What's more appealing than a beautiful girl singing Tom Waits songs? For some, nothing. Though much has been said (and speculated about) regarding Miss Johansson's decision to record an album of Tom Waits covers (well, there is one original tune on there, but you wouldn't be able to pick it out if you weren't at all familiar with Waits), the actual reviews are pretty much split down the middle. ...

Now this is what we call a Texas winter! You arrive at work bundled up in scarf and pea coat, yet leave squinting at the sun in a wife-beater. Today we've been tramping about in the wonderfully miserable weather looking forward to a cozy bill this evening at the Mohawk that is sure to warm up even the most obstinate Austin cold weather flip-flop wearer. ...

Jeff Tweedy is truly a legend in his own time. Occupying the same enviable status as musical luminaries like Thom Yorke and Will Oldham, Tweedy is both prolific and sought after by fans, critics, and fellow musicians alike. It seems the man, with his smoke-addled voice and beat poetry-inspired lyrics, can do no wrong, even as his music has gotten more confounding and restless in recent years. After founding Uncle Tupelo, the seminal alt-country......

If ACL fest hasn't caused you to hate music, you might want to check out this week's new releases: DJ Shadow The Outsider (Universal) DJ Shadow's latest offering has certainly managed to garner (perhaps more than) its fair share of critique, and for fans of Shadow who have been listening since Entroducing, it's fairly easy to see why. Outsider is, for the most part, DJ Shadow's most straightforward foray into hip-hop, and features an......

Indie/hippie hobos nomads Brightblack Morning Light released their self-titled sophomore album just weeks ago, and while we didn't particularly care for it, others seem to generally dig 'em. The duo -- "Nabob" (Nathan Shineywater) and "Rabob" (Rachael Hughes) -- started back in 2002 with a split 7" shared with Bonnie Prince Billy (aka Will Oldham, among others). Since then, they've signed to Matador Records, toured with the likes of Joanna Newsom, Vetiver, and Gojogo, and......

The eponymous debut from Matador’s Brightblack Morning Light woozily stumbles out of your speakers, reeking of schwaggy weed and B.O. It's the aural equivalent of that mooching hippie your roommate had that brief fling with. Sure, they’re broken up now, but he’s trying to get on his feet while the jam band comes together. You won’t even notice him. ...