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. more ›

* The IST List will be updated this afternoon to reflect additional events -- The Editors F R I D A Y [3] » [music] Quien es, Boom!, Brothers and Sisters CD release, Lomita, and David Longoria (of the Black) at Beerland » [music] The Early Tapes, Peel and The Happy Familes at Stubb's » [music] Driver Friendly and The Arm at Red Eyed Fly » [music] Rockland Eagles, Yuppie Pricks, Pink Swords, and The... more ›

UPDATE: Congrats to Jeff Orr, who won a pair of tickets to the show! more ›

Austinist has eagerly awaited Oliver Future's return to Austin for two evenings of sweaty, raucous sessions at Stubb's. Pairing a diabolical sense of rhythm with lustrous guitar hooks and ambient, pulsating textures, their exceptional musical chemistry grows out of their earlier incarnation as The Love Supreme. This glam rock-oriented band reflected the fuzzy guitar and downright Britishness of T-Rex, Slade, Roxy Music, and David Bowie in the Diamond Dogs era. Oliver Future's new format... more ›

T U E S D A Y [31] » [music] Ghetto Princess, Secular End, The Total Foxes, Tomorrow's Too Late at Emo's » [comedy] Live Comedy Happy Hour at Beerland (8pm) » [karaoke] Karaoke Explosion at The Peacock » [books] Galt Niederhoffer presents Taxonomy of Barnacles at Bookpeople (7pm) » [politics] Austin League of Women Voters puts on the State of the City dinner with Mayor Will Wynn as the evening's speaker at the Austin... more ›

FRIDAY Early-80s post-punk icons Mission of Burma at Emo's. Their latest endeavor, ONoffONSnapshot, is avaiable strictly on iTunes. Opening support by Sally Crewe and indielicious Austinites I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness. OHN play Stubb's to celebrate the release of their sophomore album, In the End, All Things Begin. Also with Echo Base Soundsystem and DJ Vinyl Richie. Jeff Klein's CD release show at the Parish, featuring Zykos, The Glass Family, and Chris Simpson... more ›

The line-up for this year's Austin City Limits festival, running from September 23-25 in Zilker Park, has just been posted. The 2005 bill runs the gamut from heavy hitters like Coldplay, Widespread Panic and Wilco, indie favorites Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, and Franz Ferdinand, and even local Austin bands like Pong and Oliver Future. more ›