At a Very Special Performance at the Church of the Friendly Ghost some eight or so years ago - back when the venue was housed in an old church - Carolyn Berk of Lovers played a hushed acoustic set that was followed by a rare solo performance from Josh Pearson of the messianic Texas rock band Lift to Experience. These days, Pearson is living in Paris and has opened shows for My Bloody Valentine, plying the same intense acoustic aesthetic we heard years ago. Berk, meanwhile, made a 180 degree turn. After a move from Athens (Georgia) to Portland (Oregon), she recruited "synth-programmer and performance artist Kerby Ferris, and multimedia artist and percussionist Emily Kingan" to join the fold. Their music continues to be intimate, but has benefited from the fleshed-out team effort from Berk's new bandmates. more ›

Every day we live history. Part of what makes life in Austin unique is the living of music history. Every night of the week we can hit one of the local venues and hear a band we’ve never heard before. That band that hauled itself into town in a rusted out van from the far reaches of Texas—or elsewhere—for the opportunity to play at the Saxon Pub, Antone’s or Stubb’s on a Tuesday night just might be the next big thing. more ›

[music] Asleep at the Wheel at Antone’s (8pm, $10) link [music] Paris ‘49 at Continental Club (6:30pm) link [music] Dale Watson at Continental Club (10pm, $6) link [music] Michael Mordecai’s Jazz Jam at Elephant Room (9:30pm, Free) link [music] The Silence Kills, Here Comes Trouble, Iron Age and Righteous Jams at Emo’s (10:00pm) link [music] Brilliant Red Lights, Cocker Spaniels and The Dimes at Flamingo Cantina (9:00pm, $7) link [music] Cheryl Bliss at Flipnotics (10:00pm)... more ›

Much like their mentor Willie Nelson, the former Saxon Pub regulars Los Lonely Boys can't seem to avoid getting caught with the weed. On Saturday, Austin police responded to complaints at The Omni and arrested Boys' bassist JoJo Garza for marijuana possession... and for allegedly assaulting his fiancee Carina Lyn. While a publicist for the band has called the whole matter "a misunderstanding" and chalked the incident up to noisy partying, the Austin Police... more ›

With the deluge of radio ads promising "drink specials!" and "the biggest screen in town!", it's tough to know which Super Bowl parties might actually be worth getting off of your ass for. We've read the ads, asked around, and looked for a few parties that have something better than average going for them. Our five selections (and the reasons why) follow: - Antone's: Doors at 4pm. Food by Mangia Pizza and Rudy's BBQ.... more ›

M O N D A Y [19] [music] Spoon, stellastarr*, Morningwood and Alpha Rev at The Parish Room [holidays] Armadillo Christmas Bazaar with Austin Lounge Lizards at Austin Music Hall [link] [music] Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Frank Erwin Center [DJ] DJ Mel, Jahmight at Nasty's [music] Elizabeth McQueen and Jason Roberts at Threadgill's [film] Monday Britcoms Night, featuring Nathan Barley at the Drafthouse Downtown (7pm) [link] T U E S D A Y [20] [fundraiser] Kinky... more ›

M O N D A Y [12] [music] UT Ethnomusicology Dept Ensembles at Momo's (8pm) [music] David Newbould at Flipnotics (8pm) [music] Singer-Songwriter Night at Longbranch Inn [music] Elizabeth McQueen at Theadgill's (8pm) [music] Listening party for Ludacris' new album, Disturbing Tha Peace at Nasty's (8pm) [music/shopping] Armadillo Christmas Bazaar with the Eggmen at Austin Music Hall (Check website for dates/hours) [party] Friends of the Spade Christmas Party at Velvet Spade (11pm) [film/food] "Narnia"... more ›

M O N D A Y [ 2 8 ] film · End of an Ear hosts a free screening of Lee Ranaldo and Leah Singer's "Drift" at the Alamo South Lamar (Free, 10pm) [link] music · The Kingsbury Manx, The Standard and The Heavenly States at Emo's film · KOOP Radio's Monthly Film Benefit at MonkeyWrench Books - Gillo Pontecorvo's “The Battle of Algiers”, about the French occupation of 1950s Algeria. (Inc. Beer and... more ›

Last year, Toronto's The Sadies released their fifth full-length album, Favourite Colours, to widespread acclaim. Blending together everything from surf rock to 60's psychedelia to honky tonk country, the foursome created such an eclectic musical tapestry that Paste hailed them as "masters of American musical idioms." Robyn Hitchcock, Greg Keelor and Joey Burns all contributed to this album, only adding to the considerable list of talented musicians that have shared the stage or studio... more ›

M O N D A Y [ 1 7 ] music · Elizabeth McQueen (of Asleep At the Wheel) and Jason Roberts begin their new Monday night residency at Threadgills - they're sharing a band and splitting the night. (8pm-10pm) music · Ethan Azarian at Waterloo Records (5pm) music · The Sad Accordions with Just Guns at Emo's music · The Drafthouse Downtown screens "Rock & Roll Invaders: The AM Radio DJs" - a documentary... more ›

Robyn Ludwick performs there. Robyn is releasing her first CD, For So Long, amidst great praise and label interest. Former True Believer, John Dee Graham appears on the album. The record release party begins at 8 p.m. and also features special guest Danny Barnes. more ›

Why not go check out real musicians who actually play instruments? From their early years as The Borrowers, Mark Adisson and Nina Singh have always understood what it takes to make great music. In Kitty Gordon, this duo created two wonderful albums rich with memorable songs. Even the God of Thunder himself, Gene Simmons, covered "Beautiful" for a recent solo CD. Fans of David Garza and Goudie may know Nina from her numerous performances... more ›

The Bill Jerram Band will rock the Saxon Pub this Saturday night at 9PM for the release of their new self-titled cd. For the uninitiated, singer-songwriter Jerram and his band meld a raucous mixture of country, roots-pop, Americana rock and soul. Jerram’s guitar playing and powerhouse vocals are supported excellently by keyboardist Will Cornforth, bassist Marty Hobratschk and drummer Slade Crabtree. The band’s solid sound reminds Austinist of an amalgam of The Band, The Cars, Elvis Costello and Lenny Kravitz, if you can imagine that. But trust us, it will get your feet a-tappin and will probably inspire you to have a drink or four. In honor of the release, the new cd will be available Saturday night for the one-time cost of $5. Guy Forsyth will follow the boys with a set of his own. more ›