Back in 2006, Rolling Stone said The Whigs “may well be the best unsigned band in America,” a statement that, these days, doesn’t have nearly the impact it once could have. But, that’s not to say that assignment wasn’t deserved. The 3-piece garage southern rock group from Athens, Georgia has made several decisions that have helped them to rise somewhat quickly since their 2005 independently released debut, Give ‘Em All a Big Fat Lip, which was rereleased shortly thereafter on Dave Matthews’ record label ATO Records. They’ve toured with groups like Kings of Leon, Dead Confederate, Tokyo Police Club and The Kooks, and now they’re scheduled to play Emo’s Tuesday with The Features and A Giant Dog. Along with tracks off their previous two releases, The Whigs will no doubt bring songs from their forthcoming album, In the Dark, to be released in March of 2010, such as the downloadable tracks “In the Dark” and “Hundred/Million”. more ›

In the space of less than four years, Brighton, England's The Kooks have gone from art students to multi-platinum Britpop stars. The band's name was inspired by a David Bowie lyric, but The Kooks' primary musical allusions lean more toward the mellower end of Supergrass or The Libertines. The band actually made their US debut at SXSW 2006, but have mainly played the coasts since then, making this gig a rare opportunity to catch them in our area. more ›

Tokyo Police Club had a wise idea. They stuck the name of their band into the chorus of one of their catchiest songs. So, after hearing it, their name is imprinted in the minds of listeners within a hook, and that makes the band name nigh unforgettable. more ›

Local outfit What Made Milwaukee Famous have already had a seasoned career since forming in 2002 in the state capital. They captured the city's attention early on with a number of captivating live shows, charming audiences with their catchy pop songs. Their debut full-length Trying to Never Catch Up initially dropped in 2004 and was greeted by Austinites as gem of a record with the act touching on a number of genres and garnishing their melodies with appropriate instrumentation and impeccable production to conjure up a wide variety of delightful ditties -- many gratifying immediately, others already timeless. The record was re-released by Barsuk Records in 2006; the label is also home to the band’s sophomore album What Doesn’t Kill Us released earlier this year. Keeping with the times, What Made Milwaukee Famous launched a YouTube channel called WMMF TV this March where fans can enjoy the band's videos as well as live clips from their concerts. more ›

Image from Wild Sweet Orange’s MySpace, by Jason Wallis The Whigs & Wild Sweet OrangeThursday, November 15Stubbs (801 Red River)$10 | Doors 10:30 p.m. | Inside[info] | [tickets] | [The Whigs MySpace] | [Wild Sweet Orange MySpace]Wild Sweet Orange are in town this Thursday at Stubb’s to offer introspective dream-pop from their recently released The Whale EP, as well as their upcoming full-length for Canvasback Music. The Birmingham, Alabama act’s “Ten Dead Dogs” was featured... 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 ›

Pitchfork today posted the initial lineup of confirmed SXSW XX artists, and the roster is ... well, see for yourself: The Adored, Annie, Arctic Monkeys, Belle and Sebastian, The BellRays, Be Your Own Pet, Blockhead, The Boy Least Likely To, The Brokedown, Calexico, Neko Case, Cat Power, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Clor, Jason Collett, The Cribs, Cuff the Duke, Jamie Cullum, Dashboard Confessional, Death In Vegas, Death Vessel, Dengue Fever, Destroyer, Die! Die!... more ›