Half Japanese formed in the mid-seventies, and the band, which initially consisted of just brothers Jad and David Fair, would go on to have an musical impact on par with fellow primitive rock and roll ideologues Beat Happening and forebears The Shaggs. Kurt Cobain and Penn Jillette both championed their qualities to a larger audience, and their early history is even chronicled in a film entitled Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King by The Devil and Daniel Johnston director Jeff Feurezeig. Even after David left Half Japanese to pursue other things, Jad kept the love lights glowing by recording both under the band’s name and his own, collaborating with many other musicians along the way. ...

Chain Drive’s Wednesday night gigs continue this week with a quality triple bill along with their usual mid-week domestic beer price of $1.75. Chromosome Damage bleed black with an ominous soundtrack of electro-goth-metal while The Devil Bat soften things up a bit with folk tales accentuated by psychedelic six-strings. The latter act boasts members from bands such as Power Snatch, Dogshit Rangers and ST 37, while their Lingers Like a Ghost EP (on Sister Skull Records) was produced by Gretchen Phillips....

The Brave One Jodie Foster's pool-table (or was it pinball machine?) scene in The Accused was burned into our early middle-school brains, so will that make it harder or easier to watch her get brutalized again in this new movie? At least her character is totally different - this time she's an upscale New Yorker who gets beaten by unknown assailants in Central Park (and the movie is directed by Neil Jordan, of The......

Settle down, gore hounds, for this weekend’s movie releases are clearly not for you (put your blood-soaked dreams of a modernized Michael Myers on hold for one more week). The real question is – are this week’s new releases for anyone? If fans of Scarlett Johansson’s panty lines and Rowan Atkinson’s crotch shots really do exist, then there must be at least a few audience members out there reveling in the fact that their time......

In a town as creative as ours, there is plenty of ongoing chatter about “the next big thing," and (usually) further discussions regarding the viability of the buzz related to those bands. We strive to bring our readers show listings and news updates for some of Austin’s finest, be it Spoon or Ghostland Observatory. Amidst all that, we also do our best to recommend some of the city’s lesser known but equally talented acts.......

Tomorrow's your last chance to vote in the PLUG Independent Music Awards, the annual audience-juried awards event that recognizes the most promising artists and members of the independent music community. Beyond traditional music categories like Album of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and genre-specific awards, PLUG also celebrates everything from live venues and music festivals to internet radio stations and music blogs. This year, several Austin or Texas-based bands, stores, and organizations......

WEDNESDAY [29] discussion • Patton Oswalt and Writers Present The Onion at Alamo Downtown (9:30pm, $15) music • Indian Jewelry, Cry Blood Apache, Wiggins at Emo's music • Real Live Tigers, Fourth War Boys Choir, David Israel, Pink Nasty at Beerland music • The Distant Seconds,The Late Fees & The Unbearables at The Parlor film • Third Coast Night: La Sierra at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film • The Devil's Backbone at Beerland (7pm, Free)......

THURSDAY [5] music • Ghostland Observatory, Mellowdrone, Pompeii at Emo's ® music • Bobby Bare Jr, Grand Champeen, Chalk Outlines at Emo's music • Ozomatli, Ghandaia at Stubb's music • Voodoo Organist, The Devil Drums, Ralph White at Beerland music • She, Sir, Bello Ragazzo, Cartright at The Mohawk music • Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo at The Backyard music • Proteus, Starcastic Pheromone, TBA at Trophy's benefit/music • Rock 'n Roll Garage Sale for......

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......

TUESDAY [5] film • TerrorStorm with Alex Jones Live at Alamo South (7pm) ® film • AFS Essential: Eva at Alamo Downtown (7pm) ® film • Elevator to the Gallows at Paramount Theatre (7:15pm) film • Waking Life at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) ® film • Last House on the Left at Spider House (8pm, Free) film • Quai Des Ofevres at Paramount Theatre (9:05pm) ® film • Dark Side of the Rainbow :......

WEDNESDAY [23] film • AFS 20th Anniversary screening of "The Mirror" at Drafthouse Downtown ® books/party • Happy Hour with the Writers' League of Texas at Tambaleo (6pm) ® books • Ben Barnes, former Lt. Governor of Texas, presents Barn Burning, Barn Burning at BookPeople (7pm) ® music • Tuna Helpers, Baby Dee, Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater) at Emo's ® music • Beerfest Week! Gorch Fock, The F and the C, Fire vs Extinguisher at......

Hallelujah! The day the Catholic Church and all of its minions have dreaded for the past few months (or maybe years, who knows what kind of secret prophecies they’ve got locked up in the Vatican – riiiiight??) has finally arrived. No, silly, there hasn’t been a discovery of ancient scrolls written by Jesus himself proclaiming the benefits of condom usage. Birth control and personal responsibility are still just as sinful as ever. We’re talking......

If you are not one of the fortunate few attending the invite-only performance of Daniel Johnston tonight at the Alamo South, fret not. The living legend, whose story has been told in the wonderful The Devil & Daniel Johnston, will be doing an in-store performance at Waterloo Records today at 5pm. This is a special treat, as Johnston rarely plays in Austin, and has most recently been touring only in Europe. We imagine the lines/crowds......

The whole world is at your fingertips. Check it out... Shanghaiist probably knows a little more about China than the Chicago Sun-Times. Giving them the benefit of the doubt on that one. The city does too have a music scene. Don't even front like they don't. They also have Dorito bananas and white guys shopping for wives. What they don't have is any more tolerance for jaywalkers. Bostonist sees Boston and Somerville each whip out......

FRIDAY [5] [music] The Paul Green SCHOOL OF ROCK Presents "A Tribute to the Ramones" -at Redrum ($10, 7pm, also Saturday at 6pm) (info) [music] Mute Math, Love Drug, and Radiant at Stubb's (info) [music] Eisley with Simon Dawes, Brighten at La Zona Rosa (8pm) (info) [music] Sonya Kitchell at Waterloo Records (Free, 5pm) (info) [music] Zom Zoms CD release at End of an Ear (Free, 6pm) (info) [music] Ugly Beats, Bad Rackets, The Remainder......

*The Devil and Daniel Johnston A Portrait of the Artist as a Manic Depressive. Excellent documentary. Mission: Impossible III Earlier in the week we were challenged to make it through this without mentioning the word 'placenta.' Nope. An American Haunting Sissy Spacek is, like, totally goth, y'all. Ok, we'll bite. As long as you hold our hand. Celestine Prophecy You (and your mom, and your aunt and the woman next to you on the......

In the creation of art there tends to be waste. Chunks of clay hit the floor. Dollops of paint dried, and unusable on a palette. Volumes of words that go unread. In the echelon of genius, it can be the artist himself that becomes the sacrifice of the pursuit. It’s this idea that is borne out of Jeff Feuerzeig’s, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, a chronicle of the life of a living artistic icon......

The Devil and Daniel Johnston directed by Jeff Feuerzeig has been receiving a ton of buzz, and for good reason. The film tells the heartfelt and compelling story of one of Austin's most famous musical icons. It is a portrait of the artist as a troubled man, a movie that confronts the painful issues of mental illness and its effects on not just the artist in question but all with whom he comes in contact.......

MONDAY [1] [music] Islands, Why?, Cadence Weapon, Wilderneess, Year Future, Parts & Labor at Emo's (info) [art] Opening reception for hovel jumbles, with works by Paul Gigliotti at End of an Ear (Free, 6pm) (info) [music] Richard Buckner with Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices) at Cactus Café ($12, 8pm) (info) [film] The Boys of Baraka at Alamo Downtown (7pm) (info) [film] The Wild Angels at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm , $1) (info) [film] Anime Movie Monday......

There's a whole wide world out there, and here's the proof: DCist revels in The University of Maryland's basketball triumphs, marvels at Metro's security strategy, and applauds DC local Katie Couric's new gig. Bostonist has the best local papers! While The Globe reports on a baby shower gone bad, the 'Herald coins a gruesome new term. They put down the paper long enough to comment on an election that has gone to the dogs, and,......

It's that time again! Yesterday, Mayor Wynn announced the 2006 selection for the Mayor's Book Club: a work by Luis Alberto Urrea entitled The Devil's Highway. Austinites are encouraged to pick up a copy of the book and read it during the months of February and March. In April, the library will be hosting discussions, presentations and other events that will tie into the book and its themes. On April 26, the author will......

SXSW.com released an updated lineup for this year's SXSW Music Festival earlier today, and it's one hell of a list. The SXSW committee hastens to note that "This is a partial list of performers confirmed to appear at the 2006 SXSW Music Festival. This list is current as of 1/13/06. All of this information is subject to change." International acts include: Masahiro Nitta, DMBQ, Ellegarden, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, PE'Z, The Emeralds (Japan)......

The following is a special show review written by our friend, Chad Beck, that we thought we'd share with you. “In a land of freedom / God has sent His grace / We're proud to live in such a place / With the right to sing / Song after song / This song's for you to sing along! / (chorus) / Whoa-o-o-o Whoa ooo La, La / Whoa-o-o-o Whoa ooo La, La / Lift......

We were desperate to see a new movie this weekend, and as the film industry seems to have turned its back on the kind movie-going public, our pickings were slim. We didn't particularly want to see Rob Zombie's new movie, The Devil's Rejects, but it was playing at a convenient time and at a convenient place, and we were conveniently under the influence of something that caused our ability to judge things to be......

We know it's a bit late in the game to be reviewing The Island, but we literally woke up this morning pissed off that we'd seen this movie a week and a half ago, and thought we'd give an ol' internet rant this morning. Now, we're reasonably certain that this movie is better than, say, Stealth, and definitely sure that it will be better than The Devil's Rejects. However, this is yet another notch......