Chicago four piece CAVE specialize in the kind of heavy and rhythm-centric psychedelic jams that sound comfortably familiar. The band, which formed in 2006 in Columbia, Missouri, have garnered them a loyal following and critical acclaim for their records, particularly this year's Neverendless. more ›

Jazzy singer-songwriter Alyse Black dropped a career in health care and took to busking at Seattle's Pike Place Market, all to satisfy an itch to write and perform that she hadn't been able to shake while climbing the company ladder. more ›

The death of guitarist Cory Smoot (a.k.a. Flattus Maximus) of Gwar at the beginning of the month threw the band's current tour - if not future in general - into uncertainty. This major loss for the band did not result in a tour cancellation after all, and Gwar is continuing their trek with a stop in Austin tonight. more ›

From the musical outpost of St. Louis, Missouri, Kristeen Young began making unlikely inroads into the world of in-your-face piano rock at a time when most attentions were drifting into either grunge retreads, tea-scented Lilith Fair folk rock or burgeoning electronica. In 1997 she debuted with Meet Miss Young and Her All Boy Band, and by 2009 she had dropped the space between her name and released her sixth record Music For Strippers, Hookers, and The Odd On-Looker, a dense and unusual album that compliments Young's swooping vocal delivery with the expert production of Tony Visconti. more ›

While not necessarily viewed in the same light as some indie-rock warhorses, Seattle's Mudhoney has been going strong with a mostly-original lineup for almost a quarter century. In an era of neatly-packaged shambolic nostalgia for the 1990s and pre-internet underground rock, one could align Mudhoney with that impulse fairly easily. Want to win a pair of tickets? See us on Facebook. more ›

How does one of the most influential and fun trios in the history of alt/indie rock celebrate Halloween as they enter their fourth decade of existence? In Shonen Knife’s case, they dress up as Osaka Ramones to headline what’s sure to be one of the season's most exciting cover band nights. more ›

Seattle's Minus the Bear have steadily grown a loyal and devoted fan base since their inception in 2001, with their math rock riffs, electronic noodling, and Jake Snider's deadpan vocal delivery distinguishing them from their peers. Through it all, they have maintained their relative quirkiness, and although they may not be titling songs with names like "Monkey!! Knife!! Fight!!" anymore, their sound is almost instantly recognizable. more ›

From the first moments of “It’s Not 1977,” you know Planets are just being coy with that title. The Austin quartet owes a good deal of its sound to that time period, and their self-titled debut EP has all sorts of ‘70s punk fingerprints all over it. The EP is gone in a flash, but not before delivering some sweetly-sung melodies with the distorted guitars and bedrock drumming. It makes for a fun and potent combination, a formula that Planets is taking out of our orbit (sorry, couldn’t resist) and on the road following tonight’s tour kickoff at Beerland. more ›

There are three kinds of shows that you just absolutely must see: those by legendary and still vital performers who can be listed amongst artists who founded a genre that forever altered the musical and cultural landscape, bands that are possibly the absolute best currently playing in their genre, and those that will absolutely kick your ass and blow your mind with a show that you will never forget no matter what the genre. Tonight, all three of those factors come together to form a hardcore vortex at Red Seven that is guaranteed to get you OFF! more ›

Montreal has been synonymous with quality indie music for nearly a decade now (at least), and Braids are among the best of the city's class of 2011. Their debut album, Native Speaker, shows a band fully confident in their sound and one who have developed a singular musical identity. While some may lump them within the dream pop genre, Braids manage to separate themselves from their peers thanks to their immense musical talents and willingness to experiment. It also doesn't hurt that they have the vocal force of nature that is Raphaelle Standell-Preston. more ›

2008's "First Communion" - is this not the killer apocalyptic worldbeat single for which all the world was waiting? Simultaneously shaking the scene by its limbs while handing M.I.A. her ass, Gang Gang Dance have infiltrated real rhythm into the self-conscious New York rock scene (and how). Their call to arms was the misleadingly-titled Revival of the Shittest in 2004, and their latest for 4AD is called Eye Contact. The album includes a guest spot from Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, and it pleasingly stretches the web between political art rock and club bangers. more ›

Yes it’s true: Kyuss Lives! And to make their Saturday night show at Stubb’s even more irresistible, Austin metal masters The Sword are touring with them. The Sword has played a lot of local parties and some stunning shows at smaller venues. Oh, and they’ve also toured with Metallica in 2008-2009, and briefly in 2010. Now that metal is coming back with full force in Austin, and even chillwave aficionados have begun to bang their heads, it is absolutely bewildering that tickets are still available for this show. more ›

For three decades, Butthole Surfers have sustained their mastery of musical mayhem, perversion and debauchery. As “alternative rock” was opening its perpetually sleepy eyes in the early 1980’s, Alternative Tentacles turned its more prescient gaze towards Butthole Surfers. Surely even the label’s creator, Jello Biafra, could not have envisaged the brilliantly twisted sickness the band’s classic line-up - Gibby Haynes, Paul Leary, Jeff Pinkus and King Coffey - would hurl upon a deserving world. As they proved last fall at Scoot Inn, the Surfers still preside over raucous bacchanal celebrations that can get appropriately out of hand. Sadly, rock concerts have for the most part been tamed. But, the Butthole Surfers remain unbridled and belong on any live music fan’s list of must-experience bands. The reunited, classic 1980’s Butthole Surfers lineup has been rolling across the west all summer long, and will be blowing it all out back home in Central Texas at the highly anticipated Grand Opening of Emo's East. more ›

Red 7 will be blowing it out in a very heavy way on Saturday night. They’re bringing the legendary Saint Vitus back to town, staging Dixie Witch as anticipation builds for their forthcoming release, and hosting the very last show ever for The Roller. If you’re looking for a raucous metal party this weekend, Red 7’s got your ticket. more ›

While they may not have the same immediate recognition as their punk-rock contemporaries The Ramones, The Sex Pistols and The Buzzcocks, Northern Ireland's Stiff Little Fingers were similarly influential in the hook-filled, politically conscious punk movement simultaneously blooming in the U.S. and the U.K. in the mid 1970s. The band was formed by guitarist and vocalist Jake Burns in 1977, legend has it, after seeing a Clash show in his hometown of Belfast. A couple of singles quickly followed, and after one of them garnered repeated radio play by influential DJ John Peel, the band penned a distribution deal with Rough Trade Records. One of the label's first-ever releases was "Alternative Ulster", which became a huge hit for Stiff Little Fingers, and an instant punk rock classic; it remains possibly their most well known song. Its catchy guitar melody and Burns's scratchy voice and lyrics about societal control are emblematic of Stiff Little Fingers' sound. more ›

The Hydra Head Tour rumbles through Red 7 on Sunday night, packing a devastating one-two punch from Big Business and Torche. This is a situation that could precipitate one of those archetypal rock band (or fan) fights over which band should follow the other. Frankly, this show has the makings of a perfect storm. Back in 2006, Jared Warren and Coady Willis of Big Business joined-up as full-fledged members of Melvins. Just a year later, they released their underground classic, Here Come the Waterworks. Since then, their incredible live performances as Big Business have been somewhat elusive treasures. They’ve continued to grow as a band, bringing on guitarist Toshi Kasai for a tour with Tool. Last year, they further expanded with the addition of Scott Martin of 400 Blows. This tour is in support of the quartet’s recent Quadruple Single release, but Coady, Jared and Scott have hit the road as a trio this time around; it's same lineup that virtually destroyed to Emo’s inside room last December. more ›

After being pigeonholed as the second coming of Stevie Ray Vaughn when he came into prominence in the early nineties, guitarist and songwriter Ian Moore began to slowly dismantle those expectations with each subsequent album after his debut. 1995's Modern Folklore was punchy and strange, and the never-released follow-up The First Third's "progressive sound angered the label head, Phil Walden, so deeply upon hearing it" that he and Moore came to blows. Moore's band dissolved after the album was shelved, and though Moore rerecorded many of the songs on And All the Colors..., the original recording was buried. With the arrival of last year's fast and clean El Sonido Nuevo that resembles Moore's early work almost not at all, you might think it'd be an odd time to start looking back. Perhaps it's the perfect time. more ›

More than two months since the release of the second full length album from Liturgy, Aesthethica has been greeted with enthusiastic initial reviews, including Austinist’s, and is now being hailed as one of this year’s most outstanding records by publications ranging from musically erudite The Quietus to more mainstream and rarely metal-friendly Pitchfork. Liturgy has been the target of mostly juvenile criticism for being “hipster metal” and betrayers of the true spirit of black metal. Whatever issues one might have about guys who perform metal while wearing street clothes and rejecting depravity, it would be difficult to argue that Liturgy is not one of the most exceptionally talented metal bands to emerge over the last couple of years. They are transcending traditional boundaries of metal and developing a reputation for melting faces everywhere they go. more ›

Hard ‘n’ heavy blues rock has been a staple of rock & roll since Blue Cheer first cornholed Eddie Cochran and Cream cranked Robert Johnson past 11. But every once in a while a band comes along that makes the stale classic rock form(ula) seem fresh again. L.A.’s Rival Sons slap a new coat of paint on a familiar chassis, making the tires hum and the motor purr like it just rolled off the factory belt. more ›

TTonight, Acrassicauda, the ultra-dedicated Iraqi heavy metal band, slams into Red Seven. They braved a harrowing journey prior to settling in the United States and recording their impressive EP, Only the Dead See the End of the War (2010). Very few, if any, bands have lived for music like Acrassicauda. They played shows amidst the firefights and missile strikes (one of which destroyed their practice space in Baghdad), during the worst years of the US led war in Iraq, and fled to Syria and Turkey prior to being granted refugee status by the United States. Their early years in Iraq and Syria are documented in the outstanding film, Heavy Metal in Baghdad. There’s a lot to do tonight; if early Metallica, Slayer and Black Flag float your boat, this show is definitely for you. more ›

The Fiery Furnaces are sure to dominate the cozy second floor of Lamberts both tonight and Saturday night. Fortunately, Eleanor and Matt Friedberger chose to include Austin amongst a very few stops on this tour that showcases The Fiery Furnaces in what may be their purest form: an acoustic duo. Eleanor will sing as Matt accompanies her on piano; Matt will sing a bit, too, and there are rumors of possible karaoke interludes. more ›

One of the founding members of the ideologically heavy anarchist punk band Crass, Steve Ignorant is now touring under the "Last Supper Tour" banner, performing songs from Crass heyday (that band broke up in 1984). The tour hits Emo's tonight. more ›

Anybody who’s been to a Dirty Projectors show in the past few years can attest to the exhilarating feeling they produce in person. There’s Dave Longstreth’s strange warble and jagged guitar work, all the while the three-headed dragon of Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and Haley Dekle perform some of the most complex and jaw-dropping vocal harmonies you’ll ever see. Yet anchoring all the artiness is Nat Baldwin, bassist for the group and a songwriter in his own right. He’s set to release his fourth album, People Changes, on May 24, but in the meantime you can check him out live tonight at Club 1808. more ›

Head out tonight for a mystical musical experience full of cosmic grooves and sci-fi funk as YACHT brings their "Road To Utopia" tour to Emo's. Claire Evan's [see our interview with her] animated vocals float smoothly over Jona Bechtolt's well-composed electro-pop beat in a feelgood way that can't help but get you moving with a smile on your face. The Portland-based duo's musical production is an upbeat treat with intergalactic inspirations. The electronics are thoughtfully produced by Bechtolt, who uses laser effects, computerized beats, distorted guitars and psychedelic synths with the addition of chanted co-ed vocals and the occasional hand-clap or cowbell. Their music is consistently energetic and optimistic. more ›

For the longest time I was perplexed as to why my freshman year roommate would decorate our dorm room with a poster of some scruffy looking guy in a bathrobe. I found out it was one Harry Nilsson, who’s long been relegated to “cool music you learn about in college” status, a veritable musician’s musician and songwriter’s songwriter. But this year finally saw the release of the excellent doc Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?, and now Nilsson seems to be on lots of people’s lips. He’s even earned himself his very own Austin-style hoot night, taking place tonight at Ruta Maya. more ›

The Books make music that serve as a cure for the common song. Using found sounds and extreme signal processing, the NYC duo explores the depths of what exactly can be used to create music. Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong formed the group back in 1999 and have since released four albums. Their latest, The Way Out, found its way in to many new listeners' hearts, no doubt thanks to the long wait (five years!) between this and their last album. Defying any true conventional musical label, The Books still manage to create truly enjoyable songs, generally with bouncing rhythms and eclectic harmonies. more ›

Pioneering American punk band X was a force of nature in its prime, and that was in large part due to the presence of singer Exene Cervenka. Her caterwauling vocals and uncommon lyrics (she’s a published poet) helped guide X to explosive performances, a beloved catalog and legendary status. more ›

Hugh Cornwell has a string of solo albums going back two decades, but he’ll always be best known for his quarter century tenure as frontman of the pioneering punk-era band the Stranglers. The sixty-years-young singer/guitarist doesn’t hide from this fact, either - he’s long included band hits like “Golden Brown” and “No More Heroes” in his solo sets. more ›

When one listens to the throaty growl of Coleman Hawkins or the lithe elisions of Lester Young, or even the chirps and twirls of Steve Lacy, the first thing to come to mind might not be sound at its nakedest. Phrases and how they're put together, trying to follow a melodic line - those aspects of saxophone playing appear front and center. Sound is, after all, an abstract and very large thing that's difficult to narrow, whereas the things one makes with sounds are easier to connect with one's observations and experience. English tenor and soprano saxophonist and improviser John Butcher is, in some ways, a sound artist who has chosen the saxophone as his medium, working quite often as a soloist and paring down his litany of materials to breath, air, reed, teeth, tongue, fingers, pads, metal and the various sounds or actions that result (sometimes abetted by amplification/electronics). While certainly direct and specific, Butcher's work is not entirely "minimal" or "micro," despite not at first glance being obviously connected to the instrument's history, especially in jazz and improvised music. In fact, some of what he conjures seems related more to electronic or non-saxophone sounds than anything possible from a reed instrument. There is an inherent logic and engagement within this approach - not only that of the mechanics of instrumental music-making, but also with the space or environment in which the work is occurring (check out his solo CD Resonant Spaces on Confront from 2006, recorded in both indoor and outdoor settings; he's also performed in dialogue with artworks by Dan Flavin and James Turrell). more ›

Sic Alps’ latest album, Napa Asylum, is a favorite ‘round these parts. The San Francisco trio is perfectly adept at blasting out nuggets of raw power or psych-damaged folk sketches—the breadth of their sound is what places them a cut above many of their garage-rock peers. They’re putting these tunes front and center on a headlining American tour, which makes its way to Emo’s tonight. more ›