Victor Villarreal has had a long and storied career. As the guitarist for the hugely influential Cap'n Jazz, he developed a distinctive style that carried over to his work with Cap'n Jazz projects Owls, Ghosts & Vodka, and Joan of Arc. As a solo artist, he has explored many different variations on guitar music and has continued to uphold his reputation as one of indie's most influential and important six stringers. However, it was only last week that Villarreal released his first album's worth of solo material, Invisible Cinema. One can only assume that his set will consist heavily of songs from the album. Joining Villarreal are The Eastern Sea, Meryll, and My Empty Phantom. more ›

Want to talk about an Austin institution that embodies the spirit of the city? Talk about Hot Tracks, a recording studio that strives to maintain the distinct qualities of the Austin artists it tracks. But like so many other grassroots Austin efforts, Hot Tracks is at odds with a powerful force: condo developers. As such, the City of Austin has condemned Hot Tracks' East side location, and owner Matt Smith has no choice but to move and rebuild. more ›

Starting tonight, KUT is partnering up with La Zona Rosa for a weekly happy hour showcase of local music, fittingly titled KUT's New Music Happy Hour. They could hardly have picked a stronger debut lineup - Leatherbag and The Eastern Sea are two of our favorites here at the Austinist. more ›

There's a big party going down tonight at Encore and we've got the skinny for all those looking to celebrate. Simple Shoes and Knuckle Rumbler are presenting MASSIVE RELEASE, a showcase of six bands, two of which have some new media to release. The Black and White Years, The Rocketboys, Quiet Company, The Eastern Sea, Murdocks and STEREO IS A LIE will likely cause a rock explosion as they heat up the night on two stages. more ›

Ah man, Haunting Oboe Music, is this really goodbye? Well, how about one last fling for old time's sake? Oh yeah? And a freebie? Wow. more ›

School has been back in session for a few weeks now, meaning students are probably ready to pretend it hasn't. We've got just the event to wash those study worries away. Best Fwends, The Eastern Sea, The Low Lows, No Mas Bodas and Fat Tony are performing at the Mohawk for the annual KVRX Back to School Party. The line up is diverse and has something to please every freshman, grad student and dropout. more ›

Don't want to stay in but not sure you want to go out? Split the difference tonight at the Cole Street House and see four talented bands from near and afar. more ›

Unassuming, unnerving and unsigned, Haunting Oboe Music is ready to, as they say, take your face by storm. The Austin indie experimental rock outfit is so obsessed with music making that they released 12 EPs in 2008, one for each month of the year. The band said the experiment sent them in many directions and provided many ups and downs, but turned out to be the best thing Haunting Oboe Music could have possibly done. The project gave them a deep catalog of songs to choose from for live shows. A live listening is the best way to experience the mystic madness, since the recordings don't quite do the Oboes justice. more ›

Malone’s been planning on releasing a new album for a while now and has apparently finished it, so keep a look out. He performs at dive bars, house shows and even Stubb’s inside. He’ll be playing at the latter Saturday night alongside The Eastern Sea with their haunting, melodic indie rock with the occasional sax and trombone and Jude/Ross’ melodic, Jonathan Richman-style pop. more ›

Recorded in Tehauacana, Texas, in the old Texas Hall, The Shawl was recorded in 27 hours with Burr and some friends within the confines of the run-down and sonically magical space. Featuring lyrics taken directly from nine different Psalms, this darkly spiritual album comes very close to perfect. more ›

One more weekend to go before the madness that is SXSW takes over our city. How will you spend that last Saturday night? Surely you must prep for the upcoming celebration of music, film, arts, and more by testing your own ability to stand and deliver in front of a crowd? Well, we think so, and would like to invite you to Austinist Indieroke: the pre-SXSW edition, as always at The Mohawk. We will have Indieroke shirts for the winners in the “Best Female Performance,” “Best Male Performance,” and “Best Duet or Group Performance” categories. more ›

Somebody, at some point, noted that talking about music is like dancing about architecture, and writing about karaoke is just as preposterous. When it's good, karaoke is sublime, awe-inducing, indescribable. And Austinist Indieroke, wherein you're invited to sing songs you're not embarrassed to have on your playlist--we're thinking some Zep, some Death Cab, maybe Smiths?--is always good. more ›

We kicked off Fun Fun Fun Fest weekend with our annual Local Music Is Sexy party at the Mohawk. Thank you so much to Brothers & Sisters, Foot Patrol, the Lovely Sparrows, Leatherbag and the Eastern Sea for providing the local lineup, and to Dengue Fever for ending the night with a bang. more ›

We're proud of this community, and we can't think of a better time to celebrate it than on the eve of Fun Fun Fun Festival. Join on us November 7 promptly at 8 p.m. for Local Music Is Sexy VI at the Mohawk Bar on Red River. more ›