The Black and White Years are not merely a group of affable gents - as Austinist discovered in a recent interview - they're also way into creating compelling pop morsels that eschew immediate categorization and confound otherwise severely judgmental blog-journalists. more ›

Looks like ACL Fest organizers have chosen Groundhog Day to release their mildly discounted multi-passes. 3-day passes priced at $150 including service charges are on sale now at ACLFest.com. more ›

Abby Birds provide delightful pop ditties to our yearning ears this Thursday evening at Room 710. Although the venue is largely known for its raucous rock acts, Abby Birds headline a bill showcasing the softer side of the Red River spot. Singer/guitarist Nathan Crawford is already somewhat of a veteran on the scene, having sold his 4-track, home recorded cassettes at Sound Exchange (R.I.P.) and 33 Degrees (R.I.P.) since the mid-'90s. Abby Birds formed in 2005 and a debut record featuring the band's brand of harmonious pop, the kind that keeps your head bobbing throughout, is in the works. more ›

Photo by Daniel Perlaky The Black and White Years Wednesday, November 28Emos (603 Red River St)$5, 10 pm[info] Locals The Black and White Years have had their genre-blurring, squiggly synth rock compared to The Talking Heads so many times it should come as no surprise that Jerry Harrison of that band (not to mention a one-time member of The Modern Lovers) produced their self-titled debut album. As a producer, Harrison’s work can be seen all... more ›

Dallas native Ben Kweller is an interesting tangle of contradictions. He's 26, but his first major label album was released a decade ago. Kweller is an indie rock star, but lives in a Brooklyn brownstone with his longtime wife and young son. And his music is accessible and catchy, yet it hasn't quite found the large audience it deserves. Kweller returns to the Austin City Limits Festival for two shows this weekend to bounce... more ›

There's always been something undeniable about a quality West Coast power-pop record. From the mainstream success of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever to the more obscure gems of The Posies and Jellyfish, the records in this oeuvre feel instantly memorable, lighter than air, and modestly perfect. Such sounds are likely what inspires The Broken West, a Los Angeles-based band that channels these sounds and those of Big Star and early Wilco on their debut... more ›

Every fall, Austin looks forward to ACL Fest, and each year, there's always a point where two of your favorite bands are playing on different sides of the park at the exact same time. ACL Band Clash is a new, theoretically weekly series in which Austinist scribes Paige Maguire and Tom Thornton examine the worst ACL scheduling clashes, and try to provide good advice on finding a resolution. Well, good advice might be a... more ›

Wiretree Bouldin Austin's Kevin Peroni has been writing songs under the moniker of Wiretree since 2005, when he released his first EP. The latest album, Bouldin, is a nine song testament to American chords, everything that was good about real folk music, bridging the gap between The La's and late '70s George Harrison with ease. Peroni's vocals are at times extremely Elliott Smith-ish, but that's not a bad thing. The songs are reminiscent of... more ›

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,... more ›

The woman who encouraged us to shove dimes into jukeboxes long after they had switched to quarters, triggering a nationwide coin shortage in the early 80s, is coming to Austin. Joan Jett, the hottest 46 year old since Tina Turner in 1985 (or Madonna in 2004, for that matter), is still lovin' rock and roll, touring like a madwoman and turning her nose up at the prospect of ever investing in a pair of... more ›

Yea, we know, you’re tired, you’re rundown, you couldn’t possible attend another music festival for at least another year or so. Think again, friends. Just when you thought it was safe to crawl back into your cubicles, your only musical salvation coming from the tinny speakers built into your desktop, we present Vegoose. Taking place the last weekend in October, the festival in Sin City will feature Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Widespread Panic,... more ›

FRIDAY [15] music • Ghostland Observatory and Thee Emergency at The Mohawk (912 Red River) ® party • Earthdance at NiaSpace (7:30pm-10pm, $15) party • Eastside City Limits party with Pink Nasty, Tnlons Fort, I Kill Cars, Missing Tapes, Brothesr and Sisters, Til We're Blue or Destroy, The Black at Red Scoot Inn and Old Austin Daze Compound (9pm-4am, FREE) ® party • Teleport Door presents the Pop Yo Colla' party with DJs Daniel... more ›

Didn’t want to spend your hard-earned cash for ACL ducats this year? Or maybe you have to work, and can’t get away from that computer to which you’re chained. Whatever the case may be, if you aren’t heading down to Zilker Park this weekend, you can still catch several of the ACL performances broadcast live over the intranets. AT&T will be airing exclusive content at their Blue Room portal beginning tomorrow with the first... more ›

Well, I can't quite believe I'm finished. Last night I posted the few remaining previews, which means that for the second year in a row, I have previewed each and every act performing at the Austin City Limits Festival. I couldn't have done it without help though, so once again, I would like to thank John, JD, Jeff, Chris and Becky, who each contributed guest previews to help me finish my project. I would... more ›

"Psychedelics are almost irrelevant in a town where you can wander in a casino any time in the day or night and witness the crucifixion of a gorilla.*" We know you people love your fests, and while ACL may be a tough bill to beat, sometimes it's nice to get out of town. The Vegoose Music Festival in Las Vegas combines gambling, strippers, soon-to-be divorced men, all night parties and rock n' roll into... more ›

Check this week's IST list to see when these artists will be performing. Miranda Sound [mp3] Close Calls [mp3] The Lull of Youngsters [mp3] Midas Black Heart Procession [mp3] Not Just Words Peel [mp3] Moxy Blues Buttercup [mp3] Hot Love [mp3] We're Easy [mp3] Anti-Antarctica Diplo [mp3] Gold Lion (remix) [mp3] Bloc Party's "Helicopter" (remix) [mp3] Staring At the Sun (remix) CSS [mp3] Lets Make Love and Listen to Death From Above The Theatre... more ›

Friday Highlights: Stars, Gnarls Barkley, Van Morrison, Cat Power, Ted Leo [link] Saturday Highlights: The Shins, Nada Surf, Feist, Iron & Wine, The Long Winters [link] Sunday Highlights: The Stills, Flaming Lips, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, New Pornographers [link] [ACL Lineup] [ACL Single Day Passes]... more ›

We just read a leaked report of the ACL Fest Lineup, to be officially announced on Thursday. The report comes from Dallas Observer entertainment guru Robert Wilonsky. As we said, this is just a leaked report and therefore considered a rumor, but this source is about as good as they get. Of course, we hope there are a few more of our favorites coming but won't hold our breath. Have a look for yourself... more ›

Like most attendees, our biggest frustration with last year's Austin City Limits Festival was the wretched dust cloud blanketing Zilker Park after the first day. With tens of thousands of people milling about and the daytime highs between 98-107 degrees, everything was worsened by the fact that the park was already suffering from drought-like conditions. But not anymore, if Capital Sports and Entertainment (CSE) and its massive coffers have anything to say about it. Perhaps... more ›

You may have heard that a certain filmmaker is in town for his own personal film fest. Well, he's also making national news, as Quentin Tarantino has reportedly agreed to come on board to direct the new biopic chronicling the life and times of Jimi Hendrix. The film, which has been stalled in development deals for what seems to be ages, has the approval of Hendrix's brother Leon and Jimi's estate. In ACL News... more ›

Billboard online has reported that Tom Petty will be one of the headliners at this year's Austin City Limits Festival. The first leg of his summer tour will feature opening act Trey Anastasio and will be followed by a run of six shows that includes Pearl Jam as part of a double-bill. The second leg of the tour will feature the Allman Brothers band and the Dereck Trucks Band. The opening act for the... more ›

Austinist is very happy to celebrate the debut CD release party for local five-piece The Glass Family on Thursday night at the Continental Club. The incandescent musicianship featured on Sleep Inside This Wheel evokes Wilco, Gram Parsons, The Ponys, My Bloody Valentine, and Kent while suggesting that The Glass Family has achieved something uniquely their own in the space of ethereal alt-country and indie rock. The band produced Sleep Inside This Wheel over a... more ›