Though DJ Mel is primarily known for his legendary Rock the Casbah parties at the Parish, he's been bringing a little debauchery to the Beauty Bar with his SWOLL parties. SWOLL sets are focused on the higher end of the BPM range, mixing Miami Bass, Baltimore club and "anything fast". Last weekend's event including DJ Klever, Cosmo Baker looks like it was a really good time. ...

Saturday Saturday Saturday! It's a bounty of goodness unlike anything most people of privilege (or non-privilege) have seen, seeming that it is filled not only with SXSW's usual wealth of day-funs and joys and diversities, but that it is also privy to the wonderment that is Mess With Texas 2, a noon-to-ten cornucopia of music and comedy at Waterloo Park. It's sort of like a day of Fun Fun Fun Fest plus comedy minus the price plus the knowledge that there's great stuff going on everywhere else as well. So let's get to it, and all the other great stuff going on EVERYWHERE, shall we? Mess With Texas 2 @ Waterloo Park At this event, it's almost ridiculous what a wide range of musics you'll be able to see, from electro-folk to softcore-punk to anti-pop to alterna-world to whatever-other-hyphenated-genre-you-could-possibly-fabricate. Headlining are the Kim Deal-led Breeders and late-nineties punk-stars NOFX, but they are just icing on the cake of a day that features acts as intriguing as the inimitable Islands and the ever-so-subtle Atlas Sound. And, take a deep breath, because also lining up on one of the three stages is rise-from-the-ashes-via-Juno story Kimya Dawson, the mysteriously-spelled Wooden Shjips, hype-machine Simian Mobile Disco, quick risers Yeasayer, Monotonix, and No Age. And in case you haven't already caught them, this may be a convenient time to check out local respectables Shearwater and White Denim. Seriously, though, that's a ridiculous list already, and it's really just the beginning. And it's free, for God's sake! And there was some comedy at this Mess With Texas thing, too, right? Yeah, you can expect some laughs from the likes of Janeane Garofalo, Brian Posehn, Todd Barry, and Eugene Mirman, among a veritable slew of others. Make sure to get there before the sun goes down if you want to check that out, though, because we all know humor goes best with some sunshine....

Tired of the same old gay bar scene in Austin? Want to bust the mold a bit and cut loose on the dance floor without getting sandwiched by two sweaty, shirtless, writhing circuit boys? Go Dance Studios on Anderson Lane is launching a new program for same-sex partners called Out Dancing....

Your dream of being invited to a private, invite-only Playboy party might just be realized tonight: head over to Austinist's brand new SXSW site to enter the Rock the Rabbit contest. The winner will receive a pair of tickets to the Annual Late Night Party in Austin on Thursday, March 13 (11 p.m. at the 301) as well as a t-shirt from The Heavy. ...

Austinist & Gothamist are proud to announce our SXSW day party, taking place on Wednesday, March 12 at the Mohawk. The party kicks off around 11 a.m., and the day ends at 6, but not before Shout Out Louds, Shearwater, Liam Finn and Phosphorescent perform. As usual, the party is free, open to all. See you then!...

Mid-March, or SXSW rather, is a time when Warehouse District bars turn into rock venues and 6th St. meat markets become home to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see that next big thing at a smallish venue. We’ve never made it to Ninety Proof Lounge but all that might change when Zizek comes to the hotspot that is “upscale without the attitude” on March 13th. Zizek is a regular shindig in Buenos Aires that provides artists an opportunity to display their genius -- reggae, hip-hop, cumbia, folk, dancehall, electro, you name it, they got it. The intent is to provide an Argentine slant on the various genres and showcase the talent that lies within the country. And of course, party hard, dance the night away, and take the show on the road!...

If you haven’t headed over to Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant, a small, vivid gem set on the tarnished strip of I-35 just north of Dean Keeton, think of this as an opportunity with your name on it. The hospitable folks at Aster’s are designating a night of sales to their longtime friend Lawrence Eguakun of World Beat Café notoriety, who was diagnosed with cancer one year ago and has been undergoing intensive treatment since. ...

Photos of some of the items to be shown at Fashion Freakout at The United States Art Authority (next to Spiderhouse) on Saturday, February 16th. Featuring fashion from Buffalo Exchange, New Bohemia Boutique, Prototype Vintage Design and Pink Hair Salon. DJ Scandalizer, Brian Tweedy, Jason McNeely, and Mike Wiebe start the night off. Toko-Ri Get High and Shapes Have Fangs will play the after the show. $5 cover/ 21+ Photos courtesy of Briana Purser.......

Haven't had enough of Valentine's Day yet? Ever secretly wanted to take a date to the Harry Ransom Center, but went for $2 Tecates at some hipster dive instead? This Friday, for one night only, the HRC is heading to the Eastside, celebrating love, the birth of hip, and the "starving, hysterical, naked" visions of the Beat Generation. Sounds hot....

Emo’s, as always, powers our evenings with a good amount of solid shows this weekend. Zookeeper and Zykos bring heartfelt indie-rock to the outside stage on Friday while Ume and Haunting Oboe Music take on the inside crowd with belligerent, experimental rock n’ roll....

Skating, art and music has always been a big part of Warren McKinney’s life. The Austinite is sharing his passion for all three this weekend during Art on Deck, a special exhibit of rare skateboards, a skate demo and concerts at United States Art Authority....

With the geographic world continuing to shrink in the 21st century and the increased ease of travel and communication opening new doors every day, today’s musical landscape is constantly evolving. Instruments from other cultures have always been utilized in western music, but of late, world styles are making major dents in the indie scene. Be it Vampire Weekend’s African accentuation, M.I.A.’s Bollywood beats, or Beirut evoking adventures in far off lands, we have been privy to some choice innovations in this decade. New York based Gogol Bordello’s brand of “Gypsy Punk” (falling in the geographic vicinity of Beirut’s concoctions) has been garnering momentum with the release of 2005’s Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike and last year’s Super Taranta!...

Rap mixtapes are rarely arranged with tact or distinguished in their execution. Usually, you’ll find a buffet plate of tracks, assembled with all the wit of a languid block of late night commercials. A superb exception is found in the first four proper songs of Stop Stealin’ Our Style, a mixtape released in December by the Austin-based Screw Shop and Tosin, its curator. The project is dedicated to the memory of a number of fallen Texas rappers, and nods to both Pimp-C and DJ Screw, the former in a tribute track from Lil’ Flip and D-Red that functions as the set’s coda. The track-list, though, tends more towards three other Houston icons - Big Moe and the Hawkins brothers, Fat Pat and Big Hawk. Big Moe died last October of complications from a heart attack, at the age of 33. Fat Pat was shot and killed in 1998 and his older brother suffered the same fate in May 2006....

It’s not just going to be an overdose of tasty barbeque that puts people in a trance Friday night at Lamberts. No, you’ll be able to get a hefty portion of ambient, experimental orchestral sounds when The Noise Revival Orchestra Experience lays into their set at the release party for their latest 5-song E.P. The 13-person ensemble made up of trumpet, trombone, tuba, flute, synth and the usual rock suspects is sure to fill their set with thrilling compositions thick with layered instruments and vocals. The E.P. laden with triumphant textures sliding over one another will be dispersed in the form of USB drive, and it will contain a remixed track produced by DJ Jester the Filipino Fist available at this show only. ...

Brownout! kick off their tour this week but not before supplying the Beauty Bar with diverse concoctions comprised of Latin funk, Afro-beats, soul and R&B. Following their Tuesday night gig in Austin, the eight-piece plays one more show in the Lone Star State, at Zeppelin’s Pub in El Paso before leaving for California....

There is absolutely no reason to stay in on Friday evening. Whether it's DJ Shadow at La Zona Rosa or Future Clouds and Radar at The Parish, downtown offers you a wide variety of music to kick off your weekend....

Fold up your cardboard squares, strap on your backpacks and pull out that old copy of 1996's Endtroducing..... to brush up on your samples. That is, if you were one of those people who already have a ticket to see DJ Shadow Friday night at La Zona Rosa, because it’s sold out. There’s sure to be plenty of knob-twiddling, 45 flipping and mixer, uh, mixing for this experimental hip-hop set as he teams up with Cut Chemist yet again to dominate a bunker fortified with eight or so turntables. ...

Local production company Action Figure might not be a household name yet, but we bet you know their work. The group, based in (where else) East Austin, has produced shows like "Rollergirls" for A&E, and the Lone Star Grammy nominated show "Downtown" for KLRU/PBS. They're also not too shabby when it comes to dabbling in the music video market: their work for Okkervil River's "Our Life Is Not a Movie (Or Maybe)" made the e-rounds late last year, and this year, a company video they produced found its way into the hearts of local DJ duo Ocelot Mthrfckrs. ...

The tour, which launched in 2003, is a roving exhibit featuring work from a variety of contemporary artists from around the world. For four years the tour has evolved, and each year the mediums showcased in the exhibit have changed. For Installation 4, the theme, It's a Beautiful World, was interpreted by each artist and includes paintings, photography, sculpture and collage. ...

The first big non-SXSW show announcement of 2008 is here, and guess what: it's a massive dance party. Straight out of Paris, the electronic duo known as Justice will kick off their US tour at Stubb's on Monday, March 3rd. This is actually a small venue for the band - just a week after the Austin date, they'll headline Madison Square Garden. If you've not already heard Justice, start with Daft Punk or MSTRKRFT as sonic reference points, then add some scruffy beards and leather jackets. Justice also revel in the rock 'n' roll imagery, so their live show features a huge backlit cross (pictured at right) and stacks upon stacks of Marshall guitar amps to blow everyone right out of the venue. The band are touring in support of 2007 album †, which spawned the hit single "D.A.N.C.E." and was quite the critical darling as well. Their set at Coachella '07 was widely praised as a festival highlight, so this March gig should be something special....

Free Week hits its stride on Saturday with three separate shows at Emo’s Lounge, Emo’s inside stage, and the outside stage as well. ...

The Blanton Museum's B Scene events happen once a month and celebrate the arts by combining music, drinks and socializing to rejuvenate the sometimes stuffy fine art scene. Their unique approach to reaching out to the public this way includes showcasing local musicians and DJs, and each B Scene event offers a different genre representation from Austin's diverse musical culture. ...

Chris Rose, or Car Stereo (Wars), will ensure 2008 kicks off right, with a barrage of dance floor ready material that includes a fair share of samples and mash-ups, no doubt. Happy New Year!...

Spider House and the United States Art Authority, along with yours truly, want to keep you away from downtown this New Year’s Eve. Sure the shenanigans on 6th St. is always stirring but keeping within the cozy confines of the campus area is arguably safer and largely less expensive. Spider House hosts a solid line-up of DJ’s with a couple of live acts thrown in for good measure. Doors are at 8 p.m. and the $12 tickets can be purchased in advance via Front Gate Tickets....

Austin Style Watch shot this footage from last Sunday's Silent Dance Party flash mob in the Capitol Rotunda. Related: DJ Orion's Civilized Disobedience Mix (mp3) John Kelso: iPod dance party lends something new to Capitol: actual fun Check out the original web flyer, after the jump.......

The Beauty Bar hosts the fascinating Gil Mantera’s Party Dream this Saturday. Hailing from Ohio originally, the duo consists of Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny, two brothers who combine thumping dance beats and traditional rock music to create an electric smorgasbord of synth-pop that will keep you on the dance floor all night long. The hodgepodge of beats and sounds is as exhilarating as it is intriguing; always entertaining, sometimes cheesy. The duo’s live show seems to be quite a spectacle and a DVD (Live Video Archive [Vol. 01]) showcasing all the glory is also available. Gil Mantera’s Party Dream self-released two records before 2005’s bloodsongs on Audio Eagle Records. ...

Photo by Nash Cook Care Stereo (Wars) and Strut Boutique present The Strut Christmas PartyFriday, December 7The Mohawk (912 Red River)$8, doors at 9 pm[info] What do you get when you mix together Austin’s next big band, next sizzling DJ and next hot boutique? Tonight’s wicked Christmas party unwittingly plucked from Andy Langer’s dreams. Join Strut Boutique and Car Stereo (Wars) for Mohawk merriment with White Denim, the Corto Maltese and the Carrots. Headliner White......

Image from Clap!Clap!’s MySpace Clap!Clap! final showSaturday, December 8Emos (603 Red River St)$5 | Doors 8 p.m. | Outside[info]Local act Clap!Clap! has furnished enough dance parties around town with their brand of energetic electro-pop to command endearment and respect alike. However, last month they surprised a good amount of us with news of their demise. Needless to say we were fairly intrigued about the reasons for this culmination and also their plans for the future.......

Image from Birds Barbershop Man FestSaturday, December 1Birds Barbershop (2110 S. Lamar)Free, 2pm-7pm[info]Need a dose of machismo this weekend? Get your arm wrestling biceps and triceps warmed up for some very manly fun at Man Fest — a free testosterone-filled afternoon hosted by PartyEnds.com at Birds Barbershop. This is the kick off event for the salon's Man Month, where men's hair products are half off with a purchase of a cut. There’s going to be......

Image from Scion's websiteSo you’re all set for an afternoon with the family and/or friends, tons of food on the horizon, be it Turkey or Tofurkey. Still, you need to scratch that live music itch before heading home. Well, fear not oh lovely residents of Austin, the city has a solid night of gigs on the 21st in store for the common layperson. If you’re not already planning on hitting up the Benko and The......