Whispers flew around the packed ACL Studio as five men in suits as varied as their personalities filed on stage at 8pm. There were the expected four members of Monsters of Folk: Jim James, frontman for My Morning Jacket, M. Ward of She & Him fame, and Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes. (For more background on Monsters of Folk, check out the ACL/Stubbs preview.) But who was the fifth suited man seating himself behind the elegant drum kit? more ›

An aching mix of dewy and caustic, Lewis is at her best when confessional, and will certainly never suffer a shortage of idolatrous confessors. more ›

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. more ›

Conor Oberst played on Saturday evening, dressed to the nines. Photo courtesy Austinist contributing photographer Eric Uhlir. more ›

The AT&T Saturday line-up started as a MiniDisc playlist back in 1998. Back then, one artist was “weird” and one was weird, and one was cool and one was “cool”. And the Drive-By Truckers were big in Athens. They still are, but every year sees their thoroughbred country-rock oats get more and more tender and palatable (and popular) – 2008’s Brighter Than Creation’s Dark is their quietest album to date. But it’s like when a Clint Eastwood character goes to the barbershop – the cleaner sheen doesn’t change a band’s heart. more ›

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. more ›

Fionn Regan The End of History (Lost Highway)The End of History signals the auspicious beginnings of this Irish singer/songwriter who strikes up comparisons to Ryan Adams, Neil Young and at times, Conor Oberst. The occasional female backing vocal, banjo and violin are spun around herculean, plucked acoustic numbers and personal tales beaming with imagery and intelligent melody. “Be Good Or Be Gone” and especially “Put a Penny in the Slot” showcase the authenticity of... more ›

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... more ›

Glös - Harmonium Modern technology is moving at a rate faster than some can handle, while others utilize new possibilities to its potential as best they can. Glös started when Keeley Davis and Cornbread Compton of Engine Down traded music files via laptops with each other, experimenting with a new style of independent songwriting leading to eventual co-ordination through the file transfers. Davis’ sister, Maura (formerly of Denali), was also included in the process,... more ›

Jesu - Conqueror more ›

Conor Oberst’s Team Love fosters a number of indie-pop stalwarts like Jenny Lewis and Tilly and the Wall. The latter is derived from Oberst’s initial project, Park Ave., as bandmembers Jamie Williams and Neely Jenkins eventually formed Tilly and the Wall with Nick White, Kianna Alarid and Derek Pressnall upon Park Ave.’s demise. The band recently released their follow-up to 2004’s acclaimed Wild Like Children. Bottoms of Barrels picks up where its predecessor left... more ›

While Jenny Lewis still has her day job in the form of Rilo Kiley, the singer/songwriter/crush magnet also released the solo disc Rabbit Fur Coat in early 2006. Rabbit is a low-key, gospel and soul influnced late-night record with ruminations on parents, God, and of course love, and features cameos from M. Ward and Conor Oberst. The album is a departure from Lewis' traditional indie-pop, and features bluegrass duo The Watson Twins to set a southern and haunting tone to the proceedings. Most of the record's attention was (perhaps unfairly) directed to the cover of the Traveling Wilburys "Handle With Care" featuring Ward, Oberst, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, but that track doesn't really reflect the pretty but somber mood of the album. 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 ›

One of our favorite bands from Brooklyn (we hear there might be a few over there) is rolling into town for an early show at Emo's. They're called The Honorary Title, and together with Limbeck, Koufax, and Cory Branan (for Austin) they've embarked on a national tour so aggressive that someone saw fit to create a Myspace account just for it. A while back they released Anything Else But the Truth, a fiesty album of... more ›

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... more ›

The Peels are a rock band out of San Francisco, now under indie DIY darlings Dim Mak Records. Their debut LP "S/T", produced by the legendary John Goodmanson, was released back in February this year. Now on tour with The Raveonettes and Autolux, The Peels took time after their show last week at the Parish Room to sit down for a chat with Austinist. We spoke with lead singer Robyn Miller and bassist Joshua... more ›