• Obama defends tax cut against attacks from left and right
• Cyberattacks are retaliation for pressure on WikiLeaks
• Private sector SpaceX Dragon set for launch

Tonight's edition of Music Monday at the Alamo Ritz features John Scheinfeld's acclaimed documentary, Who Is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him). This film has languished for several years after debuting on the festival circuit in 2006 because of music rights issues. It would be difficult, after all, to tell the story of a singer and songwriter like Nilsson without using clips of his songs. Legal issues settled, Lorber Films has recently released the film on DVD and we can highly recommend checking it out for Music Monday. more ›

This weekend we're getting a few pictures that have been making waves in bigger cities. Just in case Jackass 3D isn't your cup of tea, some of these great, smaller films are opening in town. If you're a Woody Allen fan, a Beatles fan, or are concerned about our country's broken educational system, there's definitely something for you this weekend at the movies. more ›

An Evening With Todd RundgrenDecember 4, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.Antones (213 W 5th St)$23-$25[info] | [tickets] There is this entire world of brilliant artists that produced oodles of fantastic work in the '70s that most of us know because of a standout hit here or there that makes its way into a more mainstream outlet, or an association with some more widely known entity. Vince Guaraldi's jazz piano works introduced us to a career's... more ›

JOSH RITTER What’s The Deal: Josh Ritter graduated from college with a major in American History through Narrative Folk Music, which makes the title of this folk-pop singer/songwriter’s recently released album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, fitting as well as boastful. He can boast all he wants with those hearty lyrics fat with imagery and the voluminous songwriting of this, his fifth album. Comparisons to Bob Dylan as well as John Lennon immediately come... more ›

Fridge The Sun (Temporary Residence) Kieran Hebden, Adem and Sam Jeffers have been working hard since 2001's Happiness, though perhaps not with each other. Hebden's Four Tet is almost as prolific as Prefuse spin-offs, and Adem has released one of the greatest folk-pop albums of the decade with Love & Other Planets (2006). Jeffers is no slouch, working hard in the graphic design and web industry, as well as continuing his musical aspirations. As... more ›

Sure, Harry Nilsson's birthday isn't actually until Friday. And some of you probably don't even know who he is. But neither of those things should stop you from partying at the Alamo tonight in honor of the late great songwriter, Grammy Award winner and all-around brilliant guy. If you're familiar with Nilsson, we obviously don't need to sell you on his wonderfully diverse and inventive pop music. But if you're not sure who he is,... more ›

The Electric Soft Parade No Need To Be Downhearted Like an indie pop amnesiac, we find The Electric Soft Parade wandering somewhere in the woods on No Need To Be Downhearted. The group is unable to choose between three possible identities; one of Smiths-inspired Brit pop, another caught in experimental, lo-fi doldrums and a third all about the dance-able angular guitars that made so many fall in love with the first Bloc Party record. However,... more ›

You probably know actor Curtis Armstrong best as the vulgar, grubby, utterly lovable anti-frat boy character Booger from the 1980s teen comedy series Revenge of the Nerds. So you may be surprised to find out that in real life, Armstrong is articulate, cultured and polite - and that he’s one of the world’s foremost experts on pop songwriter Harry Nilsson. This Saturday, Armstrong will be visiting Austin to host a screening of Nilsson’s 1971 film... more ›

Here's what's new this week: The Walkmen Pussy Cats Starring the Walkmen (Record Collection) When John Lennon and Yoko Ono took a break in 1974, the former jumped into the studio with pals Ringo Star, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson (among others) to produce Pussy Cats, a fascinating mix of classic tunes and originals arranged primarily by Nilsson and Lennon. Misunderstood and bizarre, Pussy Cats is the ultimate buddy album for music geeks with... more ›

MONDAY [9] books • Ted Bishop presents Riding With Rilke: Reflections on Motorcycles and Books at BookPeople (7:30pm) film • The Agronomist at Texas Union (7:30pm) ® film • Imagine - The John Lennon Sing-along at Alamo Drafthouse (7pm, $10) ® film • Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at Arbor (2:45pm, 7:30pm) ® film • Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers at Café Mundi (8pm, Free) film • Run Lola Run... more ›

Heading to End of an Ear or Waterloo? Here's what you can look for this week on the new release wall. Adem: Love & Other Planets (Domino) Adem's work with Fridge doesn't give any indication of his capabilities as a folk / pop singer-songwriter, but the distinction between the styles is indicative of his talent. The album's subtle yet sonic layers combined with Adem's fragile, persistant voice create a soundscape to match the themes... more ›

John Lennon still gives Jesus a run for his money. According to a volunteer at the University Baptist Church last Friday, only one or two religious services have similarly packed the pews. By the time Austinist arrived, music worshippers were lined up around the block to catch a live performance of the Beatles' White Album of 1968, whose songs around 30 local vocalists and musicians had been invited to cover. The seating was shoulder-to-shoulder, with... more ›

You are a self-professed Daniel Johnston obsessive. Can you remember when you first heard about Daniel Johnston? I was a college radio DJ [in New Jersey], and word was trickling up from Austin, Texas, through this underground network of people--before there was an internet—through fanzine culture. I was reading a lot of fanzines, which was an underground publishing network. Word was trickling up through this network of a few hundred people around the country from... more ›

Vince Young has caught a lot of flack for hiring Major Adams, a family friend, to be his agent. One of the few cool people paying attention to the Stanley Cup Playoffs? There have been a couple surprising wins in round two of this series. We hope it stays this exciting. A flea market in East Austin, popular among Mexican immigrants, erupted in chaos when it was thought that the Immigration and Naturalization Service... more ›

He was the Walrus. He taught the world that all we need is love. He was a self-admitted dreamer, until one fateful night 25 years ago. On December 8th, 1980, Mark David Chapman, a former Beatles fanatic robbed the world not just of a beloved rock star, or a worldwide symbol of peace and love, but a true artist who changed the way the world viewed music. No one can take away John Lennon's... more ›

Below is a list of the new albums released this week. You can get most at Waterloo Records or End of an Ear. Artist Spotlight Mendoza Line - Full of Light and Full of Fire (Misra) New York City's Mendoza Line are an awfully bitter bunch. Then again, these days, we can't rightfully blame them for feeling that way. Their latest release on Austin's Misra Records, Full of Light and Full of Fire, finds... more ›

For those of you stuck in your office and longing for some good Texas sounds and stories, tune in today at 3pm to listen to an interview with singer-songwriter Delbert McClinton on Fresh Air. Grammy-winning Delbert McClinton is considered a legend among Texas roots music aficionados. He's been making music since the 1950s in a style that seamlessly blends country, blues, soul, and rock and roll. Before he became known as a singer, he... more ›

While the Beatle Paul McCartney once posited, "The only love you take is the love you make," his colleague John Lennon was quick to point out that "Money can't buy you love." As a result, the amount of money made cannot correlate to the amount of love taken, but it can help a lot of people feel better about themselves. Unfortunately many of the readers and contributers for the Austinist find ourselves in the... more ›