If an anthropology undergrad from UT were assigned to collect specimens from the Austin music scene this semester, he would have hit the jackpot at Red 7 Friday night. First off, there were the crust punks, camped outside with knapsacks, dogs, and denim vests, all marinated in dirt. Just inside past the door guy, were the creased and clean-shaven Oi! kids having a smoke. And over at the bar, apart from two or three mohawks, it looked like someone had turned over an Apple store and dumped out all the human contents, employees and customers both. The question, then: Which faction was there for which band? more ›

Two years ago Tennis emerged out of the blue and into the throws of internet buzz band status. The husband and wife duo from Denver of Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore quickly won us over with the nostalgic dream-pop of Cape Dory well before the debut album's official release, as it leaked and streamed into popularity. To prove it wasn't a fluke, they brought on drummer James Barone and dropped Young & Old less than a year later, an album produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys. After two years of mostly touring and appearances at SXSW, Tennis will be graduating to their first proper show in Austin with Tuesday night's appearance at The Parish. Last week Austinist caught up with Tennis on their day off, somewhere between Portland and San Francisco. We spoke with Alaina while Patrick drove. more ›

It's a great time to check out local music at some of the smaller venues/bars around town, or fuel your nostalgia with the likes of Salt'n'Pepa, Foreigner, or many other oldies but goodies coming to town this week. more ›

Sarah Jaffe is all grown up. While fans may still think of her as a talented young singer-songwriter where her gorgeously plaintive voice is accompanied solely by elegant guitar strums, Jaffe has garnered some serious accolades and impressive comparisons after releasing her third full length album in April. The Body Wins displays a matured Jaffe, exploring new musical corners and wider ideas. more ›

The last time Screaming Females were in town, they packed Beauty Bar so full it left a handful of fans to rally out back next to a rancid dumpster, happily bouncing along. more ›

Iannis Xenakis is certainly not a common name among Austin musical performance, though that could change. Line Upon Line, the premier new music percussion ensemble in Texas and the South, is presenting Perspective: Xenakis over two nights and one afternoon in three unique Austin settings. more ›

By the time Orlando Higginbottom took the stage, the packed mass momentarily remembered why they subjected themselves to such tight quarters, and those who stayed for the entire show were treated to an excellent set from an artist whose demeanor completely contradicted the crowd's initial restlessness and aggression. more ›

From singer Ryan Sambol’s boozy howl to the group’s mix of blues, country and old-time ramshackle rock ‘n’ roll, Austin’s own Strange Boys exude a scruffy charm that’s hard to find. more ›

So, Neutral Milk Hotel/Jeff Mangum: we've all had our little emo hearts squeezed by him at some point, right? (If not, you can probably just stop reading here). Maybe it was back in high school, before that gross existential-paranoia-induced cynicism of getting a little older began accruing to our tender selves, eventually manifesting in some as a carefully, defensively curated musical fandom, taste-indicators selected like pre-ripened fruit from a jaunt to the Blogger's Market to ward off the disease of Seemingly-Not-"With-It". more ›

One of the most promising producers to emerge from the UK over the last year, Oxford's Orlando Higginbottom has been making dance floor ready jams as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs since 2009. The son of an Oxford University music professor, his music combines exceedingly tight dance arrangements (complete with crystalline bass lines and shimmering synths), pop smarts, melancholy lyrics and his understated yet effective voice to masterful effect. more ›

Bluegrass can be a rather persnickety genre, adverse to change and content to stick with the same ol’ sounds that have been passed down generations. But traditionalists and progressives both got behind Nickel Creek in a big way in the early aughts. The trio earned a Grammy and notable fans in Alison Krauss and Lyle Lovett before suddenly splitting up in 2007 so that the individual members could focus on their own projects. Sara and Sean Watkins went solo (the former has a stellar album out next week), while mandolinist Chris Thile took up a new group called Punch Brothers, which swings by Antone’s tonight tomorrow night on a wave of acclaim. more ›

Sundays are sacred--the last hope for rest, relaxation, or recovery before the workweek--and if you're lucky, every so often an opportunity presents itself that goes beyond your expectation of the usual variety of brunch, poolside lounging, hungover hibernation, sports indulgence, or festival du jour. This past weekend, Austin certainly offered up a choice selection of music, but the golden ticket may have been for the nontraditional mid-day showcase at Do512 Lounge Session featuring Deer Tick, Turbo Fruits, and Wild Child. more ›

This week starts off with two fantastic local showcases. The Good Music Club hosts their fourth taping at the ND with The Sour Notes, Lonesome Heroes, Frank Smith, The Dalles. Another Living Room Live featuring the Wheeler Brothers takes place as well tonight at the W, with an all day happy hour. more ›

Deer Tick just wants to have fun. John McCauley, the band's ringleader, main songwriter, singer and guitarist, may have seen a few iterations of bandmates, but throughout it all the group's sound continues to evolve. From an Americana, alt-country one to a darker, more complex and layered tonality, they're still focused on recording albums on Partisan Records, creating a raucously good live show, and manipulating their fans' expectations. An example of this last feat is Deervana, a temporary side project wherein the members of Deer Tick performed the songs of Nirvana with impressive accuracy. They completely stunned SXSW audiences last year and went on to play a few other shows around the country. So what's next? McCauley talked to Austinist to discuss their latest EP, Tim, the evolution of Deer Tick, and more. more ›

After a couple of revelatory preview shows this week, Psych Fest proper starts at 4:30 this afternoon with Al Lover at Beauty Ballroom. Highlights today include Lotus Plaza, Ringo Deathstarr, Night Beats, Sun Araw, Peaking Lights, Dead Meadow, and the maharishis of the Reverberation Appreciation Society, The Black Angels. Friday's lineup might seriously be the deepest, but one would be hard-pressed to top the tripartite peak of Emos East's Saturday bill (The Telescopes! Are-you-kidding-me, The Olivia Tremor Control?! Is-that-you, Black Lips???) The weekend-long quest for the Truth concludes on Sunday night, when festival-goers will be bathed in the golden light of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Check out the entire head-spinning schedule here. more ›

This Sunday marks the return of San Antonio poet/spoken-word artist and label impresario Bill Shute and his Kendra Steiner Editions imprint to the Salvage Vanguard Theater. Two years ago, KSE launched a CD-R label to augment the already prolific chapbook series, focusing on an international coterie of experimental sound artists, composers and improvisers. Shute and his imprint have, over the past six years, garnered the respect of people like Byron Coley and Stuart Crutchfield - enough that these and other notable writers have been welcomed into the KSE stable. more ›

Stepping into The Parish just after 9pm, strains of low droning tones complemented by mid-range vocals with loads of reverb cascading over it all floated out over the sparse audience. A slightly androgynous figure alternately bent over a synth and cupped the microphone to his mouth to create a raucous yet somehow melodious sound. As the set journeyed on, more people were drawn to the front of the room and won over by the intriguing samples used as intros or outros of the songs, as well the thundering bass beats underscoring most of the music. Doldrums, really just Airick Woodhead most of the time, makes some seriously arty-electronic-percussive-driven songs. more ›

After a five-year hiatus, Belaire return with their lushly realized sophomore LP, Resonating Symphony. It was most certainly worth the wait. more ›

Monday Sucré is made up of a member of Eisley (Stacy King), MuteMath (DarrenKing), and a composer/producer (Jeremy Larson), all working together to make gorgeous sugary rock. They play tonight with The Tontons and Emily Wolfe at Mohawk. more ›