The prolific career and sweet vocal tone of Gregory "The Cool Ruler" Isaacs did not result in making him a household name - in America, anyway - but his influence is legion, his voice unforgettable, and his songs have earned a permanent place in the roots reggae canon. Isaacs' hard work began with the 1975 release of the Trojan album In Person, and over a host of albums he worked with all the big names in the sprouting genre. Lee "Scratch" Perry, Prince Jammy, Alvin Ranglin and Errol Dunkley are all collaborators in some respect, and in the 1978 seminal reggae film Rockers he contributes the song "Slave Master" and performs on camera. more ›

April is going strong - we've got the Psych Fest at the end of the month, and in the meantime see this list of a bunch of performances both big and small to invigorate and challenge your hearing. more ›

To paraphrase something I read once, in print, there exists two factions of Beach Boys fans: Dad-types in striped suits dreaming about fun in the sun, and pale, obsessive sorts pining over “lost tapes.” Given that you are neither the owner of every Beach Boys bootleg in existence nor the sort of person who still uses the word “Woody” in casual conversation, you, dear reader, most likely exist somewhere along this spectrum of the painfully freewheeling to the painfully dedicated. more ›

With hangovers subdued and normal routines back in place, it’s time to take on the New Year and explore the multitude of talented band’s you might have missed in 2008. One such under appreciated band is Killing Industry, a reggae themed indie rock outfit taking 2009 (and mediocre music) by storm with city-eating babies and soothing charm. more ›

Matisyahu returning to Stubb’s on Tuesday night is more than your average homecoming: it was here, in early 2005, that he recorded his album Live at Stubb’s, which gave his career the push it needed to propel songs like “King Without a Crown” to the forefront of public consciousness and to capture a fervent fan base. more ›

egends come to Austin like it ain't no thang. We have the tendency to take it for granted, actually. We can remember, for instance, during last year's ACL fest, hearing an anecdote from a friend who caught Bono and Bob Motherfucking Dylan shopping together incognito at the Randall's on Lake Austin, having an animated discussion regarding whether or not to purchase the real Baco-bits or the crunchy fake ones (we speculate). more ›