Had they existed thirty years ago, Iceage would have been a criminally under-appreciated post-punk band and New Brigade would have developed a small cult of admiring fans over the years, perhaps even meriting a reissue on a trendy independent label. more ›

It’s almost impossible to believe, but Bad Religion’s Saturday night set at Fun Fun Fun Fest is part of the punk rock institution’s (gulp) 30th anniversary tour. Few punk rock acts last for three decades and remain as vital as Greg Graffin and company - that the group continues to make strong records is nothing short of remarkable. Looking like the university professor he is with his receding hairline and polo shirt, Graffin led his band (founding bassist Jay Bentley and punk vets Greg Hetson, Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman - original guitarist Brett Gurewitz was absent) through a strong set that both paid attention to recent work, including the new LP The Dissent of Man, and took a healthy dip into the back catalog. more ›

30 years ago, before the dawn of the Reagan era and all the conservative back-patting and chumminess that would come with it, a film was released that would eventually introduce our little sheltered selves to punk rock and rebellion-as-fun. Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is the bizarre anti-Grease (which, notably, was released just a year before RNRHS), a film which follows the same musical paradigm as its lily-white counterpart, but instead of poodle skirts and dance competitions favors "ugly, ugly, ugly" punk rockers and a boys-bathroom-businessman who sells black market hall passes and hired dates. more ›

Image from MySpace Dinosaur Jr, Awesome Color, Grand ChampeenFriday December 7Emos (603 Red River St)Doors at 9, programme at 10[info] | [tickets]There are three kinds of Dinosaur Jr fan: the 80s scenesters with a Deep Wound cassette and fond memories of J Mascis & Co doing sloppy Peter Frampton covers at the Elks Lodge; children of the '90s who thought "Feel The Pain" was probably a Foo Fighters song; and kids who read Pitchfork often... more ›

Somewhere in between catchy melodies on Stage 1 and pulsating beats on Stage 3 lies a catalog of punk rock bands waiting to rock your nuts off at this year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. Among them, a punk act from fertile California will occupy Stage 2 at 2:40 p.m. on November 4th. CH3 (that’s Channel Three, not the hydrocarbon unit) formed in 1980 in Los Angeles and their politically charged tracks like “Manzanar” soon became... more ›

If it doesn't thrash, it drones: this appears to be the motto behind which Japanese noise-mongers Boris engage in all their creative affairs. Last year's underground hit Pink serves as a good introduction to the Boris aesthetic, switching gears from heavy-dreamy shoegaze to balls-out punk rock to apocalyptic doom-noise while maintaining an overall tone of singular Boris-ness. But let's not forget this is a band that thrives on curveballs: whereas their debut, 2001's free-noise blowout... more ›

Snake Eyes Vinyl is not a record store front for a dirty gambling outfit. Snake Eyes, in fact, is just another of those death metal illusions, like Whore of Babylon, Self Induced Pain, or Suicidal Failure. In fact, Snake Eyes Vinyl does specialize in the metal genre, specifically zeroing in on the black metal, death metal, thrash metal, doom, stoner rock, southern rock, crust, grind, power violence, fast core, hardcore, punk, classic punk rock, progressive,... more ›

For those of you with a hankering for some nostalgic punk rock, we recommend getting a double shot and checking out the Avengers and Pansy Division tonight. The recently reunited Avengers are on their first ever national tour. One of the key components of the San Francisco punk scene, the Avengers were influential despite being relatively short lived. The line-up for this tour includes two of the original members: the hot as hell frontwoman, Penelope... more ›

The word ‘naïve’, stripped of its pejorative connotation, is a good description of Snakepit for other reasons. While the comic has gotten a smidge flashier over the past few years, it’s hasn’t developed in any manner that would suggest Ben is trying to improve. On the contrary, the sheer discipline of his daily drawing is only excelled by his ethic to not let his art evolve—to keep it crude/shitty/primitive, whatever. 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 ›

Welcome to the latest edition of Band Slam!, wherein I navigate the murky waters of Austin's club listings for the best and worst band names playing this week. The only rule: I can't know anything about the actual band, thus limiting my critique strictly to the band's chosen moniker. Let's get it on! MVSCLZ - Mohawk, 8/02 Not many people turning "V"s in "U"s these days--I guess it was more of a Roman thing.... more ›

Bad Brains Build a Nation (Mega Force) It's been a decade since the proper Bad Brains lineup released a proper studio album, and Build a Nation finds the group just as furious as ever. Produced by the Beastie Boys's Adam Yauch, Nation is reminiscent of I Against I-era BB, and the album's songs are split pretty evenly between hardcore and reggae, as you might expect. For those uninitiated, the release of another full-length by... more ›

Oh No! Oh My! are preparing to release their EP, Between the Devil & the Sea on Hollywood's Dim Mak (home to Datarock, the Rakes and more), oh August 7, and have a tour scheduled to support it. The exclamatory darlings will play shows with Au Revoir Simone, Let's Go Sailing! and the Deadly Syndrome. Follow the jump below for a complete tour date listing, and enjoy this song from their upcoming release: Oh... more ›

Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) just celebrated his 21st birthday by headlining a sold-out 2,000 seat theatre in London. If that's not precocious enough for you, he also has three UK Top 40 singles and made almost all of the major British magazines' Top 100 albums of '06 lists. The emotive and earnest vocals Duckworth employs are a touch emo, often political, and quite radio-friendly, which has earned him comparisons to... more ›

In the mid 1980s, the US Senate (provoked by a high-powered busybody wives club called the PMRC) held a series of hearings on so-called “porn rock”—music containing lyrics about violence, sex, drugs, and the occult. The hearings were pointless but hilarious, providing a public venue for several old, rich, uptight assholes to make fools of themselves reciting lyrics from songs by prominent 80s rock bands. And though the hearings are probably best remembered for testimonies... more ›

Rocket, Quiet Company, Blackholicus, and Golden AX squared off at Room 710 last night in a friendly LA versus Austin Battle-of-the-Bands, and Austin you came out on top. LAist held their SXSW party at the Red River mainstay and brought two bands to "compete" against a pair of local groups for a free Sunday night show that started with the My Morning Jacket-esque Quiet Company (who should change their names because they're anything but... more ›

Austin filmmaker Bob Ray's Hell on Wheels tells the story of Austin's roller derby revival, following a group of hard-hitting Texas women who pulled the sport from the brink of obscurity and into the international spotlight. Five years in the making, this rock-meets-rollerskates doc will be premiering at this years' South by Southwest film festival. We recently had a chance to talk to Bob about Roller Derby, filmmaking and one-man bands. How did Hell on... more ›

SXSW has truly built a strong reputation around the world, and every year various countries send their top-notch artists to Austin to display their nation’s talent. Scandinavia is one such area with a booming music scene. Danish band Mew and Sverige’s own Loney, Dear (Emil Svanängen) will bring their best to the festival this year. Finland, too, is doing its bit, with the Finnish Moosic Tour. Featuring punk rock from Disco Ensemble and electro-pop from... more ›

SXSW Asia’s Japan Nite has become a staple of the music festival in Austin. In the past, festival-goers have been able to access acts like Petty Booka and Ellegarden, and this year is no different as a wide variety of Japanese talent invades our city. The 50 Kaitens (pronounced Go Jyu Kaitenzu) will put forth their brand of cheeky garage-punk rock, with maximum comic entertainment promised. Their self titled record boasts song-titles like “Thank... more ›

As the world holds its breath, teetering precariously on the cusp of the Super Bowl (well, at least in America), the wheels of the -ists keep on turning. Austinist was in a musical frame of mind as they listened to the new Shins album, updated the SXSW band listings and got called "punk rock" for their efforts by MTV. Bostonist said goodbye to John Kerry's plans for running in 2008 but hello to some... more ›

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador) As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album.... more ›

The first-ever Fun Fun Fun Fest is this Friday, December 1st, at Waterloo Park. Over two dozen great acts are on the bill, including Spoon, Peaches, The Black Angels, Prefuse 73, and DJ Mel. Tickets are $20, and can be purchased online. Circle Jerks perform on the Punk stage at 8:55pm. -- The Editors We’re excited to have you coming to Austin. You were here in March attending South By Southwest, right? I’ve been... 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 ›

Nashville country singer Willie Heath Neal was, in his young adulthood, part of a punk rock troupe during a few years spent traipsing around Asia with the Navy. Born in the backseat of a Georgia state trooper's car, Neal inherited his mother's dream of having a career in music, and after returning to the states in his early twenties decided to return to the country and honky tonk that had informed much of his... more ›

This Saturday, Austinist is helping our friends at Yellow Tape Construction Company celebrate both the fabulous success of their sold-out show, I Love My Dead Gay Son: The Musical!, and the más fabulous launch of their second season. [Austinist reviews Dead Gay Son] ...Second season? Believe it or not, this "trendsetting" (Chronicle) production company that's managed to win Best of the Fest at FronteraFest and staged a production involving the Rollergirls and punk rock... more ›

This Saturday, Austinist is helping our friends at Yellow Tape Construction Company celebrate both the fabulous success of their sold-out show, I Love My Dead Gay Son: The Musical!, and the más fabulous launch of their second season. [Austinist reviews Dead Gay Son] ...Second season? Believe it or not, this "trendsetting" (Chronicle) production company that's managed to win Best of the Fest at FronteraFest and staged a production involving the Rollergirls and punk rock... more ›

You remember how when you were younger your older siblings (if you were lucky) told you about the cool new bands you hadn't heard of before? Or, if you grew up sibling-less, how your best friend's cool older brother would do the same? They'd turn you on to a tape or record, and you'd run out to the store, hoping to be the first of your friends to have it for yourself, then play... more ›

Anyone who has spent any time in Washington D.C. has undoubtedly logged hundreds of hours at the 9:30 club. Last year the club sold 236,000+ tickets to shows, making it the most popular club venue in America, followed in positions 2-6 by House of Blues franchises. The club opened 26 years ago, and before it was located on V street, it was downtown at 930F and was host to some of the best punk... more ›

* This post by future contributor Miguel Hinojosa This Saturday, The Longbranch Inn opens its doors to three Austin bands whose styles are so distinctively varied that it's sure to become one of the years most remembered performances: The Crackpipes evoke spirits of jukejoints, jazz clubs, and punk rock dive bars in music that explodes in an adrenal-mental joyous noise. Theirs is a live act that combines The Stooges' Raw Power with Ornette Colemans'... more ›

M O N D A Y [ 9 ] [film/music] End of an Ear Presents "Shield Around the K," which "profiles the birth and growth of influential Olympia-based punk rock DIY record label K Records," at The Drafthouse Downtown (9:45pm) [info] [film] Super Happy Fun Monkeybash DX Gaiden (Vol. 2) at The Drafthouse Downtown (7pm) [info] [art] Check out the new gallery exhibit, Liz Ward's Aqueous, at Women and Their Work (All Day) [info] [music]... more ›