It's a Mogwai Monday here in Austin. more ›

Thank you, Fiery Furnaces. Not only for releasing yet another notable album in a long line of notable albums (either for their critical and musical excellence, or for being utterly confounding), but for inadvertently picking a fight with perhaps the most defensive and trigger-happy fanbase this side of Glenn Beck: that of Radiohead. To recap, for those of you who've missed out on all the terrible and delicious drama: back in early November, Furnace mastermind Matthew Friedberger chastised Radiohead for writing a song about Harry Partch, the late American composer who, according to Friedberger, was used by Radiohead because Radiohead "brazenly and arbitrarily associat[es] with things that [they] know people consider cool." The big oh shit moment came for Friedberger when he realized that not only had he broken a cardinal rule of good sense by never ever ever ever ever saying anything bad about Radiohead, but when he was informed that the song wasn't even about Harry Partch, but about Harry Patch, the last surviving soldier from World War I. Whoops. more ›

In 2009, the brother-sister duo Matt and Eleanor Friedberger released “The End Is Near”, a full length called I’m Going Away and its reworked covers companion Take Me Round Again. They also premiered the video for “Even in the Rain”, featuring the Friedbergers as well as Ted Travelstead (a friend and co-writer of the director Scott Jacobson), Jon Wurster (drummer for Superchunk and the Mountain Goats and part of the brilliant radio comedy team Scharpling and Wurster), Jason Loewenstein (bassist for The Fiery Furnaces and also a member of Sebadoh) and of course John Oliver (Daily Show). more ›

Eleanor Friedberger was a high school athlete before she studied American Studies and film at UT. She had ambitions of producing for the screen, but instead found fame with The Fiery Furnaces. In the photo at right, Ms. Friedberger brushes her teeth in Japan. more ›

The Fiery Furnaces--they of the Friday and Saturday night headlines at Emo's Inside--have an unmistakable sound and an unmistakable presence. Between mastermind Matthew Friedberger's pounding around on three different keyboards, to sister Eleanor's ultra-intense vocals, The Fiery Furnaces are a band who's crafted quite a unique little niche in the psyche of music lovers all round that big ol' world. With their two-night to-do at Emo's coming less than a month after the release of... more ›

Between the strangeness of their music and their position as a brother-sister act du jour, The Fiery Furnaces are a band that’s easy to hate. They bludgeon their listeners with unapproachable albums featuring their grandmother’s talk-singing, backwards lyrics, and a willingness to shift gears in a song at the very moment an enjoyable melody becomes recognizable. On top of this, Eleanor Friedberger’s limited vocal range and Matthew Friedberger’s penchant for corniness have a tendency to put people off. So that’s the word on what's shitty about The Fiery Furnaces, and without a doubt, Widow City is an album prone to its own variety of irritations. But somehow, it manages to overcome the annoyances with a blitzkrieg of ingenuity and utter incomparability. more ›

Today's big news is the FunFunFun festival, but there are also several new shows in this edition of the concert update. Kasabian, Ben Folds, Mates Of State, and others have all announced Austin shows, and there are tons more on tap for late fall. Have a look: October: 10/21 Pet Shop Boys (The Backyard) 10/21 Ladytron (Stubb's) 10/22 Rolling Stones (Zilker Park) 10/22 Method Man (Emo's) 10/23 Jenny Lewis + Watson Twins (Stubb's) 10/24... more ›

Fans of the indie-rock will find much to like in the latest concert update. Flying V lovers My Morning Jacket, the willfully obtuse Fiery Furnaces, and alt.country godfather Jay Farrar have each been added to Austin's fall music schedule. As we've mentioned, the sheer volume of shows is unprecedented, so get out and enjoy the fact that every band you like is coming to town in the next two months. Thanks as always to... more ›

New releases by Comets on Fire, Matthew Friedberger, Midlake, and more more ›

Mike Booher looks like a rock star until he smiles. Tall and lanky, shaggy black hair, smoking a cigarette outside his practice room, he is a throwback to the Ramones. Then he grins, waves, and he’s the friendly guy everyone loves. Who just happens to be the front man for Austin’s much-hyped Zykos. more ›

The 2005 ACL Festival Schedule was posted online yesterday, and for the most part it looks like they spaced the acts out pretty well. Though we'll still probably spend the next two months at work dreaming up dozens of band-hopping strategies, thus far we're pretty stoked to be able to see awesome acts like the Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, and The Decemberists without having to forego another great band at the same... more ›