The Books entertained a sold-out crowd at Central Presbyterian Church on Friday night with their eclectic mix of found footage/sounds, arranged and accompanied by an array of instruments including guitars, cello, violin, bass, and keyboard. The acoustics of the church beautifully complemented the instrumentation and lent an intimate feel to the event. Starting off with classics "I Didn't Know That" and "A Cold Freezing Night" got the crowd involved right off the bat, gradually transitioning to more serious and complicated pieces. The multiple standing ovations The Books received on Friday night captured the enthusiasm Austinites felt for the long-awaited return of this innovative group. 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 ›

The Books are not like most performers. Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto’s creative process is impressively genius. The duo composes what the press calls folktronica by weaving samples from obscure videos and tapes they find at various thrift stores with cello, guitar and vocals. The San Francisco Observer described their performances as an “electro-acoustic sound collage.” What’s most intriguing about The Books is their sense of both dark and light humor. This is apparent... more ›

Welcome back kiddos, the year is kicking off with a shotgun bang. Head over to Waterloo or End of an Ear and ask for these albums: as far as we can tell, it's hard to go wrong this week. The Shins Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop) Well, they're definitely stretching, and they're definitely getting more and more familiar with the studio, as "Phantom Limb" demonstrates: James Mercer is still having trouble falling asleep,... more ›

As always, let us know about any corrections or suggestions! MONDAY [3] [music] ICP Orchestra at Scottish Rite Theatre (link) [art] Gabriel Perez-Barreiro, Curator of Latin American Art, discusses "Art is Connection: America/Americas" at Blanton Museum of Art (Free, 6-8pm) (link) [books] Michael Gordon presents Cobra II at BookPeople (7pm) (link) [books] AAIM, Austin Area Interreligious BookGroup will discuss Peace is the Way by Deepak Chopra. Lori Seremetis will be the Special Guest at BookPeople... more ›

We know its hard to get through the work week grind sometimes. Hopefully these new jams will make it more enjoyable. Here are our picks for the week... more ›