The New Pornographers—a combination of transpiring solo acts such as Neko Case and Destroyer—bring exceptional talents together to create a sunny, dynamic sound for all listeners. As we mentioned previously, “The key members of The New Pornographers were already well on their way to establishing successful careers independent of each other, when, in 1997, they combined forces to unleash an all-star power-pop band of the highest caliber. more ›

The New Pornographers have been on tour since early May, traveling across to Europe and keeping busy with a number of dates in North America as well. They won’t be here till July 23rd but it’s going to be well worth the wait for a fortunate fan. Enter your information in the form (after the jump) for a chance win a copy of the new record and a pair of V.I.P. passes to the show at Stubb’s. You’ll get to watch the band’s soundcheck that evening, and probably take a picture or two with the members, before enjoying their set from the cozy confines of the venue’s balcony. Yes, that eternal dream of meeting Neko Case may finally come true if you’re the lucky one! more ›

The New Pornographers won't release Together officially until May 4, but here in Austin, we've got the advance and we're ready to share. Austinist, The Onion and Flux-Rad are proud to present a New Pornographers Get Together & Listening Party tonight at the Scoot Inn. more ›

There's something surely intriguing when the star-crossed "supergroup" label becomes affixed to three guys who just a decade ago would have found it nearly impossible to develop a following in the first place, let alone such independent fan bases that when they get together to screw off in the studio it elicits all sorts of anticipatory glee-shouts. Yet in these internet times, musicians such as Spencer Krug, Carey Mercer, and Dan Bejar do have a niche in which to survivably produce some of the most intricate and conceptually demanding albums of the last few years, and even afford themselves the spare time to work on the Swan Lake project, a project best described as what happens when three mad scientists meet at a mad scientist convention and decide to be mad scientists together. more ›

In 1997, Carl Newman started a side project called The New Pornographers in Vancouver for fun. The cast of characters included the ridiculous gifts of both Neko Case and Destroyer's Dan Bejar, and an indie-pop collective for the ages was born. Now touring behind their fourth album Challengers, Newman and the other New Pornographers have somehow managed to continue the project in addition to each pursuing their solo aims. The band seems to grow in... more ›

One of Scotland's best voices, Emma Pollock has been creating dark and beautiful indie-pop anthems for the better part of 15 years. As primary vocalist of The Delgados, she was a force behind an under-appreciated but consistently brilliant group that successfully walked a sonic line between The Pixies, The Sundays, and Mercury Rev. When the group disbanded in 2005, Pollock took a short time away from music before signing with 4AD Records and heading back... more ›

Fun Fun Fun Fest captured more than a few hearts last December on a cold winter evening with a three-stage-pronged attack that provided ample genres for everyone in attendance. Some of the stand-out acts included Spoon, The Black Angels, The Octopus Project, Peaches, and Prefuse 73. This year, the fest is back, bigger than before, and a month earlier to boot. November 3rd and 4th will see Waterloo Park transformed into a musical carnival featuring... more ›

Fun Fun Fun Fest captured more than a few hearts last December on a cold winter evening with a three-stage-pronged attack that provided ample genres for everyone in attendance. Some of the stand-out acts included Spoon, The Black Angels, The Octopus Project, Peaches, and Prefuse 73. This year, the fest is back, bigger than before, and a month earlier to boot. November 3rd and 4th will see Waterloo Park transformed into a musical carnival featuring... more ›

Believe It or Not: My Bloody Valentine reuniting for Coachella 2008? Last weekend, the American Psychological Association rejected a moratorium that would have prevented its member psychologists from participating in interrogations at U.S. detention centers in Guantanamo Bay and secret CIA "black sites" around the world. Venetian Macao Aims to Transform Chinese Gambling Enclave Into Full-Fledged Resort City. Leslie Feist, joined onstage by members of Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers, Grizzly Bear, The... more ›

The New Pornographers Challengers (Matador) more ›

Saturday night at Stubb's will likely be awfully warm (the forecast shows around 90 degrees), but it's worth braving the August heat for this strong of a bill. For reasons unknown to us, Rufus Wainwright and Neko Case are both playing at Stubb's, a venue that either performer could likely play on their own. Rufus Wainwright is the moody, theatrical brother in the musical Wainwright clan, which includes father Loudon Wainwright III, sister Martha,... more ›

The New Pornographers is one of our favorite bands, and they put on a lively show yesterday. It's too bad a lot of the audience had to leave mid-set to stake out a spot for the Flaming Lips.... more ›

We have discovered yet another wonderful entry in the “if you’re too tired or broke or claustrophobic or agoraphobic to make it to ACL” music alternatives. La club and radio DJ Paul V. will be airing his Smash Mix of ACL indie bands on Indie 103.1FM tonight at 7:30pm. Mix and Tracklisting: Flaming Lips vs. Massive Attack - Unfinished YeahYeahpathy (DJ Paul V. mashup) Deadboy & The Elephantmen - Stop, I’m Already Dead Muse -... more ›

There have been a few changes to the ACL schedule since last week - as Tom noted yesterday, both Ghostland Observatory and The Dears have been added to the lineup, replacing Feist and Kasey Chambers. And there's another dropout - Fields are off the schedule, so Brett Dennen has been added to the Austin Ventures Stage lineup on Sunday, shifting a few of the artists to later slots that day. You can check out... more ›

We just read a leaked report of the ACL Fest Lineup, to be officially announced on Thursday. The report comes from Dallas Observer entertainment guru Robert Wilonsky. As we said, this is just a leaked report and therefore considered a rumor, but this source is about as good as they get. Of course, we hope there are a few more of our favorites coming but won't hold our breath. Have a look for yourself... more ›

Like most attendees, our biggest frustration with last year's Austin City Limits Festival was the wretched dust cloud blanketing Zilker Park after the first day. With tens of thousands of people milling about and the daytime highs between 98-107 degrees, everything was worsened by the fact that the park was already suffering from drought-like conditions. But not anymore, if Capital Sports and Entertainment (CSE) and its massive coffers have anything to say about it. Perhaps... more ›

So word on the street's that John Mayer is coming to Austin City Limits this Fall, at least according to gig repository Pollstar, who, as far as we can tell. are paid to traffic around such information. Make of it what you wish. Meanwhile, Tier I ($90) and Tier 2 ($100) passes are sold out, and they're now going for about $140 a pop, after service fees and shipping's included. Already confirmed, according to aclfest2006rumors.blogspot.com:... more ›

Update: THE SHINS are playing ACL! South by Southwest ended a mere month ago, but there's already an online frenzy building up for this fall's ACLFest -- which, dudes, is still five months away! Early-bird tickets came and went (in less than an hour, much to the chagrin of most people who received their notification emails later that evening), and the regular lot of full-price passes are selling at a healthy clip. So you've... more ›

Summer is coming, and the post-SX lull appears to be ending for Austin gigs. Many SX bands are scheduling return appearances, and our outdoor venues are beginning to release May and June schedules. The following list offers some highlights (for comprehensive listings, check Pollstar or Showlist Austin): 4/15 - Calexico (free early show) @ Emo's 4/15 - Deathray Davies + The M's @ Emo's 4/24 - TV on the Radio + Celebration @ Emo's... more ›

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)... more ›