While the steady hand of democracy steers most end-of-year best of lists towards not only the very good but also the very well known, we here at the Austinist feels it's important to give a little face time to the lesser knowns, especially now that 2009 has closed the door on that last year that happened, whatever it was called. So while we were plenty pleased with our own official list, we thought it important to take note of those albums that shook us this year, even if they didn't make it through the primaries--let's consider them the Dennis Kuciniches and Mike Gravels of the race, if only those guys were any good. As a result, this list is unnumbered, obscure, sometimes strange, and features those underexposed greats that shouldn't be forgotten even though the calendar's turned. more ›

Our listening hours in 2008 were filled with a hundreds of records, some mediocre, some good, a few great. The distillation of our favorites is a tradition at Austinist, and we're happy with our list this year, despite talk of '08 being a shallow year album-wise. We've covered everything from Cut Copy to Bon Iver, the Dodos to Girl Talk. There are three local stand-outs on our list, and no Vampire Weekend to be found. more ›

Today we're talking to Mike Booher. Booher is probably best known for his long run with Zykos, but 2008 found him performing with the Turkeyz and hitting the road with Okkervil River for a tour. We'll undoubtedly be hearing more from him this year, and we look forward to it! Check it out: "On Tour With Zykos" (Okkervil River cover) (YouTube). Here's what Booher recommends: more ›

We can't imagine getting through the holiday season without bothering Bryan Keplesky about what he enjoyed listening to this year. As one half of the giant brain behind Misprint Magazine, Bryan has earned himself a notorious reputation as a sort of merciless rogue, drowning in a sea of irony, but as his art and design at Round Object proves, his insides are made of little more than CMYK conversion methods and copies of the Helvetica movie. Somehow amidst all this creative output, he manages to work as primary administrator at Shit My Jorts. Ask him all about it tonight at the Misprint holiday party tonight at Club DeVille. Here's what he liked in 2008: more ›

This winter, Austinist wanted to take some time to check in with some of our favorite local performers, artists and musicians to see what they enjoyed in 2008. Our request was simple: give us a few things that you enjoyed listening to this year, and feel free to include releases that might not have been released in 2008, but that found their way onto your turntable anyhow. We'll be sharing our own list too, but be patient and hear what some of our favorite folks thought was worthwhile in '08. more ›

Today we're checking in with guitarist and vocalist Lauren Larson from Ume. Her guitar chops and classic rocker voice have been impressing Austinites for years, and we very much look forward to the band's upcoming album, an as-yet-untitled EP recorded at The Bubble Studio by "Frenchie" Smith. Check it out: "The Conductor" (mp3). Here's what had her spinning this year: more ›

In the August issue of Hispanic Magazine, Austin is listed as one of the Top Ten Cities for Hispanics. This is the seventh year our city has been included on the list, which remarks on the importance of education to our city, the moderate cost of living here, and Austin's dedication to the environment. The magazine says that our fair city has earned "a reputation as a place that not only supports artists, but where artists can make a living at their craft." more ›

Texans want better roads but don't want to pay higher gas taxes or tolls for them, a recent poll shows (and we already assumed). Men's Health says Austin is the #7 best city for men to live. Georgetown makes This Old House's top-12 list of best cities to buy an old house. Police say the Austin hotel manager who is accused of sexually assaulting two boys showed the children threatening photos in an attempt to keep them quiet. Cottondale man duct-tapes his stepdaughter to a tree (with tape over her mouth), says they were "playing". Sunset Advisory Commission thinks DPS needs a management overhaul. Secret proceedings taking place under tight security while the grand jury (possibly) looks into alleged sexual abuse at the Eldorado FLDS compound. more ›