The ND has gone through a number of changes throughout the past year, from shortening its name (it was called The Independent) to remodeling the warehouse-like interior. But this weekend the ND is looking kick off (again) with a series of shows celebrating the grand re-opening of one of the East Side’s most promising venues. And tonight, it’s all about the local music, with performances from a number of Austin’s up-and-comers. more ›

On Friday night, Emo’s hosted an evening of musical idiosyncrasy that included performances by longtime locals Jad Fair and Pong, Brooklyn’s Tropical Ooze, and one of American music’s more purposefully obscure and astonishingly prolific recording artists, R. Stevie Moore. Over the course of his nearly five decade career, his live performances have been some of the most consistently elusive phenomena on the roads he’s determinately not taken. Also, it’s altogether too uncommon to see Jad Fair play a downtown venue, so as is often the case on weekends booked full of shows, Emo’s was the place to be. more ›

Austin’s own Brownout!, the not-so-secret Latin funk alter-ego of the grammy-recognized, Prince-backing Grupo Fantasma, are celebrating the release of their sophomore album Aguilas and Cobras tomorrow night at the Mohawk. While their first record, the mostly instrumental Homenaje (literal translation, Homage) paid tribute to the band’s funk and soul forebears, Aguilas and Cobras sees the group experimenting with vocals, adding psychedelic elements, and even coloring a song or two with the occasional tinge of disco, without sacrificing the vintage beats and hard-edged soul that is the core of the group’s sound. more ›

Mason Jennings’ poignant folk-rock can be enjoyed at La Zona Rosa this Friday. In February of this year, Jennings signed with Brushfire Records and his first full-length for the label, In The Ever will be released on May 20th. Pre-order it here -- we especially enjoyed “I Love You and Buddha Too”, a reasonably cheerful track despite its weighty subject matter. Prior to teaming up with Jack Johnson's label, Jennings had joined forces with Glacial Pace Recordings, headed by Jennings fan Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse), who persuaded the Minnesota based artist to release his 2006 album Boneclouds on the Epic Records subsidiary. more ›