I know, I know, apparently it is illegal to use the letters “s,” “x,” “s” (again), or “w” in any combination this week unless you are officially sanctioned by the folks at SXSW. And so here I sit, risking some Midnight Express fate (did you see how I worked not one but two “s’s” and an x into Express) because I am going now wax poetic on zen and the art of SXSW. First, a brief history of Spike and The Festival. I got to Austin late ’91. My first SXSW was spring ’92. I was a waiter at the Magnolia and so my baptism was by fire as the place was slammed with all those badge wearing assholes. I became a badge wearing asshole a year or two into my Austin tenure because, as I like to remind y’all, I am so popular. Sometimes I got a badge for performing (back when they still had a poetry venue for SXSW) and sometimes for being a reporter. And suddenly, I understood that sense of entitlement I once loathed back when I was pre-badge. I pitied the fools who had to wait in long lines when I could simply sashay to the front of any line, Japan night being a favorite. more ›

Image courtesy of Tegan and Sara’s MySpace Tegan and SaraWednesday, November 7Stubbs (801 Red River)$18 (Advance) / $20 (Day Of Show), 7 p.m.[info] | [tickets]It’s not the middle of SxSW, it’s not the weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival, heck it’s not even Fun Fun Fun Fest anymore, but November 7th might just be one of those evenings where the stars align to bring our city a number of ridiculously appealing concerts. Symphonic rock... more ›

St. Vincent is Annie Clark, who has recorded with the Polyphonic Spree and been part of Sufjan Stevens's touring act. In July, the 24-year-old struck out on her own with an album, Marry Me, of slightly spooky pop songs full of oddball instrumental layers. Don't let the deer-in-headlights photo on her album cover fool you — Clark is engaged and thoroughly charming. She's the sort of person who, mid-interview, starts asking about you —... more ›

As Austin emerges from the thorough soaking we've received over the past few weeks, it becomes time to dry off in the warm breeze of some talented female singer-songwriters. Saturday night at The Parish, you can do just that. St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) headlines, supporting her first proper LP Marry Me, an album that will mercilessly wallop your preexisting notions of not just female artists, but any artist writing compelling music out there.... more ›

We don’t envy the Stubb’s sound engineer who has to rig up a barricade of vocal mics for the 23-person deep choruses Sunday night. The Polyphonic Spree are making a stop here on the tour for their brand new album, The Fragile Army, to fill the Texas night air with their swelling symphony of harmony. They’ll be spreading their well-wishing and thoughtful choral movement from coast to coast by way of triumphant voices and instruments ranging from trumpet to theremin, all while clad in identical black combat uniforms. Come and join an ocean of fans pulsing, all lending their voices to the message of hope that is The Spree. more ›

Fridge The Sun (Temporary Residence) Kieran Hebden, Adem and Sam Jeffers have been working hard since 2001's Happiness, though perhaps not with each other. Hebden's Four Tet is almost as prolific as Prefuse spin-offs, and Adem has released one of the greatest folk-pop albums of the decade with Love & Other Planets (2006). Jeffers is no slouch, working hard in the graphic design and web industry, as well as continuing his musical aspirations. As... more ›

I'm not sure if today would be the day to go shopping at Waterloo or not, but if you do go, check out today's new releases: Bloc Party A Weekend In the City (Vice) The story of bands like Bloc Party is familiar, but still depends upon a sort of mystery to come to fruition. Whereas the huge fame and irrepressible buzz seemed to propel them into official stardom, the stress and anguish that... more ›

There are moments of sublime ambience that peek out of songs, and completely dominate others such as the final track, "Learn to Steal," a beautiful tidbit that would make Brian Eno himself stroke his chin and nod appreciateively. more ›

There is much to report this week surrounding the Zilker Park-sized dust oven that is ACL Fest. The big news is that a ridiculous number of 'official' ACL aftershow concerts has been announced. Many of the fest's acts will take over all of our club venues immediately after the big show ends each night. All tickets go onsale tomorrow at 10am, except for Sufjan Stevens, which is already onsale. This means that either (a)... more ›

Silver Lake's Irving first gained recognition back in 2002 with Good Morning Beautiful, a solid debut notable for its artfully crafted blend of psych-pop and electronic eclecticism. In the four years since then, they've made quite a name for themselves, having released a follow-up EP, I Hope You're Feeling Better Now, and earlier this month their second full-length, Death In The Garden, Blood On The Flowers. Do a quick google search and you'll find most critics and music bloggers mentioning that, A) they've also opened for the likes of The Arcade Fire, Franz Ferdinand, and the Polyphonic Spree, and B) all five members of the band (Aaron Burrows, Alex Church, Brent Turner, Brian Canning, Steven Scott) are songwriters, both being nifty bits of cocktail party information as well as telltale indications of the band's deft musicianship. SPIN's Alyssa Rashbaum describes Death In The Garden as "filled with lush harmonies, summery pop, and a keyboard that was mined for every possible sound it could make." more ›