The Fiery Furnaces--they of the Friday and Saturday night headlines at Emo's Inside--have an unmistakable sound and an unmistakable presence. Between mastermind Matthew Friedberger's pounding around on three different keyboards, to sister Eleanor's ultra-intense vocals, The Fiery Furnaces are a band who's crafted quite a unique little niche in the psyche of music lovers all round that big ol' world. With their two-night to-do at Emo's coming less than a month after the release of......

United Abominations – MegadethMegadeth (AKA Dave Mustaine) follows up 2004’s politically charged The System Has Failed with, well, the politically charged United Abominations. Due to contractual obligations, TSHF had to be released as Megadeth, although it was primarily a Mustaine project. No report indicating why the new album also falls under the Megadeth moniker, but it does contain all the staples of a typical Megadeth record: Mustaine’s trademark vocals, soaring six-string solos, and insistent drums,......

Despite mammoth popularity in the UK, Europe, and Japan, Paul Weller remains largely unknown in America. Since forming The Jam in the late 70's, Weller has been the UK's answer to Neil Young, the "Modfather", perpetually moving forward while always showing his fandom for bands like The Who, The Small Faces, and the English 'Northern Soul' music so popular in Weller's youth. At once a member of the same musical spaces as 'London Calling'-era......

Have you caught up on sleep from last year yet? Because SXSW is only 90 days away. The 2007 edition looks to be as big as ever, as all hotels within three miles of downtown are already sold out. The rumor mill and early confirmations are now trickling in, with no announcement bigger than that Pete Townshend will both deliver the keynote address and participate in an acoustic showcase with girlfriend Rachel Fuller. SXSW......

Okay, kids, here’s the scoop. There once was a rock band from England. They had a drummer who liked to dress up as a Nazi for kicks, an under-appreciated bassist who was the silent backbone of the band, a lead singer who fancied himself an actor – and wasn’t bad, so long as his character was deaf, dumb and blind – and a hyperactive guitarist who was once a suspected of involvement in a......

Moneyed interests from across the state of Texas are donating huge sums of cash to the renovation of House Speaker Tom Craddick’s capitol apartment. For those who, not long ago, suggested that Speaker Craddick’s power grip in the Texas House of Representatives was loosening, this story should serve as strong evidence to the contrary. So far, the who’s who of the Texas corporate elite have made over $1 million in tax-deductible donations to the......

Ty Chandler is a man with a mission, and this mission is to get his favorite bands (many of them Austin bands) listened to and appreciated. Because it seems like every other person in Austin is in a band (or writing a screenplay, but that's another story) and because the booking in town is so competitive (largely due to the questionable amibtion of one powerful booking agent), his mission has been a difficult one.......