Initially dismissed as a Pearl Jam clone during the post-grunge mid-90's, Stone Temple Pilots somehow endured to become one of alternative rock radio's favorite staples. Come on, think you can go two hours on 101X or any other station like that without hearing them? We dare you. The band have released five albums over their career, all of which placed in the Billboard Top 10 upon their release.

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Friendly Fires are one of the most fun dance-rock bands we've heard in recent years, despite there being a myriad of purveyors of that genre. The band throw copious percussion, pretty synths, and choruses full of harmony into a sound equal parts Cut Copy and Franz Ferdinand, which implies that they're on the more interesting side of the indie dance-pop fence. In recent months, the group have been nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, toured with Interpol, and (perhaps most importantly) have had their single "Jump In The Pool" chosen as the theme for BBC's football highlight show! After a trip to SXSW 2009 was canceled due to the chance to play some big European dates, Friendly Fires finally arrive on Red River tonight, and we suspect there will be a lot of dancing.

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We're running a little Twitter contest from now until 1 p.m.: Tweet us (@austinist) your best beautiful, idiotic, or otherwise nonsensical haiku for a chance to win a pair of weekend passes to Fun Fest plus a pair of spots on our VIP guestlist for Friday's Local Music is Sexy party at the Mohawk and Club Deville. Rules: include "#funfest" so we can find your haiku, and at least one of these phrases: "beer", "mechanical bull", or "Rick Perry". The responses thus far have been stunning. more ›

It had to happen eventually. After years of gigging at Stubb's, ACL, and the like, Wilco roll into town tonight as - gasp - arena rockers. Granted, it's the 8,000 seat Cedar Park Center rather than the Erwin Center, but the fact that Wilco - a band once kicked off their label for making an "unreleasable" album - have unquestionably become acceptable dad rock is a little shocking. Part of this is probably due to Jeff Tweedy's recent return to a traditional singer-songwriter bent on Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (The Album) after several records worth of more experimental sounds. more ›

All week long, Austinist is giving away tickets and guestlist spots to some of the hottest private, unofficial parties taking place during the annual SXSW Festival. Contests will be posted throughout the day and run for a few hours apiece, so check back frequently for your best chance to win. more ›

In the space of less than four years, Brighton, England's The Kooks have gone from art students to multi-platinum Britpop stars. The band's name was inspired by a David Bowie lyric, but The Kooks' primary musical allusions lean more toward the mellower end of Supergrass or The Libertines. The band actually made their US debut at SXSW 2006, but have mainly played the coasts since then, making this gig a rare opportunity to catch them in our area. more ›

Austin's Electric Touch are something of an overnight sensation. They turned up on the local scene in late 2007, the product of former IV Thieves member Shane Lawlor (who moved here from Nottingham, England with his ex-band) and former Bojones members Christopher and Louis Messina. After playing a few gigs, the band quickly landed a record deal with Houston's Justice label along with gigs at SXSW, Lollapalooza, and ACL Fest. The band will also be touring for a month with Scotland's The Fratellis this fall. more ›

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. more ›

San Diego’s Grand Ole Party joins a quality bill of local acts this Saturday at Emo’s Lounge. The band is fresh off a jaunt with Vampire Weekend, having toured with Rilo Kiley prior to that. Produced by Rilo Kiley’s Blake Sennett, the trio’s debut record Humanimals (no connection to Manimal) showcases singer/drummer Kristin Gundrer’s powerful vocal chops that pace Grand Ole Party’s raw garage rock. The album has been available through iTunes this year and a more traditional release on DH Records is expected in early 2008. more ›

Image courtesy of Nacional RecordsThe first annual Ground Zero Texas fest kicks off their weekend schedule of events on Thursday, with the opening ceremony at Sound On Sound Records at 6 p.m. (featuring a performance by the official GZT mascot NOBUNNY), followed by opening night action at Beerland with music from The Spits, The Wax Museums, and The Hibachi Stranglers. Denton’s The Reds will also re-unite and rock this special evening. The plethora of local... more ›

Photo courtesy Refraction Arts The Assumption12/7-21, Th/Fr/Sa at 8pmBlue Theatre (916 Springdale Ave)Late Shows: 12/8, 15, & 21 @ 10:30pm[info] | [tickets]Here's something you might not know about us: Our hands-down favorite play by the old Bard has always been Hamlet. With that in mind, we expected to be at least a bit annoyed by Refraction Arts' irreverent re-imagining of one of Shakespeare's greatest works. But we weren't. As a matter of fact, immediately upon... more ›

Photo courtesy of Soundcheck Magazine Soundcheck Winter ShowcaseSaturday, December 1stEmos (603 Red River St)Tickets $8 advance, $10 at door[info] | [tickets]If you haven't had the pleasure of perusing an issue yet, Soundcheck Magazine is a local monthly that covers music exclusively. With an eye towards supporting local writers, artists, and designers they actively recruit around town for staff and freelancers, so be sure and check in with them if you're interested in helping out. To... more ›

Photo courtesy Shrewd Productions X-Mas: Unwrapped!! A Holiday Burlesque11/30-12/15, Thu-Sat at 10:00pmHyde Park Theatre (511 W. 43rd. Street)479-PLAY for reservations[info] 'Tis the season for giveaways! And the lovely ladies of Shrewd Productions are sharing the joy by offering two free tickets for Friday and Saturday night's performances of Xmas Unwrapped!! A Holiday Burlesque. The Jingle Belles have returned by popular demand to take the chill off the cold winter nights. Or, er, the cool-ish winter... more ›

Image from Electric Six’s MySpace, by Alicia Gbur Electric Six, The Willowz, & We Are The FuryThursday, November 29Emos (603 Red River St)$10 | Doors 9 p.m.[info] | [tickets] | [Electric Six MySpace] | [The Willowz MySpace] | [We Are The Fury MySpace]After moseying around in the Motor City in the late 90’s as The Wildbunch, Detroit’s dance-rock outfit Electric Six released their breakthrough single “Danger! High Voltage” in 2001 under their current moniker. The... more ›

Photo by Wylie Maercklein The good folks at Yellow Tape Construction Co. are giving away two tickets to Thursday's opening of The Ultimate Christmas Musical: The Musical! According to their website, "When one little boy loses the Spirit of Christmas, his disbelief sends the North Pole into chaos — Rudolph is a diva, the elves are disenfranchised, and Santa has suddenly started growing old! Can Frosty the Snowman and his sidekick, Soniyeve — the pluckiest... more ›

Image from Tom Brosseau’s MySpace Nickel Creek & Tom BrosseauSaturday, November 17Stubbs (801 Red River)$25 Advance; Doors 7 p.m.[info] | [tickets] Singer-songwriter Tom Brosseau brings heartfelt lyricism and mellow melodies to Stubb’s on Saturday. Hailing from Grand Forks, North Dakota, Brosseau’s high pitched voice and gentle guitar complement his sincere storytelling perfectly, and has found him at least one fan in a certain Natalie Portman. Portman picked Brosseau’s “Plaid Lined Jacket” (along with tracks by... more ›

Image from Sondre Lerche’s MySpace Sondre Lerche & Dan WilsonFriday, November 16The Parish Room (214 East Sixth Street)$15 Advance; Doors 8 p.m.[info] | [tickets] Sondre Lerche (pronounced lair-kay) is hailed as a something of a wonderkid in his native Norway. The child prodigy started receiving guitar lessons at the age of eight, and his keen ear for melody along with his songwriting ability led to couple of EP’s early in his career for Virgin Norway.... more ›

Image from Wild Sweet Orange’s MySpace, by Jason Wallis The Whigs & Wild Sweet OrangeThursday, November 15Stubbs (801 Red River)$10 | Doors 10:30 p.m. | Inside[info] | [tickets] | [The Whigs MySpace] | [Wild Sweet Orange MySpace]Wild Sweet Orange are in town this Thursday at Stubb’s to offer introspective dream-pop from their recently released The Whale EP, as well as their upcoming full-length for Canvasback Music. The Birmingham, Alabama act’s “Ten Dead Dogs” was featured... more ›

Image courtesy of The Pinker Tones’ MySpace The Pinker TonesTuesday, November 13Beauty Bar (7th St. at Red River)$5, 11 p.m.[info] The Pinker Tones had to cancel their show at the Mohawk in July but the Barcelona based duo of Mister Furia (Salvador Ray) and Professor Manso (Alex Llovet) return to Austin this Tuesday, fresh on the heels of a new remix record titled More Colours!. The Pinker Tones have two prior full-lengths, and compositions for... more ›

Image from Dischord Records’ website The EvensSunday, November 11The Compound (1300 E 4th St)$5, 7:30 p.m.[info]A legend will grace east side venue The Compound for a very special early show this Sunday night. Ian MacKaye (of Minor Threat and Fugazi fame) teamed up with Amy Farina (The Warmers) to form The Evens in 2001. Their self-titled debut record was released in 2005 on MacKaye’s Dischord Records and Get Evens dropped the year after. The Evens’... more ›

Poster by Jagmo Roky Erickson ACL TapingMonday, November 12Austin City Limits Studios (26th and Guadalupe St)8pm, General Admission and Space-Available Tickets Only[info]Austin psych-rock legend Roky Erickson will be featured on the next taping of KLRU's Austin City Limits show. Enter below for your chance to win a pair of guaranteed admission tickets—first 20 entrants get 'em! Update: thanks, folks! If you'd like space-available tickets, tune in to to KGSR on Friday evening for the giveaway... more ›

Photo from myspace Roky Erickson ACL TapingMonday, November 12Austin City Limits Studios (26th and Guadalupe St)8pm, General Admission and Space-Available Tickets Only[info]Austin psych-rock legend Roky Erickson will be featured on the next taping of KLRU's Austin City Limits show. If you'd like space-available tickets, tune in to to KGSR on Friday for the giveaway announcement—we're not sure exactly what time they'll announce the details. On the other hand, if you'd like a chance to score... more ›

Image courtesy of Tegan and Sara’s MySpace Tegan and SaraWednesday, November 7Stubbs (801 Red River)$18 (Advance) / $20 (Day Of Show), 7 p.m.[info] | [tickets]It’s not the middle of SxSW, it’s not the weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival, heck it’s not even Fun Fun Fun Fest anymore, but November 7th might just be one of those evenings where the stars align to bring our city a number of ridiculously appealing concerts. Symphonic rock... more ›

It’s finally here! Fun Fun Fun Fest kicks off this Saturday at Waterloo Park at noon. You best have bought tickets by now, or won ‘em off our various giveaways. If you haven’t, here’s another chance! Check out the following videos sent to us by Rae Davis and Prince Klassen to hype you up, and then naturally, enter to win tickets. Rae Davis spins a variety of genres nice n’ early on Sunday at 1... more ›

Did you know that the vestige group was founded on Craigslist in 2006? Interesting, no? What's also interesting is their latest production, The New Jersey Book of the Dead. Billed as portraying a world "where people struggle to hold on to emotional connection in a world gone technological," we're pretty sure we can relate. The show's press materials also include the catch phrase, "Omnivore is listening. Spread the word." We're not sure what that means,... more ›

Before Fun Fun Fun Fest begins on Saturday, the good folks at Club DeVille are gathering the troops for one heck of a kick-off party. On Friday night, Robbers On High Street will play the versatile venue and we want you there. Sure, you might have won a contest or two in your lifetime but this special giveaway includes a dinner with Robbers On High Street, provided by the wonderful people at Lambert's. The... more ›

Galactic brings its annual Halloween bash back to Stubb’s this Wednesday for a grand ole time powered by the band’s funk, jazz and hip hop medleys. Since vocalist Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet left the New Orleans outfit a few years ago, Galactic have largely returned to their days of extensive instrumental jam sessions while also continuing to receive vocal support from the likes of Lyrics Born and Gift Of Gab from Blackalicious. This year’s Galactic... more ›

Somewhere in between catchy melodies on Stage 1 and pulsating beats on Stage 3 lies a catalog of punk rock bands waiting to rock your nuts off at this year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. Among them, a punk act from fertile California will occupy Stage 2 at 2:40 p.m. on November 4th. CH3 (that’s Channel Three, not the hydrocarbon unit) formed in 1980 in Los Angeles and their politically charged tracks like “Manzanar” soon became... more ›

Montreal based outfit Stars has managed to capture our heart every time we take in their pop melodies and poignant lyricism. Amy Millan and Torquil Compbell are true stars, countering each other perfectly with crisp vocal delivery, while crystal clear production on the band’s recordings complemented by immaculate instrumentation make for a mighty fine final product. The band has two releases to be proud of this year -- Stars released In Our Bedroom After The... more ›

We’ll admit it. We love Girl Talk. The sight of some normal looking person leaning over the laptop on a stage generating all kinds of musical mayhem is pretty standard nowadays. And there is no one we’d rather prefer at the helm than this Pittsburgh lad named Gregg Gillis. Gillis shared his past Austin experiences while also commenting on his “trial and error” approach to assembling beats when we last spoke with him leading up... more ›