Austin received an early Christmas gift this past weekend as Sergio Flores — aka “Sexy Sax Man” — blew through Austin (pun intended). Mr. Flores’ audacious talents Internet-famously earned him almost 12 million views on YouTube in a video featuring the shirtless, suspendered, mulleted musician playing the hook from George Michael’s 1984 hit “Careless Whisper” to bewildered — and ostensibly aroused — audiences in various mundane locations: Ross, a shopping mall, a college seminar, etc. more ›

• Obama gets a post-Osama poll bump
• An even newer plan for the Mideast?
• China agrees to lower trade barriers for U.S. firms

Back in 1994, when Common was Common Sense, a soulful underground Chicago rapper with a sinewy flow, he recorded “I Used To Love H.E.R.”, which remains perhaps his most widely cherished song. In four minutes, Common told the story of hip-hop’s trends and pratfalls to that point, glossing it over as a love story with a young woman. In turn, he added an undercard bout with Ice Cube to the day’s bi-coastal rap conflict, which should give some perspective to exactly how long ago ’94 was in hip hop. Since then, the story progressively enveloped the storyteller. Common hit the national scene in 2000, viewed as a tempering, traditionalist force in the face of the ascending Dirty South. He ran with the Roots when they were the emerging face of East Coast hip hop, and joined up with Kanye when he took those reins with College Dropout. more ›

Common sense would tell most folks who hire hookers to pay in cash. Not so for a recently accused Austin Police Officer and a dumb kid from WilCo. more ›

Minus The Bear’s third full-length, Planet Of Ice was released this past August on Seattle based Suicide Squeeze Records. The album was produced by (former keyboardist) Matt Bayles and Chris Common. Minus The Bear formed in 2001 and has since developed a knack for churning out experimental indie-rock enhanced by complex time signatures and abrupt rhythm changes, as well as occasional employment of jazz standards. Add to this Dave Knudson’s distinct two-handed tapping style... more ›

If the closest you come to contemporary hip hop is dodging the Spiro's crowd on your way to Emo's, then we have news for you: there IS more out there. No, you need not subject yourself to the abrasive and, dare we say, bastardized sounds of Dirty South hip hop, nor need you dig up your old De La albums (though you should anyway) because tonight Talib Kweli is at Emo's to show you... more ›

Let's get to it: ACL Fest organizers dropped the aftershow schedule yesterday, and it's fairly extensive. Stubb's, La Zona Rosa, The Parish, and Antone's will all host aftershows over the Thursday to Sunday that everyone is in town for the big event. Highlights include an intimate show from The White Stripes and Cold War Kids at Stubb's, an extra gig from Argentina's loungerific Gotan Project (also at Stubb's), appearances by Spoon, Common, and Queens... more ›

Austinist is pleased--and a little weirded out--to reveal that the headliner for The 2007 Forty Acres Festival will be none other than rock and roll pioneer and Geico expositor Little Richard. The campus of The University of Texas hosts the event, with over a hundred student organizations showcasing booths and activities; the festival culminates with an all-day concert. The performers are often hit-or-miss, sometimes providing great acts (2006's brought Common) but usually presenting lame ones... more ›

Jesu - Conqueror more ›

Whether you go down to the local record store or shop through the Tubes, today is new release Tuesday. Birdmonster No Midnight (SpinART) Despite the rock n roll media's underwhelmed response, No Midnight is going to be the biggest indie seller this week, quite easily. Considering the fact that they gained their audience primarily through the web, and were unsigned at the start of the year, it's a pleasant surprise to see such a... more ›

After 18 bands in a weekend, Austinist is exhausted. Coachella 2006 was everything we thought it would be, only hotter, and with less alcohol (due to the scorching heat) and more drugs (since nobody could drink near the stages). We went in with no set agenda in terms of seeing particular bands - it seemed smarter to just hit whatever struck us right at the time. This strategy worked pretty well, and here's how... more ›

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We gotta say, Ellen Bartel has gusto. (She named her company Spank Dance – if that’s any indication.) True to form, in her latest piece, Greyhounds and Other Virtual Ways to Travel, she takes a huge concept – in this case, the future of humanity – and presents it to us in a form that’s innovative, contemporary, rough, slow, boring, exciting, tame, beautiful, banal, moving, ridiculous, and most things in between. As is common... more ›

After SXSW trashes our fair town, Coachella layers the California desert with dusty beer cans, and Wall of Sound leaves Fort Worth a city ... well, much the same, we're probably heading over to Sasquatch, the annual Pacific Northwest festival at Washingon State's scenic Gorge Amphitheatre. Scheduled to perform during the three-day Memorial Weekend blitz are Austinites Trail of Dead and Iron & Wine, plus a salivatory stew of sweet, sweet bands: FRIDAY, MAY 26... more ›

Austin City Limits is pretty nifty, we'll admit. But let's face it: the lineup for Coachella, ACL's glammed-up West Coast sibling in the desiccated wastelands near Joshua Tree, has all but reigned supreme these last few years. And this year, they're at it again; earlier this week they announced the full roster for the two-day festival, to be headlined this year by Depeche Mode (huzzah!) and ... Tool (huh?). The entire lineup: Saturday, April... more ›