Results tagged “brighteyes”

After churning out three full-lengths as well as a rarities record and a live album in three years (and many other releases prior to 2005) as Bright Eyes, the talented (and oft-maligned) Conor Oberst utilizes his given name for his latest effort. The prolific Nebraskan helped create the legend of Saddle Creek Records in the '90s, and he co-founded Team Love in 2005, providing an outlet for the likes of Tilly and the Wall. His new self-titled album, however, was released on Merge Records this past August. The musicians that supported Oberst’s wistful ditties during the recording process in Mexico eventually came to be known as the Mystic Valley Band, and based on memories of their performance at this year’s ACL Fest and the ensuing aftershow, Stubb’s could witness a very special night of music on Friday. So come on down to Stubb’s, enjoy a tasty dinner, and warm yourself up with Oberst’s earnest tales -- doors are set to open at 7 p.m; The Felice Brothers and Rig 1 get things rolling.

Deer Tick, or John McCauley, has fast made name for himself with a series of self-released records as well as 2007’s War Elephant on Jana Hunter’s Feow! Records. McCauley was raised in Providence, Rhode Island where he decided on a career in music at an early age, recording and even touring by the time he was in high school. McCauley’s voice demands attention, his songwriting shines through, and his work falls somewhere between Bright Eyes and Wilco. And he turned 21 last year. We caught up with McCauley recently to understand what exactly makes Deer Tick tick.

The speed of light is just under 300,000 km/s. It takes about 8 seconds for the sun’s light to reach us on earth, and that’s about how long it should take you to find Lightspeed Champion (aka Dev Hynes) completely charming. After his days in the short-lived, dance-core group Test Icicles, Hynes began this folked-out, playful, indie-pop project. His debut full-length, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge, comes out February 5th, and it’s full of players that provide the perfect accent to his earnest twang and sweetly-sung melodies. For the album, the American-born, U.K.-raised Hynes struck out for Omaha and decided to enlist Mike Mogis as producer to add that Saddle Creek sound. It was here that he found his additional players for the record in Mogis, Nate Walcott, Clark Baechle from the Faint, as well as members of Cursive and Tilly And The Wall. He keeps good company, even on tour. He’s been out with Bright Eyes, Final Fantasy and Patrick Wolf. While touring, Hynes enlists a rotating cast of accompanying musicians pulled from a list of his musician friends.

The 6th annual Indie Music Video Festival rolls into town tonight at the downtown Alamo Drafthouse.

Image from MySpaceMICE AND RIFLES What’s the Deal: It’s impossible to hear a band name like this one from this Austin sextet and not be curious enough to give it a listen. If you do, you’ll find an alt. country group making the most of pedal steel, acoustic guitar and a singer with a unique and brawny voice. The group may have a classic country sound found in between the twang and Great Depression subject...

Zookeeper Becoming All Things (Belle City Pop) Chris Simpson (formerly Gloria Record, Mineral), has completed his first full-length under the moniker Zookeeper, and old pal Brian Malone has released it on his Belle City Pop record label. The album careens between honky tonk dissonance and dissolving harmony ("Trumpets" sounds like the closing tune in your favorite dive bar) against whimsical banjo, organ and horns. Simpson's voice plays well with the Wilco-ish (Being There era)...

The Good Life Help Wanted Nights (Saddle Creek) The Good Life’s Tim Kasher, also of Cursive, is one of the most prolific and consistent romantic anti-heroes of modern indie rock. He’s released many albums under both titles as well as contributing to his peers’ projects like Rilo Kiley and Bright Eyes (the singer of which got his start playing with Kasher in Commander Venus), and while much of his music is built on heart aching...

aGLIFF Aferparty Preview Midnight Opening Night Party featuring special guest Rev. Troy Perry, founder of MCC and star of the opening night film, Call Me Troy Friday, September 28th @ Austin City Hall 9pm-Midnight Centerpiece Film Afterparty Saturday, September 29 @ Club de Ville 10pm Art Party Thursday, October 4 @ Arthouse 10pm-Midnight Closing Night Party Saturday, October 6 @ AMoA Downtown 10pm-Midnight The annual Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) is...

THURSDAY [10] music • Learning Secrets with Ramesh (Voxtrot), Ben Craven + Co at Whisky Bar music • Rock of Ages Cover Show with Preserve the Sound (50s), Consider the Source (60s), Seaflea (70s), Promisebreakers (80s), Say Hello to the Angels (90s) at Emo's music • The Postmarks, Shuttle Debris, Raleign at Stubb's music • Future Clouds & Radar at Waterloo Records (5pm, Free) music • Moonhangers, Love Gone Cold, Salvia Family Band, Shot Gun...

MONDAY [7] books • Caro Soles and Anthony Bidulka read from their latest works at BookWoman (7:00pm) comedy • Funniest Person in Austin Contest, hosted by 1986 Winner Kerry Awn at Cap City Comedy Club film • "Strangers on a Train" with Farley Granger live at Alamo Downtown film • Music Mondays: "We Were Never Here" at Alamo Downtown food • Central Market Cooking Class: Picnic Food with Amuse Bouche at Central Market Cooking...

In Austin, all the malt shops, arcades, bowling allies, drive-ins and wherever else the hip kids hang out these days will be empty May 13th. Instead, they’ll all be gathered at Bass Concert Hall with their hearts in hand ready to give them freely to Bright Eyes indie folk heartthrob Conor Oberst. He’s now become a coveted American musical icon, and thanks in part to the media, we have watched him mature through breakups...

Shearwater Palo Santo Remastered, Expanded (Matador) The release of Palo Santo in 2006 marked Jonathan Meiburg's emergence from the shadow of the 'O' into full light. The songs are dense, revealing themselves slowly and carefully amidst moments of reflective sincerity and emotional cacophony with equal precision. Shearwater's sound is difficult to pin down, but the songs are always centered around Meiburg's unfaltering voice, a dark but lilting instrument that narrows the gap between fragility...

Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) just celebrated his 21st birthday by headlining a sold-out 2,000 seat theatre in London. If that's not precocious enough for you, he also has three UK Top 40 singles and made almost all of the major British magazines' Top 100 albums of '06 lists. The emotive and earnest vocals Duckworth employs are a touch emo, often political, and quite radio-friendly, which has earned him comparisons to...

Arcade Fire Neon Bible (Merge) Unless you live under a rock, you're well aware that Neon Bible's official release date is today. As expected, the web is ablaze with commentary and reflection on the band's sophomore effort, and for the most part, it's been a lot of good news. A relief, considering the album's reference to the John Kennedy Toole novel of the same name. The book is a sort of exercise in temporal...

Jesu Conqueror (Hydra Head) J.K. Broadrick's past with Napalm Death and Godflesh might have those anxious for Conqueror baffled -- the dense ambient fog and softly managed vocal work might come as a shock. That being said, the album is undeniably heavy, chugging, distorted and dark. The marriage between the agonizingly paced guitars and the sheer depth of their tone in "Bright Eyes" can overpower the sensitively harmonized vocals and synths. As bands like...

Here's what's new this week: The Walkmen Pussy Cats Starring the Walkmen (Record Collection) When John Lennon and Yoko Ono took a break in 1974, the former jumped into the studio with pals Ringo Star, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson (among others) to produce Pussy Cats, a fascinating mix of classic tunes and originals arranged primarily by Nilsson and Lennon. Misunderstood and bizarre, Pussy Cats is the ultimate buddy album for music geeks with...

As we walked into Hyde Park Theatre for a chick & a dude productions' production of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things – a dark, pseudo-intellectual piece about destructive relationships – we were immediately overwhelmed by the unfortunate set. Brightly colored walls adorned with a few haphazard, meaningless “shapes” (get it – like The “Shape” of Things). Oh shit, we thought. Sadly, this first observation would come to encapsulate the bulk of our experience...

While scores of wonderful albums from already well-established indie acts like Broken Social Scene, Of Montreal and The Decemberists were all but predestined for greatness this year, others seemed to appear from nowhere. Case in point: Sup Pop phenoms Wolf Parade, emerging from Montreal with a series of cameos in various compilation albums that left American fans in a rabid frenzy before finally dazzling us with their debut LP, Apologies to the Queen Mary;...

The Unbearables are the kind of band you just want to like. Their members are shaggy and goofy, like characters from a Hannah Barbara cartoon. Their songs make you bop your head and tap your toes. They've just returned from a tour, and took some time out before their show tonight at Trophy's to answer some questions about their music, the tour, and guys dressed up in bear suits. Read the interview after the...

FRIDAY [food] The Oasis? Burned down. But now re-opened! (Partially!) [culture] Ballet Under the Stars, 8:30pm @ Zilker Hillside Theater - Free [food] Doughnut Day, all day @ Krispy Kreme (go get a free doughnut) [music] The Deathray Davies, 8pm @ Emo's SATURDAY [film] "Freaks and Geeks" Marathon, 12pm @ Alamo Drafthouse Downtown - $30 [parade] Austin Pride Parade, 8pm on Congress Avenue [culture] Ballet Under the Stars, 8:30pm @ Zilker Hillside Theater -...

Wake up. Go to work. Go to bar. Go to rock show. Go to sleep. Repeat. If this is beginning to sound like your life, too, we encourage you to break the mold this weekend. Skip Bright Eyes on Saturday and head to Emo’s instead for a night of comedy and music with Eugene Mirman, Andy Blitz and Langhorne Slim. We have been fans of Mirman (who has opened for The Shins and toured...

Two great shows coming to town this weekend: Check out Bright Eyes, The Faint, and openers Airborn Audio on Saturday night at Stubb's. We were there for the start of Bright Eyes' Digital Ash in a Digital Urn tour at Coachella last month, which featured a pretty nifty multimedia setup synchronized to the synthesized beats. Our friend was mildly dismayed by Conor Oberst's attempt to assemble a massive ensemble - from the far end...

We are big fans of the HBO show, Deadwood. We cannot help but talk about it here, because one of the frontmen of the band we just interviewed is one of the stars of the show. His name is John Hawkes. He plays Sol Star, the business partner of Seth Bullock, and the only Jew in Deadwood. The thing about Deadwood is, it really pushes the boundaries of what we normally think of as...

By the second day we were veteran navigators of Empire Polo Field, site of the Coachella Music Festival. Today started off with Los Angeles-based Autolux, currently out on tour with the Secret Machines. Noise-pop isn't our cup of tea, but clearly it was for many others as they managed to pack the massive Mojave Tent and have people crowding around the various openings. They were followed by the UK's Kasabian, now enjoying freakishly enthusiastic acclaim...

It's the night before Austinist embarks on our Spring Road Trip to the Coachella Music Festival in the California desert, and we've all but finalized our itinerary and list of distractions to keep our eyes off the road. Here's what we're taking along for the ride out and back: All those recent copies of New Yorker, The Nation, The Believer, Harper's, Saveur, Paste, and maybe even the piles of SXSW schwag that have been...

At the end of every April, poised at the cusp of Spring and with thermostats slowly creeping towards that inexorable century mark, something extraordinary takes place in the midst of the vast California desert: tens of thousands of hardcore music devotees traverse vast distances - be it by train, plane, automobile, or bicycles, even - to arrive at an annual indie music celebration unlike any other in North America. They call it Coachella....