Yes, it’s still Free Week, and it’s still freaking cold out there! Drown your Longhorn-related sorrows at the Mohawk tonight, as a whole mess of local bands once again swarm the venue’s indoor and outdoor stages. As before, the lineups on each stage are loosely connected by genre—inside tonight we’re greeted with four groups taking vastly different approaches to playing music in the Americana tradition. Let’s start with Headdress, an Austin band that may have escaped your attention despite a pair of excellent releases on the Mexican Summer and No Quarter labels. As only a guitar/organ duo that describes its members as “part heshers, part American nomads” could, Headdress crafts austere, long-form psychedelic blues drone pieces that feel much larger than the sum of their component parts. more ›

Free Week Free Week Free Week has your overflowing bosom of otherworldly and cost-effective goodness just about reached its point of earthly ceasing? Dost thou have in thy kindly arms any more delights with which our post-holiday doldrums may be cast into the fires of non-necessity? Is there yet another verbally absurdist imploration we can offer you, so you can have for us but one last weekend of excellence? ...Hopefully not. But what we can say is that this Saturday night has blessed us with one of Free Week's finest offerings, as not only do the proceedings continue elsewhere on Red River, but at Stubb's, where local faves Leatherbag, The Pons, and Danny Malone will be plying their fine craft. And bonus points for being inside, because being cold is for suckers. more ›

And there’s the tantalizing two-stage treat offered up by Emo’s’s on Friday. The line-up features the perennially underrated veteran act The Crack Pipes and LMIS alumni The Golden Boys parading their soulful garage rock stylings on the outside stage while the explosive sound of Ume and exciting up-and-comers Speak’s dance inducing synth-pop will be on display inside. Don’t miss out this weekend -- quality shows won’t be this cheap till mid-March. more ›

Hey now, no worries- that mist emanating from your mouth whenever you go outside lately is actually just the way your perfectly normal breath looks when the arctic apocalypse is coming. And the good folks at Red 7 have got you taken care of; they've moved tonight's Free Week show indoors. So not only can you save your cash for the Wreck Room's arcade games and some gut-warming drinks, but you can put a little more distance between yourself and the maudlin affair that was 2009 with some heartwarming retro-garage R&B. This year, the Free Week tradition which began at Emo's has spread throughout the Red River district to bring you more free shows than ever. Much like today’s skies over Austin, Tonight's Red 7 lineup has a grizzled mellow theme, led by the staid but infectious San Antonio group, Hacienda. They have collaborated extensively with Dan Auerbach to produce a 60s-entralled jangling pop sound that is equal parts control and quirkiness. more ›

Austin 360 is reporting that Brothers & Sisters frontman Will Courtney is moving to LA, and that the band is taking a break. Those of you who made it to their Free Week performance at Emo's last night were in attendance for their last show in the foreseeable future. more ›

Free Week rolls on tonight at The Mohawk with one of the strongest lineups of the week, as seven top-notch local bands are prepared to take over both of the Mohawk’s stages and square off against 20-degree temperatures. The forecast surely won’t discourage bravehearted music fans, and on the plus side, will likely serve as a great reminder as to exactly why brown liquor was invented.

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Ah man, Haunting Oboe Music, is this really goodbye? Well, how about one last fling for old time's sake? Oh yeah? And a freebie? Wow. more ›

They're changing some things but staying consistent sound-wise. They're still teetering between avant experimentation and a more out-and-out post-punk instrumental sound. The songs they've offered on their web site both offer a significant glimpse at the future of this band -- we're excited to hear more from them in 2010. more ›

Austin is obviously the top music oasis in Texas but towns like Denton and El Paso are normally included in that discussion. Lately, a little city east of Houston has been throwing its name in the hat as well. Beaumont, a part of the Golden Triangle (which spawned UGK), has given us Ringo Deathstarr already and is home to the Connect The Dots Festival. And then there’s this band called La Snacks that has been making some noise on both sides of I-45. more ›

You'll have a couple opportunities to say goodbye during Free Week: the band will be at Emo's on Jan. 7 w/ Moth Fight, Yellow Fever, Red Leaves, and The Eastern Sea, and at Club DeVille w/ Watch Out For Rockets on Jan. 9. more ›

As Free Week continues to roll down Red River and trickle onto 6th Street we are given the perfect excuse to ramble around town and educate ourselves on an extra portion of local music. It’s the perfect time to investigate local bands that would normally make you shy away from a cover charge, and tonight at Mohawk your next round of exposure is waiting. more ›

She Sir are preparing the release of their 7" EP, Yens, due digitally on Jan. 15 and on vinyl February 15. more ›

Free week continues this evening with a strong bill that features Austin's closest approximation to the Crystals and helpings of both Godzilla-sized and stripped-down rock and roll. more ›

Free Week 2010 Slideshow more ›

As the winter months settle in and the national touring schedules slow, Austin hipsters get ready for the most wonderful time of the year: Free Week. more ›

James Ravelle directed this psychedelic animated clip for Moth Fight! It kind of reminds us of Delicious 9's DVD for Caribou, Marino. Buy Moth Fight!'s "Hopscotch" 7" through their MySpace and stay tuned - we're promised a full length in 2010. The band will be at Emo's with Yellow Fever for free week on January 5. more ›