R.E.M.'s fourteenth studio album in twenty-eight years, the first studio effort since the loss of former drummer Bill Berry, and the first since their induction into the oft-considered meaningless Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame is like a time capsule thrown back from the future. The Athens-bred folk rock heroes have become a stadium rock band over the years, and at long last, they've stopped writing songs like one. ...

SXSW has announced via official mailing that there are a few bands confirmed for the festival aside from those we've mentioned already: R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Daniel Lanois, The Black Keys, The Kills, My Brightest Diamond, Pato Banton, Vampire Weekend, Joe Lean + The Jing Jang Jong, Jens Lekman, Sia, $olal, Tech N9ne, and Mala Rodriguez have received the official nod. A couple of those names will look familiar to those of you following our ongoing coverage, but the big names are news to us as well. ...

From his beginnings in youth flicks like Explorers and Dead Poets Society to his modern-day gigs with Rick Linklater and Sidney Lumet, Austin native Ethan Hawke has done his fair share of acting. Now he's jumped behind the camera to direct an adaptation of his novel The Hottest State, a story most believe is based on Hawke's 90's fling with singer Lisa Loeb. Regardless of the truth of that rumor, the story centers around......

FRIDAY [15] juneteenth/parade • Alvin Patterson Battle of the Bands and Drumline Competition at Congress Avenue (2pm) books • Lama Surya Das presents Buddha is as Buddha Does at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedy • Billy D Washington with Doug Mellard at Cap City Comedy Club comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) dance • Constellation, a site-specific dance work from Sally Jacques at Pickle & Thornberry Federal Courthouses (9pm) dance......

THURSDAY [14] dance • Constellation, a site-specific dance work from Sally Jacques at Pickle & Thornberry Federal Courthouses (9pm) art • Guest Tour with Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa at Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress (Thursdays are always free at the Blanton,12:30-1:30pm) art • Opening reception for "Just Been Fired," the mostly at Gallery Lombardi (7-10pm) art and books • Blanton Book Club at Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress 6-7:30pm) books • Reginald......

MONDAY [11] film • Patton Oswalt live with "Ratatouille" sneak preview at Alamo Downtown film • Music Monday: "Harry Nilsson's Birthday Party" at Alamo Downtown food • Central Market Cooking School Class: Sushi 101 with Chef Timothy Thomas at Central Market Cooking School, 4001 N Lamar ($70, 6:30-9:30pm) music • Maserati, My Education, Lazar Wolf at Emo's music • Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Cheer Accident, Oh, Beast at Emo's music • Manu Chao at Stubb's......

Since unleashing the Peter Gabriel-like "Staring At The Sun" in 2003, TV On The Radio has done just about everything an indie band can hope for. They've released two lauded albums, made the major label jump, opened for the Pixies, recorded with David Bowie, and won the Shortlist Prize. And while The Arcade Fire may be the most blogged about band of the last two years, one could argue that TVOTR may be the......

Ohio's The Black Keys have been practicing their minimalist-blues ethos for over five years now, and have carved their own niche in indie rock. The band combines the two-man band approach of The White Stripes, riffage worthy of Jimmy Page, and blues stomps patterned after Howlin' Wolf and vintage Chess artists. The trick here is that it comes off in a way that somehow appeals to fans of both Pavement and Stevie Ray Vaughan,......

The following is a weekly column by guest contributor Laurie Gallardo. Hear her on KUT 90.5FM, Friday evenings, from 11pm-3am. -- The Editors Hello, music lovers! I’m all a-twitter because, once again – and happily so, I’m in a whirl over the shows going on all over the place. It’s especially groovy for yours truly because it helps me pull my humble radio gig together – in that ragtag, scatterbrained method I’m so used......

Hang on to your wristbands, people, there's a lot going on this week in the world of legitimately released music! The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love (UMVD) The Rapture have finally caught up with their own hype following 2003's Echoes, working with producers Danger Mouse (Gorillaz/Gnarls Barkley), Paul Epworth (Bloc Party) and Ewan Pearson (UK DJ/Remixer) and delivering a disco, funk, punk and pop-influenced album worthy of all your parties, speedy drives......

Before I launch into this week's batch of ACL previews, a bit of bad news - Feist has unfortunately dropped out of the lineup. Her replacement hasn't been named yet, so hopefully I'll have an update for you by next week, but in the meantime, you too can stalk the schedule. Remember, you can check out all the previews that have been posted over on my ACL Artist Previews Page. This is what's new......

We're absolutely, undeniably terrified of this week. See you next Monday -- if we can still remember who we are. M O N D A Y [19] film · End of an Ear and Plexifilm bring you "Saint Etienne Presents Finisterre", a film about London by Paul Kelly and Kieran Evans, at the Drafthouse South Lamar. (Free! 9:45pm) music/party · Nic Armstrong & The Thieves take over Club DeVille all night long - and they're......

With ACL just a little over a week away, we've found ourselves spending quite a bit of time at work thinking about all the bands we can't wait to see during the day, and deciding which after-parties to attend.Second to the hot weather, the task of figuring out which acts to see - and, sometimes, which acts to avoid at all cost - is our biggest concern. Certainly, we've had our hearts set on......

One of the great things about the Austin City Limits Festival is that since so many folks are in town for the weekend, bands decide to book extra night shows. Therefore, you spend all day at the Festival then trudge out into the night and listen to music until 2AM. Then you wake up and do it all over again. (Always remembering to stay hydrated, of course. In the words of one of our......