Two days after SXSW kicks off and our city becomes a living, breathing conglomeration of people from all walks of life, Austinist presents Local Music is Sexy at the PureVolume Ranch. Past Local Music is Sexy events have showcased acts such as The Black Angels, Brothers and Sisters, The Lemurs, The Corto Maltese, Black Before Red, and IV Thieves to name a few. Last year, we remember dancing the night away to Car Stereo (Wars)’ mad mash-ups, drinking free Red Bull (among other things), and having a go at the sweet Wii set up in that little lounge at the location. All in all, an excellent time....

Emo’s, as always, powers our evenings with a good amount of solid shows this weekend. Zookeeper and Zykos bring heartfelt indie-rock to the outside stage on Friday while Ume and Haunting Oboe Music take on the inside crowd with belligerent, experimental rock n’ roll....

On Wednesday at the Salvage Vanguard theatre, a character named Ethan Master of the Hawaiian Ukulele stripped down to his bathing suit, donned a hat and colorful lei, and then stood on his amp to proclaim, via song, “I heard noise-pop is in.” You know Ethan, you might be right. And leading the fray are none other than our own Peel, a magnanimously kick-ass band whose bits of unbridled feedback and synthesizer explosions are balanced with a collective appreciation for the types of melodies that make ears smile. With some out-of-town friends, Peel will play The Mohawk this Sunday as a fitting end to a great week of music. ...

Because we're all hoping they'll finally find their audience (aside from our moms) and land a record deal, The Black Crowes have announced their 2008 tour, which includes a stop at SXSW 2008. They will headline at Stubb's, no less. Keep your fingers crossed for them, folks. In other news, we've received word on a handful of local bands that have been accepted by SXSW, including (but not limited to) The Lemurs, Peel, Weird Weeds, Car Stereo (Wars) and almost local rapper Bun B of UGK (Houston). We'll be updating with local additions as often as we can, so stay tuned!...

Free Week hits its stride on Saturday with three separate shows at Emo’s Lounge, Emo’s inside stage, and the outside stage as well. ...

SXSW has announced via official mailing that there are a few bands confirmed for the festival aside from those we've mentioned already: R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Daniel Lanois, The Black Keys, The Kills, My Brightest Diamond, Pato Banton, Vampire Weekend, Joe Lean + The Jing Jang Jong, Jens Lekman, Sia, $olal, Tech N9ne, and Mala Rodriguez have received the official nod. A couple of those names will look familiar to those of you following our ongoing coverage, but the big names are news to us as well. ...

Chris Rose, or Car Stereo (Wars), will ensure 2008 kicks off right, with a barrage of dance floor ready material that includes a fair share of samples and mash-ups, no doubt. Happy New Year!...

Spider House and the United States Art Authority, along with yours truly, want to keep you away from downtown this New Year’s Eve. Sure the shenanigans on 6th St. is always stirring but keeping within the cozy confines of the campus area is arguably safer and largely less expensive. Spider House hosts a solid line-up of DJ’s with a couple of live acts thrown in for good measure. Doors are at 8 p.m. and the $12 tickets can be purchased in advance via Front Gate Tickets....

Photo by Nash Cook Care Stereo (Wars) and Strut Boutique present The Strut Christmas PartyFriday, December 7The Mohawk (912 Red River)$8, doors at 9 pm[info] What do you get when you mix together Austin’s next big band, next sizzling DJ and next hot boutique? Tonight’s wicked Christmas party unwittingly plucked from Andy Langer’s dreams. Join Strut Boutique and Car Stereo (Wars) for Mohawk merriment with White Denim, the Corto Maltese and the Carrots. Headliner White......

Image from Clap!Clap!’s MySpace Clap!Clap! final showSaturday, December 8Emos (603 Red River St)$5 | Doors 8 p.m. | Outside[info]Local act Clap!Clap! has furnished enough dance parties around town with their brand of energetic electro-pop to command endearment and respect alike. However, last month they surprised a good amount of us with news of their demise. Needless to say we were fairly intrigued about the reasons for this culmination and also their plans for the future.......

Image provided by Soundcheck MagazineWhile attending the University of Texas at Austin, one faces a constant barrage of “the weekend starts on Thursday” type advertisements. Although largely for exposure of Thursday night drink specials at bars on 6th Street, the intrinsic appeal of that statement bleeds through on days like these. Kick off your weekend early (and gently) with Swedish singer-songwriter José González at The Parish or dance away at the Electric Six show at......

Image from Team Fabrication’s MySpace Emo’s is just one of the places you could be this Friday evening. Local experimental act, The Octopus Project released their latest full-length, Hello, Avalance on Peek-A-Boo Records last month and will be providing nuggets of electronic mayhem from the new album and past releases, no doubt. Cue and Horse+Donkey round off this bill of unique Austin acts on the outside stage. Inside at Emo’s, Those Peabodys will be on......

Flyer from BGirl City Championships Home Slice Pizza celebrates its second anniversary (happy birthday, guys!) with a giant Pizza Carnival—expect pizza tossing acrobats, pizza eating contests, "Great Calzoni the Slice Reader," and more, with proceeds going to benefit Young Texans Against Cancer The 6th annual East Austin Studio Tour returns, featuring more than 200 artists at over 100 studios—ride your bikes this year! VICE Magazine, Gomikitti, and Scion throw a killer free party at Antone's......

Photo of Diplo courtesy Annie RayFun Fun Fun Fest lived up to its name in spades last weekend, showcasing local and not-so local bands of all genres on three stages in two short days. Day two was a waiting game of sorts for a lot of festival-goers, and judging by the crowd at Mohawk the night before, many people had only had a taste of Murder City Devils, and were craving more. Stage three was......

Photo by Nash Cook on FlickrFun Fun Fun Fest lived up to its name in spades last weekend, showcasing local and not-so local bands of all genres on three stages in two short days. Day 2 was teeming with talent and intrigue as local acts like I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Riverboat Gamblers, Car Stereo (Wars) and Moth!Fight! did their thing, laying the groundwork for an out of town lineup any festival would......

Photo from Clap!Clap! Clap!Clap! with Silver Pines, The Word AssociationFriday, December 7Lucys on the Square (141 E. Hopkins)$5, 9pm[info] Clap!Clap! with The Always Already, Prayer For Animals, Haunting Oboe Music, Car Stereo (Wars), and DJs from Team FabricationSaturday, December 8Emos (603 Red River St)$5, 9pm[info]San Marcos/Austin's indie pop team, Clap!Clap!, today announced that the group has gone the way of Sound Team, and will be disbanding before the end of the year: From the band:......

As promised, here's the schedule of set times for this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest, sponsored in part by Austinist.com. Fun Fun Fun Fest: [official] [myspace] [tickets] Update: Download this as a pdf Saturday, November 3rd Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 12:30 PM 12:45 PM The Lemurs(12:50-1:20) Down To Nothing(12:40-1:10) 1:00 PM Djs Manny and Bigface(1-2) 1:15 PM Iron Age(1:10-1:40) 1:30 PM Zykos(1:25-1:55) 1:45 PM Viva Hate(1:45-2:15) 2:00 PM Brothers and Sisters(2-2:30) 2:15 PM......

In less than two days, we'll be hosting our big annual pre-ACL party, Local Music is Sexy IV, Thursday night's soiree will feature Austinites The Lemurs, The Corto Maltese, and Brazos on the outside main stage, with DJs Car Stereo (Wars), Ceeplus Bad Knives*, and Markus with a K supplying dance-party jams inside alongside Magic Surprise. We're also thrilled to be bringing in Seattle indie rockers Say Hi To Your Mom* as our headliners. What's......

On the eve of ACL Fest, we're gonna turn off our laptops, put on our drinking shoes, and head over to the Mohawk, because Austinist is hosting Local Music is Sexy IV. An annual tradition since its inception in 2005 (back when the 'hawk was the Velvet Spade, and folks were still arguing over the smoking ban), Local Music is Sexy showcases a bunch of promising young Austin bands and DJs that we're most excited......

What a difference a year makes—certainly in the case of this fledgling music festival. Last December's inaugural Fun Fun Fun Fest featured over two dozen bands and DJs, and showcased a good variety of indie rock, punk, and electronic music. This year, they've grown even bigger, better, and bolder: the second annual installment will span two days and has been pushed ahead by a month, to November 3rd and 4th. Staying true to their......

*The views expressed in The Laurie Show are those of the author and do not represent Austinist as a whole.* -ed. note Hello again, music lover! The Laurie Show on KUT 90.5 will be in full swing tonight, featuring great music by local (and formally local) artists whose CDs I now have in my grimy paws. Glee! Plus, I can guarantee you that once again, your live music calendar is going to be rather......

What's that, you say? DJs don't release albums? Uh, have you ever heard of Girl Talk? The DJ Kicks series? The prolific DJ Shadow? It happens. A lot. And tomorrow night, it's happening at Beauty Bar: Austin's Car Stereo (Wars) will release its first ever LP, The Bandit, to the accompanying sounds of cacophonous rockers White Denim, found-sounds rockers Single Frame, and guest DJ sets by Team Fabrication, Josh Mills (of Clap! Clap!), and Terry......

Five local personalities get together to tell The Sickest F***ing Stories I Ever Heard over a game of Texas Hold 'Em 101x hosts a Guitar Hero happy hour at Stubb's Car Stereo (Wars) celebrate the release of their first album, The Bandit—think Burt Reynolds circa 1977—at Beauty Bar, with a little help from Single Frame, White Denim, and NYC DJs Finger on the Pulse Peter Bean, founder of BurntOrangeNation.com, and Chip Brown, a sportswriter......

Single Frame has been creating eclectic electro-pop for a good number of years now. The band formed in 2000 in Austin and early recordings included a first full-length, Wetheads Come Running, and the Burn Radio Airtest EP released under their original moniker Single Frame Ashtray. Now veterans of two additional records, Single Frame distinguishes itself with eccentric pop that utilizes a variety of jingles, be it the simply synth outputs or unusual sounds obtained from......

FRIDAY [1] party • Rare Magazine Summer Issue Launch Party at Mean Eyed Cat (5:30pm) bikes • Republic of Texas Biker Rally at All Over Austin dance/benefit • Project Transitions Hosts 12th Annual Texas Swing at Saengerrunde Hall and Scholz’s Beer Garten ($40, 8-Midnight) art • Opening Reception: Cantanker/us, the Cantanker Magazine staff show at Else Madsen Gallery, 411 Brazos, Suite 99 (7-11pm) art • The B Scene at The Blanton Museum of Art,......

WEDNESDAY [30] booze • "Sir Chris" and "Lord Gates" from Car Stereo Wars and Learning Secrets guest bartend at The Mohawk (5-8pm) music • Locals @ La Zona Showcase Two wih AM Syndicate, The Drawing Board, Jets Under Fire at La Zona Rosa music • Hawnay Troof, Best Fwends, The Carrots at Emo's music • Pompeii, Ryan Lindsey, Gazelles, The Heirs at Emo's music • Tribute to Sublime with Badfish, Indofin, Under the Gun at......

Austin's mashup wizards Car Stereo (Wars), having taken a hiatus after their hugely successful SXSW showcase, return tomorrow night with a special Austinist-sponsored party at the Beauty Bar. Opener Gabe Vaughn, aka Second Line Social, will spin NOLA-influenced jams ranging from soul to R&B, with a little funk thrown in for good measure. Come early to get your free portraits taken by Courtney Chavanell (Brothers & Sisters) and check out nifty projections from the very......

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......