While things may have gotten off to an uneasy start, the Rapture's set handily proved that they still possess the same spark that attracted so many people to them when "House of Jealous Lovers" opened the floodgates almost 10 years ago. more ›

We know what you're thinking. Weren't The Shins just here last month at the same venue? And weren't they at Stubb's in September, and at ACL? The answers are yes, yes, and yes. But success means new fans, and the #2 Billboard debut of Wincing The Night Away has led to a headlining spot on the MTVu tour of college towns - thus, the Shins play Austin for the fourth time in a year... more ›

FRIDAY [20] benefit/music • Ashera-Blare-A IV with All In the Golden Afternoon, The Heirs, The Minderchucks, and The Otters at Club DeVille beer/party • Black Star Co-op's Craft Beer Celebration with Pong, Opposite Day, The Second Line Social, and fine craft beer from around the country at Fiesta Gardens (8pm-Midnight, $10) comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) dance • Room, part of Refraction Arts' Fuse Box Festival at The... more ›

THURSDAY [19] benefit/music • Do512 and Direct Events co-host a benefit for Groundwork Music with Tammany Hall, The Boxing Lesson at La Zona Rosa (RSVP for Free Entry, $5 Cover Otherwise) books • "The Art of Travel and Travel Writing" with Lonely Planet writer Alex Hershey and Stephanie Elizondo Griest at Intellectual Property (5:00pm) books • The Texas Monthly Author Series presents Ian Rankin at BookPeople (7:00pm) film • Movies in the Park: "Talladega... more ›

MONDAY [16] film • "The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico" at Alamo Downtown books • Teen Sci-Fi writers Scott Westerfield and Justine Larbalestier at BookPeople (7:00pm) books • The Harlem Renaissance, a panel discussion with Cary D. Wintz, Martha Jane Nadell, and Shirley Thompson at The Harry Ransom Center (7:00pm) film • "A Clockwork Orange" at Alamo Downtown film • Jim Jarmusch's "Down By Law" at Alamo Village food • Central Market... more ›

As they've managed to do for the past few years, South Congress boutique FactoryPeople will again host a killer SXSW afterparty, this time on Thursday, March 15th. Hosted by FactoryPeople and Anthem Magazine, "La Chic Disco Boum" will feature DJ sets by Simian Mobile Disco (UK), Druzzi & Mattie (of The Rapture/new record label Throne of Blood), and Peaches, plus proper dance party ambience courtesy of Austin's own Boom Chica Boom GoGo girls, who always... more ›

There’s always a group of youth, every three years or so, who is “on the cusp of DOING something!” Something amazing. Massive in potential scope! Probably artistic and important! Maybe even important on a national if not international scale! more ›

If you didn't already have the day off of work or school courtesy Martin Luther King, Jr, you probably do now courtesy Mother Nature (or the rapture, your choice). Even the MLK parade is canceled! Austin roads are wet and slippery, the temperatures are dropping, and everything is going to get worse before it gets better. If you absolutely can't stay home today, please take a minute and familiarize yourself with the Emergency Conditions... more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

Relive those halcyon days of flannel shirts and Gin Blossoms this New Year's Eve, as the folks of Car Stereo (Wars) present SWISSmas: A '90s-themed party at the Beauty Bar. Outside, local super group SWISS, drawn from members of The Gloria Record, Zykos, and more, will be performing apropos hits from the likes of Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer and all the alt classics you know and still love. Inside, the mixmasters behind Car Stereo (Wars)... more ›

The first-ever Fun Fun Fun Fest is this Friday, December 1st, at Waterloo Park. Over two dozen great acts are on the bill, including Spoon, Peaches, The Black Angels, Prefuse 73, and DJ Mel. Tickets are now $25, and can be purchased at the gate. Learning Secrets perform in the Dance Party Tent at 4:30pm. -- The Editors Bonus: Download Ian's new winter mix, featuring Sebastian, The Rapture, Jurgen Paape, James Figurine and more. [mp3]... more ›

The Rapture have toggled several genre tags since the success of “House of Jealous Lovers” in 2002. Call it what you like, we believe their specialty of infectious electro-rock is totally relevant and absolutely imperative in today's music landscape. The band’s tradition of danceable ditties continues with their new album, Pieces Of The People We Love. Ideal for the dance floor, the record grooves, funks, and yes, even punks. High-pitched yowls and howls, set... more ›

Today's big news is the FunFunFun festival, but there are also several new shows in this edition of the concert update. Kasabian, Ben Folds, Mates Of State, and others have all announced Austin shows, and there are tons more on tap for late fall. Have a look: October: 10/21 Pet Shop Boys (The Backyard) 10/21 Ladytron (Stubb's) 10/22 Rolling Stones (Zilker Park) 10/22 Method Man (Emo's) 10/23 Jenny Lewis + Watson Twins (Stubb's) 10/24... more ›

Fans of the indie-rock will find much to like in the latest concert update. Flying V lovers My Morning Jacket, the willfully obtuse Fiery Furnaces, and alt.country godfather Jay Farrar have each been added to Austin's fall music schedule. As we've mentioned, the sheer volume of shows is unprecedented, so get out and enjoy the fact that every band you like is coming to town in the next two months. Thanks as always to... more ›

The Rapture have made a decent career out of pretending to defy expectations while giving its audience just what they wanted all along. In 2002 they were just another gritty post-punk group laying snarly guitar lines on top of hyperreal dance beats, but the release of 2003’s Echoes, and its attendant club smash "House Of Jealous Lovers", propelled them to the forefront of the scene everyone was expecting to save rock and roll. The scene... more ›

Hang on to your wristbands, people, there's a lot going on this week in the world of legitimately released music! The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love (UMVD) The Rapture have finally caught up with their own hype following 2003's Echoes, working with producers Danger Mouse (Gorillaz/Gnarls Barkley), Paul Epworth (Bloc Party) and Ewan Pearson (UK DJ/Remixer) and delivering a disco, funk, punk and pop-influenced album worthy of all your parties, speedy drives... more ›

As Elvis Costello might say, we just don't know where to begin. Even if you are skipping ACL, the fall is turning into a music wonderland. Acts of every genre and size are booking Austin's clubs up like there's no tomorrow, leaving music lovers with many questions on how to spend both time and cash this fall. Trust us, you can't see it all, so pick your favorites and buy tickets in advance to... more ›

- Despite some rumors that Wilco would headline Shiner's annual Bocktoberfest, the event's main act is...Godsmack. Well, yeah, that's pretty much the same as Wilco. We just feel sorry for the Old 97's, who seem to be the only good act on the bill. Ask for a keg in your rider, guys. By the way, the 97's will warm up for Shiner with a 10/13 gig at Stubb's. - Speaking of drinking, Kinky Friedman... more ›

Hello Forward Russia! [Forgive us for not doing the Spanish exclamations on that one, even though it's part of their shtick, but we don’t know the “special keys” for that, so okay then.] Coming straight out of Leeds and kicking ass since 2004, this quatro has a reputation for stirring the shit and getting the monkeys to stop holding up the wall. We're going to take the lame route and just start naming other bands... more ›

All in all, we enjoyed this collection. But we also liked Stallone's performance in "Over the Top." (So compelling, that arm wrastlin' man!) During SxSW 2005, we stumbled (quite literally, as we were bendered and broken at the time) upon a Vice mix-CD of some sort. Grappling with the emotional mania that comes part-and-parcel with errant boozing, we fell in love with the first track, which fit our obliterated state of consciousness most neatly.... more ›

By day, James Murphy is one-half of powerhouse indie label DFA Records, which has of late produced remix albums featuring the likes of Joy Division, The Rapture, Junior Senior, Gorillaz and N.E.R.D. But at night he's better known as LCD Soundsystem, purveyor of some of the hottest dance-punk disco remixes we've heard in quite some time. When his eagerly awaited album finally shipped this February, critics hailed it as "exceptional", saying that Murphy "pushes... more ›

So A Flock of Seagulls won't be playing Elysium tonight, but there are a few great shows happening around town that are bound to tickle your fancy...pants. IF YOU LIKE ... The Rapture, The Faint, or tight pink jeans: Rock out with electroclash wizards Ghostland Observatory at Karma Lounge @ 10pm. They're fresh off a hugely successful East Coast tour, so come and give 'em a warm Austin welcome back! Jack Johnson: Nashville singer-songwriter... more ›

With conservatives--people who call themselves conservative, in any case--controlling at least two branches of the government, arguably all three, you'd think that young conservatives would stop feeling so sorry for themselves. more ›

It's the night before Austinist embarks on our Spring Road Trip to the Coachella Music Festival in the California desert, and we've all but finalized our itinerary and list of distractions to keep our eyes off the road. Here's what we're taking along for the ride out and back: All those recent copies of New Yorker, The Nation, The Believer, Harper's, Saveur, Paste, and maybe even the piles of SXSW schwag that have been... more ›

What with the resurgence of 80's Zeitgeist influencing nearly everything from fashion to music to politics nowadays, it was only a matter of time before someone brought the retro badassness to Austin. Last night the gregarious folks over at Teleportdoor kicked off the premiere of Holy Trinity, a monthly party showcasing the hugely influential repertoire of the 80's English New Wave Synthpop triumvirate: The Smiths, Depeche Mode, and The Cure, and the bands that subsequently... more ›