Craig Finn's dynamic Brooklyn-based quintet, The Hold Steady, returns to Austin tonight with their sing-your-hear-out anthems that live somewhere between last night's drunken stupor and today's sobering epiphany. more ›

“People say we suck at sports, but they don’t understand / it’s hard to catch with holes right through your hands” That, amongst many other Finn-isms are packed into Clear Heart Full Eyes, the first solo record from Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn. Separated from the beer-swilling, teen-apocalypse narratives of his main band’s frantic pomp - it’s a much smaller record, quieter, denser, more thoughtful. Finn wraps in pedal-steel and placid acoustic guitars, his lyrics talk about himself, rather than all his characters. It provides an ideal odyssey for bookish, lyrics-first Hold Steady fans, and genuinely pretty nighttime music. In advance of his show tomorrow night at Frank, we caught up with Finn at Dominican Joe’s for a quick chat about the record, his time in Austin, and the Minnesota Twins. more ›

The Hold Steady have been holding, er, steady in the limelight since 2004, picking up a Village Voice cover here and a best album of the year there (2006: The Onion’s A.V. Club), and just generally best-ing all over the place: they were Blender’s 2006 Band of the Year and made it to Rolling Stone’s annual album ranker at number 8. Critical acclaim blah blah blah. The big hit from the big album Boys... more ›

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador) As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album.... more ›

Grab onto something. Better yet, sit down. Are you ready for it? That's right, it's giveaway time again, ladies and gentlemen. The Hold Steady are playing at Emo's this Sunday with Sean Na Na and Zykos. Described by many as America's best bar band (don't hate, alliterate), the NYC based band is kicking out the thinking man's fist pumping jams behind their latest album "Boys and Girls in America". As lead singer Craig Finn... more ›