• Giffords shooting suspect charged with attempted assassination
• Millions vote in referendum that could split Sudan into two countries
• Death toll rises to 77 in Iran plane crash

My life as a study in contrasts extends to my travel. I am a fan of getting in very large airplanes and hurtling thousands of miles to get to places where I can then dispense with all modes of transportation besides my feet. I enjoy hanging out in little towns and villages where the best live entertainment comes in sitting around, drinking coffee amidst the locals, alternately eavesdropping and participating in the conversation. Such it was, then, that last week I headed off for Oregon. For the fourth year running, I lighted temporarily in Portland, then joined forces with my friend David, whereupon the two of us headed on over to Astoria, a town famous for a few things. This is the place where the Columbia spills into the Pacific, Lewis and Clark wrapped up their little walk, and Goonies and Kindergarten Cop were filmed. And it’s the first town in Oregon Country where a white woman—an English barmaid named Jane Barnes— lived. more ›

Sleeve tattoos and neck specks (smallish tattoos on the neck, usually a spider web, Mickey Mouse, or a cursive name) are just as popular there as they are here. As are chest tats for dudes in v-necks. Bikes, bikes, bikes. Everyone’s on bikes. Bikes are chained up all over the downtown area. Just about any open post or chainlink fence is coated in cycles like the front of a middle school. It’s quite beautiful, really. more ›

• Today's the day! This is it! Ya es el dia! Voila!
• Israel has now said that they might go into Gaza and reoccupy it.
• The Monkeywrench Gang is alive and well.

Fannie Mae says it lost $3.6 billion in the fourth quarter as home-loan delinquencies mounted. more ›

Just as the F.T.C gatheredlast week to revisit new guidelines surrounding green marketing claims, Austin's own EnviroMedia has launched the Greenwashing Index (GWI). In a partnership with University of Oregon, consumers can post, review, and assess the credibility of new ads claiming the green word. Volkswagon, BP, and Lexus are among some of the first ads posted. more ›

Mac Lethal has been called a “contemporary cross between a folk singer and a stand-up comic” by Rolling Stone – and that dichotomy of inane observation and thought-provoking insight defines his debut album, 11:11. We spoke with Mac Lethal from his tour bus while on the road for the Everybody Loves a Clown Tour with label-mates Grayskul and Atmosphere. That tour bus is currently parked outside of Emo’s, where the Everybody Loves a Clown... more ›

Minus The Bear’s third full-length, Planet Of Ice was released this past August on Seattle based Suicide Squeeze Records. The album was produced by (former keyboardist) Matt Bayles and Chris Common. Minus The Bear formed in 2001 and has since developed a knack for churning out experimental indie-rock enhanced by complex time signatures and abrupt rhythm changes, as well as occasional employment of jazz standards. Add to this Dave Knudson’s distinct two-handed tapping style... more ›

It’s down to the final five! No, not The Sound And The Jury Contest, but the Public Radio Talent Quest. Presented by PRX and cpb, the quest started in April with thousands of applicants, all with high hopes of hosting their own show on public radio (along with some cash booty). Now it’s down to the last five and voting ends on September 23rd at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern). Why should you care? There’s an Austinite... more ›

The Barr Mansion and Artisan Ballroom have announced their certification as the nation's first events facility serving all organic cuisine. To celebrate, they'll host Austin’s first Organic Fest on Friday, July 20 at 7pm, complete with a feast of local organic offerings, a "Green Ribbon Cutting," seasonal food, organic growers and vendors, live entertainment, and organic leaders and advocates. The event is free and open to the community. more ›

As Independence Day approaches, it's tough not to think of patios, grilling, and fireworks. This weekend will find half the city decamping to visit family and friends elsewhere and the other half of us running around buying meats, beers, wines, and chips for our mid-week July 4th celebration. In the spirit of the holiday, we've selected six American wines from California and Oregon that are each classic examples of both their grape and the... more ›

The June 2007 issue of Beer Advocate Magazine lists Austin as one of "Nine Great Beer Towns You Didn't Know Were Great Beer Towns" (pp. 22-29). The article lists Austin among other underappreciated beer towns such as Eugene, Oregon and Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic. We're personally honored and flattered to have been grouped in with these other great beer places, but we're not sure Austin is so deserving. Their list of establishments that justify... more ›

Sixty restaurants, thirty wineries, and you. This is perhaps the simplest way to describe the indulgence that is the Stars Across Texas tasting at the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival. A veritable "who's who" of Texas restaurants each prepare small portions of signature dishes for guests to sample, making the most difficult choice simply what to eat before you run out of room. Last year, we had sushi tarts from Roy's, Shiner-braised... more ›

Libya sentences 6 medics to death for "knowingly" infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV. Detectives arrest another suspect in the Suffolk Strangler case. A small plane crashes near Connally High School in North Austin, killing one. A rapist is preying on young men in the Houston area. Rescuers in Oregon fear that two missing climbers may have fallen. Iran's president suffers election embarrassment.... more ›

I thank yous for your comings here to Austinist! Very happy you stay! You read more to learning of glorious moviefilms for offerings! more ›

Call us smut snobs, but we never could get into the fake blonde hair/fake tan/fake boobs look that has dominated the world of pornography for the last couple decades. Maybe it has something to do with having a hard time finding the real beach blonde underneath, or maybe it was just that we wouldn’t have given said beach blonde the time of day anyway – nor, let’s be honest, would she have had much to... more ›

Just hours before The Decemberists were to take the outdoor stage at Stubb's, ominous clouds gathered over Austin, releasing a piddling sprinkle of rain that seemed, at the time, to bode unwell for the evening's show. But as the minutes crept ahead, the clouds followed suit, leaving us with a perfectly breezy fall evening -- a far cry from the sub-saharan muck we were mired in when we last saw the Portland, Oregon bunch,... more ›

Viva Voce -which many scholars maintain translates literally from the Eye-talian into the English as “long live voice”- have a winner in their latest release Get Yr Blood Sucked Out. Blazing harmonies and dusty drums abound (please listen to “We Don’t Fuck Around”). The sound is surprisingly robust and no notes are played in vain. Kevin and Anita Robinson provide an aural banquet despite being just two people. They’ve got the goods for you and... more ›

Hang on to your wristbands, people, there's a lot going on this week in the world of legitimately released music! The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love (UMVD) The Rapture have finally caught up with their own hype following 2003's Echoes, working with producers Danger Mouse (Gorillaz/Gnarls Barkley), Paul Epworth (Bloc Party) and Ewan Pearson (UK DJ/Remixer) and delivering a disco, funk, punk and pop-influenced album worthy of all your parties, speedy drives... more ›

KUT's Laurie Gallardo dishes about local bands more ›

We've had a bit of a soft spot for Elgin for ages, mostly because of the sausage. Outside of that, we don't really know much about the place. But this week a group of girls from our neighboring community has bumped the barbecue off the map with their play in the Softball Little League World Series in Portland, Oregon. No, it's not the Little League World Series in Williamsport, but still, it's the pinnacle of... more ›

When your roster of artists includes dancers from the Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Oregon Ballet Theatre, musicians from the Tosca String Quartet, and two Artistic Directors that are already rising stars in their respective disciplines, your work has to meet some seriously high expectations. After seeing Dialogues, American Repertory Ensemble’s first performance event – a highly professional, intelligent, inventive and entertaining evening of music and dance – we think ARE lives... more ›

From the moment we woke up, something was different. Our fingers delicately tip-toed across our bedside table; we nimbly caressed our oddly rhythmic alarm into silence. Gone was our everyday stumbling stupor as we arose from the bed like a bird on a spring. ‘Twas replaced with physical ease – how nice – as we spun and we twirled, dipping and diving, shuffling gracefully to our morning…pee. (Ahhh.) This is no week in theatre,... more ›

A mere four miles from The Salt Lick, Driftwood Vineyards is an ideal detour for those shuttling out-of-town guests to the BBQ haven out in the Hill Country. The tasting room sits at the top of a long, unpaved road and overlooks Driftwood's grapevines and some beautiful countryside. While the setting was enjoyable, we had our suspicions about Texas' ability to compete with California or Oregon wines, some of which were confirmed. We began... more ›

We got beat out by Eugene, Oregon in The Green Guide's list of the top ten green cities for 2006. That's cool; we'll take it. The Guide's criteria for the list include: air quality, electricity usage/production, green design, recycling, public health and other factors. What they think about Austin [from their article]:Austin . . . stands out for its commitment to solar power and green building. Offering its customers one of the highest solar... more ›

Is Spoon's lead singer leaving us for fairer shores? Pitchfork yesterday reported that Britt Daniel is packing up his stuff and heading over to Portland, Oregon. Daniel wouldn't elaborate as to the impetus of the relocation, other than to say: "My girlfriend lives up here, and I kept visiting and was like, 'Ahh, that's it, I'm going to move.' I knew I liked it before I moved here, but I'm finding more and more... more ›

The Austin Chronicle's Daniel Mottola reports in today's issue that our city's title as Clean Energy Capital of the World may be contested in the near future. Last week, Mayor Wynn agreed to the Energy Freedom Challenge, a "national public education campaign to challenge cities around the U.S. to become the first city to acquire over half of its electricity from renewable energy resources." The EFC is sponsored by Solar Austin, one of the... more ›

Aside from one of the most anticipated CD releases of the year, there are a few more worth checking out. more ›