualties in the food and wine business. Having seen the likes of likable upscale concepts like Taste Select, Starlite, and Castle Hill Cafe disappear in the past year, it's not hugely surprising to see the recession hit the retail end of the wine business. Which brings us to Grapevine Market, the one-time king of Austin's wine and beer selection. A store employee confirmed by phone that the Anderson Lane location intends to shutter by December 15, with some in-store discounts beginning as early as next week to close out their inventory. more ›

The two were discussing the ongoing Zilker Park mud issue when O'Keefe made a suggestion along the lines of, "Why don't they just go hire some wet vacs at Home Depot?" more ›

A month after Matthew Shepard was murdered in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998, New York’s Tectonic Theater Project trekked down there and conducted interviews with hundreds of locals—including those close to the family of the victim and perpetrators—to try and understand why such a horrific hate crime could have occurred. The result was The Laramie Project, a jarring, heartrending play that interspersed dozens of those interviews with journal entries from Tectonic members. Fast forward, ten years later: The Laramie Project became something of a national phenomenon, easily one of the most performed productions of the past decade. HBO even made a film adaptation of it in 2002, starring Laura Linney, Peter Fonda, and Steve Buscemi. more ›

Two is a magic number when applied to garage bands. This year has seen a glut of talented duos ripping it up - WAVVES and Lullabye Arkestra are just a few examples - and similarly, the Vancouver band Japandroids have been pushing their own "maximal," duo-driven agenda since 2006. more ›

Don't miss the I Heart MJ Party featuring Who’s Bad, The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band w/ DJ Mel at Stubb's. Go here for more details more ›

• Health care bill one step closer to reality after passing Senate finance committee
• Retail sales fall after a surge in the previous month, but the drop is smaller than expected
• People magazine features first photo of Jaycee Dugard after her kidnapping

A public vigil for Leslie Cochran has been planned for this evening, starting at 7 p.m, at the driveway of Brackenridge Hospital (Red River between 12th and 15th Street). Various news outlets have conflicting updates on his health—News 8 Austin claims that he has no signs of brain activity, but KXAN reports speaking to a family member who said, "He is improving, and he will probably have to go into some kind of living facility. He won’t be able to live on his own ... but he is going to survive, he is improving. They don’t ever think he’ll be able to live on the streets again." more ›

If you’ve got a penchant for undeniably catchy garage-rock, look no further than The King Khan & BBQ Show, performing on Sunday, November 8th at the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest. Mark Sultan and King Khan first teamed up in the ‘90s, gaining notoriety with their band The Spaceshits’ belligerent shows. At the start of this century, Sultan was turning heads as the one man team that is the BBQ and Khan was busy finding success with his soul outfit The Shrines. But it was only a matter of time before the two friends reunited. The aptly named The King Khan & BBQ Show dropped its self-titled debut album in 2005 and followed it up with the What’s For Dinner? LP in 2006. They’ve appeased the masses with a handful of 7" records since; a new full-length called Invisible Girl is expected next month. more ›

Photos courtesy Tyler Nutter. more ›

The Blakes, who don’t have a schtick to wax clever about. They’re just straight-up gritty Seattle garage rock. They sing tweaked rock songs about misbehaving that sound like they were recorded in a toolshed. If we’ve gotten to the point where that sound comes off as retro, it’s more a quirk of our times than the Blakes’. After all, there aren’t many places better for making music than a garage. more ›

Photos courtesy Eric Uhlir. more ›

• Come on, Olympia Snowe. Come into the light.
• US and Russia to Iran: How dare you have nuclear weapons? That's our game!
• Coal plants working towards cleaner air, polluting the water instead.

A Guatemalan man alleges he was held captive in an Austin apartment for the past year and forced to have sex with his kidnapper. more ›

Never mind raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens: beautiful boobies and adorable puppies are a few of our favorite things. And happily, the two come together (sort of) for a few brief but glorious hours on Friday night. more ›

Moments after texting a colleague that he was about to "end it all," a student at UT leaped to his death from the seventh floor of a parking garage at 25th and Nueces earlier this afternoon. more ›

• Irony alert: Governor Perry was against Texas accepting the stimulus package, but the nonprofit group he founded will still receive a stimulus grant!
• Tip: Take the meth out of your pockets before screaming for help while fighting an invisible foe. Trust us on this one.
• There was an early -Monday taping of the Oprah show at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. Check out this photo-set!

The Statesman has confirmed last week's sad news that Leslie Cochran, Austin's beloved cross-dressing celebrity, is in critical condition at Brackenridge. more ›

The third Austin metro-area branch of Sprouts Farmers Market, at 2805 Bee Caves Road in Rollingwood/Westlake, opens this Friday. Like Austin-based Whole Foods and Central Market, the Arizona-based chain of stores differentiates itself by offering natural and organic foods. Its two other existing Austin metro-area locations, in Sunset Valley and Round Rock, opened earlier this year to strong buzz, and another store in the Great Hills area is slated to open next January. more ›

You've no doubt read all about this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest, and the outstanding line-up inspired you to buy tickets immediately. But in case the festival doesn't somehow bring enough live music to your brain, or you (god forbid) have to work/aren't attending the festival, Transmission has put together three evenings worth of pre- and after-parties with bands and DJs galore. Check out the multi-venue schedule after the jump, which includes film screenings and performances by notable locals and out of towners. more ›

As an Olympic champion swimmer, former Longhorn Garrett Weber-Gale keeps his body in top physical condition. But that doesn't mean he's free from illness. Weber-Gale has high blood pressure. The two-time All-American and Olympic gold medalist will talk about training and competing while managing a chronic illness on Oct. 29 as part of Disability Awareness Month. Weber-Gale's talk is set for 7 pm in the Carpenter-Winkel Centennial Room on the ninth floor of UT's Bellmont Hall. Admission is free and the public is invited. more ›

Johannesburg’s Blk Jks made more than a few new fans during their last stop in Austin for SXSW. Having built up a good head of steam with their first EP, they were one of the bands that everyone seemed to be buzzing about. Seven months later, they return to Emo’s outside with a brand-new full length under their belt, the ambitious After Robots. The record is a cavernous-sounding, guitar-based rock record that fuses elements of prog, mbaqanga, experimental noise, metal, and dub, and stands in stark contrast to Kwaito, the popular music of South Africa’s post-apartheid generation. Overall, the band and album are one of the few bright exports from a city with a 37% unemployment rate, in a country that's still struggling to build a reliable infrastructure. more ›

"My mustache ranks with such mustache greats such as Wyatt Erp, Tom Selleck, and Burt Reynolds. I have build [sic] my exceptional persona off my superior facial hair, however, due to the constraints on my time I will have to shave it off or worse, grow a beard." more ›

Someone busted a water main near the Ashton Lofts at West Second and Colorado this morning, causing a major leak down to Cesar Chavez. Austin Water Utility doesn't yet know how long the repairs will take, but traffic near the Second Street district will likely be diverted through the rest of the day. (Thanks, Lisa) [Blotter] more ›

• Civilian goals still unmet in Afghanistan
• Two Americans share Nobel economics prize; this is the first year a female has been awarded the prize for economics.
• Insurance industry advocacy group claims premiums will rise under healthcare reform

As we reported last week, Austin lost a friend and significant talent in Jon Pettis last week. Pettis suffered smoke inhalation and died at his home in northeast Austin after a faulty power strip started a fire. In the wake of his death, his bandmates (also his roommates) and his fiance have been left devastated -- not just by the terrible loss of a friend -- but by the complete destruction of all of their belongings. more ›

Photos courtesy Pooneh Ghana. more ›

Identical twins and collaborative performers Tegan and Sara will be at Bass Concert Hall on Friday, February 26, 2010. They'll be supporting their latest album, Sainthood, on-sale October 27. Tickets are on sale Friday, October 16 at 10 a.m. through UTPAC. We know the show is a ways off, but we're offering a chance to win tickets early, so mark your calendar and enter to win: more ›

Ed Note: We're pleased to introduce guest contributor Robin Sinhababu, a North Carolina native and current East Austinite. Each week, Robin will be interviewing folks who, as he puts it, "create Austin's food, music, events, and sense of overwhelming and unavoidable fun." Today's inaugural post is a double-feature. Let us know what you think in the comments. -- AYC more ›

Head down to campus, find the communications building, and get ready to rock in the ACL Studios this afternoon from 3-5 p.m. The band has an open call for extras and you're invited ... head out! more ›