Zola Jesus played the Parish on Friday with openers Talk Normal and Technicolor Hearts. Here's our interview with Nika Danilova from the end of last year. more ›

You know how most bands perform their songs a little faster in a live setting? With the adrenaline and alcohol flowing on stage, it follows that a band would unconsciously up the tempo. But Real Estate actually slow things down live, which is fitting: the band’s music is evocative of lazy suburban summers spent in their native New Jersey, with layers of chiming guitars and cyclical melodic fills ebbing and flowing like the tide. There’s a sense of goodwill and ease permeating everything they do, and that effortlessness was on display Wednesday night at The Parish. more ›

A.A. Bondy, a.k.a. Auguste Arthur (his given name) a.k.a. Scott (his preferred name) Bondy, has had a busy past four years. After his role as lead singer of Verbena, a popular 1990s Alabama rock band, Bondy laid low until releasing his own more folk oriented album (including harmonica!) in 2007 to critical acclaim and hasn't looked back since. more ›

Just before Wild Beasts played "The Devil's Crayon," the sole song in their set from debut album Limbo, Panto, front man Hayden Thorpe introduced the song by saying, "This song brings us back to our younger selves." This sentiment, expressed only a mere three years after Limbo, Panto's release, serves as a testament to how much Wild Beasts have grown as a band. more ›

On Sunday night, The Parish hosted one of the strongest and most diverse concert bills to roll through Austin since SXSW. Instrumental doomgaze innovators and veritable I-35 locals This Will Destroy You headlined the touring debut of new haunt-rockers The Nighty Nite, with electronica and vocal artist John LaMonica delivering one strongest performances by an up and coming opening act that anyone’s likely to encounter. All of these artists have significant new releases out this spring that would justify making separate trips to see each. Fortunately for us, after winding through the Midwest, East Coast and Deep South, this tour closed-out in Austin, the capital of the state that most of these artists call home. more ›

New Jersey quartet Real Estate play a brand of languid psychedelia that is evocative of late summer afternoons spent warmly buzzed near a body of water, and so it's a good thing they released their debut LP in 2009, when hazy, wave-borne melodies and washed out textures comprised the most bloggable music not sold at your local Best Buy. It's a down-and-out, suburban Jersey Shore sound. Where Real Estate transcend the chilled out sprawl, however, is in their sense of composition. Though cloaked in delay and reverb, Real Estate's melodies twist together with aplomb, the twin guitar riffs of lead singer Martin Courtney IV and Matthew Mondanile elegantly intertwining above the underwater boom of Etienne Duguay's drums and Alex Bleeker's poky basslines. The music is often breezily cyclical for minutes at a time before making a sudden left turn, unspooling into leisurely jams. Musical touchstones include fellow Garden Staters Yo La Tengo, The Clean and even Fleetwood Mac, particularly on their 7" that came out in October. more ›

Since their breakout debut with 2006’s Robbers & Cowards, the Cold War Kids have steadily evolved and survived the fearful sophomore hump. The Californian quartet maintain strong lyricism, soulful live performances, and an indescribable air of mystique. In a mere four years they’ve carved a niche and developed a steady fan base with their brand of indie, soul-punk. more ›

Montreal-based trio Land of Talk is the brainchild of multi-talented singer/songwriter/guitarist Elizabeth Powell. Powell emerged through Canada’s punk scene and developed an ongoing moonlighting gig with indie-collective/supergroup Broken Social Scene before forming Land of Talk in 2005. Since then, they have released three albums. more ›

The San Francisco band Film School counts itself as adherents to shoegaze, that late ‘80s/early ‘90s sound that utilized titanic walls of sound to pummel the listener with waves of sparkling distortion. But being this far removed from shoegaze’s heyday means the band can experiment with the genre, allowing other influences to creep into the mix. more ›

If you know anything about defunct Austin indie veterans the American Analog Set, you probably already know a good deal about the Wooden Birds. Just like AmAnSet, the Wooden Birds are fronted by Andrew Kenny, and the music features his soft-spoken vocals and simple yet incisive narratives. more ›

The earthy, breathy voice of Dana Falconberry lingers in the air, mingling with two brilliant harmonic vocalists and the gentle finger-picking of an acoustic guitar. A dented soda pop can often acts as the only percussion accenting the lush sound of these talented voices. more ›

This evening’s headliner Jesy Fortino, or Tiny Vipers as she prefers, hails from Seattle and has two full-lengths on Sub Pop Records under her belt. Life On Earth, her second LP (released last July), was produced here in Austin by Andrew Hernandez. An adept songwriter, Fortino complements her emotive lyricism with gentle guitar strums to conjure up an organic ambiance that is sure to captivate the audience. And although these absorbing soundscapes are soft and soothing for the large part, they do flare up at opportune moments to drive home her point. It’s all quite enthralling. Lose yourself in her haunting melodies, on us -- enter your information below for a chance to go to the show for free: more ›

Proof that subtlety and ambiance can have a place in popular music, The Album Leaf's slow build to fame over ten years began inauspiciously enough - lead man Jimmy LaValle began the band as a side project while in the group Tristeza - but over the years they've hit high water marks including tours with Sigur Rós and the chance to sign with the massive Sub Pop Records. The band's newest release is A Chorus of Storytellers, which saw LaVelle recording with a full band instead of all on his lonesome. more ›

On Friday night, Austin's own Shearwater returned to town to play a packed room at The Parish. They were supported by Baltimore's Wye Oak. Our photographer Chad Wadsworth was there to capture all the action. more ›

Matthew Cooper, a.k.a. Eluvium, conducts his ambient experiments at The Parish this Saturday night. The Portland resident utilizes a wide array of string instrumentation to concoct absorbing soundscapes that are largely soothing and serene, but do harbor resonating finales from time to time. And although the piano may well be his primary tool, expect Cooper to employ plenty of samples to layer his euphoric compositions during the live show. He will be assisted on stage by Eric Macey and Charles Buckingham on the current tour. more ›

It is safe to say that Mel's many-years-running RTC has been the lighthouse for those who crave the I Want My MTV songs to sing along with, to sweat all over, and to go dancing like rabid apes on for a few hours. Congrats on #38 Mel! more ›

We’ve been fans of Learning Secrets for quite a while now. Besides constantly hosting bumping residencies around town (currently every Friday at Red Fez), LS regularly brings in revered DJs and the like. This Thursday, at Republic Live, LS presents Erol Alkan, disc jockey, producer, musician, and all-around bad-ass purveyor of pulsating beats galore. Somewhat of a legend, at least in the U.K., Alkan was an integral part of the fabled Trash events in London, and has worked with acts such as The Long Blondes and Boyz Noize. He has also remixed material by a whole slew of luminaries including Franz Ferdinand, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hot Chip, Justice, and Klaxons. A rather impressive resume, if you ask us. Don’t miss out on this inevitable dance party -- get your tickets here. And check out this hilarious promo video by the LS team. more ›

Anglophile alert! This weekend is tailor-made for your needs. Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever. The Cribs, comprised of the brothers Jarman, formed in Yorkshire in the early part of the last decade and garnered an instant following with their self-titled debut in 2003. Two years later, the anthemic “Hey Scenesters!” off The New Fellas propelled them onto a worldwide audience. They were omnipresent at SXSW 2006, playing coveted events like the SPIN and Filter day shows, and returned to deliver another round of fist-pumping pop songs at SXSW 2008. We were especially enamored with the Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand) produced third album which contained undeniably catchy singles like “Our Bovine Public” and “I’m A Realist,” along with our personal favorite “Men’s Needs.” We recommend you give CSS’ addictive remix of the “Men’s Needs” a listen as well. more ›

Shearwater will be at the Parish on May 7 to support the release of their latest full-length, The Golden Archipelago (February 23). more ›

They don’t have an official website. Allmusic.com doesn’t have a bio on them. And Pitchfork hasn’t written them up just yet. So what exactly is this collective from Louisiana called Givers and why should you go see them this Friday at The Parish Room? more ›

Photos courtesy of Chad Wadsworth. more ›

If luck was not on your side when you attempted to win tickets on Monday and you're still interested in catching Langhorne Slim at The Parish tonight, enter your information in the form below for another shot at going to the show on us: more ›

C3 Presents, along with yours truly, is proud to bring one of the long standing purveyors of the Madchester music scene to Austin this October. Initially a part of baggy movement, The Charlatans U.K. have stood the test of time since forming in 1989. Multiple number one albums in the U.K. have guaranteed the band legendary status across the pond but they never quite reached that level of success in the U.S. Still, records like Some Friendly, Up To Our Hips, and The Charlatans are classics in our opinion, and having seen them at Liberty Lunch in 1997 and again at Stubb’s at SXSW 2006, we can attest to their astute musicianship and impressive live show. more ›

Wit, charm, and an affecting voice aren’t the only things that Langhorne Slim (a.k.a. Sean Scolnick) has going for him. A penchant for addictive melody and the backing of talented duo Jeff Ratner and Malachi DeLorenzo (The War Eagles) further advance Scolnick’s wistful lyricism. And on record, especially 2008’s self-titled release on Kemado Records, Langhorne Slim’s brand of Americana is refined and accentuated by a variety of instruments like the tuba, accordion, and cello. Witnessing a spirited live performance by this hat wearing, guitar strumming troubadour puts a cherry on top of an already excellent offering, and we want to send you to the show for free! Enter your information in the form below for a chance to win two tickets to Wednesday’s show at The Parish. The evening of folk ditties kicks off with Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers and Sam Lowry & The Circumstance. more ›

The endearing entity that is US Air Guitar was founded in 2003 and has since churned out three of the last six winners of the Air Guitar World Championships in Oulu, Finland. Last Year, Californian Craig “Hot Lixx Hulahan” Billmeier took home the ultimate bragging rights in the world of invisible six-strings and he will return to Finland to defend his crown come August. Will you be the one to dethrone Hot Lixx Hulahan? Head to the downtown Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at 10 p.m. this Wednesday, sign up, and show off your skills in this third round of preliminaries taking place that evening at the magical arena that is the old Ritz. more ›

Last night's Elvis Perkins in Dearland show at the Parish was a special treat. The crowd came early for Other Lives, a lush folk outfit from Oklahoma, taking their seats and (shockingly) listening quietly to the opening set. Other Lives performed a cover of Leonard Cohen's "The Partisan", which astounded us with its haunting instrumentation. Elvis Perkins in Dearland took the stage to an anxious crowd (by this point, many were seated on the floor in front of the stage), and rolled through some familiar songs from this year's self-titled release as well as a couple of new songs. For the encore, Other Lives joined them on stage for a blistering finale. Happy faces descended to 6th street by midnight, but the lingering joy stuck with us to the morning. Austinist contributing photographer Chad Wadsworth was there to capture it all. more ›

Cheers to solid shows at the Parish! An ample bar stretches across the length of the East wall providing easily accessible drink-receipt stations, making transactions painless, even if you're as drunk as Lucinda Williams at jury duty. Moreover, the sound is spot-on and the woman behind the board is a complete mensch. If you're lucky enough to nail down a good lineup, you're sittin' pretty ATX-style. more ›

Valentine’s Day weekend means plenty of roses, stuffed bears, heart-shaped confections and whatever else the greeting card industry and candy companies come up with to appeal to tender, romantic tendencies of the average American. It’s also the perfect time to take in some sonic sentiment, making the Annuals show at The Parish on Friday a better place than most to flex your love muscle (the other one). more ›

Photos courtesy Eric Uhlir more ›

Austinist contributing photographer Chad Wadsworth stopped by the Parish on Saturday to greet Little Joy and get a sneak peek of what to expect during their soundcheck. more ›