So the 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival has come and gone but you still haven’t had enough music. Thankfully, the 2007 Wall Of Sound Festival is just around the corner. Besides catching headliners such as Explosions In The Sky, Midlake, and Ghostland Observatory, be sure to check out Spectrum. The brainchild of Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom (a.k.a. Peter Kember), the act will be performing new songs while Spacemen 3 era tracks are also promised.......

Since their inception in 2001, Portland's The Decemberists have channeled a unique and wide-ranging set of influences (be it R.E.M., Irish folkfore, or Russian literature) into classic indie-pop that has found a large and fervent fanbase. The group's 2006 major label debut The Crane Wife both amazed and shocked music critics, who loved the material but could hardly believe the band's audacity, as two 11-plus minute epics were featured on the disc. The bold......

It's been a gloomy day, but leave it to Britt Daniel and Co. to save the evening with a surprise show at our beloved Mohawk. The Decemberists went off without a hitch last week, but this time is guaranteed to be even more awesome, in that it's outside (don't worry, there's a big tent). Spoon is gonna pack in as many as can possibly fit in the warm bosom of the Mo', but if,......

After lining up for the better part of the day, 200 die-hard fans and a smattering of other lucky individuals got in to The Decemberists' "secret" MySpace show at the Mohawk.......

Bummed that you missed out on tickets for the Austin City Limits taping? You're in luck. The Decemberists are playing a (not so) secret acoustic set on the inside stage at The Mohawk this Wednesday. Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm. Get there early, because if the line outside KLRU's studios today was any indication, it's gonna be nuts. Also, it's completely free. The Decemberists Wednesday, July 11th The Mohawk Doors at 7pm, Show at......

If you were hoping to nab some tickets to tomorrow's Austin City Limits taping featuring lit-rock indie heroes The Decemberists and party-in-your-pants Austin duo Ghostland Observatory, we have some bad news: there's already a line of folks outside KLRU's studios that's longer than what they can accommodate. With only about 100 tickets available for tomorrow evening's taping and The Decemberists not scheduled to play any other shows this time around, die-hard fans began lining......

Hello Lovers -- Vanity Fair (Inchworm): If it is possible to musically capture a lovesick, misunderstood poet wailing and moping about drunkenly in a scummy apartment overlooking a dark and lonely city, Austin’s Hello Lovers have done it. In fact, they have positioned their sound around the voice that embodies said misunderstood poet: that of J.C. King. If you can’t latch on to King’s Antony-esque vibrato, Colin Meloy-esque (of The Decemberists) nasality, or off-melody,......

The 2007 ACL Fest lineup came into focus a bit earlier than expected this afternoon. Much like last year's online scavenger hunt, the folks at Charles Attal have decided to whet appetites with an ACL Crossword puzzle in this Thursday's Chronicle. The two big names revealed today: The White Stripes and Björk. Well played, ACL. The crossword reveal: The White Stripes, Björk, The Decemberists, Peter, Bjorn, and John, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Robert Earl Keen,......

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador) As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album.......

Just hours before The Decemberists were to take the outdoor stage at Stubb's, ominous clouds gathered over Austin, releasing a piddling sprinkle of rain that seemed, at the time, to bode unwell for the evening's show. But as the minutes crept ahead, the clouds followed suit, leaving us with a perfectly breezy fall evening -- a far cry from the sub-saharan muck we were mired in when we last saw the Portland, Oregon bunch,......

Easily indie rock's most well-read bunch, The Decemberists returned this year with The Crane Wife, their follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed LP, Picaresque (as well as their bonus EP, Picaresqueties, a nifty collection of b-sides). Frontman Colin Meloy imbues the record with his signature storytelling acumen, narrating esoteric tales of airships, Civil War romances, and Belfast terrorists while managing intricate and often exhilarating rhythm sequences. Produced in part by Death Cab's Chris Walla,......

Today's big news is the FunFunFun festival, but there are also several new shows in this edition of the concert update. Kasabian, Ben Folds, Mates Of State, and others have all announced Austin shows, and there are tons more on tap for late fall. Have a look: October: 10/21 Pet Shop Boys (The Backyard) 10/21 Ladytron (Stubb's) 10/22 Rolling Stones (Zilker Park) 10/22 Method Man (Emo's) 10/23 Jenny Lewis + Watson Twins (Stubb's) 10/24......

Last weekend was pretty intense show-wise, if you're like us, you're ready to crawl in bed with your headphones and listen to something new from End of an Ear or Waterloo's new release wall. Well, here's what you've got to choose from: The Decemberists The Crane Wife (Capital) Already being described as the album of the year in some circles, Crane Wife marks the Portland-based Decemberists' major label debut with themes familiar to the......

Fans of the indie-rock will find much to like in the latest concert update. Flying V lovers My Morning Jacket, the willfully obtuse Fiery Furnaces, and alt.country godfather Jay Farrar have each been added to Austin's fall music schedule. As we've mentioned, the sheer volume of shows is unprecedented, so get out and enjoy the fact that every band you like is coming to town in the next two months. Thanks as always to......

The Decemberists won't release their new album, The Crane Wife until next Tuesday, but MTVU has an official leak, with the full album available to stream. Roughly the story of a man who marries a woman who turns out to be a crane, Decemberists' latest The Crane Wife (Capitol Records), is a tragic Japanese folktale turned epic Americana-flavored rock-opera, rife with greed, abduction, rape and death. The album, already widely proclaimed a masterpiece, calls......

While August continues to look farily quiet for roadshows, September and October are just blowing up. Many indie stalwarts have recently scheduled appearances for fall semester, so start saving up some coin. Among the highlights: Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, M. Ward, Jose Gonzales, and Ladytron. Unless you've been under a rock this week, you already know that loud dinosaurs The Rolling Stones are also planning a visit; that said, no ticket info has become......

After SXSW trashes our fair town, Coachella layers the California desert with dusty beer cans, and Wall of Sound leaves Fort Worth a city ... well, much the same, we're probably heading over to Sasquatch, the annual Pacific Northwest festival at Washingon State's scenic Gorge Amphitheatre. Scheduled to perform during the three-day Memorial Weekend blitz are Austinites Trail of Dead and Iron & Wine, plus a salivatory stew of sweet, sweet bands: FRIDAY, MAY 26......

Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit Sunny hooks, exuberant melodies and Stuart Murdoch’s sneaky/clever lyrics make this latest LP from our favorite Scottish tweesters eminently enjoyable. Be sure to check out the special edition version, which includes a bonus disc featuring the band's live BBC recordings. She Wants Revenge - She Wants Revenge It was only mere months ago that this sharp LA quartet first played Austin, dazzling the crowd at Stubb's who's arrived......

The Austin Center for FEMA Disaster Relief closed yesterday The New Pantheon shortlist nominees have been announced, and they are: Animal Collective, Antony and the Johnsons, Fiona Apple, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Kings of Leon, M.I.A., and Sufjan Stevens So there's evidently a species of rare African clawed frogs that, when injected with urine from a pregnant woman, will ovulate. There's also a story about how they're dying......

While scores of wonderful albums from already well-established indie acts like Broken Social Scene, Of Montreal and The Decemberists were all but predestined for greatness this year, others seemed to appear from nowhere. Case in point: Sup Pop phenoms Wolf Parade, emerging from Montreal with a series of cameos in various compilation albums that left American fans in a rabid frenzy before finally dazzling us with their debut LP, Apologies to the Queen Mary;......

Burgers, pizza, burritos and pheasant quail andouille gumbo, you can get it all at the ACL music fest this weekend. Yes, if you happen to have a hankering for some Pheasant Quail Andouille Gumbo, then all you'll have to do is head over to the Prejean's booth (Number 14). God, what could be more excellent than that? Except maybe seeing the Arcade Fire live (plus Rilo Kiley, The Decemberists, and Franz Ferdinand all in......

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......

The 2005 ACL Festival Schedule was posted online yesterday, and for the most part it looks like they spaced the acts out pretty well. Though we'll still probably spend the next two months at work dreaming up dozens of band-hopping strategies, thus far we're pretty stoked to be able to see awesome acts like the Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, and The Decemberists without having to forego another great band at the same......

The post-SXSW music lull keeps our list of recommended night time activities a bit sparse, but with a CD release party that's sure to turn into dance mayhem, a local rock showcase of talented men in bear suits, and a show by a band who sings about shipping routes in the 1700's, we think you'll find something to do. As usual, if there's a show you think is notable that we've forgotten, drop it in......