The following is a column by Austinist staff writer Matthew Dewitt -- Ed Note more ›

Please take a moment and enjoy Austinst's first installment of staff writer Matthew DeWitt's column, Hots On For Nowhere, which will appear each Thursday, concentrating on one album (maybe a new release, maybe a dollar bin discovery, or perhaps an over-looked classic) in depth. DeWitt is a longtime Austinist contributor and freelance writer splitting his time between here and Skyscraper Magazine. -Paige Maguire, Music Editor Tuesday saw the release of New Moon, a collection of... more ›

While on tour, New Orleans sextet Galactic provide support for some serious funk and jazz artists, from The Meters to Medeski Martin & Wood. And their contemporary and ex-labelmate, North Louisianan slide guitarist Papa Mali has worked with some of the most famous funk musicians on the planet, from Cyrille Neville to Burning Spear. So it's safe to say that fans of those groups will gravitate to La Zona Rosa for the New Year's... more ›

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador) As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album.... more ›

Death From Above 1979 Heads Up This reissue of the late, great dance-metal duo's first EP represents what little "rare" material there is to be had in the wake of the band's abrupt break-up earlier this year. Everything that made the 2004 triumph You're A Woman, I'm A Machine so massive is here: squalid distorted bass, caveman drumming, soulful shouted vocals, and just a touch of vocoder for old time's sake. DFA79 had the... more ›

*This post comes from new Austinist contributor Matthew DeWitt.* It’s topical downer time at Cine Las Americas this weekend, with De Nadie (No One) likely to take home honors for Most Depressing Viewing Experience. The film takes a unique look at the immigration controversy—Central Americans crossing through Mexico to get to the U.S. Many don’t even make it to the US border, succumbing to exposure, starvation, robbery, or (at best) arrest and deportation by... more ›