SXSW Music kicks off on Wednesday the 12th, as always with the Annual Austin Music Awards at Austin Music Hall, but it has become clear over the last few years that the music really starts the night before. Just thinking back to last year, we remember walking up and down Red River, watching bands like Golden Bear, White Denim and Broken Teeth at venues such as Beauty Bar, Emo’s and Red 7, and congratulating ourselves for getting started early....

Kick off this weekend early on Thursday at Antone’s with music from Black Joe Lewis, Bankrupt and the Borrowers, and The Best Love In Town on the special occasion of The Versatile Syndicate’s “Launch Party.” The entity is now open for business, and their agenda is to aid any artist in pursuing their dreams and professional development via booking/tour management, consulting, live production, and so on. This event is a part of the Austin Music Foundation’s Love Austin Music Month and cover for AMF members is $5. The rest of us mere mortals can get in for $10. The shindig also marks AMF's 6th Birthday; free cake and food (courtesy of Whole Foods Market) and free 2008 She Rocks Calendars while the goodies last....

SXSW has announced the schedule of events for this year’s official showcases -- start here! Also, check out Greg Hewgill's site for (unofficial) Torrents featuring the various artists playing SXSW 2008 (as well as past years)....

Zach Scott is getting national attention for its run of Porgy and Bess at the newly remodeled Austin Music Hall. The show runs two weekends only, and wraps up this Sunday. // Jaston Williams had great success with his autobiographical, one-man show, I'm Not Lying—and now he's back with more. This weekend only, Cowboy Noises further explores Williams' fascinating life with humor and, we expect, unflinching honesty. // We're mighty fond of local playwright Max Langert, and his current play, You're Happier Than You Think: Recalibrating Your Emotional Scale, at Frontera Short Fringe sounds like a charmer. Saturday @6:15pm, and Sunday @noon....

Classic Rock, Classic Country: As per usual, Willie Nelson will play two nights at The Backyard for both locals avoiding SXSW and tourists willing to skip one night of showcases to see Austin's most enduring music legend. Willie's shows are tentatively scheduled for 3/14 and 3/15, and will go on sale sometime in February. In another move designed to access some tourist dollars, Direct Events has announced a relatively intimate show with Van Morrison at the Austin Music Hall on Tuesday, March 11. Van the Man apparently hasn't heard about the looming recession, as tickets are priced from $102 to a whopping $257. ...

Also this weekend, the Zachary Scott Theatre Center kicks off its 75th Anniversary Season with George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. This special production is inspired by the city of New Orleans as well as the music of Ray Charles, Nina Simone, and Louis Armstrong, among others. The show runs for two weeks at the Austin Music Hall and you can purchase tickets here....

This year's SXSW Music lineup seems to be taking shape a bit more quickly than last year, as bands have taken it upon themselves to announce showcases publicly before the official list release by SX organizers. This is a departure from prior years, but since festival officials aren't complaining, we assume they're happy to let the hype build as the acts trickle in. This week's top twelve additions:...

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....

This weekend brings another tremendous set of gigs to our beloved city. If the abundance of synth-pop and electro-rock acts lately is bringing you down, raise your spirits and beers to some stellar rock n’ roll on Friday. Emo’s hosts one of Austin’s hardest rockers in the form of the Young Heart Attack, while the newly renovated Austin Music Hall boasts a Dallas - Forth Worth Metroplex attack in the shape of the Toadies and Baboon....

On Monday night, Austin Music Hall re-opened its doors. Once completely finished, the revamped venue will feature a permanent stage and 2,800 seats. Photos courtesy of Dale Haussner. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.......

The first U.S. troop cutback in Iraq has officially begun. The tentative working title for this one is "Operation Mistake Acknowledgment." Human rights organization takes the Kenyan police force to task on allegations of mass murder. In order to prevent the "destruction of culture," the French government has outlawed certain forms of P2P downloading. Event is referred to as a "victory" for the recording industry. Oh reeeeally? Economist suggests that we could soon know......

The Cure will be performing at the Austin Music Hall next June as per their official website. The date has been added as a part of their (formerly postponed) The Cure 4Tour North American leg. The current line-up of the band is listed as Robert Smith (of course!), Simon Gallup (bass), Porl Thompson (guitar), and Jason Cooper on drums. A new album is in the works as well. In the interim, the Shout Out......

Peyton’s Place is celebrating its grand opening tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be complimentary drinks, in-store makeovers (courtesy of Sage Salon), and a trunk show by jewelry designer Joani White. Peyton’s Place is on 215 Lavaca. Re- is going out of business! Voted Best Recycled Goods by Austin Chronicle, this little South Austin vintage store is calling it quits after over two years. Owner Chris Walker said he and his wife......

Oh, Morrissey. Back in the summer of 1991, we drove up from San Antonio to (the former) City Coliseum to see your Kill Uncle tour, only to be met in the parking lot by some guy with a bullhorn saying the show was canceled due to "inadequate security." Unable to drink away our sorrows due to age, we settled for a truly inadequate substitute of seeing City Slickers and buying some licorice. After a......

Back in July 2006, local event production company Direct Events, in collaboration with Novare Group Holdings LLC and Andrews Urban LLC (the developers of the new 360 Condos at 3rd & Nueces), unveiled a plan to "preserve, renovate and expand" the Austin Music Hall, one of Austin's larger live music venues. The venue is located at 208 Nueces Street, just down the way from the 360 Condos development. The plan calls for an expansion of......

Texas country music legend and one-time spiritual advisor to Kinky Friedman, Billy Joe Shaver was questioned by Waco-area police after a man was shot in the face near Papa Joe's Texas Saloon. Details about the shooting remain scarce, including any possible role that the Texas Country Music Hall of Famer might have had played in it, but Shaver's attorney reportedly confirmed his client's involvement. The Waco Tribune-Herald also quoted an anonymous truck driver yesterday,......

Tony from LAist letting you know that you have a hell of a town here. Not only did we get to see Slash last night in an amazingly intimate setting, but we also ran into some Oxfam kids who were spreading the good news while everyone was getting plastered. Now that's sacrifice. Below are some LA bands that we think you might like if you wanna check out what the West Coast has to......

San Antonio trio Girl In A Coma is comprised of siblings Nina and Phanie Diaz, and complemented by childhood friend Jenn Alva on bass. The band’s energetic pop/rock has been seen on tour with the likes of Frank Black, The Epoxies, and The Eyeliners, with an upcoming gig opening for the Pogues announced this month. Also secured recently is a record deal with Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records, with their debut album expected sometime this......

FRIDAY [12] Some of you have asked that we publish the Weekend IST List on Thursdays, in order to better help you plan your goings-on. We're happy to oblige. Starting today, we'll be including Friday-Sunday listings both on Thursday and Fridays. --Ed. Note music • Yacht Rock Party with DJ Starsign -- Chicago, Steely Dan, America, Air Supply, Toto, Boz Scaggs, Loggins and Messina, Carole King, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Doobie Brothers, Seals and......

SATURDAY [23] music • Wintershow Benefit for SafePlace and Capital Area Food Bank with Bill Callahan (SMOG), Shearwater, Nick Hennies (Weird Weeds) and Brian Sookram at The Mohawk (Doors at 3pm, Music at 5pm) film • Sinus Show: Die Hard at Alamo Downtown (7 & 10pm, $12.50) music • Everyone Knows Everyone Winter Party, with music by Visitors, Rory + the Artificial Hearts, Pompeii, and Mars Wars; art by Carlos Rosales-Silva, Justin Cox, Jay......

THURSDAY [21] fashion • Dirty Librarian Chains Trunk Show with DJ Chicken George and Daetron Vargas at FactoryPeople (5-8pm) film • The Christmas Pop! Sing-Along at Alamo Downtown (7pm, $10) film • La Femme Nikita at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) film • old Joy at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm) film • Terror Thursday: Blood Beach at Alamo Downtown (11:55pm, Free) music • Ugly Beats, Bellfuries, The Deadly Companions at Emo's music • "A Parish Christmas," featuring......

WEDNESDAY [20] film • Super Happy Fun Monkey Bash 5 at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm, $5) film • Danielson: A Family Movie at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film • Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story at Beerland (7pm, Free) film • Delicatessen at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) film • Weird Wednesday: The Magic Christmas Tree at Alamo Downtown (11:55pm, Free) food • Austin Farmers Market at Whole Food Parking Lot, 525 N Lamar (4-7pm) music •......

TUESDAY [19] film • AFS Essential: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film • Revolver at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm,Free) film • Cabbage Patch Kids: Vernon's Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Jack Frost at Spiderhouse (8pm, Free) film • Austin Air Guitar Championships at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm) music • Pocketful of Deng, The War Against Sleep, The Mike Truth All Stars, Cartright at Emo's music • Fire vs. Extinguisher, Follow......

FRIDAY [17] music • Frida Hyvonen, Tacks the Boy Disaster, Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater) at Emo's Lounge music • She Wants Revenge & Pretty Girls Make Graves at Stubb's music • Deftones, Deadsy at Austin Music Hall music • Steve Carter at Waterloo Records music • Grupo Fantasma at Antone's music • Golden Bear, The Lemurs, Glass Family at Continental Club (9:30pm) music • Joe Ely at Cactus Café music • Chin Up Chin Up,......

THURSDAY [16] wine • Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! at Various music • Peter and the Wolf, The Interest Kills at The Mohawk music • The Elected (Members of Rilo Kiley), Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, Whispertown 2000 at Emo's Lounge music • Jack Ingram & Reckless Kelly at Stubb's music • The Pretenders, Operation:Awesome at Austin Music Hall music • White Ghost Shivers, Dewayn Bros at Beerland music • St. Lawrence......

KUT's Laurie Gallardo dishes about local music....

An annual showcase and celebration of all things DIY, the Stitch Fashion Show and Guerrilla Craft Bazaar returns for its fourth installment this Saturday with an even bigger and better lineup. Back in 2003, local designers Jesse Kelly-Landes (Amet and Sasha), Tina Sparkles (Sparkle Craft), Karly Hand (Identity Crisis Clothing) and Jennifer Perkins (Naughty Secretary Club), dismayed that Austin lacked an effective outlet for independent designers to exhibit their work, orchestrated one of the city's......

Today's big news is the FunFunFun festival, but there are also several new shows in this edition of the concert update. Kasabian, Ben Folds, Mates Of State, and others have all announced Austin shows, and there are tons more on tap for late fall. Have a look: October: 10/21 Pet Shop Boys (The Backyard) 10/21 Ladytron (Stubb's) 10/22 Rolling Stones (Zilker Park) 10/22 Method Man (Emo's) 10/23 Jenny Lewis + Watson Twins (Stubb's) 10/24......

- Wild Horses Couldn't Sell Those Cheap Seats: Charles Attal must be having some trouble filling those far corners of Zilker Park, because KGSR sent out an email this week offering four Rolling Stones tickets and four concert T-Shirts for $199. If you're keeping score, this is roughly half of the original $95 ticket cost. If you'd like to take advantage of the offer, head over here. - New Concerts Going On Sale his......

- Rolling Stones tickets are on sale tomorrow at 10am via Ticketmaster. Prices are $75 for students, $95 for general admission, and a whopping $350 for bleacher seating near t