Hanly Banks, filmmaker and photographer and chroincler of a fake hand's journey across the world is working on a documentary about Bill Callahan entitled Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film. The description on the project's Kickstarter page reads that it is a "concert film/tour documentary/psychedelic thingamajig with musician Bill Callahan and his band. It is a collection of performances and a cross-section of scenes from the road on the U.S. leg of the apocalypse tour. More than that, it is a rare glimpse into the tour van windows of an important American songwriter." Hanly is hoping to raise 5,000 dollars in funds to "mix and master the sound and color" so that Apocalypse can have a spring debut. For one hundred dollars, you get a digital download of the film, a mix cd made by Callahan, and a photo of him holding a photo of you. more ›

Poverty—it’s a scourge that has stuck with the wealthiest nation in the world even as LBJ battled it and President Obama tries to come to grips with its alarming rise. It’s a heady subject, but even locally, we can all do our small part. That’s where RESULTS Austin—part of a national organization aimed at eradicating poverty in America—comes in. They’re giving us an extra incentive to join the fight by putting on the Poverty Over Benefit at the Mohawk tonight, a concert featuring locals Bill Callahan and Mother Falcon. more ›

First up, we mentioned that Fun Fun Fun Fest did get its hoped-for third day at Auditorium Shores. James Moody now has an announcement for those folks who bought early bird tickets for the first two days: "To all the homies who took advantage of FUN 1 early bird tickets: We're not gonna leave you hanging. You're first in line to get tickets to the third day at an exclusive discount only available to you and other FUN 1 ticketholders. FUN 2 tickets are set to go on sale next month. Stay tuned for more information coming soon." more ›

Buy Callahan's new record, Apocalypse, from Drag City. more ›

Bill Callahan will embark on a long tour following the release of his latest slow-burning and meditative folk album, Apocalypse. For the inaugural show kicking off a set of dates that stretch into the beginning of August (Dublin will be his next stop after Austin), Callahan will play the Mohawk here in his adopted hometown. more ›

Throughout his twenty-odd year musical career, Bill Callahan has cultivated an affect as flat and smooth as glass. Callahan’s songs, first released under the name Smog and, since 2005, his given name, exist at the queasy intersection of interior and exterior life, combining the lyrical romanticism of Van Morrison with William Burroughs’; dead-eyed appraisal of human interaction. It’s a remarkable juxtaposition, one that has enabled him to air out some of humanity’s dirtiest emotional laundry while still retaining a sense of lightness and wonder. more ›

Dan Bejar has been plying his trade as Destroyer since the mid-90s, and though most performers settle into a groove of stylistic redundancy and an avoidance of risk-taking, he's made a habit of shaking things up with nearly every album. And if his latest, the thoroughly outlandish/amazing Kaputt is any indication, he's a man who has sincere love for things most people would approach only ironically—who would've thought the sweet honey of 80s saxophone could sound so good? But while the yacht rock-esque sonics can be a bit shocking on first listen, all you have to do is dive into the lyrics, which, as is always the case with Bejar, prove themselves to be well worth investigating; after all, his very first album title was an allusion to Tolstoy's mention of Russian Commander Kutuzov talking about Napoleon, and he hasn't let up from there. So it goes without saying that in preparation for Destroyer's must-see show tonight at Mohawk, we had to ring Bejar up for a chat. more ›

How much cash did you save during Free Week (and drink expenses don't count!)? $5, $10, $20? Here's a thought - take all of that moola and do the right thing by donating it this Thursday. A benefit show at Mohawk with Bill Callahan and Hidden Ritual plans to give all proceeds to two great local organizations: Front Steps and SafePlace. more ›

American Short Fiction's Fall issue is their 49th and their launch party will feature a free keg of Lone Star beer - you earned it, people! Now that we've gotten past the workaday deals, lets get to the real business: universally famous for giving you the choicest words in short fiction, American Short Fiction is getting their good friends together at Domy Books on Saturday, Nov 13 for some real live readings. And by good friends, we mean musician Bill Callahan is reading from his first novel,Letters to Emma Bowlcut, contributors Mary Miller and Dalia Azim will read from their work in the issue and intelligentsia darling Timothy Willis Sanders will read from his upcoming collection, Orange Juice. more ›

Bill Callahan, the staring-into-the-void force behind Smog, has been at the forefront of the lo-fi scene since the early 90s. Although Smog’s music was highly personal and bore Callahan’s signature cold vocals and dolorous lyrics, this year’s warmly lauded Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle is only the second album released under his own name. Touching upon his on-again, off-again relationship with darkness, it not only features some of the best lyrical lines of 2009 (“I used to be sort of blind but now I can sort of see”), but more than fully justifies his movement away from lo-fi instrumentals through his most supple arrangements yet. more ›

Everyone's favorite folk poet Bill Callahan returns to us live (with support from label-mates Lights) on December 20 at St. David’s Episcopal Church. He'll be performing in support of his 2009 release on Drag City, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle. Buy tickets ($12) now. more ›

Recently, during a performance by an anonymous Austin band, someone spotted Bill Callahan in the crowd, walked straight up to him and looked into his face: "Your new album," the audience member said, pausing for emphasis, "is perfect." And so it is in regards to Callahan's second release under his own name, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle, which is so damn good it's receiving dark horse consideration for album of the year. Writing songs about the songs he wrote while sleeping, and imploring his listener, and maybe himself, to put God away, Eagle is a testament to an adult musical vision: the album is 100% free of excess, and every subtlety seems to be the product of careful consideration, or at least the spontaneous intuition of someone who's been building beautiful songs for more than a decade. more ›

Bill Callahan has announced his summer tour dates, including a final show here in Austin at the Parish on July 5. more ›

Waterloo Records has just announced a last-minute booking for an in-store performance by Austin resident Bill Callahan. Callahan is doing appearances in support of his new Drag City album Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle, which has won rave reviews from Pitchfork, Paste, The Onion, and pretty much every other music critic out there. If you decide to attend, go early, as we suspect this will be packed. Those who can't attend Callahan's gig tomorrow can still purchase tickets for his July 5th show at The Parish Room here. more ›

We are thrilled about music in Austin this May, and a big part of our excitement is thanks to the fifth installment of Chaos in Tejas, a multi-venue festival featuring the best punk and hardcore has to offer. This year's venues include Emo's, Red 7, Mohawk, Beerland, the Broken Neck and more, and the lineup is better than ever. Don't miss Propagandhi's reunion tour in support of their new release Supporting Caste, get some Amebix and Severed Heads of State action, shake to the Thermals and please (please) don't miss sets by Harvey Milk, Times New Viking and Trash Talk. Check here for the complete lineup and ticket info, but stay tuned: Austinist will be giving away tons of tickets and three day passes in May. more ›

Right away on "Jim Cain," it's hard not to notice the less angular and gritty approach on this record compared to Woke on a Whaleheart. There's a bit of ethereal mist in the air, misty horns and strings swirling about, but since this is a Bill Callahan record, things get a bit darker (and proceed that way) until the end. He's singing about dreaming and waking to an empty room, imagining a woman who may or may not be there, asking for a handbook on mental clarity and noticing the birds have nowhere to land -- everything is in the sky, a mind, a cloud. more ›

Due April 14, Callahan's latest solo effort lives up to the gentle AM Gold vibes of the cover art. Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle is delicate, gruff, manly and demure all at once. Joined by Thor Harris, Jonathan Meiburg, a handful of accompanying musicians (French horn, cello, violin, etc.) and Brian Beattie at the helm, Callahan is as stately and romantic as ever. more ›

The 2009 Texas Music calendar is available now at the Texas Music Office's web site. The calendar includes over 500 events, covering everything from the Cowhill Chili Fest and BBQ Cook-Off in Commerce to the National Polka Festival in Ennis. more ›

Following the Sword's tour diary with Metallica? Catch up. more ›

There was the unexpected acoustic Decemberists set. Then there was the sudden Spoon gig. This Sunday, The Mohawk revives this exciting tradition with a surprise show featuring Bill Callahan. Callahan first came into prominence under the Smog moniker; his collection of work from previous decades has stood the test of time while 2005's A River Ain't Too Much to Love is quite simply a masterpiece. In April of last year, Drag City released Woke on a Whaleheart; you can read our review here. more ›

Austin's Balmorhea released River's Arms last week, and kicked off their tour here in town. Their tour to support the record will follow the east coast, and land them back here in time for some SXSW gigs. Sample some of the instrumental band's lulling, hypnotic tunes c/o Western Vinyl, and check back here for a full-length review very soon. more ›

Bill Callahan video "Nothing Rises to Meet Me" more ›

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. THOR HARRIS What’s the Deal: It’s hard to resist reviewing an artist named Thor, as in super-brutal, Norse god with a head full of long locks and a giant... more ›

#17 Texas (6-2) vs. Nebraska (4-4) Time: 2:30 pm, Saturday, Oct. 27 Location: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium TV: ABC Radio: KVET (98.1 FM, 1300 AM) The Texas-Nebraska game on Saturday highlights the clash of history and reality. Historically, both are among the premier programs in college football, and the numbers prove it. The schools have combined for more than 1,600 victories, nine national championships, 90 bowl appearances, and five Heisman Trophy winners. But in... more ›

UPDATE: We called Frontgate this morning, and were informed that the tickets will indeed be general seated admission. Tickets will be $35 with a $5.50 service fee. more ›

RTX will be at Emo's tonight supporting their new album, . Led by Jennifer Herrema, RTX embodies the cream of the thrash 'em and trash 'em crop, and the latest album by the punk pioneers is one of their best yet. Herrema's old bandmate, a fella named Neil Haggerty, can be found on Bill Callahan's latest album, adding guitar and string arrangements, but her work is still just as hard as ever, blending familiar Royal Trux enthusiasm with modern sass and angst. You know you want to watch her yell her lungs raw on the stage tonight, so fill out the form below for a chance to win a pair of spots on the list. more ›

FRIDAY [25] party • The Onion's "Summer Fun Blast Blowout Extravaganza!" Party with Clap!Clap!, Crash Gallery, Devil in the Choir, DJ Rubix, Prince Klassen, and a chance to win a scooter from Scooter Revolution at Beauty Bar ($2, 9:30pm) theatre • Rubber Repertory presents A Thought in Three Parts at The Vortex (8pm) music • Emissions From the Monolith Fest at Emo's music • Voxtrot, Au Revoir Simone, The Black, Zykos at Emo's music... more ›

Bill Callahan Woke on a Whaleheart (Drag City) "Well, I could tell you about the river, or we could just get in" seems to typify Bill Callahan's mood throughout his official solo debut, Woke on a Whaleheart. The album's first track, "From the Rivers to the Ocean", introduces us to Callahan's new take on an old vibe by showcasing little pieces of everything he'll bring to full bloom as the album unfolds. As Callahan croons,... more ›

Bill Callahan Woke on a Whaleheart (Drag City) "Well, I could tell you about the river, or we could just get in" seems to typify Bill Callahan's mood throughout his official solo debut, Woke on a Whaleheart. The album's first track, "From the Rivers to the Ocean", introduces us to Callahan's new take on an old vibe by showcasing little pieces of everything he'll bring to full bloom as the album unfolds. As Callahan... more ›