A couple of Austin bands’ album release parties kick off our list of recommended shows this weekend. Head down to Latitude 30 on Friday for the Vampyros Disco’s Costume Ball and enjoy a hearty helping of the Suncopters’ good times rock ‘n’ roll, or swing by Club de Ville on Saturday for a taste of Radar Radar’s indie-pop delicacies. And of course, support local music by picking up each band’s new record! more ›

Sunset, The White White Lights, Dana Falconberry, and Machine -- all featured in Nathan Christ’s documentary Echotone -- will perform at the latest installment of ATX Converge this Saturday at The Mohawk. The night also serves as the release party for the film; RSVP here. more ›

Now that the ACL Fest fervor has subsided and The Eagles have come and gone, all eyes (and ears) turn to next month’s Fun Fun Fun Fest at Waterloo Park. Devo, Bad Religion, Slick Rick, MGMT, and Mastodon are just a few of the many, many esteemed acts you’ll be able to catch at the fifth installment of this burgeoning gathering. Check out the complete schedule on the Fun Fest site and learn more about mouth-watering lineup via our artist profiles. more ›

The latest installment takes place this weekend and is presented by The Capital One Bank. As always, a whole slew of local acts will provide the soundtrack to the merriment down on 6th St. Check out the full lineup of bands for each day here -- Grupo Fantasma, The Hi-Tones, Missions, Death Is Not A Joyride, and Quiet Company are just a few of the many, many talented local bands you can catch this time. We encourage you to commemorate this Austin tradition with your near and dear ones, or at least swing by and take a gander. more ›

This Saturday, The Electric Company brings us the Seaholm District Music & Art Fair, an enticing extravaganza of Austin flavor that offers something for everyone. Expect plenty of live music (list of bands below), numerous eateries to whet and satisfy your appetite, on-site installations by a slew of promising artists, and even a whole host of shopping options. Those die-hard Texas fans can rest easy too -- the UT football game (against Texas Tech) will be broadcast live on a massive 40" screen. more ›

Truly two of the most enterprising guitarists around at the moment, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero a.k.a. Rodrigo y Gabriela bring flamenco flair to Austin this Friday. The duo’s past exploits include a rendezvous with metal in Mexico as members of the short-lived Tierra Ácida and an ensuing stint in Europe, where they honed their current sound and fulfilled their inherent potential. Rodrigo y Gabriela’s versatile six-string wizardry will be preceded by Bobby Long’s poignant folk songs at Stubb’s this evening. Get your tickets via FrontGate. more ›

The Mohawk, unsurprisingly, is the place to be all weekend. On Friday, enjoy Grupo Fantasma’s wonderfully cohesive blend of Latin styles, rock, funk, and more at the reliable Red River St. hot-spot. Sample the tunes on El Existential, GF’s stellar second full-length via Topspin; then come down and dance the night away to these truly spellbinding concoctions. Following this evening’s gig, the Grammy-nominated local outfit will stay busy on the road through October. more ›

Photographer and local music connoisseur Aasim Syed has curated some solid shindigs over the course of the last few years. Whether it’s his annual holiday party, his SXSW week bash, or his birthday celebration, the lineups at Syed’s events normally feature a number of promising contemporary bands as well as choice legendary acts from the yesteryear. more ›

The Black has spent the better part of the last decade honing a brand of vibrant rock ‘n’ roll that should appeal to most. Hints of garage psychedelia, nods to classic R&B, and an ample dose of Americana flair all pervade the band’s jangling, chugging tunes. You can catch this talented local outfit live at The Mohawk on Saturday. The band will be celebrating the release of a brand new full-length Sun In The Day Moon At Night. more ›

Ume’s explosive live show is always impressive but we’ll admit that we’ve been getting a little impatient for new recordings. There’s good news on that front though. We’re pleased to report that they have indeed been in the studio for the last few months. Larson reports that they have tracked eight songs with Frenchie Smith at The Bubble here in town. There is no tentative release date for the full-length yet. However, per Larson, they hope to “have at least something out by the time we head up to CMJ again this October. We're currently talking with a few folks about finishing and mixing the entire album. We're still very much a DIY indie band, so right now we're in the challenging process of finding ways to record and share our music with very limited resources.” Fingers crossed here. more ›

KVRX 91.7 FM kicks off its Summer Concert Series this Friday night at the United States Art Authority. The UT radio station’s legendary Local Live show has been just one of the many reasons to tune in over the years. We still fondly remember the heady days of the '90s when quite a few of Austin’s finest such as Paul Newman, Brown Hornet, F*ckemos, Hot Wheels Jr., and Knife In The Water turned in memorable performances on the KVRX airwaves. This evening’s gig showcases some of the cream of the crop in town at the moment -- synth-pop stalwarts Built By Snow headline (download MEGA via their website); Focus Group, Marmalakes, and Federal! State! Local! support. more ›

Beauty Bar hosts Learning Secrets’ Black Gold Disco! shindig on Sunday. Suggestion donation for this is also $10 but as the organizers put it, “If all you can spare is $3 then that's totally radical too! Donating is awesome! Doing it whilst partying harder than you have all summer is even more bodacious, and we want to do it together with you!” Proceeds go towards saving the wildlife (Endangered Species Coalition) in the Gulf; entertainment comes in the form of Bodytronix’ intriguing aural experiments, Candi and The Strangers’ charming dream-pop concoctions, and the always enjoyable DJ sets by the lads from Learning Secrets. And perennial do-gooders Birds Barbershop plan to going to donate $1 for every Lone Star purchased to the cause as well. All in all, anything you can offer up is acceptable and appreciated -- sounds pretty reasonable to us. more ›

White Denim first captured our imagination in 2007 with their irresistible “Let’s Talk About” single and an equally alluring EP of the same name. Since then, the lads have churned out three brilliant full-lengths, fine tuning their experiments in psychedelic garage-rock with great success all along. They are now poised to release their most ambitious effort to date. We touched base with singer and guitarist James Petralli earlier this week to learn more about the new album. Catch the band in concert this Friday night at Antone’s. more ›

The Black and White Years have successfully managed to make the not-always-so-easy transition from Red River St. to mainstream Austin radars over the course of the last couple of years. Their stellar self-titled debut full-length garnered them a fair share of acclaim, including the coveted “Best New Band” award in 2009 at the Austin Music Awards. The band dropped the Nursery Myths EP in September last year and is currently hard at work on a second LP. This Saturday, they headline A Summer Dance Party, the latest installment of The Sessions series, which is shifting locations from The Hideout Theatre to the One World Theatre for this show. Doors at 8 p.m.; L.A.X. and Cowboy and Indian open. more ›

Local entity Pure Grease is hosting a massive two-stage shindig this Friday at Beauty Bar to officially celebrate the launch of its website. The company has actually been around for three years now -- Jeremy Murray and David Bean founded Pure Grease as a screen printing “side project” back in 2007. Initially, they were focused on providing shirts and posters for their friends’ bands. Over the years, consistently positive feedback regarding their impressive products has led to a seamless expansion of the business. more ›

This evening’s headliner Jesy Fortino, or Tiny Vipers as she prefers, hails from Seattle and has two full-lengths on Sub Pop Records under her belt. Life On Earth, her second LP (released last July), was produced here in Austin by Andrew Hernandez. An adept songwriter, Fortino complements her emotive lyricism with gentle guitar strums to conjure up an organic ambiance that is sure to captivate the audience. And although these absorbing soundscapes are soft and soothing for the large part, they do flare up at opportune moments to drive home her point. It’s all quite enthralling. Lose yourself in her haunting melodies, on us -- enter your information below for a chance to go to the show for free: more ›

The annual extravaganza that is the Republic of Texas Biker Rally offers up plenty of fun activities in town all weekend long. Check out the complete live music schedule here and get ready to head down memory lane with L.A. Guns tonight and Bret Michaels tomorrow. more ›

It seems like it was just yesterday that Melissa Young, a.k.a. Kid Sister, captured our hearts with her pulsating hit “Pro Nails.” The older sibling of Flosstradamus’ Josh Young (J2K), she had already made a name for herself in Chicago in the mid-aughts courtesy of numerous memorable performances at her brother’s shindigs. By the time “Pro Nails” arrived (back in 2007), she was firmly entrenched on many a music guru’s radar, and in the ensuing years, the fledgling starlet has rubbed shoulders with many well-respected players in the business. Kid Sister’s stellar debut full-length Ultraviolet was produced by the reputable A-Trak and contained contributions by luminaries such as Cee-Lo, Gant-Man, Estelle, and Kanye West (who remixed the aforementioned “Pro Nails”). Quite an impressive list of collaborators for a first album, it has to be said. Just prior to the release of that record last November, Kid Sister was in Austin for Fun Fun Fun Fest, showcasing her undoubted talent and bestowing her substantial charm upon us via a scintillating set. We’ve been eagerly awaiting her return ever since. more ›

The fabulous annual fiesta that is the Pachanga Latino Music Festival takes over Fiesta Gardens this Saturday, and as promised earlier this week, we’re giving away two more tickets today to one loyal reader. Pachanga co-producers Rich Garza and Alex Vallejo have established a tremendous event that cultivates a wonderful family atmosphere and of course, offers loads of quality live music. Having attended the first two editions of the fest, we can attest that this is truly an excellent way to cherish and celebrate Latino culture in town come May each year. more ›

First under the Manitoba moniker, and now as Caribou, Canada’s Dan Snaith has diligently delivered sweeping streams of euphonic electronica, evolving unerringly throughout the course of ten years in this business. His résumé boasts a plethora of releases that showcase his inherent gift for assembling, fine tuning, and honing assorted beats and sounds in a concise fashion. His substantial catalog of work also demonstrates his willingness to touch upon a number of different strains within the realm of lush textures. While some of his compositions are simply ear-candy for a serene day at work or a languid laze on the beach, other pieces, including many selections off the new record Swim, are better suited for a night out on town and an ensuing trip to the nearest trance floor. And lucky for us, he’ll be in Austin on Sunday in support of that aforementioned album, released last month on Merge Records. more ›

Matthew Cooper, a.k.a. Eluvium, conducts his ambient experiments at The Parish this Saturday night. The Portland resident utilizes a wide array of string instrumentation to concoct absorbing soundscapes that are largely soothing and serene, but do harbor resonating finales from time to time. And although the piano may well be his primary tool, expect Cooper to employ plenty of samples to layer his euphoric compositions during the live show. He will be assisted on stage by Eric Macey and Charles Buckingham on the current tour. more ›

Mono is another stellar band from Japan that never fails to include an Austin stop on its U.S. travels and the 2010 tour is no exception. The explosive post-rock outfit was here last October in support of 2009’s Hymn to the Immortal Wind and turned in a typically fiery set, garnering many new fans along the way, no doubt. Later last year, the band was joined on stage by an orchestra at its 10th Anniversary Show back home in Tokyo. Mono also celebrated the occasion while in New York during that 2009 tour, this time accompanied by Wordless Music Orchestra. The result is a brand new CD and DVD, Holy Ground: NYC Live with The Wordless Music Orchestra, released this past Tuesday on Temporary Residence Limited. Although the 24-piece orchestra won’t be in attendance this Friday, head down to Emo’s regardless and watch the gifted musicians from Mono meticulously conjure up the calm before the storm before delivering an aural assault that engulfs you in the storm itself. Doors open at 9 p.m. -- be sure to get there early for Balmorhea’s beautiful, euphonic compositions; check out our review of Constellations here. more ›

Flip through the Austinist Weekend Music Preview Slideshow for information on a number of events in town this weekend. more ›

We’ve been fans of Learning Secrets for quite a while now. Besides constantly hosting bumping residencies around town (currently every Friday at Red Fez), LS regularly brings in revered DJs and the like. This Thursday, at Republic Live, LS presents Erol Alkan, disc jockey, producer, musician, and all-around bad-ass purveyor of pulsating beats galore. Somewhat of a legend, at least in the U.K., Alkan was an integral part of the fabled Trash events in London, and has worked with acts such as The Long Blondes and Boyz Noize. He has also remixed material by a whole slew of luminaries including Franz Ferdinand, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hot Chip, Justice, and Klaxons. A rather impressive resume, if you ask us. Don’t miss out on this inevitable dance party -- get your tickets here. And check out this hilarious promo video by the LS team. more ›

Ezra Feinberg from Piano Magic and Tim Green from The Fucking Champs created Citay back in 2004, initially as a studio project. Green departed recently but Feinberg remains, and has added new members for the band’s latest tour in support of Dream Get Together, released this past January. And Austinites are in luck because the current seven-piece incarnation of the San Francisco outfit will set up shop at The Mohawk on Saturday to concoct its blissful soundscapes. Streaming electric guitar riffs, complementary acoustic plucks, a dash of the keys, a touch of the drums, all arranged to perfection -- it amounts to some very sublime ear candy. Head down to the 'hawk tomorrow night to enjoy this euphoric collage of infectious harmonies and agreeable melodies; pick up the new record to boot. Citay’s pleasing palette will be preceded by The Tunnels’ soothing psychedelia and Salesman’s eclectic Americana on the inside stage this evening. more ›

Headliners Red Sparowes hail from Los Angeles and were in Austin as recently as last November, performing at the beloved Fun Fun Fun Fest. Sometimes considered a side-project, an erroneous detail refuted during our pre-Fun Fest interview with members of the band, Red Sparowes is comprised of respected veterans such as Bryan Clifford Meyer (Isis), Greg Burns (Halifax Pier), Dave Clifford (Pleasure Forever), and Andy Arahood (Angel Hair). Meyer’s fellow Isis band mate Jeff Caxide and Neurosis’ Josh Graham were both a part of the original lineup as well; guitarist Emma Ruth Randle joined the band last year following Graham’s exit. Red Sparowes’ two full-lengths adroitly package controlled chaos into stirring doses of euphoric rock. The band’s third LP is due next Tuesday so expect plenty of new material this evening at Red 7. more ›

Per recent counts posted on Wikipedia, the earthquake in Haiti in January caused 230,000 deaths and left 300,000 injured. Nearly a million people are now homeless and the extent of the damage done to properties has also been colossal. This Saturday, a good chunk of our music community will come together to raise funds for the embattled nation. A who’s who of Austin (and San Marcos) talent will be on display at OxJam 2010 at the United States Art Authority -- Lions, Tia Carrera, Ringo Deathstarr, The Lemurs, and Michael Kingcaid are just a few of artists set to perform at the benefit. A silent auction (SXSW Film wristbands, VIP passes to Austin Psych Fest #3, etc.) is also a part of the evening’s schedule. All proceeds from OxJam 2010 will go towards Oxfam International’s Haiti initiative. Doors open at 5pm and cover charge is $8. That’s right. You just need to sacrifice your next King Kebab from Kebabalicious to contribute to this worthy cause. more ›

Expect plenty of guitar fueled explosions from headliners Tre Orsi. The Denton band is one of only two non-Austin acts on Matador Records’ recent Casual Victim Pile compilation. And since they missed out on the release extravaganza at the same venue earlier this month, Friday night offers a great opportunity to fill in the blanks. Prior to that, the always impressive Beautiful Supermachines deliver ringleader David Williams’ experiments in euphony, The Distant Seconds peddle a smorgasbord of sophisticated pop tunes, and Nervous Curtains brew eerie concoctions via Sean Kirkpatrick’s piano prowess. The show serves as a record release of some sort for all the bands. Why bother saving your energy for SXSW when there’s quality live music on offer tonight? more ›

On the outside stage tonight, 101X FM and Soundcheck Magazine present Sweden’s The Soundtrack Of Our Lives (“Big Time” is a classic!), along with California’s Nico Vega and Austin’s My Education. Inside, the talent on display is all local and pretty stellar, we must admit. First on stage, Jesse Woods bares his soul with soothing folk ditties, Corto Maltese supply irresistible pop melodies immediately after, and TV Torso set up shop last to craft together indie-rock gems of the highest caliber. Check out our recent, memorable interview with Matt Oliver from TV Torso here; buy their impressive 7" singles here. more ›

One of the friendly faces in the mix that day was founding member and guitarist Joe Genaro, a.k.a. Joe Jack Talcum. Talcum returned to Austin for an official showcase at Emo’s during SXSW 2009, and this Saturday, he’s back in town to offer up his folk flavored solo fare. Besides being an integral Milkman, Talcum has been a part of quite a few projects over the course of the last 25 years, and he continues to soldier on in the 21st century. Purchase his new record Live in the Studio here; then head down to The Mohawk tomorrow evening for sets by Talcum, Grand Buffet’s Lord Grunge, DJ Jester The Filipino Fist, and The Bassturd. We caught up with Talcum recently to learn more about this jaunt called The Huge Bicycle Tour. more ›