For their decade of existence, Come – the band fronted by guitarists-vocalists Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw – were never exactly stylistically schizophrenic. Their music was often a certifiable "fuck in a cathedral" in its shocking intensity, dovetailing and intertwined guitars atop a pummeling churn, yet somehow velvety and engulfing in their broad strokes of texture. Yet some might say that their tunes were characterized by sameness, failing to see the environmental quality of music that spins out like a series of chapters in a novel. Zedek's fourth album as a solo artist, Liars and Prayers, somewhat follows the pace set by Come, albeit beholden to a different muse. She's joined as usual by drummer Dan Coughlin and violist David Curry, as well as pianist Mel Lederman and bassist Winston Braman on eleven originals. more ›

“Don’t believe the hype,” Public Enemy warned us way back in 1988, and as on their eerily prescient “Cold Lampin’ With Flavor” which made the surprising case for Flava Flave’s longevity, they were right, of course. And hype, by definition, should always be suspect. From the moment Vampire Weekend, the quirky New York quartet began making the blog rounds and collecting the sort of adjectives that pointed their way toward them becoming The Next Big Thing, we, as a music community, needed to take a breath, sit down, and just relax. Losing our shit about inventive New York rock debuts are just going to result in another band like The Strokes, and we all know where that got us. more ›

Originally intended as a side project for members of Bomblast, experimental trio Trans Am have long since produced innovative, electronic post-rock. The band has floated between instrumental noise sessions and vocoder furnished electro-synth over the course of their decade long career. Their eleventh full length, Sex Change (out now on Thrill Jockey) is a result of time spent in opposite corners of the world (Auckland and New York) with the final product created at Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco. (Recently reviewed by Austinist writer Matt DeWitt and formerly featured on NRT by Paige Maguire) more ›

For those of you keeping up with casual SXSW events that don't require badges or (hopefully) redonkulous lines, we've got an update on local in-store events from End of an Ear record store on S. 1st. For more information on all of the artists scheduled to perform, head over to the Instore information page on End of an Ear's site and follow the links. All of the events are free, so mark your calendar.... more ›

Jesu Conqueror (Hydra Head) J.K. Broadrick's past with Napalm Death and Godflesh might have those anxious for Conqueror baffled -- the dense ambient fog and softly managed vocal work might come as a shock. That being said, the album is undeniably heavy, chugging, distorted and dark. The marriage between the agonizingly paced guitars and the sheer depth of their tone in "Bright Eyes" can overpower the sensitively harmonized vocals and synths. As bands like... more ›