Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco’s two albums are anomalies on the rap racks: winding, wordy projects with few A-list cameos, recognizable producers, or sure-fire singles. That he’s managed to build himself into a successful international brand is not a little bit attributable to a unique set of circumstances. There’s the trap-hop backlash, a dirge in the straight-up New York sound resulting from Atlanta’s ascent, the Kanye Effect, the Jay-Z Effect, that music blogging thing... ...

Image from RCIS.org Solar Austin Happy HourTuesday, November 6Artz Rib House [map]6:30-8:30pm[info]Solar Austin gathers for their monthly happy hour Tuesday at Artz Rib House. Renowned science fiction author and founder of Viridian Design Movement, Bruce Sterling, will be the featured and the topic will be Future Trends in Solar. Best known for his eight science fiction novels, Mr. Sterling is also a contributing editor of WIRED magazine and a columnist for MAKE magazine. He has......

La Luz is having a Halloween fiesta tomorrow. The new-ish South Austin boutique is inviting the public out for live music by The Early Tapes, refreshments, a spooky photo booth, games, prizes and activities. The fun starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. at 2009 S. 1st St. Explore the treasures of India with Marigold's Fall Festival today at 6 p.m. If you've never heart the rhythms of tabla and sitar, check......

Just when we thought Birds Barbershop couldn’t get any more creative, they give us two more awesome reasons to walk in and rock out. Starting today, the Burnet location is hosting “Bubblegum Humpday Happy Hours” every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. DJ Super K is breaking in the turntables with his collection of bubblegum and saccharine-sweet pop 45s from the 60s. Even if you're not getting your hair cut, shake your tail-feather and sample......

The City of Austin wants your input in naming the new 21-acre, $7.3-mililon park just south of Lady Bird Lake. The recently opened area, which houses the Palmer Events Center and the Long Center, is currently dubbed "Town Lake Park," but a "facilities naming ordinance" calls for the park to be rechristened in honor of "an individual(s) (living or dead) or something other than an individual such as a place or natural feature." Submit your......

Sazón (Interior Mexican) Location: 1816 South Lamar Blvd. [map] Phone: (512) 326.4395 Cost: Entrees $8-10 Atmosphere: Relaxed, neighborhood-y. Very warm, attentive service. Food: If the Polvo’s patio is already full, we suggest heading down the street to Sazón where the food is (arguably) just as good or better. Strong margaritas (not your average mix margs), savory spiced meats and vegetables, and perfectly toasted moist corn tortillas are some of the things Sazón gets right. The......

*Editors' Note: Clearly Austinist does not encourage anyone to get soused in front of their children, thereby damaging their fragile psyches. For those responsible enough to kick a couple back without ultimately taking the kids on a dangerous and terrifying road trip, we offer the following:* If your version of the three martini playdate is to sit and sip microbrew near a playscape in the heat, Austin options abound. Whether you are a stay at......

Monday, June 18musicHairy Apes BMX, Gabby La LA, Jetpaq Shakur at Stubb’s musicMenomena at Waterloo Records musicArt Brut Karaoke Party and "Caddyshack" at Beauty Bar filmThird Coast Night: "Leila Khaled, Hijacker" at Alamo Downtown filmMusic Monday: "Here We Come" at Alamo Downtown food/booksDr. BBQs Big-Time Barbeque Road Trip at BookPeople, 603 N Lamar Blvd (7pm)foodCentral Market Cooking Class: The Perfect Scoop with Chef David Lebovitz at Central Market Cooking School, 4001 N Lamar ($65, 6:30-9pm)......

Austin has a love/hate relationship with bikes. Love Lance. Hate the Lance-wannabes cruising FM-1826, slowing down the burnt-orange pickups on their way to the Salt Lick. Love biking the Hike-and-Bike trail. Hate slaloming between kids and dogs on a busy Saturday. Love the idea of bike lanes and bike commuting. Hate actual bikers slowing down traffic and swerving into the street because of cars parked in the bike lanes. Love reducing traffic and pollution......

HBMG Foundation is still inviting folks to apply for the 2007 ArtSpark Festival, a twelve-week-long creative festival and competition that pits teams of theatre junkies, video game developers, and visual artists against one another to create awesome new works. At orientation, each team is given a "spark," an object which serves as the catalyst and inspiration to jumpstart the team's creative process. If you'd like to apply but can't find a team to join,......

"Heaven…we're in hea-ven…" There are few things we like more than a good massage. World peace, gelato…that's about it, actually. If we could afford it, we'd probably get a professional massage every week. But we've got to budget our money carefully, you know, what with the gelato and all. So, you can imagine how thrilled we were when we read this story in the Austin Business Journal about Massage Harmony. The cleverly titled studio,......

Tigersblood and Wedding Cake with Cream? Fuzzy Navel with Hill Country Berry? Banana and Chocolate with Cream? Root Beer with Ice Cream on the bottom? Whatever your favorite may be, get it soon, because your friendly neighborhood snow cone stand, Sno Beach will shave its last ice today. On the corner of Butler Street and South Lamar just north of Barton Springs Road stands this premiere ice & syrup institution of Austin, whose owners......

Whether it's because it's Friday the 13th or because folks are getting antsy over this cold front, everyone's throwing a block party this weekend. We know of at least four fun (and free) things happening around town. If you hear tell of another, let us know. Friday The indie shops on South Lamar are throwing a massive collective get-down with DJs, bands, beer, and food, stretching from Bluebonnet to Heather. Participating stores include Strut, Irie......

Though many of its shops have been open for some time now, Austin's brand-new Chinatown Center on North Lamar celebrates its official grand opening this weekend. The two-day spectacle includes live music (The Ocean Band, Frequent Flyers, Ánh Duóng), martial arts demonstrations (Master Yi’s World Tukong Moosul Federation, Shaolin-Do Kung Fu), and local dragon dancers. The 180,000-square-foot space is anchored by the behemoth M.T. Supermarket, where you'll come across everyday market staples (fresh produce,......

To imagine the love child of Maya Angelou and Kara Walker is to envision -- however hypothetically -- the potent soulfulness expressed by Gee's Bend Quilts, now on show at the Austin Museum of Art. The exhibit, Mary Lee Bendolph, Gee's Bend Quilts and Beyond, celebrates the women artists of Gee's Bend, a small African American community in rural Alabama where, even today, only a single road leads in and out. Accordingly, the region's quilts......

Ahh, vinyl...truly the ideal listening medium. It'll never scratch, skip or melt, it's totally portable, the hardware's hella cheap and, best of all, you can load them right onto your computer! What's not to love? Lies. Nonetheless, vinyl masochists all over Austin will have a chance to buy, trade, haggle, and otherwise obsess over their Shatner LPs, as well as CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks, posters, Eric Clapton action figures, etc., at the Austin Record Convention, a.k.a.......

Perhaps you've always been too intimidated by the imposing adobe facade and high-end boutiques that surround the Jackson Ruiz hair salon to actually go in and let them touch your head. What's more, you're sure you couldn't afford an appointment, anyway. Well, here's your chance to get that salon-grade clip and help out disadvantaged children in your area. This Sunday, the good folks at JR are asking for a minimum donation of only $35......

We recently discovered a unique crepe stand in South Austin that gives us hope that not all French food here has to be expensive: Flip Happy Crepes is run out of a little Airstream trailer off of South Lamar in the parking lot between Floribunda and Flashback. All their savory crepes are around $5.50 or less, and their sweet crepes are $3.75 or less. We've been craving crepes as good as those we've enjoyed in......

The Roller Girls are finally allowing the male gender into the league...kinda sorta. The Putas del Fuegos, of the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls, are holding auditions for their all-male (preferably gay) cheerleading squad. The squad's name, wait for it, The Flamers. We're sure you'll want to run out and start polishing those male cheerleader skills. Auditions will be for both dancers and stunters. Prospective Flamers are expected to possess reasonable athletic skill and a roller......

The 2006 season of the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls got off to an exciting start in Week One. With a broken nose for each team, these these girls proved they're not afraid to mix it up. Each time the Hellcats scratched up a lead, the Cherry Bombs quickly rolled it back, until the fourth and final quarter, when the kitties clawed their way to the top and made their mark on the new Thunderdome as......

The 2006 season of the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls kicks off this weekend at the brand new Thunderdome. The first all-girl league to skate on a banked track, they put on a show that is not to be missed. The race for the Calvello Cup begins Sunday as the Hellcats face off against the Cherry Bombs. Accompanied by the music of Pong and Hit by a Car, the night will be rockin'. Keeping the house......

On Saturday, former US Congressman James Jarrell "Jake" Pickle died at the age of 91. His was a legacy of extraordinary accomplishments. Born and raised in West Texas, Pickle went on to attend UT Austin, where was a champion swimmer and senior-year student body president. After a stint in the US Navy during WWII, Pickle went on to serve in the House of Representatives for over three decades. When the Civil Rights Act of......

We've been a really good Austinist this week and kept you updated on all the events of this weekend. But we thought we'd be really, really good and remind you about all of them: Austinist Happy Hour, tonight @ The Longbranch Inn Austin Marley Festival Saturday and Sunday @ Auditorium Shores John Kerry Kids First @ UT's Rec Sports Center...RSVP needed! Walk To End Violence, Saturday 10AM-2PM @ Waterloo Park Art Car Parade, Saturday 11:30AM-1:30PM......

We think the Honda Metropolitan is more attractive than the current batch of Vespas, but we suppose Vespas have a little more mod cachet. If you're currently wearing an off-white linen suit, you might be interested in attending the opening party of the new Vespa store tomorrow night. It's billed as a "grand" opening party, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Although you can't test-drive a Vespa during the party, you can test-drive......

We drove all the way to South Lamar for some sweets. We had been eyeing a shop called Indie Pop Cool Treats for some time and decided what better time to get a sugar fix than right before lunchtime. But it was closed on Mondays (like nobody needs ice cream on a Monday?). Lucky for us, we spied muffins through the windows next door. Hey look, we said to ourselves, this here place is a......