We announced some time ago that Shearwater's Sub Pop debut Animal Joy would be out on Valentine's Day, and that the band were planning a tour but with no Texas stops announced as of yet. We can now report that Texas stops are now forthcoming, that the album is still due to drop on the 14th, and that pre-ordering now comes with goodies. more ›

Austin's own Shearwater bounced from Matador to Sub Pop, and have hinted that their new album - entitled Animal Joy and out Valentine's Day - is their most feral yet. "We're having trouble taming this one," says Jonathan Meiburg via press release, “but luckily, we don't really want to." They've also gone so far as to state that "[n]o strings or glockenspiels were touched during the making of this album." more ›

Early fans of Death Cab for Cutie/ Ben Gibbard's vocal stylings rejoice - Hospital Ships is here to reignite that passion for pop you once felt. Led by former Shearwater member Jordan Geiger and accompanied by a gaggle of talented musicians (including Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg and Thor Harris), sophomore album Lonely Twin offers a much denser and instrumentally interesting experience than the essentially solo Geiger first release Oh, Ramona. The song "Galaxies" is where the comparison to DCFC really shines through, but there are many intricacies that allow these songs to stand on their own. Distortion and pitch bending lend a lo-fi quality to a well-recorded mix, tying back in to the sound that started Hospital Ships while allowing it to grow up and evolve. Released on Graveface Records June 7, the group recently performed some of the new songs on the ACL Satellite Sessions, available streaming here, to hear for yourself. more ›

One of our best local bands has made another change mid-flight. Shearwater have announced a new recording contract with Sub Pop. According to their press release, the band are working on a new album that suggests a change in direction: "While they're not saying much about the record yet, singer Jonathan Meiburg suggests that it's going to be quite different from the band's past releases. 'We're having trouble taming this one," he says, “but luckily, we don't really want to.' Expect a new album from the band in early 2012." more ›

Another month, another Teleportal? Yes and no. Yes, you can expect to see readings from the best writers in Austin and some really impressive out-of-town guests. Yes, there will be videos of famous poets reading their work in front of a green screen, described by Teleportal as “what might happen if LeVar Burton hijacked the holodeck and brought it to Reading Rainbow for a grownup afterparty.” Yes, it is more likely that you will tell everyone you know about what you saw at Teleportal than it is for you to be bored for even a moment. Yes, it will be at the ND again. Yes, it’s free. But no, it’s not a typical show. more ›

As one might predict through a collaboration of Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart and Jonathan Meiburg from Shearwater, the debut release of Blue Water White Death presents itself more as an experience than a traditional album. That's where the expectation meeting ends however. more ›

On Friday night, Austin's own Shearwater returned to town to play a packed room at The Parish. They were supported by Baltimore's Wye Oak. Our photographer Chad Wadsworth was there to capture all the action. more ›

Shearwater often get described as “otherworldly,” which is a plausible label given their sprawling, anachronistic bent coupled with the difficulty of describing their sound. But the “otherworldly” label is also a pity, because it totally bypasses the tactile, immediate nature that has defined Shearwater from its beginnings. On the other hand, for describing the confidence Shearwater demonstrates in its audience (which is another way of referring to the band ‘taking risks,’ a thing that’s always popular with music critics), “otherworldly” may not be a bad moniker. Few bands in this day and age go to the trouble of creating through their albums a comprehensive musical world for listeners- this is probably because listeners can no longer be relied upon for the entire length of an album. But Shearwater followers have shown that they can be counted on to visit and re-visit the landscapes Jonathan Meiburg maps out via the Shearwater discography, and then some. more ›

If you didn't think Xiu Xiu were perhaps-crazy before, go ahead and take a longer look at that photo to the right. That is your press photo? In Xiu Xiu's case, they say hell yes, as they have long upheld the underbelly of American culture, with special emphasis on the torture chamber known as the bedroom, as a sort of mantra: while other punk acts speak out against the government or the status quo, Xiu Xiu is engaging in a conversation with the darknesses we all hold within, and sometimes even the darknesses we never even knew existed. And the mantra has served them well, as they continue to evolve their sound, and this time lead Xiu and most-passionate-man-on-earth Jamie Stewart has a new band member, swapping out the beloved Caralee McElroy for the nice lady in that photo, Angela Seo. Excellent. So catch all the awesome oddness at Red 7 Saturday night for one last normal event before the insanity of music SXSW hits. Haha, we just called a Xiu Xiu show a "normal event." more ›

2008’s Rook earned every bit of the considerable praised heaped upon it, and The Golden Archipelago will not disappoint, though that obnoxious term “grower” will likely be thrown about; Golden Archipelago has left behind some of the down-to-earth populism of Rook en route to an ephemeral, remote tribalism. Though Meiburg’s voice, swooping as agile as a swallow, is here as always at the helm, the most immediate leap forward to be heard on the new album is Thor Harris’ brilliant percussion more at the foreground. There is always turbulence just under the placid surface of Shearwater songs, but Meiburg’s voice never cedes control, holding everything in place as if by sheer magnetic force. So the primal pull of the cerebral Shearwater sound falls entirely to the drums.Regardless of longtime fans’ ultimate album preferences, there’s common cause to celebrate that The Golden Archipelago more than any other before approaches the dynamics of the Shearwater sound live. more ›

NPR Music is streaming Shearwater's The Golden Archipelago in its entirety starting now and continuing until the album's release date on Feb. 23. Listen here. more ›

Matador has released another Shearwater track: "Black Eyes" (mp3). This is the second mp3 the label has released in anticipation of The Golden Archipelago, due on Feb. 15. more ›

Shearwater will be at the Parish on May 7 to support the release of their latest full-length, The Golden Archipelago (February 23). more ›

Shearwater are gearing up for a very busy 2010 supporting their upcoming release, The Golden Archipelago. Most recently, they released a preview of the album, which also gave fans a glimpse at the so-called Golden Dossier, the album's hopeful accompaniment. Today, we got word via the band's Facebook that the dossier will be handled through Kickstarter instead of the label, Matador. more ›

Great news for Shearwater fans - Matador records has announced details about their forthcoming LP, entitled The Golden Archipelago. more ›

When at a loss in descriptive powers, resort to metaphor: if bands were wines, Shearwater would be a French Chardonnay. Their sound is rich yet delicate, smooth and fleshy, packing tightly layered elements that offer to the palate lush sonic fruits with a proud, metallic Old World austerity. It's easy to imagine Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg in monk's robes tending to ancient vines. But luckily for audiophiles, he's currently tending to a new release instead- The Golden Archipelago, due out early next year. (Fun Fun Fun Fest attendees just may be treated to a sample pour, if you will.) Jonathan was gracious enough to take time out to answer a few of our questions and whet our palate. more ›

Rep. Nasishat 'steps in' KUT controversy. more ›

Tickets go on sale today at the brand new Fun Fun Fun Fest Web site. For two weeks, early birds can get a weekend pass for $67.50 or a PIP (Pretty Important Person) pass for $135. more ›

Fun Fun Fun Fest has confirmed four more bands to this year's lineup, including Yeasayer, Kid Sister, DRI and Vega. This is in addition to already-confirmed performers Atlas Sound, Death, Red Sparowes, WHY?, Broadcast, Lucero, Les Savy Fav, GZA (performing Liquid Swords), HEALTH, Jesus Lizard, Melt Banana, 7 Seconds, King Khan & BBQ Show, Shearwater and Todd Barry. More leaks expected very soon. more ›

In the early 70s, brothers David, Bobby and Dannis Hackney started a band in their Detroit garage. Fed by a healthy rotation of Alice Cooper, the Stooges and Black Sabbath, the trio recorded a demo under the moniker of DEATH. The demo saw a bit of radio play, and eventually caught the attention of Clive Davis of Columbia records. more ›

Jonathan Meiburg’s pristine voice makes incantations out of lyrics. With its disciplined swells and polished weight, Shearwater taps an almost medieval resonance, seemingly without anachronism. If you are thinking of going green but just haven’t found the energy, there is plenty of inspiration here. more ›

Shearwater opened for Neko Case as she kicked off her Middle Cyclone tour at Stubb's last night. Photos courtesy Chad Wadsworth. more ›

It seems like everyone is in love with Neko Case. The cluttered halls of the 'net feature her portrait in gilded frame every few feet, and not simply because she's promoting her new album Middle Cyclone. She's an obsession. From the print editions of NME to Rolling Stone and all blogs north. more ›

There's not a lack of things to do tonight in Austin, but we'd be remiss to overlook our local darlings in Shearwater. After a busy 2008 touring the U.S. and abroad to support their latest Matador release, Rook (along with a jaunt opening for Coldplay), the ornithologically-obsessed Meiburg & Co. perch (sorry, couldn't help it) on the outside stage tonight at the Mohawk. more ›

This winter, Austinist wanted to take some time to check in with some of our favorite local performers, artists and musicians to see what they enjoyed in 2008. Our request was simple: give us a few things that you enjoyed listening to this year, and feel free to include releases that might not have been released in 2008, but that found their way onto your turntable anyhow. We'll be sharing our own list too, but be patient and hear what some of our favorite folks thought was worthwhile in '08. more ›

The new Riverboat Gamblers album, Underneath the Owl, doesn't come out until March 2009, but SPIN is offering a free download of the single, "A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology." more ›

As you might already know, Zilker Park's Dinoland opened last weekend. What you might not have known is that Ghostland Observatory is a "Hadrosaurus Sponsor," meaning they contributed at least $10,000 to the exhibit. more ›

Shearwater sure has built themselves a little sea swell of fanhood and critical approval these past few months, and it's no surprise. Since frontman Jonathan Meiburg—the man with the super-big voice—made the executive decision that his days in established local faves Okkervil River had to end, the added focus on Shearwater has allowed the band to release a widely-praised LP, Rooks, not to mention tour the country like bandits. By making music that is not even remotely afraid of the dramatic, Meiburg, along with Kimberly Burke and the Austin ever-present personality Thor Harris, has drawn fawning comparisons to eighties pillars of profundity Talk Talk, and have made sure that they are a band to be reckoned with, not only on album but with their big-sound live shows. more ›

Preview Okkervil River's new album, The Stand Ins, at their MySpace, where you can listen to "Lost Coastlines." more ›

As ever, the Daytrotter.com crew acknowledges all Austin has to offer in the way of incredible music. This week, they're featuring a session by Bill Baird's {{{Sunset}}}, featuring an unreleased tune called "Loveshines, Part II". more ›