Few things were more welcome and unexpected in 2010 than the startling reemergence of the Swans moniker, as the long dormant pioneers of eighties and nineties post-punk/loud-as-hell-rock (i.e. the type of music that physically hurts to listen to) stormed back onto the scene with the thoroughly astounding My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. The critically-acclaimed album is not a mere retread of well-worn Swans themes, but a true evolution fueled by lead man Michael Gira's less deafening (but still haunting) work in intermediate project Angels of Light. Despite Gira's well-earned reputation for being a little on the terrifying side, we decided to brave it, and have a talk about growing up and the music industry. All this in advance of the band's sure-to-be-unforgettable performance tonight at Mohawk. more ›

2008’s Rook earned every bit of the considerable praised heaped upon it, and The Golden Archipelago will not disappoint, though that obnoxious term “grower” will likely be thrown about; Golden Archipelago has left behind some of the down-to-earth populism of Rook en route to an ephemeral, remote tribalism. Though Meiburg’s voice, swooping as agile as a swallow, is here as always at the helm, the most immediate leap forward to be heard on the new album is Thor Harris’ brilliant percussion more at the foreground. There is always turbulence just under the placid surface of Shearwater songs, but Meiburg’s voice never cedes control, holding everything in place as if by sheer magnetic force. So the primal pull of the cerebral Shearwater sound falls entirely to the drums.Regardless of longtime fans’ ultimate album preferences, there’s common cause to celebrate that The Golden Archipelago more than any other before approaches the dynamics of the Shearwater sound live. more ›

Monofonus Press is doing it again. Their cup runneth over with creative juices, and they’re giving us another chance to sample the sap. They’ve got the market cornered in this town when it comes to the cross-media, artistic explosion. They began the auspicious endeavor of mixing three different art forms like music, writing and illustration into one release with IF 01 often bringing together three different artists who would normally not collaborate. more ›

Whether it’s at the forefront in an all-timpani ensemble or artificially inseminated into your favorite techno jam, percussion moves and shapes music differently but just as substantially as any other instrument. From technically robust prog-rock players to minimalist and simple garage rock bangers, a good percussionist knows when to be subtle and when to go all out, when to drive the beat and when to sit behind it. Austin has a community of talented percussionists who do far more than the bare minimum – but you can bet each of the quartet of talented drummers profiled here have great respect for the pursuit of accuracy and tasteful playing over showboating or pesky gong solos. Our gang of four -Thor Harris, Sarah Norris, Chris Cogburn and Erik Conn - are different in many respects but are united in their ability to perform amazing feats of slamming, banging, scraping and much more with remarkable skill and a good taste not always synonymous with the word “drums.” more ›

Austin's Balmorhea released River's Arms last week, and kicked off their tour here in town. Their tour to support the record will follow the east coast, and land them back here in time for some SXSW gigs. Sample some of the instrumental band's lulling, hypnotic tunes c/o Western Vinyl, and check back here for a full-length review very soon. more ›

AUSTIN BANDS more ›

Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com. THOR HARRIS What’s the Deal: It’s hard to resist reviewing an artist named Thor, as in super-brutal, Norse god with a head full of long locks and a giant... more ›

Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg and Thor Harris played a gorgeous set of songs (mostly) from the soon-to-be re-rereleased Palo Santo on Sunday afternoon at the Rock N Romp Mohawk. The show also featured readings from Neal Pollack and a performance by Black Before Red.... more ›

On Sunday afternoon, Austin Rock N Romp and Book People are sponsoring an all-ages event on the patio at Mohawk featuring Neal Pollack and Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg. The show will also feature Black Before Red, amps still warm from their Local Music is Sexy 3 performance the night before. Rock N Romp has been putting on all ages rock shows since last summer, and in the coming months will be moving their events to... more ›