The DJ dudes at Flying Turns are entering their terrible twos, and they're celebrating with a party at the Beauty Bar. The drinks will be "hosted" by the Turns and Treaty Oak Rum and Waterloo Gin, and the music - if we're judging by this mix they made just for us - will be dancey and feature robot voices, and will have shout-outs to us the entire time. Joining the crew at this celebration will be Jerome Derradji out of Chicago, who has a solid dance music pedigree. He's on the mix, too. And tonight, get a preview of what these guys can do with their tribute to Detroit at the North Door. more ›

KUT is creating an "Austin Music Map" with funding from the Association of Independents in Radio, Inc. (A.I.R.). The self-described "innovative journalism project" comes courtesy of "Localore," a program created by AIR meant to target "underrepresented musical subcultures." Austin is one of only ten cities that has been awarded the chance to document said subcultures, and KUT's work will be undertaken by producer-in-residence Delaney Hall. more ›

Understandably, the majority of press releases from the Austin-based "number one selling male sex toy company" Fleshlight end up in our spam filter, but the recent creation of a "Flight" model, paired with the fact that the locals swept the "AVN Awards for Best Sex Toy Company" - subcategory "Large" - and "Best Sex Toy for Men" (for their "Blade") means that this company is at the very least newsworthy, if still understandably not a part of dinner conversations in most kitchens. However, given that the company sold 4 million models of the Fleshlight, there's more than an above-average chance of said project taking up residence in a lot of bedrooms. more ›

Who: Local five-piece The Saint James Society are releasing their debut EP on February 7th, which is either self-titled or called Pray For Us, depending on which piece of press you read. The group is signed with Tee Pee Records out of New York. more ›

Self-described "adventure journalist" Bill Gifford published a tough inquiry via Outside magazine into the nature of Lance Armstrong and his Austin-based Livestrong charity, most specifically on allegations regarding the flow of money from the organization to the founder. more ›

It's that frisky season when politicians of the same stripe nonetheless go neck to neck with their sometimes-allies to differentiate themselves while ripping their brothers-in-arms a new one. In the presidential primary, the corn belt has been shaken with a barrage of negative ads from Republican party hopefuls - Mitt Romney (who isn't taking responsibility for said ads) blasts Newt Gingrich, and now Newt's associates are blasting back. It's all very exciting, but even with two Texas dogs in the hunt it feels very removed. The good news is that a debate is headed not just to Texas, but to Austin - and though it probably won't have the vim and vigor of the Perry Vs. Perry debates we've seen, at least this one doesn't take place in Iowa. more ›

The blog Acolyte first caught our attention with a couple of pretty fine black and white videos from Liturgy's Red 7 show in July. Though they've been active as far back as October of 2010, the blog looks to have jumped from the ranks of DJ Screw and Salem appreciation into more active duty with an interview with Joe Buck out of Nashville, the first of a series of investigations into noise and fringe music (mostly) specific to Texas. more ›

For years, Austin has been the subject of magazine polls where dubious statistics are paraded out to prove that our city is the best place for you-name-it: young professionals to date, young non-professionals to nurse a hangover with an artisanal bacon doughnut, a pampered pet to land a job in the tech industry, etc. Either the world finally started taking this go-to feature for any ad rag trying to scrounge up text to go alongside a Jared ad to heart, or word has crept out more organically. more ›

Tomorrow night the Paramount is hosting The Moth, a reading series from New York that is now on the road. Tomorrow's presentation will feature readers on the following topic - "Made to Be Broken: Stories About Disobedience." Contributors to this reading include Lt. Dan Choi, Elna Baker, Mike Daisey and George Dawes. Former Austinist columnist Spike Gillespie submitted a piece but will not be performing with the program after all, a choice she discusses on her blog. more ›

Emo's inside room on Red River will close with a bang, featuring an entire month of hard-hitting shows. Clutch, Man Or Astro-Man?, Dixie Witch, Gomez and Mayhem are just some of the bands giving the space its final rock and roll run. The last night of festivities will be the 30th, a show headlined by Killdozer that also includes Women in Prison and Rituals. more ›

Quarterly Austin-based publication "Vagina" has already released two issues of "for the ladies, by the ladies" coverage that includes pieces about fashion, music, poetry and prose, and think pieces on everything from cupcakes to a remembrance entitled "My Life As A Fat Girl." more ›

Austin's newest literary journal, "Unstuck," is launching today with a reading at the Hyde Park Theater. The mag's focus is to "emphasize literary fiction with elements of the fantastic, the futuristic, the surreal, or the strange," and their first issue includes "work from authors whose fiction has previously appeared mostly in genre magazines, as well as work from writers who have published only in university-affiliated literary quarterlies." more ›

The fourth installment of the Soundboard series is here, featuring Chico Jones talking about his Ohm Recording Facility, working with Peelander-Z and Bryan Nelson, and announcing that "wood tends to sound good on most things." Future producers, take note. more ›

The release of Beirut's fourth LP The Rip Tide has unveiled a new touring trend for the Brooklyn quintet. After a nearly four year absence, Saturday's show at Stubb's was their second stop in Austin this year (earlier this summer they played at ACL Live). As snow fell in the band’s northeast hometown, Beirut performed a special show under clear skies at Stubb’s. more ›

A decade ago, Architecture in Helsinki emerged as Australia's energetic indie-pop export. Once recognized as an enthusiastic eight-piece ensemble which cluttered the stage with instruments and band members, multi-instrumentalists Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland have maintained all the spunk and charisma in a downsized focus showcased in their latest release, Moment Bends. As the band prepares to touchdown stateside for Fun Fun Fun Fest next week, Austinist recently caught up with Bird via email for a quick exchange. more ›

Somehow I overlooked the first couple of years of Fx3 as a transplant to Austin still elated and overwhelmed by the plethora of accessible live music available on the regular. But in 2009, I scored a cozy introduction manning a booth at the fest for a few hours one day in exchange for a weekend wristband. Why not, right? I had no idea what to expect and found myself pleasantly surprised by the laid back scene - not too crowded, manageable lines for beer/food, and a good mix of fans. I have since happily resigned any interest I once had in attending ACL for a yearly fling with Fun Fun Fun. And while I adore the excitement and unparalleled buzz SXSW generates, the intimacy of Fx3 has made it my favorite of Austin’s fests. more ›

The weekend we've got bearing down on us is going to be a great one for the arts (or just for downtown in general), whether you're talking the written word or song. For more of the latter, there's the 2011 Austin Record Convention, taking place this Saturday and Sunday at the North Austin Event Center. more ›

You've got your Austin dive bars, and you've got Dive Bar, a new local lounge that specializes in fine cocktails, classy patrons, and - starting on October 24th - music trivia. Hosted by this very website, the rounds will center on subjects like '80s music, Texas music, and metal music. more ›

According to the Austin Chronicle, Emo's on Red River has been sold to "Sixth Red River LC" for the price of "seven figures." more ›

The Monday after ACL isn't exactly the best time to gather a crowd for yet another show, but Two Gallants defied the odds with a crowd of dedicated super-fans gathering for a sold-out show (inside) the Mohawk. Having taken an exaggerated hiatus from their two-man band, this was the first time Two Gallants have performed together in town since SXSW 2008. That, along with the promise and prompt delivery of a new batch of songs from the boys, made for an exciting reunion for the duo and fans alike. more ›

Following a two year hiatus, Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel have reformed as Two Gallants to take their dueling guitar-drum act back to the road for a summer tour that stops in Austin tonight. The San Francisco-based boys are childhood friends that had been playing music together for years before officially forming their folk-punk two man show in 2002. more ›

Still waiting for the golden ticket to ACL? Do yourself a favor and consider the plethora of free, spin-off musical offerings, including this "independent alternative" showcase tonight at Cheer Up Charlies featuring some of Austin's finest up-and-coming acts Follow That Bird, Rickey Jean Francois, Kay Leotard, Boy Friend, Agent Ribbons, The Great Aware, AND a "special guest" performance inside at midnight. more ›

Unsurprisingly, it didn't take much for this great city to come together to extend a helping hand to those who have suffered as a result of the wildfires. Here's a list of what's going on. more ›

- Atlantic Monthly has a gallery up today. - The Statesman. - KXAN. - Boing Boing. more ›

Dan Boeckner (formerly of Wolf Parade) and Alexei Perry have been hard at work, touring feverishly in support of their newest release and their third album, Sound Kapital. Tonight the sexy Canadian indie-pop husband/wife duo known as Handsome Furs return to Austin. With guitar and electronics, the duo's sound is driven by Perry's drum machine manipulations and Boeckner's edgy, urgent vocals--a winning combination that gives their sound an equal measure of punk-punch and dance-ability. While their content often reflects current cultural themes that drift to dystopian depictions in songs like "Confused" and "What About Us", their aggressive energy consistently shifts to positive reaffirmations for an overall powerful and infectious live experience that we highly recommend. more ›

The developers of Spring Condominium -- one of the most affordable downtown properties, with 1-bedrooms starting in the low $200's -- announced today that they're on board to help lighten the load of back-taxes owed by East Austin residents. If East Austin Conservancy raises $25,000 for its new Preserve Eastside Affordability campaign, Spring Austin Partners will match the funds. more ›

The Lamebook.com boys have two reasons to celebrate. First off, they recently had a breakthrough in their legal battle against Facebook (who sued the parody site last year for “trademark infringement”) when Travis County Judge Sam Sparks straight-up denied Facebook's motion to dismiss. Lamebook is still fighting the good fight, though it hasn’t been cheap for the upstart humor site. The second reason? They just launched a hilarious, new blog called UHpinions.com. The site features hilarious reviews from sites like Amazon, Yelp and Epinions and seems to be just as addictive as the owner’s original. more ›