Sure it's fun to sing along to something like "Party in the USA," but nothing compares to the bliss of yelling out lyrics with an attempted accent. Little excites us more on road trips than popping in The Cranberries and joining Dolores O'Riordan as she reaches notes and sounds that don't exist anywhere else on this planet. If that's something you can get into, why not try Glen Hansard's voice on for sound at The Action Pack's ONCE Sing-Along at the Alamo Ritz this Thursday (+ an additional sing-along next Thursday, August 19th). more ›

In the midst of a kidney-punching divorce and a morale-deflating demotion at work, this eternally disenfranchised man, played by David Zellner, who also wrote and directed Goliath, lives in the malaise of mediocrity. Everything he does is a menial, unrewarding task, even watching porn. He is constantly muffling the words and actions that would pull him out of his droning, joyless life, storing up a pressure cooker of rage, passion and ill-advised tirades that could, and do, blow without warning. His one respite from the daily spirit beat down was the knowledge that a tiny, beating, feline heart needed him. Once that fur ball is no longer leaving deposits in the old catbox, this nameless man goes completely and utterly berserk. more ›

Sonic Boom (a.k.a. Peter Kember) makes his 2nd appearance in Austin within the last six months at The Mohawk on Saturday. Since our city regularly hosts acts numerous times in a year, this might not seem too extraordinary. But this is no ordinary act -- Sonic Boom was once part of the legendary British outfit Spacemen 3 whose psychedelic innovations influenced many of the bands you might listen to today. more ›

Once upon a time there was a Virginian noise-pop band called Skywave, who released a tidy avalanche of washed-out fuzz-rock singles and one full-length before calling it a day in 2004. Bassist Oliver Ackerman moved to New York to form A Place To Bury Strangers and build custom guitar pedals under the banner Death By Audio, while co-Skywavers Paul Baker and John Fedowitz formed the similar-minded Ceremony and stayed behind to hold it down in Fredericksburg, VA. Skywave (and to some extent its offspring) engaged in post-psychedelic guitar mangling of the My Bloody Slowdive Chain 500 variety, featuring massively distorted guitar chords recorded inside the world’s largest underground parking garage, slamming drum machine beats, and vocal performances so completely humorless they might have been (but probably weren’t) a put-on. Seeing as how bands featuring former Skywave members are currently the talk of the town, we've put all three bands' records head-to-head to see what’s what: more ›

Designs from Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Zac Posen and Eskander will be showcased, but our interest level is definitely leaning towards mojitos, champagne, Italian cocktails, and snacks from The Steeping Room, North, Jaspers, The Daily Grill and Viva Chocolato. more ›

Hillary Clinton says we really matter! Texan self-esteem at an all-time high (and that's saying something). GM wants to buy out every single one of its United States hourly workers. Texas beats No. 3 Kansas in basketball, 72-69, in front of a sold-out Erwin Center. By 2050, one in five Americans will be foreign-born, survey saith. more ›

Once again, Beerland is delivering the goods this week with a four bands worth of impressive up and comers. For hyperactive guitar-led jams that feature whip smart drums and a keyboard backbone, look no further than Shapes Have Fangs. Also harnessing the kinetic energy of garage jams are Diagonals, whose frontman Steve Garcia also rocks in Peek-A-Boo records signees Black Lipstick. more ›

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.... more ›

Image by David Clearly from Myspace The Swell Season with Martha WainwrightThursday, November 15Stubbs (801 Red River)$23, doors at 6:30 p.m.[info]If you loved the romantic indie musical Once, head to Stubb’s early tonight to see the movie recreated live by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. In the film, Hansard, Irish frontman of The Frames, and Irglová, a Czech singer and pianist, played two musicians that fall for each other in song. As The Swell Season,... more ›

Image from Arthouse Stealth Fighter Piñata BashSunday, November 11Arthouse (700 Congress Ave)3pm[info]We thought Houston artist Bill Davenport was joking earlier this fall when he mentioned that his giant B2-bomber-shaped piñata would be bashed at the end of the Arthouse Texas Prize exhibit. But he wasn’t. On Sunday, folks can take a swing at the 24-foot-wide art piece, titled Stealth Fighter Piñata. An organist will also be there to provide some appropriate piñata bashing tunes. Once... more ›

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. THOR HARRIS What’s the Deal: It’s hard to resist reviewing an artist named Thor, as in super-brutal, Norse god with a head full of long locks and a giant... more ›

As we promised earlier this week, here's your chance to score those coveted space-available tickets* to the John Mayer Austin City Limits taping at KLRU-TV studios. Instead of the previously-announced 25, we're actually giving away 50 pairs of tickets to the first folks who enter. KLRU-TV will be taping an episode of Austin City Limits this Thursday with singer-songwriter (and guitarist extraordinaire) John Mayer. These days, the Grammy Award-winning artist routinely plays to packed amphitheaters... more ›

KLRU-TV will be taping an episode of Austin City Limits this Thursday with singer-songwriter (and guitarist extraordinaire) John Mayer. These days, the Grammy Award-winning artist routinely plays to packed amphitheaters and festival audiences. For die-hard Mayer fans, seeing him at the intimate ACL studios with its capacity of a few hundred and incredible acoustics is an opportunity not to be missed. That being said, your only chance to win a pair of space-available tickets* is... more ›

Hard-Fi - Once Upon A Time In The West (Atlantic): Not all rock music has to be serious. Our first thought was that this album was slickly overproduced to the point where it was impossible to be objective. But this was followed by the notion that it would sound great in the car. Trying again there, we found an album that jumps out of the speakers with beats pilfered from 90's Manchester bands, guitars straight... more ›

As a friend remarked during her first listen to Jens Lekman’s new album, “That disco shit ain’t gonna fly,” Night Falls Over Kortedala is a sea-swell of cheeseball bitten by a cavity-riddled sweet-tooth. And if this description sounds a snip over-the-top, so be it—this is an album comfortable in its own skin, a relic of another place and time butting its charms into the modern world on the strength of its own inherent likability and lack of pretension. Surely, with Lekman’s molasses voice bemoaning a love life in constant ruin (or perhaps merely suffering from a Jens-driven sense of overdramatism) while cradled between layers of strings or horns more familiar in a nursing home than in a modern-day dancehall, Night Falls Over Kortedala is an album abrasive only to the most cynical of ears. more ›

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. MiKenPike What’s the Deal: Don’t let the name discourage you - it’s a mash-up of the members’ names. Their story is one of the more miraculous musical 180s in... more ›

Passages – CasadosCasados hail from Illinois and feature two permanent members, Nic and Heather Dillon. Nic’s songwriting shines through on their EP, Passages, while Heather’s vocal assistance along with assorted instrumentation provide the structure for Nic’s lyricism to take center stage. Passages was recorded after Casados played close to 50 shows and the EP’s precise musicianship bears the fruit of the many performances. Opener “Panama” could well be the first song on any mix for... more ›

Once upon a time, in a gallery just up the road, 14 female artists gathered their works together to be viewed by all in the land. There were paintings, and photographs, moving images and performances. There were Indian princesses, people with bunny rabbit faces, and clowns riding rocket ships. Ok, enough cutesy talk, but you get our drift. Fairytales, myths, legends, and fantasies are celebrated in the new exhibit, Femme Fantastique, at Volitant Gallery. The... more ›

Primizie Osteria (Italian) Location: 1000 E. 11th St., Ste. 150 [map] Phone: (512) 472-9299 Cost: Entrees $9-11 Atmosphere: Casually urban decor, concrete floors, wine bar. Counter ordering. Food: The new Primizie Osteria serves simple but elegant Italian at good prices in a comfortable, casual setting in semi-gentrified East Austin. Eastside denizens are lucky to have such a place close by for a spur of the moment relaxed dinner or a to-go run for a... more ›

Starting October 1, it will be illegal to leave dogs unsupervised and chained or tethered in lawns. The City Council passed the ordinance in June; pamphlets telling people of the new ordinance were sent along with utility bills in August. more ›

Once the camera crews, exuberant (and nostalgia seeking) fans, and Illuminati-crying conspiracy theorists had retreated to their respective rocks last week, former President Clinton decided to do some shopping at BookPeople. In town to raise money for Hillary's campaign at the home of long time Clinton family friend Roy Spence of GSD&M, Bill made a stop at BookPeople where he signed over a thousand copies of his new book, Giving: How Each of Us Can... more ›

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. FINAL FANTASY What’s the Deal: Final Fantasy is Owen Pallett, and yes, he is a fan of the game series. That’s actually where he got his name. His music... more ›

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. BON IVER What’s The Deal: Charming and intimate soulful folk songs lead by an acoustic guitar and the enchanting falsetto voice of Justin Vernon. For Emma, Forever Ago is... more ›

*The views expressed in The Laurie Show are those of the author and do not represent Austinist as a whole.* -ed. note Once again, I am plagued with the thought of: "Why is everything happening this weekend?! WHY, I ask you?!" Literally, it's packed with such a wide variety of live musical entertainment that your brain will explode. It can be a good dilemma to have, though. I'll try to summarize as best I... more ›

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. THE UNFORTUNATE HEADS What’s the Deal: The Austin indie folk fivesome has just released their sophomore disc, Come Be Light. Featuring multi-instrumentation by the likes of banjo, keyboards, upright... more ›

The New Pornographers Challengers (Matador) more ›

We knew it would happen. After an unseasonably cool June and July, August is here, and it's hot. It's clearly time to eat a ginormous salad. This is what we're having: Jo's Cobb is surprisingly delicious. You could douse Grandma Winslow's hand in the tamari dressing at Mother's and I'd nibble on it. Hence, the side salad there is to die for by default. (Editor's note: While Mother's recovers from a little incident they... more ›

Austin ticket broker TicketCity.com has published a list of the top 25 hottest college football games of 2007, based on the average price per ticket, and two University of Texas games are on the list. The Longhorns' game with Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on October 6 is currently #8 (average ticket price $555), while the November 23 game with Texas A&M in College Station is #18 ($402). The face value of... more ›

The poets have arrived! For the second year in a row, the National Poetry Slam will be held in our highly literate, most-educated city. This five-day competition showcases slam poets from around the U.S. and comes to a head in a fierce battle for team and individual top nods, held at the Paramount Theatre on August 10 and 11. Last year's finals sold out, so consider getting your tickets early! more ›

Trustees at the Westbank Community Library recently announced that their new branch, scheduled for opening sometime next year, will be named in honor of first lady Laura Bush. more ›