Indie rock legends Guided By Voices have recently reunited their "classic" '93-'96 lineup, paired with the announcement of plans for a full-fledged reunion tour across the US. One of their first stops was in Austin's newly opened East Side Drive-In last night (with supporting act Times New Viking). Our photog Pooneh Ghana was there to capture the evening. more ›

In this stumbling economy, vacations and trips really aren’t an option at the moment for many of us. News of that huge Matador show in Vegas was exciting, but the tantalizing thought of catching the recently reunited legends Guided By Voices in concert, was just that. A thought. Thankfully, our friends at Transmission Entertainment are here to ensure that no Austinite that has had long-standing relationship with GBV’s melodies should miss this momentous occurrence. After all, most reports indicate that this may well be a one-time reunion and a fairly short tour. more ›

To the list of wonderful things we can thank the late, great indie band Guided By Voices, add guitarist/songwriting Doug Gillard. Musically, Gillard's style hews closely to the skewed, British Invasion-obsessed guitar pop of his old band. But, minus the towering weirdness of GBV frontman Robert Pollard, the tunes are more straightforward (and, dare we say, intelligible) without being any less catchy. more ›

Robert Pollard will forever be remembered as the drunkenly brilliant (or brilliantly drunk) frontman and insanely prolific songwriter for Guided By Voices. more ›

Besides the wonderful events highlighted by the flyers above, there are a few other shows on New Year's Eve in Austin worth noting: more ›

A band name that evokes the high-schooler or naïve college kid in many of us, Helmet were a staple of the '90s “alternative” scene, a blanket term that covered everything from major-label juggernauts Nirvana to independent scene bands like Guided By Voices – basically anything that was rock but wasn’t explicitly metal or punk. Helmet, signed to Interscope, were something of a New York hybrid of hardcore, grunge and something else entirely, with reviewers often... more ›

Straight out of the suburbs of Atlanta, the young men of Manchester Orchestra have quickly found a spot in the Georgia indie-rock circuit. Guitarist and lead vocalist Andy Hull homeschooled himself his senior year of high school to allow himself more time to focus on his work with Manchester Orchestra. The result of that focus is the band's first full-length. Peppered with references to Woody Allen, the album is full up with moody music that... more ›

For some of you, SXSW is an obsession. For others...not so much. While we're rather immersed in the whole SXSW experience at Austinist, we know that many of you just want to take in a free or cheap event or two during the festival to experience the thing. No problem. Here's a list of events featuring local merchants, community organizations, and radio stations that will allow you to casually dip a toe in the... more ›

Peter and the Wolf are a ragtag bunch of troubadours fronted by Austin's (or the World's according to Pitchfork) heralded Red Hunter. We say fronted, but Hunter tends to do most of the writing and picks up musicians as he goes, finding folks in the towns through which he tours. These strikingly hip transients are known for their colorful performances—tours by sailboat, shows in cemeteries—and their dire allegiance to the Angel of Light. The... more ›

Much like our friends who live in New York City, we rarely go above 14th Street. Only on truly special occasions do we venture into that hub of dive bars, bad food and overpriced clothing stores known as “campus.” Tonight, however, is one of those special occasions as three rocking bands hit the stage (er, platform in the corner) at the venerable Hole in the Wall. We know it’s smoky and loud there (yes,... more ›

The Ponys – Celebration Castle Second release from this Chicago band that has more of their garage rock sound with some post-punk guitar thrown into the mix. (The Ponys play Emo’s this Friday along with Faceless Werewolves and Camp X-Ray) Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cold Roses Double disc that should have probably been edited down to one, it shows Adams moving back to his country-rock roots. Caribou – The Milk of Human Kindness... more ›