Canada, the Austin of North America, let loose its reigning metaphorical exporters at the Mohawk last night for a solid crowd enjoying an unusually crisp September night outdoors. They got everyone hot and bothered, opening with a new song called "Black Swan," as the vocals soared above 17 layers of sound, pleasing fans of a band whose lyrics demand audibility. ...

Slick that hair back, button up those trousers, stretch out those vocal chords, strap on them dancin’ shoes and get ready to have the time of your lives… again. Well, maybe the time of your month. Indieroke gives you a chance to make a complete fool out of yourself in front of all your friends (as well as complete strangers) while showing your knowledge of the indie hits of today and yesteryear....

Back in 1994, when Common was Common Sense, a soulful underground Chicago rapper with a sinewy flow, he recorded “I Used To Love H.E.R.”, which remains perhaps his most widely cherished song. In four minutes, Common told the story of hip-hop’s trends and pratfalls to that point, glossing it over as a love story with a young woman. In turn, he added an undercard bout with Ice Cube to the day’s bi-coastal rap conflict, which should give some perspective to exactly how long ago ’94 was in hip hop. Since then, the story progressively enveloped the storyteller. Common hit the national scene in 2000, viewed as a tempering, traditionalist force in the face of the ascending Dirty South. He ran with the Roots when they were the emerging face of East Coast hip hop, and joined up with Kanye when he took those reins with College Dropout. ...

We mentioned this a while ago (and you follow that link for the full line-up), but we're giving you another opportunity to win tickets today. Just fill out the form below the cut and we'll get back to you soon should you be picked. We're choosing three winners this round, and there will only be one more chance before the festival kicks off this weekend to win, so get in while the gettin's good. ...

The Lemurs have been writing good songs, drawing bigger crowds and getting better and better since their beginnings in 2004. Here in Austin, their shows are consistent safe bets: the group maintains an electric energy that remains unrivaled by most other local acts. Since their self-titled EP in 2006, the band have played out, supporting the likes of Stars outdoors at Stubb's, Britt Daniel, the Long Winters and Do Make Say Think. This EP is long-awaited and absolutely exactly what we'd hope to hear from the band. ...

San Diego, CA's The Donkeys will feature at the inimitable Mohawk. There's not as much braying as you might think. Moreover, these burro bros feature impeccable harmonies and guitar hooks that jangle over their tunes like Mardi Gras beads over firm bosoms. Not good enough? Sometimes jammy, sometimes indie-pop served straight-up like the previous simile, all of what we've heard so far is good to the last drop. ...

Benko will be celebrating the release of their latest album, Welcome to the Follow Through tonight at the Mohawk, supported by drum duo Loudest Boom Bah Yea. This new work is a shimmering bit of indie pop excellence, engineered by Jim Eno and mastered by Erik Wofford. ...

Pompeii have a big fall planned. After laboring on a follow-up to their debut Assembly, the band now has a release date of October 7th for their sophomore release, Nothing Happens for a Reason. To support the release, the band are taking to the road for a solid month for shows in Arizona, California, and a few more states. Along for the ride will be E for Explosion and The Send, but first, Pompeii have a kick-off show planned for The Mohawk with fellow Austinistes Wine and Revolution, and Denton's fast-sounding Gazelles. ...

Two bands with funny names that start with T, both playing at venues booked by Transmission Entertainment? Who else smells a conspiracy here? At Mohawk, the up-and-coming quintet of New Jersey hellions in Titus Andronicus bring their much-heralded set of raucous anthems to the indoor stage. Titus have drawn comparisons to both the Velvet Underground and the E Street Band, so expect art-school angst and blue-collar catharsis in generous supply. Beforehand, local heroes The Midgetmen stir up punk, indie, and psychedelia into their own slurry brand of "slop-rock." ...

Huge show alert! The massively fun Everyone Knows Everyone 6 is steamrolling down the hot asphalt of the Red River district tomorrow, taking over both Club DeVille and Mohawk. Combining bands, DJs, film, art, and performances by all manner of culture warriors, EKE6 is an all-encompassing celebration of creative output unmatched in the summer scene....

Harlem and Bridez opened for Gravytrain at the Mohawk Saturday night, and Austinist contributing photographer Nash Cook was there to capture it. ...

This Sunday, after you’ve gorged yourself on hot dogs, apple pie, fireworks and all things star-spangled, the international psychedelic soul sensation King Khan and the Shrines will be at the Mohawk, waiting to transport you from the Land of the Free to the Land of the Freak. ...

Sub Pop darlings Fleet Foxes performed to an attentive, sold-out crowd at Mohawk last night, supported by Seattle's The Dutchess and the Duke and locals Balmorhea. Austinist contributing photographer Ali Bagheri provided the photos. ...

Boris played at the Mohawk over the weekend, and Austinist contributing photographer Nash Cook was there for all the action. So good, we bought a t-shirt. ...

We don’t really need Rob Garza and Eric Hilton to bring us any heat – but we doubt they can help it. The duo that is Thievery Corporation makes music so sensual that the audience (the very lucky audience – it’s a sold-out show) at Stubb’s on Tuesday will just have to get a little extra sweaty....

Devon Williams—onetime frontman for the now-defunct Los Angeles punk band Osker, and a well-renowned source of angsty attitude and unpredictability on stage—headlines the Saturday set at Mohawk. Williams, fresh off his solo debut, the curiously-titled Carefree, has lightened up and matured over the years, cutting some of the edginess and anger away from his music and performance, as he now crafts not so much punk as spritely-though-understated pop-rock. But don't worry—there's still a chance he'll berate the audience or become otherwise flammable during the show, and if that makes him a poor man's Cat Power, then let's happily see so for ourselves....

Just a month before the release of Faun Fables’ 4-song EP A table Forgotten, Dawn McCarthy and her troupe of minstrels will be bringing their theatrical art-folk Friday night to Mohawk....

On this day in music history, David Bowie released the "Space Oddity" single to coincide with humankind's first lunar landing. And now, onward! Here's your Midweek Show Jumpstart:...

It's really saying something if, as a band, you can undergo as much blistering criticism as have the French Kicks, and lived to tell the tale. But that something that's being said is a little bit more difficult to pin down. Is this band, lambasted regularly for coming from New York—even though, in the eyes of their harshest critics, their New York-ness is the very reason they're of any importance—deserving of all the shit-talk, or is there something fundamental to their approach that makes them worthy of their dedicated and often rabid fan-base? You'll have the opportunity to decide for yourself tonight at the Mohawk....

Is it us, or does it seem like this is going to be a really hot summer in Austin? It's hot outside, dude. Really hot. We advise staying out of the sun as much as possible for the sake of your health as well as for the sake of your overall comfort. As for the evenings, well, by all means, go outdoors, it's nice and cool. Here are this weekend's recommended activities once you get there: ...

Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Dark Meat perform an ecstatic sort of revivalist rock'n'roll, joyfully creating their own spectacle of noise by any means necessary. About 18 performers (give or take), including a brass section positioned on one side of the venue and a more traditional outfit on the other (including two wildly talented and seemingly tireless drummers) electrified the audience at the Mohawk last night with their unique sound, which lies somewhere between Spritualized and Rocket from the Crypt....

Photos courtesy Nash Cook...

The Mohawk on Friday is going to be absolutely busting out with music, as one of their patently awesome two-stages-for-one-ticket deals hits the scene. Getting the big print and final time slot on the two stages are Elf Power and Belaire, but they're just small pieces of what looks to be a good long night of song. So we'll break this down all methodical-like so you won't have to worry about missing anything, and you'll finally learn the wonderfulness that is six live (and actually quite good!) bands for less than an Alexander Hamilton. ...

You've got to love it when, long after the lineup is set and the schedules are printed, the opening act takes a quantum leap in the quality of their music, and, for all intents and purposes, stacks a show with TWO truly engaging acts rather than your customary one. And that's exactly what's happened here, as New Zealand natives The Ruby Suns' new album, Sea Lion, is so badass that getting to the Mohawk early enough to see them open up is imperative. And, in a nod to their previously determined spot as a Friday night headliner, Throw Me the Statue is a delightfully tight and catchy band belying their Seattle roots. So, hell, The Ruby Suns AND Throw Me the Statue? Even if you haven't caught word of these bands yet, they're both damn good, and for such a quality lineup this show is about as inexpensive as they come....

Oakland's Xiu Xiu, led by Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy, made a gorgeous noise on Saturday at the Mohawk performing songs from their latest release, Women as Lovers. They were supported by the smoky curiosities of D.C.'s Thao & the Get Down Stay Down. ...

Many were wowed by the fractured-yet-pleasant pop melodies of Field Music, but with the disintegration of that band, its lead figure, David Brewis, needed a new way to spin his musical sensibilities. And this is where School of Language comes in, a driven and focused effort that features all the polish and shine of Field Music without the bubbling conflict that sent that group on an ominous "indefinite hiatus." The result of Brewis being allowed to explore on his own is the album Sea from Shore, a collection of murky sun-pop songs with a thin experimental edge. Nice to listen to and not particularly demanding, this is music that seems ready-made for a light-hearted good time concert, one that is particularly well-suited for the laid-back attitude of the Mohawk....

Justice made a pre SXSW stop at Stubb's on a freezing cold Monday night, playing tracks off their bass resistant, a-typical French house album "†" to a sold out crowd intent on keeping warm by living the dream: D.A.N.C.E. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.......

Snapshots from Sunday's Zilker Kite Festival...

Photos courtesy Nash Cook. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.......

Because we love you so very much, we've gone ahead and put together a special mini-site dedicated to this year's SXSW Festival....