Here’s the scene: It’s late in the evening on a Saturday night, and there’s a line full of 16-to-30-year-olds wrapped around the block extending away from the large black door of the New Brookland Tavern in Columbia, South Carolina. Tonight, local, epic, electronic rock band Baumer is playing, and it’s going to be a packed house. A sizable portion of those dance party hungry hipsters clad in t-shirts both black and neon waiting in queue will not even make the capacity cut-off point. But, many of them will stand outside for a good portion of the set, listening from the street. Inside, as Baumer heats up, the cramped crowd bounces and sweats to New Order-inspired electronics, indie rock guitars and a bold voice not unlike that of Muse singer Matthew Bellamy. This isn’t a rarety for the band; it’s every time they play a show in their hometown. ...

It shouldn’t take more than 350 words to explain why I intended to vote Ron Paul for President, and roughly two words to explain why there’s now no chance in hell....

While this presentation of the show— put on by Zach Scott Theater Center and directed by Dave Steakley (also the Artistic Director of ZSTC)— features sets, language and costumes true to the original show, there is heartbreaking scene during which, without actually speaking to a change in time and geography, Steakley evokes Katrina-battered New Orleans. He manages this by stranding those characters that survive a brutal storm on rooftops, clinging to each other and praying for help while a dry-ice fog rolls out into the spacious music hall, enveloping the audience and breaking down the fourth wall....

Two months after I moved to Austin from the bleak and boring state of South Carolina, my car broke down in a parking lot by my house. After spending 2K fixing up my car to get it here, that was the last straw. The doors still didn’t close right, the driver’s seat was no longer attached to the car, it’s never had heat or air conditioning and it stunk; I was done. It did smuggle me out of Scare-olina to save my soul from being doomed to a fate of driving a potato chip delivery truck, getting married way too young, having barefoot children with names taken from my favorite daytime “stories” and only finding comfort in getting blind-stinkin’-drunk while watching the Saturday afternoon auto racing event, and for that I’m grateful. ...

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Barack Obama win South Carolina. Like most Americans, I like Barack Obama. And, like most Americans, I'm not sure why....

Obama takes South Carolina by storm in the Democratic Primary contest with 55% of the vote. Hillary came in second with 27% and Edwards landed in third position with 18%. The Vineland Festival - originally scheduled for its debut in August 2008 - has been temporarily canceled by its promoter, Austin's C3 Presents. New study claims that isolation's not only bad for human beings, but that it "breeds belief in the supernatural." English doctors......

Presidential Primaries: Hillary and Mitt Romney take Nevada, McCain takes South Carolina....

Band of Horses Cease to Begin (Sub Pop) Editors Note: This review reflects the personal opinions and experiences of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of the Ist network as a whole. Enjoy! In your typical southern suburban town of Irmo in Columbia, South Carolina is where Band of Horses singer Ben Bridwell and I went to high school. Among the strip malls and neighborhood watch signs, between high school football games......

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. MiKenPike What’s the Deal: Don’t let the name discourage you - it’s a mash-up of the members’ names. Their story is one of the more miraculous musical 180s in......

Hillary Clinton compares Dick Cheney to infamous science fiction character. Guess which one. Thousands are gathering in Jena, LA today in support of the 'Jena 6.' Republican representative claims just too many mosques in this country. The UN's General Assembly is next week and Iranian President Ahmadinejad asked to lay a wreath at Ground Zero. The NYPD is not having it. One heck of prank or one heck of a hangover. 100,000 cans of......

Augustana. Even if you don’t know the name, chances are you’ve heard their single “Boston” over the past year. You know the one. They played it in on Laguna Beach, Scrubs and The Today Show. It hovered around the thirties on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a while. You know, it’s a melodic, piano-driven pop rock song with super sweet, almost cherubic vocals played by some baby-faced hipsters with shaggy hair and tight jeans.......

If you've ever signed a lease on an apartment or purchased older property here in Austin, you're probably all too familiar with our raging mold problem. We always assumed it was the relative humidity coupled with the heat, but a recent study published by the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) seems to indicate otherwise. GEI's Top 10 States at Risk for Mold calls Texas, not surprisingly, the moldiest state in the country. Computed by analyzing "mold......

With increasing frequency, state houses around the country are fingering video games for a variety of societal ills. The most popular complaint is that violent games cause violent bahavior. While evidence of such claims is dubious, speaking out against games seems to be a popular pursuit, particularly for the more conservatively inclined among us. At least one student at North Greenville College, a South Carolina Southern Baptist liberal arts college dedicated to a "biblically sound,......