Manic Street Preachers - Send Away The Tigers: Over a decade removed from their masterpiece Everything Must Go, the Manics seem to finally return to the stadium-rock sounds of that album on Send Away The Tigers. While not as strong as Everything, the new album has several bright spots, most notably the so-cheesy-it's-awesome duet "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough" with The Cardigans' Nina Persson. While there are some awfully clunky lyrics ("I'm just a patsy for your love..."), and an occasional guitar line that sounds way too much like "Sweet Child O' Mine", this is a return to what the Manics do best: talking personal politics and rocking some Welsh angst. It's what Muse might hope to sound like if they weren't writing about spaceships and the apocalypse and such. more ›

Hey, have y'all been using our new "Recommend this" feature at the bottom of each post? This week we're bringing you the "Most Recommended" posts from across the -ist world, as well as recommending some of our own. more ›

Like we mentioned last week, Z-Trip is coming back to Austin this Friday as part of the Breakthrough Emerging Artists Tour (B.E.A.T.). He'll be spinning with Austin's DJ Nick Nack, as well as Tats and Thantos, over at Elysium from 9pm-2am. [Presale Tickets - $10] We're giving away a few spots on the guestlist for the show. Enter below: First Name: Last Name: Email Address: This week's AV Bits (not all artists below are... more ›

This being one of those quality-over-quantity weekends for bands and rocking and, y'know, that kind of thing, you won't really have to make any tough decisions. Friday night you got Sonic Youth w/Awesome Color at Stubb's. Thurston & Co. have aged so gracefully they just might be wheeled onto the stage encased in blocks of carbonite; they're like 50 years old! Nonetheless, if you've never seen Kim Gordon do her cheerleader dance, or heard... more ›

One of the great ironies of British pop music is the fact that some of its sunniest acts hail from the most inhospitable, isolated areas on the island—New Order emerged from the industrial city of Manchester, while a certain mop-topped quartet paid their dues in the bombed-out port centre of Liverpool. The city of Sunderland, in Northeastern England, is noted for its high rates of unemployment, crime, and teen pregnancy—little wonder, then, that The Futureheads, Sunderland natives all, should deliver such a consistently exuberant set of songs on their sophomore album, News And Tributes. more ›

You can throw a rock this month and hit a good touring show in Austin. After our usual post-SXSW doldrums, everyone seems to be scheduling Austin as an early summer stop. Check out new additions like Pete Yorn, M. Ward, Reverend Horton Heat, and indie-blogger favorite Human Television in the listings below: June: 6/02 The Roots + Blackalicious (Stubb’s) 6/03 Film School + Margot & The Nuclear So-And-Sos (Emo’s) 6/07 Arctic Monkeys + We... more ›

With new shows on sale from Sonic Youth, INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Rancid, it seems to be college radio nostalgia week for the concert update. There are also a nice batch of new indie shows, including Tapes 'n' Tapes for Pitchfork fans, Dios Malos for the mellow types, The Futureheads for the edgy punky stuff, and even Tilly and the Wall for you tap dancers. On with the shows: May: 5/10 -... more ›

With so many bands to see, how will you ever decide? We'll give you OUR approved list every day! 9pm Kaiser Chiefs at La Zona Rosa 10pm The French Kicks at Buffalo Billiards 11pm The Futureheads at La Zona Rosa 12am Hot Hot Heat at La Zona Rosa Nini Camps at Crowne Plaza Young Heart Attack at Momo's Bavu Blakes at The Vibe The Hold Steady at The Whiskey Bar 12:30am Fat Boy Slim at... more ›