• Bombing suspect, arrested last night at JFK, says he planned Times Square all alone.
• Oil vs. turtles - guess who wins?
• BP pins its hopes on some kind of funnel.

• Toyota's problems widen: now investigating brakes on Prius models.
• Roadside bomb kills three US soldiers in Pakistan.
• AIG pays hefty bonuses to employees despite government bailout.

• Seeking an "unfiltered forum", Palin signs book deal to write her memoirs
• Americans not concerned with diversity on Supreme Court, poll shows
• Records show billions withdrawn before Madoff arrest: Why this may be good news

Polls are open from 7am to 7pm. more ›

The speed of light is just under 300,000 km/s. It takes about 8 seconds for the sun’s light to reach us on earth, and that’s about how long it should take you to find Lightspeed Champion (aka Dev Hynes) completely charming. After his days in the short-lived, dance-core group Test Icicles, Hynes began this folked-out, playful, indie-pop project. His debut full-length, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge, comes out February 5th, and it’s full of players that provide the perfect accent to his earnest twang and sweetly-sung melodies. For the album, the American-born, U.K.-raised Hynes struck out for Omaha and decided to enlist Mike Mogis as producer to add that Saddle Creek sound. It was here that he found his additional players for the record in Mogis, Nate Walcott, Clark Baechle from the Faint, as well as members of Cursive and Tilly And The Wall. He keeps good company, even on tour. He’s been out with Bright Eyes, Final Fantasy and Patrick Wolf. While touring, Hynes enlists a rotating cast of accompanying musicians pulled from a list of his musician friends. more ›

Emo’s Free Week has come and gone, but the venue and the city march on with a buffet of mouth-watering shows available for consumption tonight. Eclectic beats from Dan Deacon pace Emo’s inside stage (as a part of the Ultimate Reality Tour) while Steamroller, She Craves, Killer Crocs of Uganda, and The Banner Year rock Emo’s Lounge. more ›

Tomorrow's screening of Real Genius with John Gries in attendance is totally sold out (*sad face*). But cheer up--you can still enter our contest for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the 9:45pm screening of Napoleon Dynamite AND a pair of pajamas autographed by Laslo Hollyfeld himself! more ›

If you're in the campus area tomorrow, swing by the Speedway Mart corner (Speedway & 31st Street) if you want to witness a true miracle in Austin restaurant history. Battling stubborn/cheap students, rising rent and bad weather for foot traffic, Fricano's Deli has accomplished something that even national chains can't pull off in the campus area—they have reached their first anniversary. As a provider of an amazing variety of creative sandwich options to students,... more ›

Brian McBride began Stars of the Lid here in Austin years ago, but his solo album, When the Detail Lost its Freedom, is one that gestated during a time of terrible strife (divorce, harrowing move to new city) in McBride's life. Recorded almost exclusively on an SR X keyboard sampler, Detail utilizes guitar, piano, vocals, harmonica, trumpet and strings, abandoning keyboards and synthesizers entirely. The result is a lovely, gentle and ultimately emotional album... more ›

Fionn Regan The End of History (Lost Highway)The End of History signals the auspicious beginnings of this Irish singer/songwriter who strikes up comparisons to Ryan Adams, Neil Young and at times, Conor Oberst. The occasional female backing vocal, banjo and violin are spun around herculean, plucked acoustic numbers and personal tales beaming with imagery and intelligent melody. “Be Good Or Be Gone” and especially “Put a Penny in the Slot” showcase the authenticity of... more ›

When summer arrives, most food and wine events disappear into the hot summer air, not to be seen again until fall. Thankfully, this year seems to be an exception to that rule. On Sunday the 15th, the Wine & Food Foundation is partnering with Mirabelle and Chef Michael Vilum to create a special summer foodie event. The Mirabelle dining room will host a 'sip and stroll' dinner featuring seven different dishes (three appetizers, three... more ›

Friday, July 6artB Scene - Too Darn Hot! at Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress ($5-$10) booksAlan Porter presents Before They Were Beatles, with Beatles cover band Daytripper at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedyJohn O’Connell with Jesse Pangelinian at Cap City Comedy Club comedyPunchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) comedyLovey and Lovey at ColdTowne Theater (8pm) comedyWeekly Improv Cage Match! at ColdTowne Theater (11:30) film"Bonnie & Clyde" and "White Heat" at The... more ›

Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger (Lost Highway): We like Ryan Adams: he’s witty, annoying, moody, talented, and 100% rock star. It’s unfortunate, then, that his output is so often uneven. Like a poster child for iPod album editing, Adams throws a handful of gems on each album, then adds lots of C+ songs with gratuitous swearing and purposefully off-key vocals. Easy Tiger isn’t the complete return to glory that early press suggested, but it... more ›

MONDAY [19] film • Alejandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo" at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown music • Melissa Ferrick, Coles Whalen at Stubb's film • "8-Bit": A film about art & video games at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown TUESDAY [20] books • O. Henry Prize Winning Short Story Adaptations at Harry Ransom Center (7:00pm) food • Central Market Cooking Class: Chef Justin Raiford - Flavors of Spring at Central Market Cooking School, 4001 N Lamar ($50, 6:30-9pm) music... more ›

Believe it or not, there's still a bunch of activities going on around town this week other than SXSW. This week's IST List won't include our usual bevy of music and film events; for those, we recommend that you check out our Interactive Guide to SXSW Parties and the Other Side Guide, respectively. Meanwhile, if you'd like to share your SXSW photos with the Austinist community, simply tag 'em "sxswaustinist" -- we'll be featuring... more ›

Those who grew up with NPR as auxiliary parent will doubtless recognize the names Maria Hinojosa and Ray Suarez, the honored guests at Spark: KLRU's Engaging Speaker Series this Wednesday. (So, do their pictures match your mental conception of how they'd look? 'Cuz the first time we saw a pic of Terry Gross, we flipped out.) Hinojosa, the anchor of NPR's Latino USA, is also most recently the author of a memoir of Mexican-American... more ›

Lucinda Williams West (Lost Highway) West finds (as is apparent just by a brief scan of the track titles) Williams in a thoughtful and tender place musically, as her private life and its rough patches sort of overwhelm her toe-tappin' hay-covered dance floor capabilities. The death of her mother and the end of a relationship both factor into the context of the album, but that doesn't stop big guitars and generous bass drum from... more ›

One would think that this would be the week to make connections, with people trying to find quick a hookup, even if just for that one evening. But there aren't many Valentine's Day desperate connections to be had--just a lot of normal desperate connections. So get out there and take a peek, as we bring you the best of last week's Missed Connections... Stupid Cad Girl Seeks Missing Purse. Lost During Debauchery Although Jim... more ›

WEDNESDAY [7] music • Hotel, Hotel, Haunting Oboe Music at Beerland music • The Matches, I Am Ghost, Escape the Fate, The Higher at Emo's music • Lotus, The Frequency at Stubb's music • David Garza at Continental Club (Midnight, $7) music • Todd Snider at Cactus Café music • Tiny Fox, The Offisaurs, Aspen Murder at Trophy's music • Pezz Perez, The Seas at The Chain Drive (10pm) film • A Portrait of... more ›

Alamo Lake Creek will be showing the mid-season premiere of Lost tonight at 9pm (the show's new time). You can watch the show on the big screen with others (no, not those Others), and we do believe the Alamo has a DVR so you don't have to mess with pesky commercials. Did we mention it's free? Be sure to get there early and claim your seats just as you would for any other show at... more ›

Tonight, as part of their South By Southeast: The Films of Thailand and Vietnam series, the Austin Film Society presents Last Life in the Universe, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s gorgeously pensive tale of violence, loneliness and love on the outskirts of Bangkok. Last Life tells the story of Kenji, a timid, obsessive-compulsive librarian whose attempt to hang himself is interrupted by his brother Yukio, a Japanese gang member on the run from a vindictive Yakuza boss. After... more ›

That's right: it's time to heat up your winter nights again, with the 14th season of FronteraFest. The Short Fringe, the Long Fringe, or Mi Casa es su Teatro -- FronteraFest is five weeks of alternative, offbeat, new, and just plain off-the-wall fringe theatre presented by Hyde Park Theatre and Austin Script Works. For complete FronteraFest 2007 information, including times and locations for the Short Fringe, the Long Fringe and Mi Casa es su Teatro,... more ›

FRIDAY [19] film • AFS presents a new 35mm print of The Rules of the Game at Dobie Theatre film • Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival 2007 at Alamo Downtown (7pm, 9:30pm, 11:58pm) Most events are probably back on schedule, but call ahead just to be sure. music • The Weird Weeds, W-S Burn, Brian Sookram, Jonathan Horne at The Peacock ($3, 9pm) art • Two Mongolian Artists From Two Generations: D.... more ›

They say that Jazz is the only truly American art form. But clearly “they” had never visited the back rooms of Las Vegas’ most popular casinos during the 1950s, where a group of oddball performers were developing a unique, hyper-regional brand of live entertainment known as the lounge act. Strictly speaking, lounge acts combined art forms that already existed; they were singers, dancers, comedians and impressionists. But in the swirling haze of booze, broads and... more ›

MONDAY [8] film • Celebrate Elvis' Birthday with Viva Las Vegas at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film • Holy Mountain at Austin Java (9pm, Free) film • Music Monday: Lost Vegas: The Lounge Era at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm, $2) music • The Onlys, Ghost of the Russian Empire, Midgetmen at Emo's music • Elvis Birthday Tribute with Dale Watson, Ray Benson, Wayne Hancock, Derailers, Carolyn Wonderland, and lots more at Continental Club... more ›

If you were a middle school geekster, like us, you probably got that way by reading Highlights for Children, the mag that answers little kids' weird questions, and also prints really fun games like "What's Wrong With This Picture?" (Is it weird that we still pick it up in the dentist's office?) The science editor for said mag, Jack Edgar Myers, died on December 28th in a retirement home in Austin, at age 93. more ›

Whether you think of it as a test run for SXSW, a belated Christmas present to local music fans, or an excuse to drink for seven days straight, Emo's Free Week kicks off today with a schedule of acts that reads like a who's-who of local punk, indie, and rock. As the showcases are all without cover, we'd recommend getting there early. Emo's Free Week January 2-8 603 Red River Tuesday, January 2 Inside:... more ›

WEDNESDAY [13] party • 3rd Annual Food Drive & Holiday Party at The Side Bar music • The Transgressors, Hello Lovers, The Dresses at Emo's music • Joanna Newsom & Her Orchestra, Bill Callahan at The Parish Room music • The Onlys, J Dimenna, Dolly Partners, Daughter at Beerland music • Pete Yorn, Sound Team, Starsailor at Antone's music • Tia Carrera, Flower to Hide, Damage Pants at Red's Scoot Inn film • Dinner... more ›

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