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 ›

Our sometimes-sister city San Antonio often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to music coverage, but it’s recently shown signs of life. Backbeat Magazine was founded to rectify this oversight, highlighting an emerging scene that’s making a stand in the Alamo City, a la William B. Travis et al. Now, Backbeat’s spreading their reach up I-35 with an ATX office that’s making a big summer splash this weekend with a massive block party on 7th Street. more ›

This Tuesday, KR hosts a unique block party of sorts down on Seventh Street. Head over to Beauty Bar for THE ZOO, an afterparty for the Chromeo show (at Stubb’s) featuring the hilariously named Sammy Bananas, along with locals Hoodie Allen and Prepmode. You can get into this dance-a-thon for $3 with a Stubb’s wristband, or $5 if you plan to skip the Chromeo show. Or you can go for free with your ticket stub from the Questlove DJ Set right next door at Red 7. You may not be able to pry your way into his band’s ACL taping, but that’s no reason to completely miss out on some Roots action this evening. more ›

Local entity Pure Grease is hosting a massive two-stage shindig this Friday at Beauty Bar to officially celebrate the launch of its website. The company has actually been around for three years now -- Jeremy Murray and David Bean founded Pure Grease as a screen printing “side project” back in 2007. Initially, they were focused on providing shirts and posters for their friends’ bands. Over the years, consistently positive feedback regarding their impressive products has led to a seamless expansion of the business. more ›

Beauty Bar celebrates its Fourth Anniversary, along with Cinco de Mayo, tonight starting at 9 p.m.; DJ Mel, Downtown Rulers Club, Este Vato, and DJ Chorizo Fun provide the entertainment. more ›

We caught up with Rose this past Tuesday to learn more about his time in Brooklyn and find out which artists have the honor of being sampled on Explains It All. more ›

This year is no different: Timmy Hefner has curated what is undoubtedly the strongest lineup to date, and has also expanded the event to include more venues than ever before. Beginning May 27 and going until the 30th, Chaos in Tejas will blister Red River with the wide range of styles punk and hardcore fans have come to know and love. more ›

Earlier this month, Beauty Bar disclosed the details on its most recent endeavor, Beauty Bar Vodka. Made in the Netherlands, the spirit will be available at all BB locations, including the beloved hotspot on River River and Seventh Street in Austin. But it’s not all about having a good time on the dance floor, or raking in the dollars for that matter. According to BB Austin co-owner Bart Butler, “It’s an attempt at an ongoing charity effort rather than a ploy to make money.” The club is hosting a Launch Party tonight from 7 to 10 p.m. to get the word out about the cause and offer its patrons an opportunity to sample the new product. A dollar from every Beauty Bar Vodka drink purchased in 2010 at the various locations will go towards Bright Pink, a non-profit that raises breast and ovarian cancer awareness. DJ Tweedy will be on hand this evening to spin retro classics galore, and gift certificates and products donated by a whole slow of local entities will be raffled off as well. more ›

It may be a slightly obtuse choice to put a band known for their honest approach and disdain for disingenuous musical behavior in a venue with such a superficial handle as Beauty Bar, but who knows, maybe they’re being ironic. Either way, they’re going to be there Saturday night. The trio does seem to have a pretty healthy sense of humor. Future of the left, a Welsh rock group crossing the streams of punk, noise, pop and alternative, are touring in support of their sophomore album, Travels with Myself and Another, which emerged in late June. The release was met with favorable reviews in the U.S. as well as across the pond, where they have been favorites of NME since the single at least the release of the single “Manchasm”. The band, formed from the ashes of Mclusky and Jarcrew, joins the ranks of 4AD with Travels being their first full-length, with the exception of a live record, for the label which already hosts bands like Bon Iver, The National and St. Vincent. more ›

The Clouds are Ghosts celebrate the release of their self-titled debut full-length tonight at Beauty Bar. The local outfit harvests textured atmospheres, imagined on soothing electro backdrops, sustained by Jason Morris’ delicate voice, and decorated with enchanting embellishments from choice instruments such as the piano, violin, and organ. We caught up with the band this week to check up on their background, influences, and recording process. more ›

For all of us who like to run with scissors, the impending arrival of The WonderCraft is exciting enough to make us put down our glue guns and celebrate. The WonderCraft will host craft classes through out Austin at various locations including cafes, stores, and community centers. On Friday, The WonderCraft is celebrating their launch with The All Austin All Handmade Bash at the Beauty Bar. Proceeds from the $2 cover go to Austin Dog Rescue and the first 100 guests will get a tote filled with goodies from Sublime Stitching, The WonderCraft, Funky Finds, Aldea, and others. more ›

Brooklyn's Pterodactyl play frenetic, razor-sharp fuzz rock, sounding something like Unwound or maybe even Feels-era Animal Collective played at 45 instead of 33. Their latest record, Worldwild is out now on Jagjaguwar, and features Joe and Matt, Zach (Ex Models, Knyfe Hyts, the Seconds), and Jesse (Twin Powers, When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth). more ›

Neiliyo is pretty hard to ignore when rapping along to hyper electronic dance beats while rockin' some Ray Bans, fratty attire and boat shoes sans socks. His popularity, charm and mastery of the mix table have landed him in the semi-finals for the Last Band Standing Contest. He's just an arm's reach away from the grand prize, a slot at Lollapalooza in August. Voting ends today for the semi-finals and the top two bands compete at the final event in Chicago. more ›

A couple of Texas’ finest homegrown talents vie for your time on Saturday evening. Take your pick from The Eastern Sea’s easy-on-the-ears indie-rock will be showcased at Stubb’s (Inside) while Ben Kweller will bring his country tinged pop songs to Emo’s (Outside). Get your tickets here for the Stubb’s show which also features sets by Danny Malone and Jude/Ross. Meanwhile, Jones Street Station and Murdocks open for Kweller at Emo’s -- tickets can be purchased here. more ›

Produced by Neil Diaz and NCD Resources, the show will feature apparel from local Austin designers and boutiques, including Loves, Mariessa, Pink Salon and Gallery, Renee Geneava, Ryan Nicole Vintage, Soigné, Team Fabrication, Tripp, and GAT5. Models will be strutting to music by all-girl band Tribella and DJ Prep Mode, while guests enjoy sno-cones from Frosty Slim, live screenprinting by Twin Villain, and various installations from local artists. more ›

Keep checking our big post with SXSW related party information regularly for updates. more ›

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears released their self-titled EP last month and thanks to the fine folks at C3 Presents, we’re giving away four copies of the brand new 10" vinyl. Check out our interview with Lewis and Zach Ernst at Fun Fest 2008 above, enter for your chance to pick up a free 10" below, then head on over to the Beauty Bar on Thursday for the official release party and enjoy live renditions of the band’s irresistible, intoxicating blues-soul-funk concoctions. more ›

This is one of those weekends when Austinites are truly spoiled with choices in terms of picking that perfect show to attend -- keep checking the site for our previews of choice concerts in town -- there are a few additional events that the Austinist Weekend Music Preview just cannot ignore. more ›

Scion’s free-with-RSVP events have fast become a mainstay of Austin’s nightlife. A DJ set by The Juan MacLean (a.k.a. John MacLean) is the feature attraction at this Thursday’s shindig at Beauty Bar. MacLean was a founding member of Six Finger Satellite -- (future DFA Records co-founder) James Murphy joined the team in the late 90’s to produce the band’s Law of Ruins album. After the initial demise of Six Finger Satellite, MacLean took some time off for personal development. He was eventually coaxed back into music by Murphy; MacLean’s debut solo album Less Than Human arrived in 2005. (Last year, Six Finger Satellite announced plans to reunite, sans MacLean.) more ›

The 2008 Fun Fun Fun Fest kicks off tomorrow at Waterloo Park and we hope you’ve been enjoying our artist profiles and interviews. The revelry actually starts tonight! First up, our esteemed music editor Paige Maguire leads a fantastic team of panelists for After The Jump: Following Bloggers Into Mainstream Media, presented by Austin CVB and Transmission Entertainment at Club de Ville on Friday at 7 p.m. Immediately following that, The Mohawk is the place to be for our very own Local Music Is Sexy bash. This year, Brothers and Sisters, The Lovely Sparrows, Leatherbag, and The Eastern Sea do our city proud on the outside stage before Foot Patrol (also from Austin) and a special guest move the party inside at midnight. Club de Ville hosts the soul samplings of the Waxploitation DJs after the aforementioned panel. On Saturday, finish up your day of unending live music with White Denim for a special Exposion release gig at The Mohawk. more ›

With students filtering back into town daily and requiring an essential time-out before they get down and dirty with their studies, Beauty Bar obliges with a special edition of their weekly Monday Night Alright! series tonight. more ›

More than fifteen years into their career, Stereolab have released their first true pop album, Chemical Chords, which all but throws out the art house once and for all and high-tails it for the house party. The London band are textbook example of 90s critical darlings who have evaded huge mainstream success but still managed to spawn millions of (similarly Moog-endowed) pretenders, most of whom lack the whimsy and experimental chops that have marked the band as happily unconventional since their first appearance in 1991 with the Super 45 EP. more ›

San Antonio churns out its fair share of quality bands and Ledaswan are the latest to emerge from our neighboring city. The five-piece self recorded and produced their latest EP Verse of Truth Trash and Beauty last year and it was officially released earlier this year. A full-length can be expected later this year or in early 2009 according to lead vocalist Erica Guiterrez. (Ledaswan released their debut EP How to Rearrange the World in 7 Days in 2006.) The San Antonio Current was impressed enough to bestow multiple awards upon the band in March. Guiterrez’ voice is often mesmerizing and occasionally sugary sweet; “Closure” and “357” are poignant, soothing ditties while the band’s penchant for melody is apparent in songs like “The New '60s” and “Where Birds Go.” And they do pop-errific cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On” -- stream it via their MySpace page. more ›

A weekend night at Beauty Bar is never without dance floor mayhem; the unending beats are usually provided either by a top notch DJ or an exhilarating electro-pop act. more ›

Japanese outfit Boris derives its name from the opening track on the 1991 Melvins record Bullhead and much of its down-tempo drone-rock shares a musical border with the legendary Washington area act. Boris has released a number of stellar records since forming in the 90’s; their full-length studio album count per our math currently stands at 14. Their debut, Absolutego, originally consisted of one 60 minute title-track, but the U. S. release by Southern Lord Records a few years later featured an even longer version of Absolutego and included a bonus song. Highly experimental, extremely sludgy, sometimes psychedelic, and full of scorching riffs, the band has walked the fine line between different genres over the course of its career and employed an array of noise generating devices over time, resulting in a sometimes deranged, often convoluted sound that could be the soundtrack to many a scary movie or just your everyday angst. We are licking are chops already in anticipation of a belligerent performance this Saturday at The Mohawk. Torche and Clouds open with their respective brands of raucous rock. (Buy your tickets here.) more ›

Sure, there’s a dance party almost every weekend at Beauty Bar, but this Saturday’s line-up is something special. A trio of Texas based turntablists -- DJ Jester The Filipino Fist, Ernest Gonzales, and Bad Knives Dead Art (formerly known as Ceeplus Bad Knives and a.k.a Eric Castillo) should keep you on the dance floor all night long. We witnessed DJ Jester in all his glory a couple of months ago at The Mohawk and we can attest that a wide variety of genres and grooves can be expected. (Read our recent interview with DJ Jester here -- the Boca Burger Mobile story never gets old!) Gonzales has been lighting up San Antonio’s night life with his invigorating remixes and has also put out various releases, some under the Theory of Everything moniker although 2007’s While on Saturn’s Rings record was released under his given name, and demonstrated his versatility as a musician and producer. As for Castillo, he has been putting on cutting edge dance events in Houston, and has supplied the beats at past Austinist events to boot. Per the Bad Knives MySpace page, “Currently Cee's sought after, open minded dj sets involve creatively mixing, live editing, re-mixing, scratching and blending the diverse sounds of underground disco not disco, electro, indie rock, pop, fun hiphop, punk-post punk, no wave, rare groove funk/soul, and more.” Phew! Time to Get Busy then. more ›

Though DJ Mel is primarily known for his legendary Rock the Casbah parties at the Parish, he's been bringing a little debauchery to the Beauty Bar with his SWOLL parties. SWOLL sets are focused on the higher end of the BPM range, mixing Miami Bass, Baltimore club and "anything fast". Last weekend's event including DJ Klever, Cosmo Baker looks like it was a really good time. more ›

After celebrating its four year anniversary in January, the regular dance party in town known as Learning Secrets presents its latest edition this weekend. Originally started by DJ and promoter Ian Orth during his stint at the Rutgers’ college radio station 88.7 FM WRSU (where he booked acts such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Rapture for events on campus), Learning Secrets has evolved from a weekly shindig at the Whisky Bar on 5th St. into a conglomeration of sorts. Orth is working to expand the party into an entity -- “The biggest change and step forward has been turning Learning Secrets into a boutique PR firm with my best friend Jeramy Neugent who recently moved back to Austin from L.A. where he was the tour publicist for everybody from Animal Collective to Marissa Nadler to Federico Aubele to Fela Kuti. Our platform is to work with the music we love and firmly believe can make some sort of positive cultural impact on our society, and get those bands the exposure they deserve.” more ›

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. more ›

Photos courtesy Nash Cook more ›