Chaos In Tejas 2008 kicks off this evening at Emo’s with Roky Erickson & The Explosives headlining the outside stage. Erickson has had a storied if troublesome life -- he was an instrumental force in the psychedelic music revolution in Texas in the 60’s with the 13th Floor Elevators, he then battled mental illness and had some run-ins with the law, and in the 80’s, he apparently claimed to have been possessed by a Martian. Erickson’s career returned to some sense of normalcy in the 90’s and by 2005, he was back in the limelight, performing at the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival with The Explosives....

Tonight, Leatherbag will celebrate the debut of Love & Harm at Emo's, along with the Black and Lomita on the inside stage. ...

Not long after I hooked up with Warren, my young hot boyfriend, he introduced me to the lovely, talented Audrey Maker. Audrey puts together burlesque shows around town. Which is how I wound up, last fall, as a volunteer at the Texas Burlesque Fest, a sold-out, over the topless, two-night celebration of boobs. I got to work the Undressing Room, hanging out with beautiful women (and some men) in various states of undress, asking them if they needed anything. Warren had the more exciting job of Panty Catcher. Outfitted in a Super Hero costume enhanced with a big, bright pink, crocheted cock, he served a function similar to that of the ball boys and girls at Wimbledon. Each time an act finished, Warren dashed onstage to retrieve thongs, gloves, corsets, fishnets, etc. to clear the way for the next act....

This Sunday night holds one the most dazzling shows of the year, as the ultra-critically-acclaimed Caribou and Fuck Buttons take the stage in a whir of electronic and live action wonderfulness. Opening up will be Fuck Buttons, who, for their part, are one of the most fascinating new musical outfits to make a splash in 2008. Their noise-driven electronic music is almost jarringly abrasive on its scratchy surface, yet rewards the patient listener with a hint of melody—truth be told, their new album Street Horrrsing is one of our recent faves. So, unquestionably, their presence on the bill should keep too many people from straggling in late through Emo's doors....

If you thought that bands during SXSW played short sets, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Tonight at the Emo’s Lounge, eighteen bands will be playing fifteen minute sets, giving you the most bands per buck (that’s five) that you’re likely to see anytime soon. ...

Voxtrot, Austin's own local-gone-national pop princes, is a name that seems like it's been wandering around the scene forever. So long, even, that it's pretty damn surprising that their debut album was released less than a year ago. But over these last few years, they've been through a lot: widespread hype, critical anticipation, stylistic maturation, and maybe even a little bit of disappointment. But that's not to say that the sky isn't still the ceiling for our boys, and, just as a reminder of how far they've come since their incredibly well-liked early EPs, two days after this show at Emo's Outside (Outside!), they'll be throwing down some powerful post-emo way out in some crazy place called Barcelona. Wherever that is....

“America’s Funnyman” Neil Hamburger brings his offbeat comedic ramblings to Emo’s (Inside) this Friday. Drag City will release the cult figure’s latest album Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners on April 21st; you can preview new material here. Dave Gleason, Rachel Haden, and Joe Goldmark are just a few of the musicians that aid Hamburger’s country cause on the record....

Here's a litmus test for whether you'll be into The Hold Steady: allegedly the band was conceived during a late-night viewing of the classic concert film about The Band, The Last Waltz, during which singer Craig Finn turned to guitarist Tad Kubler and said, "Dude, why aren't there any bands like this anymore?" Just picture his misty eyes and tell me you have no room in your heart for this man. The Steady's third album, Boys And Girls In America, earned them comparisons to both Pulp and Bruce Springsteen, and oddly enough both make sense: this unlikely-looking group of post-delinquent Brooklynites (via Minnesota) are able to summon chugging golden-age-of-rock riffs, mega-anthemic choruses, and kitchen-sink-epic lyrics about hard-luck characters and the dreams they've run into the ground, seemingly at the drop of a hat. ...

Initiated in 1996 by guitarist Makoto Kawabata, the Japanese psych-rock collective Acid Mothers Temple is a loose collective composed of four core members and a revolving door of like-minded musicians and vocalists. Both remarkably prolific (they have released over a dozen records/singles/live recordings since 2007 alone) and esoteric (they have occasionally been mistaken for a religious cult), A.M.T. traffic in a brand of hard psychedelia as indebted to their acid-fried countrymen Boredoms as to Cream or Pink Floyd and are widely considered to be the international psych-rock group. Swirling outer-space noises and oceanic reverb will factor heavily, so plan on having your third eye squeegee-ed. ...

SXSW Music kicks off on Wednesday the 12th, as always with the Annual Austin Music Awards at Austin Music Hall, but it has become clear over the last few years that the music really starts the night before. Just thinking back to last year, we remember walking up and down Red River, watching bands like Golden Bear, White Denim and Broken Teeth at venues such as Beauty Bar, Emo’s and Red 7, and congratulating ourselves for getting started early....

What Made Milwaukee Famous played at Emo's on Friday night to celebrate their CD release. Black Before Red, Loxsly and Lemurs opened the show. ...

Another day, another long list of long list of web-darling music acts and their attendant corporate sponsors....

So the time is ripe for the 2008 SXSW Music Festival and what better way to lead into that madness than with a host of quality bands at Emo’s to kick off this weekend. Friday marks the CD Release show for local outfit What Made Milwaukee Famous. Officially released on March 4th, What Doesn’t Kill Us will be available for purchase during the show; the album finds the band maturing into a polished rock act while maintaining their keen ear for pop melodies, their expert arrangements of well-crafted tracks, and their penchant for catchy guitar hooks. Check out the video for “Sultan” off the new album via YouTube here....

This is what SXSW free day parties are all about. Twelve bands, two venues, and short sets so that you can see as much as you can stomach. Forcefield and Terrorbird are having their blow-out at Emo’s and Emo’s Jr. on the first day of SXSW, kicking things off with quite a bang. ...

Monochrome is having a big night this Saturday, with the rebellious flower-punk of Atlanta’s Black Lips coming together with our own freewheelin’ sons of garage rock, White Denim....

The Mohawk presents a solid double bill of local pop this evening. The Lemurs have been writing new material over the last few months and a handful of those songs will be included in their set tonight. The band enjoyed a stellar 2007 -- highlights included licensing their music to NBC show Las Vegas (as well as an Australian indie flick called Newcastle) and touring with Canadian act Stars. This past Sunday, ME Television telecast a 2nd ME Live! featuring The Lemurs' shimmering melodies in concert at a recent La Zona Rosa gig....

Austin's Balmorhea released River's Arms last week, and kicked off their tour here in town. Their tour to support the record will follow the east coast, and land them back here in time for some SXSW gigs. Sample some of the instrumental band's lulling, hypnotic tunes c/o Western Vinyl, and check back here for a full-length review very soon....

Item: The organizers at SXSW have responded to years of complaints about long lines and short notice by dramatically revising the wristband system for the 2008 festival. 4,000 wristbands priced at $139 are reserved exclusively for Austinites and will be distributed via an online lottery system that commences at 9am on Thursday, February 21st. There is a four-day period for sign-up, then the festival will let the winners know they've been selected shortly thereafter. All registrants must live in the Austin area - a credit card with an Austin metro area billing zip code will be required (this generously stretches as far as San Marcos, Georgetown, and Taylor). One can purchase two wristbands, but one of them must be for the purchaser...and the recipient of the second one must be named when placing an order....

Sunday night may usually be time for relaxation, for winding down your weekend's bunch-o'-bliss and preparing for the drudgery of Monday and all the muck that follows it. Sunday night may usually mean propping yourself up with a stick, so exhausted from all yer football-inspired whoopin' and hollerin'. Sunday night may even be a time of penance. But this Sunday night, get ready for a change of gears and an old-fashioned opportunity to headbang, because Dead Meadow and Black Mountain are delivering a sea of drums and guitars and outright ferocity to this usually staid part of the week....

Photos courtesy Nash Cook If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.......

They drink Brains, they support Cardiff City FC, and they don’t give a fuck. Best of all, the Super Furry Animals churn out off-kilter psychedelic pop at a prolific rate. Despite having put out eight stellar full-lengths in fifteen years (a couple of those accompanied by simultaneous DVD releases as well), the act is still somewhat under-appreciated, especially outside their home island. Their talent is boundless, their music all over the place yet melodious, and their shows are often enhanced with video medleys as the backdrop, including the clips of that adorable Golden Retriever that accompany, well, "Golden Retriever."...

We understood that Cleveland, Ohio was known for rock music, but for subtly bouncy electronic art pop? We we dubious until we discovered that the midwestern mecca is the origin of Joe Williams, whose project White Williams will be stopping through our fair city tonight at Emo's for a show opened by Rings (New York) and Cry Blood Apache (Austin)....

If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.......

Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco’s two albums are anomalies on the rap racks: winding, wordy projects with few A-list cameos, recognizable producers, or sure-fire singles. That he’s managed to build himself into a successful international brand is not a little bit attributable to a unique set of circumstances. There’s the trap-hop backlash, a dirge in the straight-up New York sound resulting from Atlanta’s ascent, the Kanye Effect, the Jay-Z Effect, that music blogging thing... ...

Sometimes there is a rare opportunity to see a band just before they hit it big, at that moment when you can still get into their shows without having the sanctity of your personal space thrown into question, just that itty bitty second before you're paying "real money" to see them from afar, rather than a pittance to see them up close. Tonight at Emo's presents one of those rare opportunities, and in spectacular fashion. See, playing tonight is not only one about-to-get-rich band of ruffians, but two. And if you haven't yet heard of MGMT and Yeasayer, consider this your formal introduction: they won't be this unknown for long....

A healthy dose of semi-abrasive indie rock on a cold weekend night -- what more could you want? Milk and cookies, you say? Sorry, Emo's doesn't serve that. Saturday night, our beloved and hallowed Emo's plays host to Les Savy Fav, supported by Fatal Flying Guillotines and Attack Formation....

Didn't Beerland already have Ground Zero Fest like three weeks ago? Didn't half these bands play Emo's Free Week? Well, you can't have too much of a good thing: in what promises to be another all-night blowout, Beerland and Emo's are co-hosting Megon Fest, featuring Austin garage-punk stalwarts Manikin, The Young, The Hex Dispensers, and nihilistic Latin punks Deskonocidos, with out-of-towners headlining each night. ...

We told you last time, and, thank god, you listened. We told you Dan Deacon was coming, and you were ready. Well, we're telling you again....

Emo’s Free Week has come and gone, but the venue and the city march on with a buffet of mouth-watering shows available for consumption tonight. Eclectic beats from Dan Deacon pace Emo’s inside stage (as a part of the Ultimate Reality Tour) while Steamroller, She Craves, Killer Crocs of Uganda, and The Banner Year rock Emo’s Lounge....

Some of Austin’s most active live acts take the stage at Emo’s on Thursday evening to bring an end to the venue’s Free Week. Horse + Donkey are riding high following the release of their impressive self-titled full-length. The album finally gives us locals a chance to enjoy the act’s reverb-heavy droning psychedelia at our pleasure, at home or in the car. Still, that’s no excuse to stop playing live, and the trio has been averaging a solid amount of gigs in town over the last few months. The explosive, vivid video for Horse + Donkey’s “Magic Horse” was directed by Wiley Wiggins and can be viewed here....