Somehow I overlooked the first couple of years of Fx3 as a transplant to Austin still elated and overwhelmed by the plethora of accessible live music available on the regular. But in 2009, I scored a cozy introduction manning a booth at the fest for a few hours one day in exchange for a weekend wristband. Why not, right? I had no idea what to expect and found myself pleasantly surprised by the laid back scene - not too crowded, manageable lines for beer/food, and a good mix of fans. I have since happily resigned any interest I once had in attending ACL for a yearly fling with Fun Fun Fun. And while I adore the excitement and unparalleled buzz SXSW generates, the intimacy of Fx3 has made it my favorite of Austin’s fests. more ›

This year's Free Press SummerFest was not for the faint of heart. Battling extreme weather conditions ranging from record setting heat (104F!) to torrential downpours to whipping winds, the estimated 70,000 Houstonian music-lovers were not deterred. more ›

On Saturday and Sunday nights, Yeasayer were at La Zona Rosa. Our photographer Pooneh Ghana was on-hand for the Sunday gig and captured all the madness. more ›

The band's critically-acclaimed debut, All Hour Cymbals, caught many listeners off-guard. Their eccentric mix of Far Eastern sounds, dance beats and thick low end undertones stood out, and eventually took the band on a world-wide tour to support it. Needless to say, fans and critics alike were eager for the group's sophomore effort. Odd Blood did not disappoint. more ›

As we mentioned last year, Yeasayer are coming to Austin for a two night stand April 10 and 11. WOXY and Austinist are proud to present night two of the event, Sunday April 11. The show was sold out, but we just got news today that the show has moved to La Zona Rosa, and there are tickets available once again. Get them right here. Stay tuned, Austinist will be giving away a few pairs between now and then too. more ›

Ballroom Marfa will also host Yeasayer (in addition to the band's two night stand here in Austin on April 10 and 11) on April 13 at the Crowley Theater. Buy tickets ($10) here. Austinist and WOXY are proud to present night two of Yeasayer in Austin, and you can buy tickets for that Parish show here ($15). more ›

Yeasayer have just confirmed two nights at the Parish here in Austin on April 10 and 11, 2010. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 25. They'll be supporting their latest full length, Odd Blood. Listen to the first single, Ambling Alp here. more ›

With nothing but an EP (produced by Yeasayer’s Anand Wilder) under their belts, Brooklyn's Suckers slip into their first ACL appearance this year on the XBox stage Sunday afternoon. more ›

Fun Fun Fun Fest has confirmed four more bands to this year's lineup, including Yeasayer, Kid Sister, DRI and Vega. This is in addition to already-confirmed performers Atlas Sound, Death, Red Sparowes, WHY?, Broadcast, Lucero, Les Savy Fav, GZA (performing Liquid Swords), HEALTH, Jesus Lizard, Melt Banana, 7 Seconds, King Khan & BBQ Show, Shearwater and Todd Barry. More leaks expected very soon. more ›

Bat For Lashes is the craftsmanship of British singer/songwriter Natasha Khan, who stretches far away from musicians who just pick up an instrument and decide to roll with it. Khan is devoted to her work, completely emerging herself into a visual wonderland when its time to write songs. For her latest album, For Suns, she went so far as to adopt the role of her desert-born (and very blonde) alter ego, Pearl, in order to gain a better understanding of the character. The experiment served as a great excuse to wear garish feminine makeup, and the result was a more complete album full of lush tribal sounds. more ›

Yeasayer's Anand Wilder produced this album, and it looks as though Suckers have taken a queue from them and a host of other NYC (well, Brooklyn) technicolor neo-psych bands upon first glance. Difficult MySpace page, glitter and masks, a song that seems to be about dancing, and an unquenchable thirst for purple throw up dozens of red flags for most. All that being said (and kicked right out the way), the songs on this EP are good, or at least quite different from what one might imagine based on the aforementioned flags. more ›

Brooklyn's Yeasayer played with a quiet intensity during their early-day set at the Dell stage on Friday. The four piece looked considerably more clean cut than their SXSW appearances, so perhaps the hot summer took some of the cache out of big beards and shaggy hair. The band made the most of their early slot, playing a collection of mid-tempo tunes that somehow integrate world music (particularly Middle Eastern) influences in a non-cloying fashion, which is hardly an easy task. It was obvious that the regular energy of their live show wasn't on display, but Yeasayer were tight from a year of touring and meshed the sounds of modern indie rock with 70's album-rock harmonies pulled straight from Kenny Loggins and Lindsey Buckingham. Highlights included blogger favorites "Wait For The Summer" and "2080," both of which seemed to really grab the crowd's attention. Overall, the audience seemed engaged if not yet completely in festival mode, and appreciative nodding alternated with texts to meet friends and appreciation for this year's mild weather. We're officially in motion. more ›

In the last year, Austinites have had several chances to fall in love with Brooklyn's Yeasayer, as they've been touring in support of All Hour Cymbals for nearly a year. For those who have already been initiated into the band's dark world of post-apocalyptic jazz-dance Bolly-fusion (we're lost, admittedly) know that even one or two shows under your belt isn't enough. more ›

Saturday Saturday Saturday! It's a bounty of goodness unlike anything most people of privilege (or non-privilege) have seen, seeming that it is filled not only with SXSW's usual wealth of day-funs and joys and diversities, but that it is also privy to the wonderment that is Mess With Texas 2, a noon-to-ten cornucopia of music and comedy at Waterloo Park. It's sort of like a day of Fun Fun Fun Fest plus comedy minus the price plus the knowledge that there's great stuff going on everywhere else as well. So let's get to it, and all the other great stuff going on EVERYWHERE, shall we? Mess With Texas 2 @ Waterloo Park At this event, it's almost ridiculous what a wide range of musics you'll be able to see, from electro-folk to softcore-punk to anti-pop to alterna-world to whatever-other-hyphenated-genre-you-could-possibly-fabricate. Headlining are the Kim Deal-led Breeders and late-nineties punk-stars NOFX, but they are just icing on the cake of a day that features acts as intriguing as the inimitable Islands and the ever-so-subtle Atlas Sound. And, take a deep breath, because also lining up on one of the three stages is rise-from-the-ashes-via-Juno story Kimya Dawson, the mysteriously-spelled Wooden Shjips, hype-machine Simian Mobile Disco, quick risers Yeasayer, Monotonix, and No Age. And in case you haven't already caught them, this may be a convenient time to check out local respectables Shearwater and White Denim. Seriously, though, that's a ridiculous list already, and it's really just the beginning. And it's free, for God's sake! And there was some comedy at this Mess With Texas thing, too, right? Yeah, you can expect some laughs from the likes of Janeane Garofalo, Brian Posehn, Todd Barry, and Eugene Mirman, among a veritable slew of others. Make sure to get there before the sun goes down if you want to check that out, though, because we all know humor goes best with some sunshine. more ›

Another day, another long list of long list of web-darling music acts and their attendant corporate sponsors. more ›

SXSW has announced the schedule of events for this year’s official showcases -- start here! Also, check out Greg Hewgill's site for (unofficial) Torrents featuring the various artists playing SXSW 2008 (as well as past years). more ›

If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump. more ›

Sometimes there is a rare opportunity to see a band just before they hit it big, at that moment when you can still get into their shows without having the sanctity of your personal space thrown into question, just that itty bitty second before you're paying "real money" to see them from afar, rather than a pittance to see them up close. Tonight at Emo's presents one of those rare opportunities, and in spectacular fashion. See, playing tonight is not only one about-to-get-rich band of ruffians, but two. And if you haven't yet heard of MGMT and Yeasayer, consider this your formal introduction: they won't be this unknown for long. more ›