The San Francisco band Film School counts itself as adherents to shoegaze, that late ‘80s/early ‘90s sound that utilized titanic walls of sound to pummel the listener with waves of sparkling distortion. But being this far removed from shoegaze’s heyday means the band can experiment with the genre, allowing other influences to creep into the mix. more ›

• No (more) Nukes!
• Hope for an AIDS vaccine.
• Dear Sen. Kent Conrad, France have a public option.

Classic Rock, Classic Country: As per usual, Willie Nelson will play two nights at The Backyard for both locals avoiding SXSW and tourists willing to skip one night of showcases to see Austin's most enduring music legend. Willie's shows are tentatively scheduled for 3/14 and 3/15, and will go on sale sometime in February. In another move designed to access some tourist dollars, Direct Events has announced a relatively intimate show with Van Morrison at the Austin Music Hall on Tuesday, March 11. Van the Man apparently hasn't heard about the looming recession, as tickets are priced from $102 to a whopping $257. more ›

One of the films we're most excited about seeing at this year's South By Southwest Film Festival is Laura Dunn's The Unforeseen, a documentary look at the controversy surrounding Austin's real estate development and its impact on the Edwards Aquifer and on Barton Springs. Co-executive-produced by Terrence Malik and Robert Redford (who reportedly learned to swim at Barton Springs), the film explores the unseen relationships between our natural environment and our urge to destroy it.... more ›

We’ve come to realize that the real measure of whether or not one is living in a film-lovin’ town just might be having two film festivals to choose from on a single weekday night. Tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse South, the Austin Polish Society and the Austin Polish Film Festival will present their final screening in the month-long celebration of cinema from the Polish perspective. more ›

The Austin Polish Society kicks of its 50 Years of the Lodz School festivities tonight with the regional premiere of Jestem, with director Dorota Kedzierzawska in attendance. This inaugural Austin Polish Film Festival will feature a month-long salute to some of Poland’s greatest film artists. The Alamo on South Lamar will play host to the festival, screening a selection from an acclaimed director of the Lodz School each Thursday for the month of October. more ›

You can throw a rock this month and hit a good touring show in Austin. After our usual post-SXSW doldrums, everyone seems to be scheduling Austin as an early summer stop. Check out new additions like Pete Yorn, M. Ward, Reverend Horton Heat, and indie-blogger favorite Human Television in the listings below: June: 6/02 The Roots + Blackalicious (Stubb’s) 6/03 Film School + Margot & The Nuclear So-And-Sos (Emo’s) 6/07 Arctic Monkeys + We... more ›

The following downloads are by artists playing various shows around town this week -- check the IST List for details. [mp3] The Lemurs - Breaking You Down [mp3] The Chapters - Disconnected [mp3] The Chapters - Absence of Decency [mp3] The Chapters - Denial [mp3] The Lord Henry - Like You Like Me [mp3] The Lord Henry - Fire on 42nd St [mp3] The Lord Henry - Birthday [mp3] Faceless Werewolves - My Weakness... more ›

With new shows on sale from Sonic Youth, INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Rancid, it seems to be college radio nostalgia week for the concert update. There are also a nice batch of new indie shows, including Tapes 'n' Tapes for Pitchfork fans, Dios Malos for the mellow types, The Futureheads for the edgy punky stuff, and even Tilly and the Wall for you tap dancers. On with the shows: May: 5/10 -... more ›

Last week, we posted a major concert update for May and June. If you missed it, just click the Expand-O-Tron for the recap. You're welcome. This week has already brought a flurry of updates including two new shows at The Backyard. Here they are (Austinist looks out): 5/28 - Eagles Of Death Metal @ The Parish Room 6/03 - Film School + Margot & The Nuclear So-And-Sos @ Emo's 6/10 - Radio 4 +... more ›

Following in the footsteps of New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Diego, Austin's getting its very own Beauty Bar. The premise, on paper, sounds somewhat ridiculous: combining two parts full-service watering hole and one part 60's salon kitsch, the chain of hipster havens positions itself as the perfect place where you might enjoy a manicure with your martini. And they have pink wallpaper! Although they're only debuting to the public today,... more ›

Diesel's hosting a competition to fly three bands to London for the Diesel-U-Music International Awards Show -- as part of it all, they're throwing a party on Thursday with Editors, Voxtrot, Boy Least Likely to, Spinto Band and Film School! We're giving away a guaranteed spot on their guestlist with a +1. Simply be the first to send us an email. You might also try RSVPing directly, but we're guessing they've already closed the general... more ›

The Star of Texas Rodeo starts its two week run today at the Exposition Center. A propane truck overturned in Lockhart yesterday. The weather is to blame for the faulty SAT scores scanned here in town. Now we have a 10,000 Maniacs song stuck in our head. Did we need another reason not to visit Oklahoma? Their House has approved the Academic Freedom Act, which leaves it up to the teacher to decide which... more ›

Trailer from the Bloc Party Documentary/Concert DVD, "God Bless Bloc Party" [mov]	Be Your Own PET - "Let's Get Sandy" [ram]
Richard Ashcroft - "Break The Night With Colour" [stream]	Shelby - "The Golden Boy," created by Austin's Super!Alright! [view]

Downloads
• [mp3] Cat Power - "The Greatest"
• [mp3] Clearlake - "I Hate That I Got What I Wanted
• [mp3] Clearlake - "No Kind Of Life

The new year started off pretty slowly for music, with a few lackluster albums (The Strokes' third LP, Morningwood's bubblegum rock rehash) failing to excite, really, anyone. Not today. Cat Power's eagerly awaited follow-up to 2003's You Are Free comes out alongside the new Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley, The Postal Service) side project, Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins and Richard Ashcroft's Keys to the World. Other notable bands include the unfortunately-named Test Icicles,... more ›

SXSW.com released an updated lineup for this year's SXSW Music Festival earlier today, and it's one hell of a list. The SXSW committee hastens to note that "This is a partial list of performers confirmed to appear at the 2006 SXSW Music Festival. This list is current as of 1/13/06. All of this information is subject to change." International acts include: Masahiro Nitta, DMBQ, Ellegarden, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, PE'Z, The Emeralds (Japan)... more ›