Matador Records will release Shearwater’s fifth LP Rook on June 3rd but that isn't the only recent good news regarding the eclectic Austin act. The band is scheduled to play a number of cities in May including a couple of very special shows in New York and Austin. The New York gig on May 5th at the Florence Gould Hall kicks off the tour before the band makes its way back to Austin for a night at The Parish on the 29th. Both shows will feature a complete performance of Rook with accompanying strings, woodwinds, trumpets, and harp for our listening pleasure. Of course, some older material can be expected as well. You can read the official Matador Records press release here and buy tickets for the Austin concert here. The ticket price of $15.50 seems to be a steal for this exceptional event. And that’s not all -- a limited 7" that includes a cover of Talk Talk’s “The Rainbow” will be available at both shows. Bonus round!...

Nice job, Weakerthans. While many bands just incorporate their SXSW stop as part of their national or international tour, not to return to our streets for many months (and trust us, we understand), these Canadian folk-punkers are returning to Austin just a scant two weeks after they visited us for the festival. ...

It's always great catching a band at their CD Release show, because you know they're going to be fired up and ready to bring it. And such is the state of this Thursday at The Parish Room, where Austin-proud The Boxing Lesson will be dropping their new disc, Wild Streaks & Windy Days, an unabashedly Pink Floyd-esque collection of psychedelic rock. With songs like "Muerta" and "Back from the Dead," they establish an eerily sinister tone that's ably coupled with songs nodding to their forebears, such as "Dark Side of the Moog."...

SXSW has announced the schedule of events for this year’s official showcases -- start here! Also, check out Greg Hewgill's site for (unofficial) Torrents featuring the various artists playing SXSW 2008 (as well as past years)....

The best klezmer-punk band you’ve never heard, Golem are a six-piece from New York who blend old-world Jewish music with a witty repertoire of modern influences. Debuting in 2001, the band really hit their stride in 2006 with Fresh Off Boat, a whirling collection of originals and traditional numbers (including their own version of the Hora, of course) sung in five languages. ...

The Mohawk presents a solid double bill of local pop this evening. The Lemurs have been writing new material over the last few months and a handful of those songs will be included in their set tonight. The band enjoyed a stellar 2007 -- highlights included licensing their music to NBC show Las Vegas (as well as an Australian indie flick called Newcastle) and touring with Canadian act Stars. This past Sunday, ME Television telecast a 2nd ME Live! featuring The Lemurs' shimmering melodies in concert at a recent La Zona Rosa gig....

In keeping with its aim of promoting exceptional artists to the unsuspecting masses, or “starting fires”, SureFire Media + Promotion presents an exciting line-up of local talent this Thursday at Antone’s. SureFire takes on responsibilities such as booking, publicity, and marketing for Austin acts with The Soldier Thread and The Mercers being just two of the bands on its roster. The Antone’s showcases are meant to bring a new set of local bands to the legendary venue -- according to SureFire’s Director of Media Relations, Stephen Tatton, “Antone's is really an Austin landmark, and I think that if we can do something there that helps everyone involved, then we've done our part.”...

Rogue Wave plays to a sold out audience at The Parish in Austin, Texas. ...

Rogue Wave released their third full-length Asleep At Heaven’s Gate last year, leaving behind the safe haven of Sub Pop to find a new home at Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records. The album itself found the band conjuring up a textured mosaic of pop harmonies and poignant lyrics with the aid of sufficient guitars and keys. “Own Your Own Home” and “Like I Needed” were two of our favorite sleeper tracks of the past year, while single “Lake Michigan” was a lush pop hit never to be heard on everyday FM radio. (Watch the video on YouTube.)...

There is absolutely no reason to stay in on Friday evening. Whether it's DJ Shadow at La Zona Rosa or Future Clouds and Radar at The Parish, downtown offers you a wide variety of music to kick off your weekend....

Robert Harrison’s forte has always been melodious pop music and his current outfit Future Clouds and Radar is no anomaly. The act’s stellar self-titled album (out now on Star Apple Kingdom) contains boundless hooks and plenty of Beatles-esque psychedelia, and has garnered rave reviews from a plethora of publications such as HARP, Paste, Pop Culture Press, and No Depression. Check out the video for “Dr. No.” here....

Navdo is a record label that also promotes and books artists, and this Thursday they’re hosting their first “Hangin’ with Navdo” in Austin at The Parish, featuring Peel, The Boxing Lesson, and AM Syndicate. AM Syndicate will be celebrating the release of their second album, Liberation, recorded by Erik Wofford at Cacophony Records. This will be the first release put out by fledgling label Novastar Records....

Young guy, wearing sunglasses inside of Quack's Bakery in the middle of the night, talking to a girl sitting near him:Do you reside here frequently? At I Luv Video on Airport Blvd., a female customer holding a DVD case: Is Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle any good? Dreadlocked Male Employee:Uh, that depends. Do you smoke weed? Female customer: I guess I could make a stop on the way home. DME: There's a......

Image via Big Hassle PR The Straylight Run w/ The Color FredMonday, December 3The Parish Room (214 East Sixth Street)$15, Doors at 7pm[info] | [tickets]Formed from the ashes of Taking Back Sunday, the Long Island group Straylight Run plays a blend of indie rock and chamber pop. Formed in 2003 by ex-TBS members Shaun Cooper and John Nolan, the duo left behind most of their emo influences when switching groups and recruited both Will Noon......

Photo from MySpace Jose Gonzalez w/ Cass McCombsThursday, November 29The Parish Room (214 East Sixth Street)$20 presale, doors at 8, all ages show[info] | [tickets]If left to your own Texan devices, it would be easy to assume that world-famous guitarist/heartthrob José González came from somewhere south of the Rio Grande, or perhaps even from Austin's own bustling music scene. But, luckily, you don't have to rely on your own devices. And that means that when......

Image provided by Soundcheck MagazineWhile attending the University of Texas at Austin, one faces a constant barrage of “the weekend starts on Thursday” type advertisements. Although largely for exposure of Thursday night drink specials at bars on 6th Street, the intrinsic appeal of that statement bleeds through on days like these. Kick off your weekend early (and gently) with Swedish singer-songwriter José González at The Parish or dance away at the Electric Six show at......

Image from Scion's websiteSo you’re all set for an afternoon with the family and/or friends, tons of food on the horizon, be it Turkey or Tofurkey. Still, you need to scratch that live music itch before heading home. Well, fear not oh lovely residents of Austin, the city has a solid night of gigs on the 21st in store for the common layperson. If you’re not already planning on hitting up the Benko and The......

Image courtesy Kill From The Heart fanpageAnyone who read the Meat Puppets cover story in the Austin Chronicle this summer knows that the brothers Kirkwood have had some serious ups and down in their 20-odd years together. From their belated arrival as grunge superstars in the mid-90s and appearing for a four-song stretch on Nirvana's Unplugged album to a heroin-fueled spiral into depression and bankruptcy, the Puppets have lived the kind of life most people......

Image from Sondre Lerche’s MySpace Sondre Lerche & Dan WilsonFriday, November 16The Parish Room (214 East Sixth Street)$15 Advance; Doors 8 p.m.[info] | [tickets] Sondre Lerche (pronounced lair-kay) is hailed as a something of a wonderkid in his native Norway. The child prodigy started receiving guitar lessons at the age of eight, and his keen ear for melody along with his songwriting ability led to couple of EP’s early in his career for Virgin Norway.......

photo courtesy of Brazil’s abril.com Jens Lekman w/ Kristi RaeNovember 14, 2007The Parish Room (214 East Sixth Street)$10 presale, Doors at 8[info]With boyish charm and a silken voice, Swedish sensation Jens Lekman will play some songs tonight at The Parish Room. Plenty of those songs are sure to come from Night Falls Over Kortedala, a critically-praised (Pitchfork gave it a 9.0, for God's sake) collection of ornate and catchy-in-that-old-timey-way pop. And, for good measure, we......

Waller Creek Design Workshop. Image from City of Austin News Austin Music Commission's Town Hall Meeting Notes AMD Sued Over Birth Defects Plant a Tree for Freedom Waller Creek Design and Vision Workshop At This Rate, We're Having Our Next Happy Hour in Cancun Pangaea: It's For Real, Y'all UT Biologists Propose Biodiversity Institute Save BookWoman! Austin Music Commission Considering Plan to Stop the Rock They've Got the Lasers... Now All You Need is......

Image from the Pipettes MySpace. the Pipettes with Nicole Atkins and the SeaWednesday, November 7The Parish Room (214 East Sixth Street)$12 in advance, All Ages, Door at 8 p.m.[info] | [tickets]Get your 1960s retro fix with the Pipettes, headlining tonight at the Parish Room. The self-aware manufactured 1960s girl group vibe is somehow much more fun than it sounds, and the Pipettes won our hearts when they put out that deadpan Beyond the Valley of......

Image courtesy of Tegan and Sara’s MySpace Tegan and SaraWednesday, November 7Stubbs (801 Red River)$18 (Advance) / $20 (Day Of Show), 7 p.m.[info] | [tickets]It’s not the middle of SxSW, it’s not the weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival, heck it’s not even Fun Fun Fun Fest anymore, but November 7th might just be one of those evenings where the stars align to bring our city a number of ridiculously appealing concerts. Symphonic rock......

Swedish BFFs Shout Out Louds have been through the ringer. At least, you would think so from listening to their most recent album Our Ill Wills. It's so many things, all of them rather sad: a faded, torn-apart valentine, a glacial lament, and a spittle- spackled caterwaul in the face of humanity itself. Jeez. After their previous LP Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, an indie-pop triumph so sugar-sweet that it could give you cavities if......

Dr. Dog played a ramshackle set of rock to a more or less appreciative audience (many of which brought to mind Deadheads of the '60s, '70s and on) at the Parish on Thursday night. Their songs could have used a plastic surgeon to give them at least the superficial appearance of the tight melodies and songwriting of the 'Beatlesesque' moniker they've been awarded in some reviews. The true standout of the evening were openers......

Dr. Dog has pawing at indie-stardom for quite some time now, although you may not have noticed. You've definitely heard them popping up on friends' badass mix cds, playing wistfully in the groggy mornings after one night stands, and blaring at house parties. Nonetheless, they have somehow escaped popularity on a larger scale which, in our opinion, is long overdue. Need your memory jogged? Think of a supergroup of reincarnated Flower-Power badasses effortlessly combining......

It’s almost Halloween weekend, and you’re getting the final details of your costume all worked out. It’s going to be face-slapping rad this year because your best friend said they were going to be decked out as Osama Bin Laden, which forced your hand in the Mummy vs Statue Of Liberty debate. Time to make your parents proud. You need somewhere to sport yourselves as a happy couple. You need an environment where profiling such......

Stockholm's Shout Out Louds released their sophomore album Our Ill Wills in September. The band channels sounds familiar to all fans of 80's college rock, throwing together a contrast of bright, melodic indie-pop music and sad, direct lyrical imagery. This juxtaposition of the upfront drums and chime-filled guitar lines with tales of lost love and sadness isn't miles away from the poppier material of The Smiths and The Cure, and makes for hugely enjoyable......

According to their MySpace page, buxom AC/DC impersonators The Donnas "are for real and are here to stay", just in case you were wondering. Suffice it to say, they've paid their dues over the course of seven albums with their brand of unabashedly referential rock 'n' roll and still soldier on, recently starting their own label for a new release. Ours is not to judge their swaggering shred, however, just to inform you that......

The Cure will be performing at the Austin Music Hall next June as per their official website. The date has been added as a part of their (formerly postponed) The Cure 4Tour North American leg. The current line-up of the band is listed as Robert Smith (of course!), Simon Gallup (bass), Porl Thompson (guitar), and Jason Cooper on drums. A new album is in the works as well. In the interim, the Shout Out......