The Books entertained a sold-out crowd at Central Presbyterian Church on Friday night with their eclectic mix of found footage/sounds, arranged and accompanied by an array of instruments including guitars, cello, violin, bass, and keyboard. The acoustics of the church beautifully complemented the instrumentation and lent an intimate feel to the event. Starting off with classics "I Didn't Know That" and "A Cold Freezing Night" got the crowd involved right off the bat, gradually transitioning to more serious and complicated pieces. The multiple standing ovations The Books received on Friday night captured the enthusiasm Austinites felt for the long-awaited return of this innovative group. more ›

The Books make music that serve as a cure for the common song. Using found sounds and extreme signal processing, the NYC duo explores the depths of what exactly can be used to create music. Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong formed the group back in 1999 and have since released four albums. Their latest, The Way Out, found its way in to many new listeners' hearts, no doubt thanks to the long wait (five years!) between this and their last album. Defying any true conventional musical label, The Books still manage to create truly enjoyable songs, generally with bouncing rhythms and eclectic harmonies. more ›

Photos courtesy Aasim Syed. more ›

Vic Chesnutt is currently touring in support of his latest record, At The Cut, and from this album and its tour are trailing an entourage of indie notables. Featuring Guy Picciotto of Fugazi and David Payant of Silver Mt. Zion, the Vic Chesnutt band wraps up its tour with a show that promises to be a singularly appropriate pairing between band and venue at Central Presbyterian Church. We’re excited about this one, because church rafters seem to be the natural habitat of Vic Chesnutt’s voice—a voice so compelling it isn’t outdone even by the instruments of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. more ›

You've had one chance today for the Windy & Carl show this evening at Central Presbyterian Church, but why not offer it again? The duo's performance marks the first non-SXSW show at the church (that we're aware of), and considering the frequency with which they tour (almost never), we've got two really compelling reasons to go. We're happy to give you one more nudge: fill out the form below and stay tuned: we'll notify two winners this afternoon and give them a pair of tickets to the show, on us. more ›

In what will surely prove to be one of this year’s more inspired bookings, Dearborn, Michigan’s ambient heroes Windy & Carl will feature in the ecumenical confines of downtown Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church tonight. The husband and wife duo have been playing their brand of strangely comforting, guitar-generated soundscapes since 1993. For twelve of those last sixteen years, the duo have been releasing albums on Chicago’s haven for experimental and ambient recording artists, Kranky records, also home to former Austinites and Windy & Carl contemporaries Stars of the Lid. more ›

Editor’s note: Pastiche is a bi-weekly column exploring the diversity within the Austin music community. The views expressed in Pastiche are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the outlook or beliefs of anyone else in the IST network. more ›