Austinist is proud to present Owen Pallett at Mohawk tonight—see below for the giveaway entry form—as he's touring in support of the excellent Heartland, his first album under his own name (you may know him better as Final Fantasy), and undeniably his richest, most demanding and virtuosic release yet. In preparation for that batch of complex violin-looping and meta-commentating storylines (in the album, Lewis, an "ultraviolent farmer" from an imaginary world, contends with his God and creator, Owen Pallett), we had a little chat about the music industry, narrative, and, of course, Lady Gaga. more ›

The record is absolutely brilliant and beautiful, and Pallett's live shows are no different. He uses a looper to create layers of violin and vocals. He's also known to cover a Mariah Carey song once in a while, so you don't want to miss it. Pallett will be at The Granada Theater on April 29 (buy tickets here) and the Mohawk on April 30 (see link above), so buy your tickets now -- this one will sell out. Want to take your chances on a pair of free tickets to the Mohawk show? more ›

Austinist is proud to present former Arcade Fire member and righteous solo artist Owen Pallett at the Granada Theater in Dallas and the Mohawk here in Austin on April 29 and 30. more ›

Don't forget: Vampire Weekend's Contra is out today, and we'll be celebrating with a listening party (and a lot of goodie giveaways) at the Scoot Inn starting at 8 pm. See you there! more ›

Little introduction is needed for that maven of cult followership, that original espouser of the effed narrative, that yelper of the adventures of the disturbed you know all too well, The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle. Fashioning tales ranging from the intensely Biblical to the intensely meth-addled, Darnielle has been passionately plying his trade since he burst onto the underground scene with a scad of early-aughts cassette recordings that made his unique voice and narrative gift a must-know for any aspiring music tastemaker. Getting the Antone's crowd ready for Darnielle is an act just as worthy of attention, Canada's everywhere-you-look go-to man on the strings, Owen Pallett, whose one man tour de force, Final Fantasy, is sure to please. more ›

But compared to Arcade Fire’s thunderous aspirations, Clues seems happily intent on a tempest-in-teapot sound that is refreshing in an era chock full of bands bent on sounding bigger than they really are by at least two members. It’s clear that the eccentric charm of the Montreal rock scene and its gifted musicians are going to just keep giving. more ›

Photo of Girl Talk by Davis AyersGregg Gillis didn't have a chance to stop by and say hello during Fun Fun Fun Fest, but he was kind enough to get in touch yesterday and share his thoughts on the weekend in general. As expected, he was happy with his crowd, the stage and his set, despite his previous experiences at festivals. Before his set, the eager crowd was already teeming with nervous excitement, perhaps recalling... 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 ›

FRIDAY [18] music • Benefit party for Loaded Gun Theory's new zombie rock opera with Midori Umi, The Lord Henry, Golden Bear, and the Zombie Rock Orchestra (The Unbearables, members of Tammany Hall Machine, a choir and horn section) -- snacks provided, too -- at Red's Scoot Inn (8pm-2am, $5 or $3 with zombie costume) ® film • Sinus Show: Point Break at Alamo Downtown (7 & 10pm, $10) ® theatre • The Sweetest... more ›