For a label based in Berlin, Hell, Yes sure has its Austin affections. Birthed in 2008 with a series of "7 singles to its name, Hell, Yes is branching out with a forthcoming LP from Boy Friend. Out on February 6th comes their debut LP Egyptian Wrinkle, and you can hear the title track on Altered Zones. In September, the label put out a single from Love Inks featuring a cover of "Rock On" by Dave Essex. 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 ›

We’ve always thought of Houston’s Devin The Dude in the same mode as DJ Quik, probably because we first heard him back in high school in California and the specific register of his nasally drawl, set against a Dre beat, reminded us a lot of Quik, who was killing it on local radio at the time. Though they’re pretty drastically different figures, Devin, like Quik, keys off of whatever-party-is-happening-at-that-exact-moment, and fleshes it out from there. more ›

I’ve been tardy like 7th grade with these entries. I’m hoping to fix that this year, and if I have to, will make deadline by just free-associating while listening to chopped and screwed Gerald G verses…oh wait… hang around after the jump… Anyways, something big happened in Austin rap at the end of ’07, and I was negligent and didn’t cover it then. So now, with Nas’s father as my witness, I will. Matt Sonzala has been documenting Texas rap for as long as I can remember on his blog HoustonSoReal. more ›

Devin The Dude - Waiting To Inhale more ›

As SX07 approaches, we'll be keeping you informed on all of the official confirmations, rumors, and non-SX events that we feel are worth your attention. With January's arrival, a lot of news has surfaced in the past few days. Here's a quick recap: Confirmed Performers (via SXSW): Pete Townshend, Rachel Fuller, Emmylou Harris, The Stooges, Interpol, Lily Allen, Bloc Party, Devin The Dude, Hoodoo Gurus, Matt & Kim, Ghostland Observatory, The Watson Twins, Stax... more ›