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....

What’s the Deal: Austin’s own experimental electronic, post-whatever eclectica outfit The Black & White Years – Scott Butler, Landon Thompson, John Aldridge, Billy Potts – have an album arriving this month. They’re having an album release show at Stubb’s on February 22nd. They’ve brought on some comparisons to the Talking Heads, and their upcoming album was even produced by Talking Head Jerry Harrison. Even though it’s not exactly the most accurate comparison that could be made here, there’s still a little fingerprint present in the punchy, artful rock and funky, dance-heavy sounds. ...

SXSW has announced via official mailing that there are a few bands confirmed for the festival aside from those we've mentioned already: R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Daniel Lanois, The Black Keys, The Kills, My Brightest Diamond, Pato Banton, Vampire Weekend, Joe Lean + The Jing Jang Jong, Jens Lekman, Sia, $olal, Tech N9ne, and Mala Rodriguez have received the official nod. A couple of those names will look familiar to those of you following our ongoing coverage, but the big names are news to us as well. ...

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......

Austin's own geographically misleading rockers What Made Milwaukee Famous will be debuting their new album at The Parish Room over two nights this Thursday and Friday. Both bills feature diverse acts with personality to spare: Thursday, they'll be supported by local contenders White Denim and the one and only Pink Nasty; Friday's show features pseudo-metallic slashers Ume, The Black And White Years, and a few of the friendly folks in Zykos. Tickets are on sale......

*The views expressed in The Laurie Show are those of the author and do not represent Austinist as a whole.* -ed. note My apologies for my absenteeism, kids! It's been awhile since I've set my babblings online at the Austinist. I've either been taking nights of from The Laurie Show on KUT or sitting in for Jeff McCord on Left of the Dial, which is on earlier than my show. It'll feel great to......

Everyone knows that Thursday night is the beginning of the weekend, a night to be spent with a hearty dose of fresh energy stored up from a week of working just hard enough to not get fired. This fresh energy should, as always, be spent dancing. Tonight is just your Thursday night for dancing, in fact, since The Black and White Years and DJs KidIndie and Eric will be at Beauty Bar. KidIndie, as......

FRIDAY [30] music • The Skeletons at South Austin Speedshop (7pm) fashion/music • Couture de Amore with fashions by Loves, Mariessa; Stiletto Gold; Sea and Enemies; Amy Kline (Jewelry), and Clap!Clap!, Golden Bear, Haunting Oboe Music, The Valentines at The Parish Room ($10) music • Video/CD release for "The Projeckt" at Latitude 30 music • Bluebonnet Blues Festival, benefitting Historic Main Street Association of Marble Falls, at Marble Falls music • 3rd Annual Global......

THURSDAY [29] theatre •Yellow Tape Construction Company presents I Am Not Tartuffe at play! Theatre (8pm) theatre •The City Theatre Company presents The Boys Next Door at The City Theatre (8pm) theatre •Ohio Trip, a "slide show adventure" by Elizabeth Cobbe at Women & Their Work Gallery (7:30pm) theatre •The Vortex presents Hamlet at The Vortex (8pm) theatre •Hyde Park Theatre presents Zell Miller III's My Child, My Child, My Alien Child at Hyde......

MONDAY [26] film • "The Grand Duel" Spaghetti Western Feast at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • "The Cool Ones" at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown food • Merry Edwards Wine Dinner at Hudson's on the Bend, 3500 RM 620 N ($160, 7:30pm) music • Alpha Rev at Waterloo Records (5pm, Free) music • A&D=Rock Night at Beauty Bar......

Ed Note: Please note that the Mobile Art Place opening party mentioned yesterday is not actually free, but is open to those attending Night at the Galleries. Sorry for the inconvenience. FRIDAY [23] music • Maneja Beto, The Interest Kills, The Laughing, White Denim at The Compound ($5, 18+, 9pm, 1300 East 4th Street) comedy • The Frank Mills perform their new sketch show, "One Classy-Ass Show," at Blue Theatre (DEETS) books • Abriendo Brecha......

THURSDAY [22] art • Opening Reception: Owen McAuley at d berman Gallery (6-8pm) comedy • The Frank Mills perform their new sketch show, "One Classy-Ass Show," at Blue Theatre (DEETS) party • Misprint Magazine's Beard & Moustache Competition with performances by Sharp Dressed Men (ZZTop Tribute Band), hosted by Matt Bearden, DJ sets by Stay Gold at Club de Ville (9pm) art • Artistic License: Blanton artist Fabian Marcaccio discusses his work, which is......

MONDAY [19] books • Terry McAuliffe presents What A Party at BookPeople (7:00pm) film • Eddie Murphy: RAW at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Liquid Vinyl at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown music • JT Van Zandt and Friends at Scoot Inn......

Several readers wrote in a while back about the possible demise of Red's Scoot Inn, the venerable East Austin bar built back in 1871. Some speculated that the historic space, where long ago "weary pioneers would roll their wagons in for a jug of beer, rations and perhaps some ice," would fall victim to the latest condo/loft development. Far from it. It turns out that the folks of the Longbranch Inn purchased the space......

FRIDAY [5] film • Sinus Show: Die Hard at Alamo Downtown (7pm & 10pm, $12.50) music • Amplified Heat, Lions, Full Stride, The Flood at Emo's (Inside) music • Grand Champeen, Quien Es Boom, The Fall Collection, The Alice Rose at Emo's (Lounge) music • Lemurs, The Lord Henry, Clap!Clap!, Lomita at Emo's (Outside) music • The Black & White Years, AUX, The Paper South, Aster Years at Stubb's music • Summer of Blood,......