SXSW Music kicks off on Wednesday the 12th, as always with the Annual Austin Music Awards at Austin Music Hall, but it has become clear over the last few years that the music really starts the night before. Just thinking back to last year, we remember walking up and down Red River, watching bands like Golden Bear, White Denim and Broken Teeth at venues such as Beauty Bar, Emo’s and Red 7, and congratulating ourselves for getting started early. more ›

Tonight at the Parish Room, glammed-out rockstars The Raveonettes bring back 1950s retro cool with a setlist featuring tracks off their swank new album, Pretty in Black. Their sound brings us back to golden-age Motown with a slight detour into early Memphis rockabilly, but above all the halcyon days of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Expect wispy harmonies over soft and swaying guitar lines, and a barely audible yet ever present electronic beat reminding us that despite the nostalgia they inspire, The Raveonettes are solidly in the now. "Ode to LA" and "Sleepwalking" are high up on our favorite tunes of this year. more ›