The Walt Disney Company plans to open a advertising research lab in Austin by the end of the year....

Photo by Lepti on flickrThe director of the Austin Clean Energy Incubator is leaving to become an entrepreneur-in-residence at one of the nation's top venture capital firms. According to the Earth2Tech blog, Joel Serface was selected by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers to work on a Department of Energy program that focuses on commercializing clean energy technology that comes out of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Serface came to Austin in 2006......

Earlier this year, Austin bar the Mohawk earned the "Best Bar in America" title from Esquire readers. Now, on the cusp of the summer tour circuits, Rolling Stone has declared Stubb's BBQ "Best Rock Club" in America. ...

Panic at the Disco brought their advertising laden tour to Stubb's on Saturday night. ...

It's official: Foo Fighters, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and John Fogerty take top billing along with Beck, Manu Chao, David Byrne, The Raconteurs, The Mars Volta, Gnarls Barkley, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, N.E.R.D., Erykah Badu, Robert Earl Keen, and Parry Griffin rounding out tier one. ...

Stay tuned for a full-fledged "4.20 special" Austinist Weekend Music Preview next week!...

It’s unclear from the group’s MySpace whether or not they're still playing around town or even in existence, but a few songs recently came across the Le Diamant desk which warranted a little attention. They’re an indie rock, alt. pop group making their home in the 512....

Colin Meloy stopped by La Zona Rosa on Monday night to play some intimate acoustic jams as part of his solo tour. Despite a head cold the Decemberist's lead singer/songwriter played a full set from both the band's catalog and his own, with a few covers (including Sam Cook) thrown in for good measure. Sipping on a glass of Cabernet (probably not the best thing for a cold) Meloy bantered cheerfully with the crowd, who supported him with sympathetic "awwwws" on cue and when he had to stop a couple of the songs due to fits of coughing or lyrical amnesia (its a good thing so many of his fans know the songs by heart, saving the final "Mariner's Revenge" with their sing-a-long). All in all the night proved that a supportive fan base can rescue a ship (or show) on the rocks and help a favorite artist deliver on the promise of the ticket price: a good time and a good show. ...

We wanted to share some of the best of Craigslist posts from across the CL Austin universe from over the last few months. Enjoy......

The week after SXSW is tough. Everyone is behind on their work and buried in email and errands, all of the out-of-town visitors have headed back to cold climes, and nobody has it in them to head out for a show just yet. To combat the post-SX gloom, we've compiled a list of major concerts coming to Austin in the next 90 days. This is by no means comprehensive (check Showlist Austin for that), but merely a warning about great upcoming events that will likely sell out - indeed, two already have. So peruse the list, hit the appropriate ticket outlet (or Craigslist for Feist or The Cure), and get ready to continue to rock....

Another SXSW has come and gone in a mind-addled, Sparks-fueled hurry, and just like every other virtual self-professed music lover, Austinist is taking a moment to reflect. You'll no doubt get your fill of commentary on the business of SXSW, the delicate balance between branding and community, our city's perceptions about the music industry and its impact on them as music lovers elsewhere. There are no doubt oodles of performance reviews as well (follow this post's jump for a handful of those), but the most impressive (and arguably vexing) facet of this year's SXSW for me was the always astounding dedication of the musicians who make it down here each year. ...

The whirlwind that is SXSW has come and gone. Weeks and weeks of preparation and planning were funneled into an overflowing, often overwhelmed city of Austin for just a few magical days and nights. Now as the sense of normalcy returns, we’re left with wonderful memories, cramping legs, and a hoarse voice. In anticipation of being greeted with a plethora of “Who did you like best?” queries, here’s a shortlist of great events, thrilling performances, and moments that took our breath away....

The wait for SXSW Music is almost over but the information overload will persist for another few days! Our writers combed through stacks of emails, tons of event listings, and pages and pages of our beloved "Party Flyers" slideshow to come up with a list of recommended happenings....

SXSW Music kicks off on Wednesday the 12th, as always with the Annual Austin Music Awards at Austin Music Hall, but it has become clear over the last few years that the music really starts the night before. Just thinking back to last year, we remember walking up and down Red River, watching bands like Golden Bear, White Denim and Broken Teeth at venues such as Beauty Bar, Emo’s and Red 7, and congratulating ourselves for getting started early....

Before we let Texas fade off the political radar for a while, let's take a look at the Texas Democratic elite who will likely have the final say in who their nominee for president will be. ...

Lurking in the near, near future is the album Alopecia, the strange, provocative, and incredibly engaging new album from Why?, a Bay Area band that seems to be ticketed for a whole new bunch of notoriety, right quick. While Why? in the past has often incited listeners to, well, invoke the name of the band--mostly because of scattershot verbosity and music that seemed more pieced-together than refined--they've pulled all their unbridled talent together into a cohesive and coherent, not to mention very good, whole. And, seeming as they're going to be tromping all about Austin's stomping grounds next week for SXSW, we sent out some questions to lead figure and wordsmith Yoni Wolf. You know, just to see what he's all about....

Following tonight's performance of Troades, the Vortex is hosting a reception in honor of Sean T.C. O’Malley, composer of the show's original score. // Every Wednesday night in March, all seats for Speeding Motorcycle at Zach are $15! // The Heroes of Comedy's Improvised Shakespeare, Saturdays at 8pm at the Hideout, is so popular that they had to extend the run through the end of March. // Mortified is back!...

Tired of the same old gay bar scene in Austin? Want to bust the mold a bit and cut loose on the dance floor without getting sandwiched by two sweaty, shirtless, writhing circuit boys? Go Dance Studios on Anderson Lane is launching a new program for same-sex partners called Out Dancing....

Mess With Texas during SXSW last year was a huge hit in the cozy confines of Red 7 and MWT2 promises to be an even bigger bash with a wide variety of musical acts and comedians on tap. Waterloo Park is the host this year and this year’s free, all ages show kicks off at noon on Saturday the 15th. But of course there are so many other day shows, parties, and what not going on in the town that the sponsors (including Forcefield PR, Record Store Day, JetBlue Entertainment, Fuel TV, SuperDeluxe.com, and Garnier Fructis) want to give you V.I.P. treatment if you can write a witty piece of prose. As has been the case with other stellar Waterloo Park shows, local entity Transmission Entertainment has helped organize this brouhaha....

Austin dweller Margaret Brown brings her new documentary, The Order of Myths, to SXSW after a successful showing at Sundance. Brown was born in Mobile, Alabama, where Myths takes place. The film follows Mobilians through one cycle of their Mardi Gras celebrations—a festival which the city is proud to have begun celebrating before New Orleans. Unlike the Big Easy’s do, however, the Mobile Mardi Gras is, effectively, segregated. ...

In the midst of a kidney-punching divorce and a morale-deflating demotion at work, this eternally disenfranchised man, played by David Zellner, who also wrote and directed Goliath, lives in the malaise of mediocrity. Everything he does is a menial, unrewarding task, even watching porn. He is constantly muffling the words and actions that would pull him out of his droning, joyless life, storing up a pressure cooker of rage, passion and ill-advised tirades that could, and do, blow without warning. His one respite from the daily spirit beat down was the knowledge that a tiny, beating, feline heart needed him. Once that fur ball is no longer leaving deposits in the old catbox, this nameless man goes completely and utterly berserk....

Two men kidnapped a woman at a Bastrop Whataburger this morning. Mayor Wynn apologizes to city after assault charge, says he is in anger counseling. Winter weather leads to more than 200 flights being cancelled at DFW. On election day, APD arrested two members of the Mexican Mafia. With 41% of Texas precincts reporting, Obama is in the lead for caucus delegates. An agreement set up today between the City of Austin and TxDOT means that your vehicle registration could be denied if you don't pay your traffic fines. After losing the race for Tax Assessor-Collector, Maxey endorses Nelda Wells-Spears and says he is going to help the Obama campaign....

Austin's continued involvement in the Central Texas Clean Cities Program, has earned the city a $12,500 in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy. ...

Thursday Flamingo Cantina takes a break from bringing in bands like The Skatalites and Israel Vibration. Instead, for this free day show they will host the shimmering and sentimental, Swedish alt rock of the Shout Out Louds. You’ll also hear the catchy California rock of Rogue Wave and the love song sing-alongs and quirky experiments of Akron/Family. Sub Pop’s Portland drums-and-guitar duo The Helio Sequence come prepared with spacey indie rock prettiness, and Fleet Foxes are set to impress with charming guitars and melodic tones. Expect a thrilling display from Athens’ psych-folk collective Elf Power. ...

Liam Finn has seen a lot of the world lately, albeit from the stages of pubs, clubs, and arenas. The 24-year-old New Zealander has 126,000 frequent flyer miles at the moment, thanks to a year spent touring both as a guitarist for Crowded House and promoting his new Yep Roc album I'll Be Lightning. The self-produced and performed record finds Finn in a reflective mood, and alternates between indie chamber-pop and much more rocking material. Currently on tour with Pela, Finn will drop in for a handful of SXSW gigs before heading back on the road to open on Eddie Vedder's solo tour. We spoke to Liam Finn this week about Neil Young, loop pedals, and London. We encourage you to attend the Austinist-Gothamist day show on March 12th to see him!...

In case you hadn't realized, music poster art and design is a a medium all its own. The creative effort that goes into each print and poster is a labor of love, artists finding new and inventive ways to combine elements from a band's own vision, their own voice, as well as actual information. ...

So, I produce and co-star a little show called The Dick Monologues. We have four shows this month—three more than usual. Two are in Dallas this weekend at the Water Tower Theatre as part of the Out of the Loop Festival. Two are here in town—one at the Victory Grill on March 21st and the other at Hyde Park Theatre on March 30th. Please tell your Dallas friends to come to the show up there. And if you want to attend an Austin show, please email me at spike@spikeg.com for info. This week, I present a piece I wrote that sometimes appears in the show. Big Dick on Buddha Mountain To meditate with the enlightened Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, is akin to playing guitar with Pete Townsend, making cookies with Martha Stewart, or tying your shoes with Mister Rogers. And so, despite my tight budget, when I heard that Thay, as he is known, was leading a retreat in California, I did what any overzealous aspiring Buddhist would do: I mailed off a hot check to procure my place at the monastery. ...

Eugene Mirman is much funnier than you. A mainstay of New York's alternative comedy scene, Mirman's profile has been even higher of late. In February, his Comedy Central Presents special debuted, and earlier this year, he was asked to cover the New Hampshire primaries for 236.com. He can also be seen as Jemaine and Bret's strange landlord in HBO's Flight Of The Conchords. A multi-year veteran of SXSW, Mirman is hosting this year's Web Awards at SXSW Interactive and is also performing at multiple SX venues during the music festival. ...

Austin’s newest improv training center, the Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation, launched its first series of classes at the recently-opened Salvage Vanguard Theater this past Saturday. ...

Austin is about to incur a hefty carbon footprint as SXSW kicks off, but thanks to the folks at MakeMeSustainable (MMS), people have an opportunity to walk the sustainability talk. The 'Interactive Carbon Tree' was designed specifically for SXSW in an effort to mobilize attendees at the conference to reduce their collective carbon impact. Check it out here: http://makemesustainable.com/sxsw...