This interview was contributed by new Austinist writer Ruth Griffin! For most of the world, when you listen to a song you think, “well I like this, but I wonder how they do it…” But if it’s a song by the band Battles, who Wikipedia defines as a math-rock band, your thought would be more like, “how the hell does anyone do that?” Intricate keyboard and guitar parts merging with almost outrageously complex, syncopated rhythms (courtesy of the former drummer of Helmet) make it worth giving Battles a second, third, and, very probably, a twelfth listen. In spite of the loss of their former vocalist, this trio of musical savants manages to capture and balance each frenetic element of their unique sound into a group of captivatingly catchy songs that comprise their sophomore album, Gloss Drop. In advance of their show at Emo's tomorrow night, we managed to wrangle a few minutes out of guitarist/keyboardist Ian Williams’ busy tour schedule, chatting about Gloss Drop, making noise and mystical triangles. Throw a Bushism in the mix and we’ve got an interview worth reading. more ›

José González In Our Nature (Mute) Last year, González talked to us about the never-ending tour schedule, the slow process of songwriting, and how his next record --well, this record-- would focus on the guitar. His first full-length, Veneer, wooed us back in 2003, and though Gonzalez has been touring fairly relentlessly in support of it, he has found time to put together this work, a ten song album that sounds quite similar to... more ›

Emo’s 15th Anniversary ends this Sunday with structured post-rock from Battles set to invigorate the inside stage. The New York quartet comprised of John Stanier, Ian Williams, David Konopka, and Tyondai Braxton recently released their first full-length, Mirrored, garnering some solid reviews. Each band member brings a prolific resume to Battles, and their experience and versatility binds the oft-explosive sound together. Battles’ live show promises to be an extravaganza of a wide variety of... more ›

Battles Mirrored (Warp) Battles combine John Stanier's (Helmet, Tomahawk) frenetic drumming with Ian Williams' (Don Caballero) signature finger-tapping guitar work and layer prog-metal keyboards along with everything from hip-hop and rap to free jazz to cartoonish vocal effects, creating what is probably going to be one of the most quietly influential albums of the year. Though the band has been around for over four years, Mirrored is their first full-length. Previous EPs have indicated... more ›

Tonight you can catch glitch-hop wonder kid Scott Heren (aka Prefuse 73) at the Parish as he wraps up his US tour in support of his latest release, Surounded by Silence. Fans of Prefuse might be excited to know that Herron will be backed by a live band for his performance. What band would be up for the challenge of reinterpreting the breaks and bleeps found on his records. None other than instrumental math... more ›