Michael Cera’s birdlike awkwardness is perfect for the part of gawky, virginal nerd Nick Twisp, a 16-year-old-who finds love on a trailer park vacation and decides to do whatever it takes to hang on to it. Think Fight Club for nerdy virgins. And if that last sentence didn’t sell you, just trust us—it’s funny. more ›

With Halloween just a week away, the the various seasonal celebrations are in full swing! On Saturday, October 24, the Mexic-Arte Museum will celebrate its 26th Annual Día de los Muertos -- Austin's largest and longest-running Day of the Dead festival -- a lively, traditional Mexican and Latin American holiday that commemorates loved ones who have passed. This year, however, the Mexic-Arte Museum will present Día de los Muertos as "Viva la Vida Fest" to celebrate life and the environment, featuring Latino artists, special exhibitions, music, activities for families, and a Grand Procession. 
 more ›

It’s been a few years since we’ve heard from them, but San Diego’s Black Heart Procession is back with a new album Six —their first numerically titled album since their 2000 effort Three—and a tour that brings them through town with a show at the Mohawk tonight. It’s an interesting time for the band, as singer/guitarist Pall Jenkins and keyboardist Tobias Nathaniel recently reformed their indie rock combo Three Mile Pilot, who recently finished recording their first new album in over a decade and are operating concurrent to BHP for the first time. more ›

"Lance Clark, of Richardson Farms, spoke with me at the end of one rainy Triangle edition of the Austin Farmers Market. He and his extended family raise cattle, poultry, and piggly wigglys on pastures near Rockdale, which is an hour east of Round Rock. Wheatsville Co-Op, Kerbey Lane, and Olivia buy their products, as does the public at the Manor and Austin Triangle Farmers Markets (Wednesdays) and the Sunset Valley and Brushy Creek Farmers Markets (Saturdays)." more ›

Each week, we'll look at some reasons to taunt, belittle, and bully the Longhorns' football opponent. This week: the Missouri Tigers. more ›

It’s no secret that we’ve been fans of White Denim for a long time. And for good reason. The band has churned out a handful of excellent records, and on stage, the trio of James Petralli, Steve Terebecki, and Josh Block exhibit an instinctive chemistry, combining effortlessly to execute their calculated sonic experiments. Although the new record Fits dropped in the U.K. this past June (read our review here), it finally saw an official release in the U.S. earlier this week and the boys will mark this momentous occasion at The Mohawk on Saturday night with a typically robust performance, no doubt. more ›

We know it’s a busy time for all the filmmakers this week, and they’re probably getting asked a thousand questions by a million different people, so we just had a quick “speed date” of an interview with Bob Byington, director of Harmony and Me. Of course, Austinist film buffs are busy too, rushing from panel to panel to screening, and you’ve only got a few minutes before the next thing starts anyway. So read on and get a little insight into the mind of an AFF filmmaker. Go ahead—it won’t take long. more ›

For a little while there it seemed Built to Spill was fading into the background, that the mountain of awesomeness that was their 90s output had become but a memory of a fonder and more Clinton-esque era, and that the dog days of the aughts had put a damper on the six string noodling of the exceptionally liberal and ever-modest Doug Martsch. And then, when the expectations had reached a valley unlike any the band had seen since flannel shirts were all the rage, they dropped on us, seemingly out of nowhere, There Is No Enemy, quite possibly the best BTS release of the decade. This album, from top to bottom, feels like a resurgence of hope for the most famous band from Idaho (Idaho?), and the catchiness and energy of new tunes such as "Good Ol' Boredom" and "Aisle 13" means that it won't just be the old songs getting the crowd fired up. Basically, the show this Saturday night at Stubb's is not one to pass up, even if you've seen the bearded Martsch work his tenor before. more ›

Lake Travis is on the rise, thanks to all the recent rains. As of this morning, the lake level is at 641 feet above mean sea level (msl), about a foot above its lowest levels during the summer. Still, as LCRA points out, it's quite a ways below its historic October average of 666.6 ft msl, and mandatory watering restrictions are still in effect. “We expect these storms to give us an additional 124,000 acre-feet into lakes Travis and Buchanan by this weekend,” said Mark Jordan, LCRA River Operations manager. “But we will still need more than 1 million acre-feet to completely fill those two lakes.” [LCRA River Report] more ›

In Myna Se Va (Myna Has Gone), the title character is an illegal immigrant who is trying to care for her charge, a young boy who has been seriously injured while his parents are away. Oh, and there's a dog whose leg has been lacerated by a tuna can . . . or so Myna tells the vet before she steals tranquilizers to then use on the boy. more ›

Crystal Castles are prepared to wake up Waterloo Park on what would be a humble Saturday evening albeit for Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009. Trance-like, thumping beats are a sure fire way to wrap up the evening after a long day of absorbing great music. The Canadian boy-girl duo brings a whole new meaning to the experimental electronic genre. Crystal Castles are currently supporting their self-titled debut album. more ›

Fall is here and we know you're still struggling to decide between renting that sexy witch costume or using last year's sexy black cat costume. Consider a more creative option, and head over to Mixx on Saturday night for Electric Promotions and Twogroove's Mixx Make: Pre-Halloween Craftacular. The productive party will feature opportunities to make masks with help from the WonderCraft, using among other things, decorations from Sublime Stitching. Costumes of some sort are encouraged, and photographer Trevor Ray Thompson will be there with a photo-booth to document everyone's haunting garb. If you show up hungry, consider entering the gummy bat and worm eating contest - the winner will take home VIP passes to Flip Scene's Halloween Bash at the Mohawk. more ›

• McCain moves to block FCC net neutrality.
• Still no word from Iran on proposed nuclear deal.
• North Korean leader Kim Jong Il makes summit offer to South Korea.

Since the early '90s, Justin Pearson has been a crucial crux in the heart of southern California's hardcore/punk scene. Beginning with his record label Three One G and hardcore band Struggle, Pearson has dedicated himself to the noisiest and most abrasive elements of punk. Though best known for his involvement with Locust, he's had his toes in dozens of dirgy pools over the years -- Swing Kids (who recently reunited and performed), Crimson Curse, Some Girls and Holy Molar are all Pearson projects -- and he continues to astound with his prolific tendencies toward angsty screamo and powerviolence. more ›

It’s a game they hadn’t played since grade school, everyone holds a beer while they play, and they run the wrong way around the bases. The appeal of a game of kickball is obvious. But somewhere amid all the drinking, swearing, mock brawls, and (oh yeah) the kickball games themselves, this film becomes about something more than kickball. more ›

Each Friday, we'll be offering up a sampling of Longhorn- and Big 12-related sports coverage making its way around the Web. This week: staggering defensive stats, BCS banter, and this week's line. more ›

The Dillo reports details on an upcoming visit (April 2010) from Anthony Bourdain at the Paramount Theatre. more ›

Friday. Day two of Austin Film Festival. Everything’s really getting going now, but you’re already worn out from yesterday’s insanity. Not to worry, we have you all set! We’ve even taken into account that some panels might be full, so we’ve gone ahead and given you a backup. That’s just the kind of friends we are. more ›

As our era gains notoriety for rendering traditional art forms obsolete, the Austin Alternative Process Group breaks through the flickering screens. Drawing with Light: A Modern Exhibition of Historical Processes currently being exhibited at the Dougherty Arts Center, reaches back to the 19th century to combine our modern sensibilities with some startlingly tangible stretches of light and shadow. Sunlight, wet glass, egg whites, and gun cotton (cotton soaked in nitric and sulfuric acid) are just a few of the time-honored ingredients needed to harness the extraordinary photographic power of these complex processes. more ›

Still haven’t bagged yourself a ticket to the fourth edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest? Transmission Entertainment presents the perfect opportunity to convince a handful of friends to pool together their hard earned dough for a tasty little discount -- this weekend, if you purchase three weekend passes via the Fun Fest website, the fourth one is free. Simple enough. Oh, and there’s that Scavenger Hunt starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Red 7 where you can win tickets, PIP upgrades, and a whole lot more. Check out our “This Week in Fun Fun Fun Fest” post for recent festival related updates and news. more ›

What’s the Deal: As far as instrumental groups go, Austin has its fair share - Balmorhea, Explosions in the Sky, Calm Blue Sea. Why not add San Marcos’ This Will Destroy You to that score card? After all, it’s only about a 30 minute drive to the building and bursting of this foursome’s ambient to supernova sound. Their music is full of atmospheric guitar tangles and sparse but powerful rhythms. The band began gaining positive buzz the same year they formed, in 2005, with the release of their first EP, Young Mountain. Later came their self-titled full-length on Magic Bullet Records. And, this year, they released a split with another Magic Bullet band, Lymbyc System. more ›

Ian Mcdougall, guitarist for Riverboat Gamblers, was struck by a car while riding his bike last weekend. His injuries include "a broken hip, a broken wrist and hemorrhaging under the skull along with many lacerations, torn ligaments, bruises and and scrapes." He remains at Brackenridge undergoing a barrage of tests and physical therapy. The hospital bills are piling up and his band mates have created a Tumblr dedicated to raising money. Donate here. more ›

An American Cowslip is an extraordinarily beautiful, rare flower that can only grow when it’s left totally alone. That’s the best way to think about Ethan Inglebrink, a lovable sweet, naïve, agoraphobic heroin addict with a green thumb in Blythe California, a small town full of seemingly full of nothing but quirky characters. It takes a special kind of film to get the audience to root for the junkie, but in this colorful world, everything is as seen through the rose-colored glasses of the perfect high. And we have to admit, it’s hard not to get caught up in this stubbornly sunny worldview. more ›

Months ago Warren sent me a link to the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are. It’s a wonder that, after watching it, I could focus on anything else but while I waited for the films release. For you see WTWTA is not just another book for me. It was my First Ever Favorite Book. I say first ever because, being the voracious reader I am (and have been since first being introduced to the alphabet) of course many other favorites joined the list along the way. Little Women, The Handmaid’s Tale, Of Human Bondage, and about 90,000 others (and that’s the short list—the long list is about two million). I got WTWTA back in the sixties, not long after it first came out, and Sendak had me at hello. This was not a book I ever forgot or relegated to some dusty heap of childhood memories. Max was and remains the bomb. I’ve read the book hundreds of times (at least) and I think I could, without exaggeration, give that book plenty of credit (or blame?) for my decision, very early on, that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. more ›

Austin 360 is reporting that The Moody Foundation of Galveston has granted KLRU $2.5 million to go towards the new Austin City Limits studios build on 2nd Street downtown. Scheduled for completion in 2011, the new venue's capacity will reach 2,700 and will be called The Moody Theater. KLRU is seeking $6.5 million to complete the venue using entirely HD equipment. more ›

Hipster death! How many of you already have a heated, passionate response to those two words? Maybe there's an involuntary, guttural groan prepped for release. For some odd reason, "hipster" has become an extremely loaded noun. To lighten things up (or possibly stir them up more and then stab them with a razor before laughing and sprinkling rat poison all over it), you should check out The Scenesters at Austin Film Festival; it's the first film from comedy troupe The Vacationeers and it follows a few desperate documentarians as they try to cash in on the story of a serial killer that's murdering beautiful lady hipsters in East LA. more ›

Follow That Bird's Singer/guitarist Lauren Green should be proud. She's leading her trio away from the lo-fi garage haze and into Austin's next big thing: solid, never precious guitar rock. more ›

Excitement and anticipation was thick in the air last night as Austin Film Festival goers began to claim their badges and passes. Today is the first day of AFF 2009, and while it starts a little bit later than all the other days, there is still a lot of content to pack in this afternoon. Here are the things we think you should ink in on your schedule. more ›

Austinist, Ultra 8201 and Austin Eavesdropper (along with a host of other sponsors and supporters - see the flyer) are proud to present one more way to gear up for Fun Fest the weekend of November 7. The Thursday preceding the festival (that's Nov. 5), Austin Bleet Up's "Austin, Meet Your Bloggers" event at the Mohawk. more ›

Yeasayer announce news and information about their upcoming album, Odd Blood. The record will be released on Secretly Canadian in early 2010. The band will be performing at Fun Fest on Saturday at 6:45. more ›

Propelled by irresistible anthems such as “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” and “Cold Hard Bitch,” Australia’s JET fast became a staple of mainstream radio a few years ago on the heels of their debut full-length Get Born. The band formed during the early part of this decade, releasing the Dirty Sweet EP in 2002 and immediately gaining the attention of U.K. hype-mongers NME and probably more importantly, Elektra Records. The aforementioned Get Born, released on Elektra Records in 2003, was followed by a high profile tour in Australia in support of The Rolling Stones and a lengthy jaunt overseas. The ensuing albums, 2006’s Shine On (Atlantic Records) and this year’s Shaka Rock (EMI), continued to utilize the tried-and-test formula, showcasing JET’s love for classic-rock and penchant for undeniable hooks. more ›

• This may explain why the Fail Whale keeps appearing this week.
• Al Franken schools Right-Wing Health Care Analyst.
• About time: Treasury to order bailed-out banks to cut executive pay in half.

Next Friday, swing by Birds on Lamar and mention "fun" during check-in. Don't bother calling: you have to actually show up and get your hair did to qualify. The value of these weekend passes are $150. Afraid you'll miss out? You'll have another chance at the same location next Friday. more ›

• Teacher who was killed in his classroom in Tyler had previous concerns about the student who stabbed him.
• Oops! The State of Texas invested with Madoff!
• Emaciated toddler found in Houston. Child Protective Services had previously investigated his mother, but no charges were filed in the earlier investigation.

When you think about all the big name film festivals, we bet it sets off a soundtrack of ka-ching ka-ching in your head. Expensive to get to and pricey to attend, most folks like us can't work that sort of expenditure into our yearly budget. Well, we would like to remind you that this isn't Utah; you're livin' in Austin, baby, and around these parts Austin Film Festival passes start at the totally-affordable-even-if-you-don't-have-a-ton-of-money price of $42 (General Admission to individual screenings is just $9!), and it all happens right in your backyard. more ›

It's almost an adage in the theater: Monologue plays are dangerous. If not properly textured, they can be downward slopes into boredom and irritation for audiences. Performers can become "actress-y" when dealing with overtly narrative speech. It's common for a play like this to get derailed and stuffed with excessive space-fillers. These plays are deathtraps for amateurs... more ›

Terry Hitchcock, the self-professed "dreamer of the family," found himself grounded in harsh reality when his wife passed away from breast cancer in 1984. After losing his job shortly thereafter, Hitchcock was starting to fade away. The daunting task of single parenthood loomed large overhead, channeling fears of constant uncertainty, crushing loneliness, and general hardship; he had three kids to usher through adolescence, not to mention a major grieving process. Hitchcock discovered that he still needed to learn how to be a parent and that's what he did for over ten years before realizing he felt incredibly passionate about the lack of knowledge, resources, and empathy for single-parent families. Inspired by his hero, Terry Fox, Hitchcock decided to bring attention to single parenthood by challenging himself to run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days. **Insert Forrest Gump reference here** more ›

The genre of romantic comedy is not everyone's favorite; indeed, the lead character Momoko in Happy Ending deplores romantic comedies, preferring the slasher genre instead. But then Momoko finds herself in a series of meet-cute scenarios with an attractive patron of her library. Her video store-owner friend Kuroda suggests that perhaps her "life is actually a movie." This adds another layer to the film; if Momoko knows she is in a film, is she aware we are watching her? Still, when she thinks her life has become a rom-com cliche, no one really doubts her. more ›

There's no shortage of influential bands performing at this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest, but one that we're extremely excited for is Boston's Mission of Burma. They've been producing since the late '70s, and are one of the most influential post-punk bands around. They're performing at Fun Fest in support of their entire catalog (and hopefully "That's When I Reach for My Revolver") as well as a brand new record, engineered by Bob Weston. more ›

OMG Fun Fun Fun Fest is getting closer and closer, and, with that, it's important to get an itty bit of knowledge on the stacked roster the two-day pile o' awesomeness has to offer. This week, we're checking out a couple notable if somewhat underexposed acts, acts that help ensure that this year's Fest will be the best yet, for serious. Atlas Sound is the solo brainchild of Deerhunter man-about-town Bradford Cox, while Broadcast have come to us all the way from England to delight us with some dour electro-art-pop. more ›

This Saturday, you're invited to join the Fun Fest crew at Red 7 (611 7th Street, next to Beauty Bar) for the first ever Fun Fest Scavenger Hunt, benefiting Caritas of Austin. more ›

Photos courtesy Chad Wadsworth. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump. more ›

A murderer with a well-dressed conscience, bloody humor and plenty of existential meandering characterize Little Fish, Strange Pond, an Austin Film Festival Narrative Feature. more ›

People, it is time to start kinking outside of the box. Coming right up at Club MIXX on Sixth is Extravagasm Fantasy Ball VIII. This year’s theme is Erotic Renaissance, a nice blend of that Ren-Fest nuttiness and not-a-dry-seat-in-the-house eroticism. No need to wait for Halloween proper to inhabit your inner-fantasy-alter-ego. The time is now to dig out the whips and ball-gags and masks and prance about in all your wenchy and studly splendor. more ›

• University of Texas getting Cronkite's papers and photographs
• Leslie's condition continues to improve; now at rehab hospital
• Underworld in shock as hitman quits Mafia and tells court he's gay

Austin's department of Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services has posted a job listing for Music Program Manager. The job is Austin City Council's alternative to a city music department. more ›

The Austin Foodie scene has truly exploded over the last couple of years, exposing our growing metropolis to so many opportunities to eat tasty food and drink delicious drinks. It is overwhelming to consider just how long it would take, and just how many pounds we would gain, in order to experience the best of what Austin has to offer in the dining realm. Thankfully, over the last seven years, the Austin Film Festival's Film & Food Party has been able to compress all of the tasty business around town into one night of bites, booze and bidding. more ›

Building A Healthier Austin- Tonight! Time: 7.00-9.00 pm Location: The Independent- 501 Studios @ East 5th and Brushy. Extra's: It's free and open to the public. Local, organic appetizers will be kindly offered by East Side Showroom and free beer will also be provided. The design of our public spaces, the layout of our streets, the distribution and condition of our schools and the availability of affordable housing impact the well-being and economic health of all Austinites? Really? Our urban environment is more than a visual backdrop for our lives— it creates opportunities for where and how we work, learn, gather, commute, eat, and play. By promoting opportunities for healthy everyday living our community can ultimately impact the greater well-being of Austin. Join us tonight at 7.00 pm for a panel discussion that will feature short presentations of visions for a healthier urban future for Austin from six leaders in the community on critical issues such as food access and community agriculture, affordable housing, youth environmental education, alternative transportation, playgrounds and urban connectivity, and access to health care. These presentations will be followed by a discussion of how to implement these visions for a healthy future, and how citizens can advocate and support their visions by getting involved in Austin's current comprehensive planning process. more ›

You can look around at various injustices in the world and in a sotto voice decry, "Oh, the humanity!" But what does that really mean? What defines our humanity? Is it social constructs? Is it chemical reactions in our brain the cause us to react to certain situations, images or ideas in a predestined way? What if you are put into a situation where the confines of your own humanity are tested outside the bounds of what you thought was possible? Perhaps you would find that your own humanity differs from those around you and that in the end we are all just animals, attempting to survive in a cruel and graceless world. Hunger, a new film by writer/director Steven Hentges, explores these basic instincts in a dark and brooding new way. more ›

Though still considered something of a force in terms of culture and energy, once upon a time in the late 1970s, New York City was the true epicenter of all things gritty, wild and revolutionary in terms of music, art and fashion. That’s according to the AFF Documentary Feature Downtown Calling, which focuses on a few transformative years in one of the world’s liveliest cities. more ›

Austin is a story town - but for every treasured encounter with the vitality and talent that surrounds us, there are a thousand voices we don't get to hear. What if a single book promised one-hundred glimpses into the thoughts, lives, and creative capacities of one-hundred Austinites? Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists want to make this possible, with the community based project, Austin Makes a Book. more ›

The Philadelphia-based sextet has returned with their fourth LP, III (excluding covers record, Weed Tree) on Drag City. The sprawling psych-folk release continues the group's revitalization of the psychedelic revival, proving their place as leaders in the retro-indie folk revolution. more ›

• Afghan election will happen all over again.
• Attn politicians: Most Americans STILL support the public option.
• Pakistani university gets hit hard.

As we've noted in the past, festival schedules are never completely set in stone until the projectionist rolls the film. A couple of TBA slots had remained empty in the Austin Film Festival docket until today when they announced the newest additions to this year's Marquee Screenings line-up, which include Youth in Revolt, An Education, Facing Ali, The Fourth Kind, The Road and The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. more ›

Their self titled album entered the Irish Albums Chart at #1. It includes covers of Zeppelin’s "Stairway to Heaven" and Metallica's "Orion". Rodrigo y Gabriela also cite Metallica Megadeth, Slayer, Testament and Overkill as influences. Their recent release, 11:11, is a tribute to the pair’s idols: Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Astor Piazzolla, father of nuevo tango, and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell are referenced among others. If you had as much fun reading Astor Piazzolla’s name alongside Dimebag Darrell’s as we did writing it, you owe it to yourself to check out Rodrigo y Gabriela. more ›

Pinback, an indie rock alternative duo from San Diego, is known for presentation of nimble lyrics and inventive musicality with a high drum mix. Their records are full of pulsating beats that march into the brain by rote, but the mesmerizing brilliance can only be truly appreciated after multiple listens. The cryptic messages lying beneath the musical layering mean Pinback's capabilities are only truly realized after witnessing a live performance. more ›

Speaking last Friday at City Hall, Mayor Leffingwell estimated there are around 4000 homeless people in Austin, with about 600 of those chronically homeless. Bill Hobson, Executive Director of Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Service Center, spoke to those fighting the problem in Austin: city and county agencies, private organizations and interested citizens. A Baylor graduate and self-described “recovering Southern Baptist”, Hobson focused on his experiences with 1811 Eastlake, a 75 bed facility for the chronic homeless opened in 2005. Eastlake residents are about evenly split between alcohol and drug addicts and those with serious mental health problems like schizophrenia. more ›

Calvin Marshall, directed by Gary Lundgren, captures baseball's charms by introducing us to a few archetypal characters - the gruff, washed up coach who may or may not have a secret soft side, the optimistic player with more heart than talent, and a beautiful woman with a habit of throwing curve balls. more ›

• Obama offering "incentives" to Sudan
• Flow of Western terrorist recruits increasing
• Administration: Stimulus saving education jobs...

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire premiered to glowing reception at the Sundance Film Festival. Yet despite love from critics and fans alike, there were still doubts the film would make wide release until both Oprah and Tyler Perry put their names (and money) behind it. The film tells the story of an illiterate teenage girl impregnated (twice) by her father, living with her abusive mother (Mo'Nique), and desirous of a way out. Working to help her towards this goal is Mariah Carey (yes, you read that right) as a social worker, as well as a teacher (Paula Patton) at an alternative high school. Starring as Precious, a refreshingly atypical Hollywood heroine, is new actress Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe. more ›

Long before Mos Def referred to Somalian-born K’Naan as his brother, inviting him back onstage for an extended duet rendition of “My God,” it was clear how organically their sounds fit together. Even as their stellar hip-hop acts broke ground as a new sound for ACL, K’Naan and Mos Def kept true to cherished intimacy of an ACL taping while infusing the crowd with more energy than we’d ever seen there before. more ›

LOST and Mad Men are the stuff that water cooler salesmen everywhere dream of, the kind of television shows that inspire viewing parties and passionate debate for weeks after an episode has aired. How could Don Draper so callously break our hearts week after week? Do the writers on LOST actually know where the story is going? Have they ever known? Lucky for you, the Creator of Mad Men, Matthew Weiner and the Co-Creator of LOST, Damon Lindelof, will both be in town for the Austin Film Festival this week, and even luckier for you, you could win the chance to ask them the questions that you so desperately want, nay, need answered. more ›