The Skellies, Austin's favorite ride-or-die bike crew, is populated by hardcore street cyclists who also happen to be do-gooders; each month, they throw a benefit bash. more ›

At Club de Ville this Saturday evening, a $10 cover will get you all the beer you can handle, and also help a few young filmmakers get a leg up on their careers. They've organized a benefit in support of their newest feature, The Booze Is Good & The Girls Are Pretty. With a name like that, how can you resist? more ›

Reverse X Rays is somewhat of a KVRX lovechild - Owen McNally (guitar, bass, vocals), Ethan Smith (guitar, bass, drums, synthesizer), and Dan Gentile (synthesizer, melodica, trombone) each hosted shows on KVRX for several years before the band took shape. Gentile says, “Five years ago Ethan answered an email Owen sent out to the KVRX lovelist looking for a female vocalist, multi-instrumentalist who was into Stereolab. He's a weirdo, but it was kind of serendipitous. He liked the music Owen mentioned and is generally a fairly outgoing individual about playing with others, so he stepped up to the plate.” Shane Wood (guitar, bass, affected vocals, percussion) joined in and after a couple transitional players Joey Fitchett (formerly of Magic Jewels) took residency on the drums with the band to round out their eclectic, dynamic sound. more ›

This Thursday, head down to Club de Ville for Hot Sh!t, a new series that aims to showcase top-notch electronica acts from Los Angeles as well as promising like-minded musicians here in Texas. The kickoff show features a whole slew of versatile artists, including L.A.’s TAKE and San Antonio’s Mexicans with Guns, and will be hosted by multi-talented Austinite Butcher Bear. The next two events are scheduled for July (9th and 10th), plus there is a fourth installment on August 21st, so plan on immersing yourself in mesmerizing beats and textured soundscapes regularly this summer. Hot Sh!t is curated by Ron Strong Productions; we caught up with Emily Strong (formerly an editor at Soundcheck Magazine) and Aaron Miller (currently an employee at de Ville) recently to learn more about their vision. more ›

Baltimore’s Future Islands, who have ties to Dan Deacon’s Wham City, have been honing their bizarrely danceable synth chaos since the group’s North Carolina college days. But, with the release of their Thrill Jockey debut, In Evening Air, earlier this month the group is bubbling over and spilling out across the country. Their overactive tour schedule (playing every single day in May, bleeding over into late June) is taking them to Club De Ville Sunday with Lower Dens. Hopefully, they’ll keep the energy level high as Future Islands’ enthusiastic frontman leads the live charge while carrying on a Tom Waits-esque growl surrounded by the sounds of a steel drum wrapped in a dance beat, as on “Tin Man”. Their music actively avoids genre description, but it’s one is best experienced live. more ›

Though Jónsi is best known for his work with the dramatic and heart-stopping tunes he wrote with Iceland's Sigur Ros, his solo work shines with equal brightness. Comprised primarily of tunes that he's written but that haven't quite fit into the Sigur Ros landscape, Go finds Jónsi ecstatic, pop-smitten and larger than life. It also features the artist singing primarily in English, a first for the Icelandic lad. more ›

Join us at Club DeVille on Tuesday night for a special Jónsi album release and listening party. We'll be spinning the Sigor Ros frontman's debut solo record, Go, having a few drinks, and giving away some sweet prizes. more ›

Neiliyo is Austin's favorite hyper-electro-funktionaire. Well he's Austin's only hyper-electro-funktionaire, but that's why he's our favorite. You may ask, what the hell is a hyper-electro-funkionaire? To the outsider, it may look like a top slider wearing frat boy trying to be hip. But those who have seen the man in action know that Neiliyo is a fresh bundle of energy, that brings his own beats and leaves a lasting impression. more ›

Cultivating your personal project within Austin’s fertile music scene can often be a trying task. This MySpace age offers every band a path to limitless exposure, for better or for worse, so it’s not uncommon for your baby to get buried under the avalanche of artists tirelessly peddling their wares. But you want more for your pride and joy. You diligently nurtured it all the way from the time it was just a seed in your head and now you’re ready for others to take note. more ›

So you missed last night's Bleet Up, the first event leading up to what will surely prove to be the best Fun Fun Fun Fest of all time. Well fear not, music-loving citizen: you have an excellent opportunity to redeem yourself tonight by attending, and definitely not, in any way, shape, or fashion missing, the greatest installment of Local Music is Sexy yet. Even better than the Bleet Up ('cause it's free!), Austinist will take over both stages of the Mohawk and the outside stage Club Deville tonight to present sets by some of our city’s finest practitioners of the rock and roll—not to mention disorderly marching music—to help you celebrate the imminence of the only fest that offers you fun in triplicate.

The music starts at 8pm following the early-ish After the Jump blogger panel (featuring Austinist's own music editor Paige Maguire), and runs until midnight. We’re keeping mum, but there may or may not be a few surprises in store for those who stick around the Mohawk’s inside stage after the clock strikes 12. Let’s run this down one more time: free, sexy, local, music. Those are the makings of a definite must-attend event in our book. Follow the jump for a complete list of bands and set times, and we'll see you tonight! more ›

The fourth edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest officially kicks off at noon tomorrow and naturally, one can be forgiven for looking ahead to day one already. The likes of The Jesus Lizard, Les Savy Fav, Chelsea Peretti, The Sword, Pharcyde, Neon Indian, and Shearwater are all on Saturday’s schedule but let’s hold our horses for we still need to indulge in a full night of revelry before we set up camp at Waterloo Park for the weekend. This evening, Austinist proudly presents the After The Jump blogger’s panel at 5:30 at The Mohawk, followed by the latest installment of our Local Music Is Sexy series, spread across the 'hawk and Club de Ville this year. more ›

To reduce your time spent waiting in lines this weekend, the good folks at Fun Fun Fun Fest are giving you plenty of opportunities to pick up your tickets early. more ›

We’re not going to count our chickens before they hatch. Still, it’s been heartening to see an improvement in the perception towards marijuana laws of late, even if a very, very slight one. We’re already hearing tales about the green rush in California from friends -- even Arnold seems up for a debate. Locally, we’ve always had Willie speaking out in favor of reformed laws and earlier this year, Austin lawyer Charles Roadman shared his thoughts on the issue. We may soon have an Attorney General furthering the cause as well, if all goes to one Barry Cooper’s plan that is. This Sunday, Club de Ville hosts a fundraiser benefitting Cooper, a narcotics interdiction officer from Texas, currently in the running for the position of the state’s Attorney General. more ›

Our friends at Ultra8201 have the scoop on Fun Fest kickoff and after parties. Here's the deal: more ›

By now you know the lineup for this year's Fun Fest, and you're already planning your schedule. Once again, the festivities kick off on Friday night at the Mohawk and Club Deville, where Austinist hosts our annual Local Music Is Sexy party and the After the Jump Blogger's Panel along with the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. more ›

Lucy The Poodle Productions brings us a bonanza of all things Pink Floyd this Friday at Club de Ville. A plethora of local talent -- Belaire, 'Til We’re Blue Or Destroy, My Education, The Hi Tones, The Raven Tree, The Clouds Are Ghosts, The Alice Rose, and The Noise Revival Orchestra -- will perform a couple of songs each by the legendary English band. The evening kicks off with a string quartet at 8 p.m. and there are plenty of activities planned to keep us busy all night long. Body painting, a Pink Floyd themed scavenger hunt, live visuals (of course), and naturally, a screening of the Dark Side Of Oz are all on the schedule. more ›

April 20th, 2005 is the date on the tape Erik Wofford pulls out from his archives. The head honcho at Cacophony Recorders is eager to start from the very beginning as we sit down on the comfortable green couches to discuss what went on in the four plus years since Will Rhodes, also seated beside us, first came into the spacious studio in East Austin. The tape in question contains "Graffiti The Night," a song done by Rhodes four years ago and one that can now finally be enjoyed by everyone. The ever-evolving local indie-rock outfit 'Til We're Blue Or Destroy has finally released their very long awaited self-titled debut and will celebrate by performing at Club de Ville on Friday. more ›

As SXSW music week draws near and the dust settles between last minute invites and patchwork schedules, the real gems of the week rise to the surface. Although the American Analog Set reunion show has been quietly anticipated, we'd be remiss not to mention the significance of it. more ›

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

Free Week wraps up this weekend but not before another onslaught of amazing acts playing live at various venues on Red River St. for $0 -- if you’re over 21 that is. The youngsters can enjoy all the music for a measly $5. The Mohawk had an unending line last Friday and Saturday and there’s no reason to not expect more of the same this weekend. On Friday, the venue hosts a legit pop-fest featuring some of Austin’s finest melody makers. Retro flavor from Dans la Lune and The Ugly Beats outside, and the talented trio of The Laughing, Moth!Fight!, and Golden Bear inside make this a must for anyone craving a bit of local magic. (Golden Bear and The Laughing also put in shifts at Clementine Coffee Bar’s third birthday celebration earlier on Friday, at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively.) more ›

This New Year's was tough. Believe it or not, we were still hungover from NYE '07, coasting along in a Tomahawk haze, when-all of a sudden-we arrived at '09. Everything in between was merely expository filler. Suffice it to say, even with that momentous occasion behind us, we're still a bit disoriented, wandering around, nursing micheladas, looking for something to soothe our over-partied nerves. Then, along came a show that we knew we could trust. A show that wouldn't jangle us too hard, letting us down gently onto the downy breast of this fresh annum. more ›

Tonight, Kelley and his Balcony perform at Club Deville to celebrate the release of the CD, which is self-titled. The Balcony is performing songs that, on the album, were recorded entirely by Kelley, but they're no slouches: the ensemble contains members of Quiet Lovely, Loxsly, Georgian Company, and former Black Before Red guitarist Joshua Huck. 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 ›

Produced by the Downtown Austin Alliance, Action Figure, and KLRU-TV, Lonestar Emmy award-winning show DOWNTOWN offers insightful glimpses into urban life here in Austin. Focusing on the inevitable vignettes that make up our experience here in this special community, Downtown has become one of the most-watched programs here in Austin and beyond. more ›

The Laughing first came into prominence early last year upon the release of the Tiger Cry EP. Chock-full of danceable ditties combining new wave synth-pop with a multitude of instrumentation (such as the glockenspiel and saxophone), the debut EP earmarked the local outfit as one to watch. A year and half later, and now apparently sans their once trademark vests, and Sven, their lovable tiger mascot, the band welcomes us to the Jungle. more ›

Huge show alert! The massively fun Everyone Knows Everyone 6 is steamrolling down the hot asphalt of the Red River district tomorrow, taking over both Club DeVille and Mohawk. Combining bands, DJs, film, art, and performances by all manner of culture warriors, EKE6 is an all-encompassing celebration of creative output unmatched in the summer scene. more ›

In the years following Will Courtney's return from L.A. to play music with his sister Lily, Brothers & Sisters have left a significant footprint on the Austin music scene. Their style, a pop-folk sound untarnished by passing trends in indie rock, garnered national recognition by way of their first album, a self-titled record on Calla Lily. Though their vast array of players might obscure this, Brothers & Sisters are at their best when using a variety of voices and instruments to focus on the small things: a great harmony, an elegant melody or a joyful unison of multiple layers. Their new record carries on in this tradition, but as Will Courtney explained to us in a recent interview, Fortunately is significantly bigger than previous efforts. more ›

Weird War’s Alex Minoff and Golden’s Ian Eagleson traveled to Kenya in 2004 to join musician Otieno Jagwasito form the band Extra Golden and record the seminal Ok-Oyot System in 2006. The trip and subsequent recording process was a once in a lifetime event – the album was put to tape in a Nairobi nightclub in three hours using a dilapidated drum set, and it turned out to be Jagwasi’s last recording with the band, as he passed away from AIDS soon thereafter. more ›

Everyone and their brother has heard of Wolf Parade. And most of their brothers have also heard of Sunset Rubdown. And people here and there and all about have heard of acts such as Destroyer, Handsome Furs, and Swan Lake. So why has Frog Eyes, yet another band somehow related to the Wolf Parade family ( *see the end of this article for the ridiculous relation), withstood the onslaught of recognition granted to their brethren, coming out clean and eccentric with most of their anonymity intact? Well, a pretty good guess would be that Frog Eyes' lantern-jawed lead man, Carey Mercer, appears to be a bit of a crazy bastard, and that they predate the Wolf Parade phenomenon, and therefore weren't privy to all the hype which comes from "popular band offshoot status." But if you listen really carefully to Sunset Rubdown's latest album, you can hear Mercer's influence all over it, from the freedom to rant and rave, to the unrelenting energy, to the sheer madman brilliance of it all. So, if you want to see a man who has had an influence on a whole bunch o' good, while not truly getting his own due, tune in to Club DeVille on Thursday. more ›