We entered the park around 1:10pm to the strains of a seriously thrashy number from Yo La Tengo. It was impressive to hear how determined YLT were to throw out some serious noise rock at such an early hour. Being a bit sunburned and rather low-energy, we listened rather than watched, grabbed a blissfully freezing cold beer, and headed over to grab a spot for The National. The National (1:30pm): What perfect music for......

In an unusual turn of events, Denton's Midlake were heralded as the next big thing in the UK before anyone had really ever heard of them here in Texas. Signed to The Cocteau Twins' label Bella Union (which is also home to Explosions In The Sky), Midlake toured Europe behind lo-fi debut album Bamnan and Slivercork before returning home to create a defining work. They finally received some domestic notice with the release of......

Denton indie rockers return to Austin tomorrow, touring now in support of their critically lauded 2006 release, The Trials of Van Occupanther. We're giving away a pair of tickets to the show, plus a special gift package filled with random Midlake goodies. Enter below! Congrats, Rebecca! [Midlake on Myspace] Midlake Friday, February 23rd The Parish Doors at 8pm......

Tomorrow's your last chance to vote in the PLUG Independent Music Awards, the annual audience-juried awards event that recognizes the most promising artists and members of the independent music community. Beyond traditional music categories like Album of the Year, New Artist of the Year, and genre-specific awards, PLUG also celebrates everything from live venues and music festivals to internet radio stations and music blogs. This year, several Austin or Texas-based bands, stores, and organizations......

15. Mogwai - Mr. Beast (Matador) As ever, Mogwai manage to blend unadulterated post-rock weight to their shoegazer tendencies with tracks like "Glasgow Mega Snake" and "Folk Death 95," showcasing their ability to create anthems with no words. This is where Mr. Beast really shines, in between blistering chord progressions and gradual swings into corybantic climaxes. In some ways a throwback to earlier (and heavier) Mogwai material, Mr. Beast isn't merely a rock album.......

After spending the long weekend with Aunt Pearl and her magical inflatable cat, you're probably aching to get back into the overwhelming world of hipsterdom. Here's what's new this week (not much): Mark Kozelek Little Drummer Live (Caldoverde) Our favorite Red House Painter is offering a 2 disc collection of songs mostly recorded directly to CDR during his European and North American tour this year. Kozelek's varied influences, favorites and fetishes all come into......