Image courtesy of Nacional RecordsThe first annual Ground Zero Texas fest kicks off their weekend schedule of events on Thursday, with the opening ceremony at Sound On Sound Records at 6 p.m. (featuring a performance by the official GZT mascot NOBUNNY), followed by opening night action at Beerland with music from The Spits, The Wax Museums, and The Hibachi Stranglers. Denton’s The Reds will also re-unite and rock this special evening. The plethora of local......

Welcome to the latest edition of Band Slam!, wherein I navigate the murky waters of Austin's club listings for the best and worst band names playing this week. The only rule: I can't know anything about the actual band, thus limiting my critique strictly to the band's chosen moniker. Let's cook!! Harptallica - Elysium, Friday 10/05 After the Radiohead reggae album, all bets are off as far as taking ultimate creative license with canonized......

Welcome to the latest edition of Band Slam!, wherein I navigate the murky waters of Austin's club listings for the best and worst band names playing this week. The only rule: I can't know anything about the actual band, thus limiting my critique strictly to the band's chosen moniker. Let's git 'er done! Death Is Not A Joyride - Beerland, Thurs 09/06 Isn’t it though? A long, hot, smoky, barreling-through-the-inferno-in-a-stolen-car-with-a-gun-in-each-hand kinda thing? I guess......

Update (Tuesday, 7pm): from the Mohawk: "Ghosthustler and the Party could not make it down and had to cancel." The Mohawk’s Tuesday Residency rolls on tonight. This week, recent Band Slam victims Ghosthustler provide the regulars with bumping dance beats and thumping electro-clash. The Denton act recently released a video for “Parking Lot Nights” directed by Pete Ohs. Check it out on YouTube. The Party featuring DJs $elect and Sober gets the shindig going at......

Heavy Metal -- the phrase has been used in various connotations since Black Sabbath (arguably) generated the first metal ‘sound’ back in the late 60’s. Ever since, the genre has fluctuated between differing standards and floated through a number of decades. Be it radio friendly acts such as Godsmack, the thinking man’s Tool, the stoner riffs of Fu Manchu, or local flavor in the form of The Sword, the current state of metal crosses many......

ACL Previews Interview: Midlake Interview: The National Preview: The Wonderful Harmonizers, Loretta Williams Gurnell Preview: JJ Grey & Mofro and Charlie Musselwhite Preview: Young Love and the Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker ACL Band Clash, Round 1: Spoon Vs. Queens Of The Stone Age Snapshots Lollapalooza 2007 Snapshots: Summer Extrav-O-Ganza 2 Weekly Features The Argyle Academy New Release Tuesday: Art in Manila, Flight of the Conchords & Marissa Nadler Feature Review: Okkervil River's The Stage Names......

Welcome to the latest edition of Band Slam!, wherein I navigate the murky waters of Austin's club listings for the best and worst band names playing this week. The only rule: I can't know anything about the actual band, thus limiting my critique strictly to the band's chosen moniker. Cum on, feel the noise! Comanche Abortion - Snake Eyes Vinyl, 08/09 Oof. Who knows what kind of nightmare gave birth to this one (yuk......

Welcome to the latest edition of Band Slam!, wherein I navigate the murky waters of Austin's club listings for the best and worst band names playing this week. The only rule: I can't know anything about the actual band, thus limiting my critique strictly to the band's chosen moniker. Let's get it on! MVSCLZ - Mohawk, 8/02 Not many people turning "V"s in "U"s these days--I guess it was more of a Roman thing.......

What’s in a name? (I think Abraham Lincoln said that.) The answer is, not much, especially if your band sucks, which it probably does. (I said that.) Still, picking a good band name from the rapidly dwindling supply of word combinations available can be a tricky business, fraught with dead ends, desperation, and 31 flavors of WTF?. Therefore, I’m inaugurating a monthly edition of Hots On called, mmhmm, Band Slam!, wherein I attempt to......