Henry Rollins needs very little introduction. Chances are he's caught your attention in one of his incarnations, whether it be his first wave of fame with punk pioneering head-smashers Black Flag, or his later endeavor Rollins Band, or with one of his many startlingly passionate spoken word recordings. And if he didn't get your attention that way, there's a good chance you'll recognize him from one of his many television appearances or documentaries, or perhaps you are familiar with his work taking phenomenal photographs of some of the world's least-known places? Either way, the always-interesting Rollins will soon be regaling us at Fun Fun Fun Fest, so we thought it wise to catch up. Without further ado, here is the final installment of a sprawling and thoughtful three-part interview, this part being about the "warrior gene" and the ethics of gene therapy. more ›

Zola Jesus may not necessarily sound like the name of a distinctly-styled potential star of the female persuasion, but once upon a time St. Vincent may have seemed a weird name, too. Zola Jesus, it turns out, is Nika Roza Danilova, a Wisconsinite of Russian background who majored in philosophy and whose booming voice, opera background, and goth leanings make her an artist to watch, not just in the future, but right now—for proof, look no further than her absolutely stunning new LP, Conatus (check this for what the hell that word means). Danilova will be performing this Saturday night at the Mohawk, and we thought this a good time to catch up with her not just about her music, but about how a self-described atheist who goes by the names of a French naturalist writer and Christ looks at the world. more ›

Henry Rollins needs very little introduction. Chances are he's caught your attention in one of his incarnations, whether it be his first wave of fame with punk pioneering head-smashers Black Flag, or his later endeavor Rollins Band, or with one of his many startlingly passionate spoken word recordings. And if he didn't get your attention that way, there's a good chance you'll recognize him from one of his many television appearances or documentaries, or perhaps you are familiar with his work taking phenomenal photographs of some of the world's least-known places? Either way, the always-interesting Rollins will soon be regaling us at Fun Fun Fun Fest, so we thought it wise to catch up. Without further ado, here is part two of a sprawling and thoughtful three-part interview, this part being about the likelihood of a Black Flag of Rollins Band reunion tour. Click here to read part one, about Rollins' current responsibility to the world's lesser-known corners, and his last "real job," and stay tuned next Tuesday for the final installment, about the "warrior gene" and the ethics of gene therapy. more ›

You've seen it. That video. The one where you don't quite know if they're joking or not? The one that's so so so bad it's good? And if you haven't seen it, best hurry up and get to it, lest you be left out in the cold on one of 2011's most head-scratching videos, one that just so happens to feature a song so damn catchy you'll be singing it to your loved ones for weeks. Well, it turns out they aren't joking (or are they?), and Turquoise Jeep is for real, and is here to stay. The nebulous and ridiculous collective of rap, hip-hop, and r&b artists is like a whacked out stew of Odd Future and Das Racist, but with a dollop of early 90s awfulness that makes it just about perfect. In advance of their sure-to-be-memorable set at Fun Fun Fun Fest, we rang up lead Jeep, CEO, and excellent dancer Flynt Flossy to talk about Benjamin Franklin, "Lemme Smang It," and all them ladies. more ›

Henry Rollins needs very little introduction. Chances are he's caught your attention in one of his incarnations, whether it be his first wave of fame with punk pioneering head-smashers Black Flag, or his later endeavor Rollins Band, or with one of his many startlingly passionate spoken word recordings. And if he didn't get your attention that way, there's a good chance you'll recognize him from one of his many television appearances or documentaries, or perhaps you are familiar with his work taking phenomenal photographs of some of the world's least-known places? Either way, the always-interesting Rollins will soon be regaling us at Fun Fun Fun Fest, so we thought it wise to catch up. Without further ado, this here is part one of a sprawling and thoughtful three-part interview, this part being about his current responsibility to the world's lesser-known corners, and his last "real job." Stay tuned each of the next two Tuesdays for part two, about the likelihood of a Black Flag or Rollins Band reunion tour, and for part three, about the "warrior gene" and the ethics of gene therapy. more ›

You could hardly accuse The Joy Formidable of being a subtle or slow moving band. They have been touring like hell over the past three years with only a long EP to their name. Their aptly named first album, The Big Roar dropped in January of this year, and they celebrated by setting a staggering tour schedule that had them doing everything from playing nowhere clubs in Europe to opening for the Foo Fighters in August. The trio is not done kicking down venue doors just yet, and will be coming back to Austin for a second time this year to grace the FFFFest's Orange Stage. This whirling dervish of a band is fronted by the adorable/explosive lead singer/guitarist Ritzy Bryan, and we took some time to catch up with her on everything from her real name to playing at Mellow Johnny's bike shop. more ›

This interview has been contributed by guest writer Michelle Nail. For those of you who don't know it, you should thank Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) for what you have on your iPod right now. As leaders of the synthpop movement in the 1980s they took the budding, dirty German genre of electronic rock and turned it into a style of music responsible for all that you adore today. Where would half of the bands on all of the best new music lists be without OMD? Nowhere, punk. Nowhere. And don't you forget it. Paul Humphreys, Andy McCluskey's musical other half and one fourth of the band, wouldn't come out and tell you to say thank you--he's too polite--but we will. His dreamy eyes and equally dreamy semi-mullet had many a respectable lady swooning and sobbing into her bedroom mirror. Now he and OMD are back to teach a whole new generation of people how to do it right. In preparation for their show tonight at La Zona Rosa, we caught up with Paul to discuss the 80s, the 2010s, and why learning to play your instrument actually pays off. more ›

Michael Ian Black has made a career out of sarcasm, and so it makes sense that an interview with him would be sarcastic. So there’s that to look forward to. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Black, his face may be familiar from any number of things, including VH1’s I Love the… series and the film Wet Hot American Summer, or television shows like The State, Stella, or Michael and Michael Have Issues. Those last three shows, in which Black was a pivotal character, have the following in common: they were funny; they were ridiculous; they didn’t last long. Michael Ian Black is well aware of that fact, and capitalizes on it—as well as his unquestioned ability to make smugness laugh-worthy—in his Comedy Central special and accompanying album, Very Famous. He’ll surely be putting it all on display this Friday night at Mohawk, so in preparation for that we chatted with Michael about his twitter war with LeVar Burton, his upcoming book with Meghan McCain, and his eventual winning of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, among other major prizes. more ›

Elbow may just be the most famous band you've never heard of. For some strange reason, the English rock band hasn't quite made the splash here in the US that they deserve, even after twenty years of incredible music making. With well-thought out lyrics, sweeping dynamics and deeply innovative composition, Elbow's songs run the gamut of emotions. After a Mercury Prize nomination for their fifth studio album, Build A Rocket Boys!, the group has been touring relentlessly in support. Richard Jupp, drummer for Elbow, took some out time from the busy schedule to discuss the latest album, self-producing, and why it's so hard for music to jump over the pond. more ›

MMJ's Bo Koster: "It’s hard because we now have six records, spanning almost ten years, and some songs are super fan favorites, but some work better in festival settings than others. So we try to do our best in covering all the records and putting on a show that’s good for a festival, because we know people are standing around all day. They made the commitment to be there for the whole weekend, they’re putting in a lot of energy just to be there, so I feel it’s our duty to come out there and bring a lot of energy and give them something that they’re going to get excited about." more ›

Editor's Note: This fantastic interview was contributed by guest writer and aspiring music journalist Ruth Griffin. From fork-lifter to critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, Kurt Vile seems to be the role model of every kid working a day job, just hoping to make it big someday. After jumping from label to label, Vile finally found sanctuary in Matador Records. With his latest, and most cohesive album, Smoke Ring for My Halo, this guy has built a masterpiece from the ground up, destined for greatness from the beginning. His entrancing swoons of sincerity coupled with his harmonious yet melancholy aesthetic have put him at the forefront of the indie music scene, and has earned him a much anticipated Friday afternoon ACL performance. Seemingly unfazed by such a glowing reputation, the lovely Kurt Vile got a chance to give the Austinist some updates on his venture into the spotlight, enlightening us on his counterparts, the Violators, his admiration for Matador, and, naturally, some good old 90210. more ›

[Editor's Note: This awesome interview was guest contributed by Michelle Nail.] There are many frightening things that have come out of Canada in the last few years: Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, poutine-- but we’re willing to put all of that behind us because Canada has also brought us Chromeo: the electrofunk duo behind albums like “Fancy Footwork” and “Business Casual” and they are everywhere. We’re dancing to them at clubs, watching them on David Letterman and will soon have a chance to see them in action at ACL. Dave 1 and P-Thug, who have played together since their teenage years, is about to embark on a new tour sure to create an army of fans and leave in its wake a tsunami of sweet, sweet lovin’. We sat down to talk to Dave 1 to talk about music, literature, truth and the hopeful inevitability that we will all one day be Samuel Beckett fans. more ›

Cullen Omori, singer/songwriter for the band Smith Westerns, has come a long way since February. When Austinist last chatted with him at the beginning of 2011, the group had just released their second album Dye It Blonde and were starting a tour, optimistic about the rest of the year. That optimism has surely paid off, as Austinist found when speaking with Cullen about Smith Westerns' touring evolution, Ramones influences, and the fact that they are not a garage rock band. more ›

Editor's Note: This awesome interview was contributed by guest writer and aspiring music journalist Ruth Griffin. You'd think making music in your basement would be the first step towards a successful music career. Some, though, consider it to be the only step, and embrace the underground haven. It was with this attitude that our friends, The Cave Singers, were born. In spite of their title, these fellas stray far from any cave-like bounds, captivating listeners with raw, sincere vocals, and an infectious folk-rock sound. More recently, these Seattle-based boys have been making waves with their third LP, No Witch, welcoming a new record label as well as a completely booked tour schedule. And with a Friday afternoon ACL performance right around the corner, the Singers’ guitarist/bassist Derek Fudesco took some time off to answer some questions about music, the break from Matador, and tabletop dancing in China. more ›

[Editor's Note: This fantastic interview was guest contributed by local writer and amateur comic Jared Walls.] Amy Schumer is busy! She was a finalist on Last Comic Standing, has appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, and Live at Gotham. She’s been on “WTF with Marc Maron” (the most legit of legit comedy podcasts), even has her own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and a recently released album, Cutting. She’s appeared on Delocated, Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock. Did we mention she’s only been doing stand-up for seven years? Confidence and attention to the craft of the joke have vaulted this Long Island native from NYC open mics to headlining gigs at comedy clubs and colleges nationwide. We got hold of Amy by email to talk about funny chicks, smelly festival goers, and racist toddlers. more ›

Brit alt-rockers Gomez stop by our town fairly frequently, and will be playing Sunday evening, Sept. 18, at the Austin City Limits festival. This is part of their tour for their new album, Whatever's On Your Mind, which has received mixed reviews, but is still a must-own for any loyal Gomez fan. While in town for the festival, they will also tape an episode of Austin City Limits. A couple weeks ago, drummer Olly Peacock took a break from his schedule to chat with us, and despite a not-so-terrific cellphone connection, we got the main gist of what he was talking about. more ›

In 2007 Peter Silberman was quietly dabbling with a solo project he called The Antlers. Still relatively unknown, he had no idea what was in store for him when he (pulling back mostly to guitar and vocals) joined up with Darby Cicci (keyboards, trumpet, bowed banjo) and Michael Lerner (percussion) for the release of Hospice in 2009. Their heart-wrenching crescendo/decrescendos song structures and heavy lyrical tales hit to the core of their listeners as they turned heads and melted hearts with their epic breakthrough LP. Earlier this summer the Brooklyn-based three-piece returned to prove their staying power with Bust Apart, a well-rounded and well-received release that showcases an accessible musicality that reveals the growth of an outfit capable of creating some truly enchanting, atmospheric, and borderline pop music. Following The Antlers' third full-length release, they stopped in Austin earlier this summer for a stellar show at Emo’s. Next week they will return to play ACL Saturday afternoon. During a mid-summer break from touring, Silberman took some to catch up with Austinist to talk about time in the studio, finding art in misery, and his back-up plan/interest in astronomy. more ›

You don’t have to love NASCAR to have heard about Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. In fact, it’s probably a reasonably safe bet that they won’t be getting an invitation to the Indy 500 anytime soon. But like their racecar driving namesake, the industry buzz about Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott’s band has been picking up a lot of speed. In anticipation of their upcoming gig at ACL, we talked with Josh about the origins of his band, their album It’s a Corporate World, and what the heck they would call their unique sound. more ›

On Wednesday, September 14th, Fonda San Miguel will begin their fall 2011 event season with a tasting dinner pairing the North Loop stalwart's interior Mexican dishes with Sonoma's Copain Wines. Copain Wine Cellars is a highly regarded, low-production 'cult' winery that focuses on Syrah and Pinot Noir, and also dabbles in Viognier and Rosé. Eric Asimov of the New York Times is a fan, as is the Emperor Of Wine Robert Parker. In spite of this, you can still pick up a bottle of Copain's entry-level wines for around $20, so they're well worth exploring. more ›

Since their 2002 debut, Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone, The Walkmen have been on a consistent win streak, releasing quality albums while quietly establishing themselves as one of the premier bands to come from the ever crowded New York indie scene. Their persistence and dedication has paid off. Their last two albums have received massive acclaim, finishing on many year end lists, and they found chart success last year when Lisbon peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200. Ahead of their performance at this year's Austin City Limits, the Austinist caught up with front man Hamilton Leithauser to discuss where the band is going next, the process of choosing a festival setlist, and how they've maintained their longevity while staying true to themselves. more ›

Cut Copy is an Australian band formed in 2001 as a solo-project by Dan Whitford. Joined by Tim Hoey (guitar), Mitchell Scott (drum), and Ben Browning (bass) in 2003, the group released their third studio album, Zonoscope, earlier this year. Austinist had a chance to catch up with Browning to find out more about the latest album, tour life in the middle of a year-long journey, and what BBQ he's most looking forward to here in Austin. more ›

Tim Meadows needs very little introduction. One of the longest-running cast members of Saturday Night Live, Meadows was part of the late night comedy show from 1991 to 2000. He was known for his celebrity impersonations and for the character Leon Phelps, The Ladies Man, his perpetually horny radio talk show host. But that was a decade ago. Since then, Meadows, 50, has continued to appear in film and on television. (One of our favorite Meadows characters of late is P.K. Winsome, a black Republican who makes regular appearances on The Colbert Report.) Meadows has also made a somewhat surprising return to his roots in improv comedy. He's in Austin tonight and tomorrow for the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, performing with Uncle's Brother, a three-man troupe based out of Chicago with Brad Morris and Joe Canale, who are both based out of Second City. Austinist caught up with Meadows while was driving around Chicago with a friend from out of town, navigating from the passenger seat between questions. more ›

Hunicutt & Grace are an improv duo made up of (surprise!) two comedians: Eric Hunicutt and James Grace, both based out of iO West in Los Angeles. Hunicutt started performing at the Comedy Sportz improv theater in Raleigh, North Carolina when he was still in high school, and ended up in Chicago after college, training and performing at iO (Improv Olympics) and Second City. Though he's now based in Los Angeles, he has been a member of the Chicago-based troupe The Reckoning for the better part of a decade. He's way hyphenated: a teacher-actor-director-writer, his film-stage-screen-commercial work might make you wonder how he had time to start one more performing gig with his iO coworker (boss, actually) James Grace. Grace is Artistic Director of iO West, which was founded by improv legends Del Close and Charna Halpern. You might recognize him from his many film and television appearances, including Super Troopers, Reno 911!, Beerfest, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Austinist caught up with the duo in advance of their performance at The State Theater tonight for the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival. They're also part of Stool Pigeon for Out of Bounds, and each are leading workshops: Hunicutt on Sunday at noon, looking at group scenes, and Grace on Saturday at noon, working on the improv tactic The Herald. As a way of distinguishing voices during the following phone interview, Grace assured Austinist he was the one with the "really good looking, studly voice." more ›

[Editor's Note: Both parts of this awesome interview were guest contributed by local writer and amateur comic Jared Walls.] Shane Mauss is a stand-up comic who, for the past year, has called Austin “home,” a relative term for a comic as busy as Mauss. If you find yourself at Cap City on a Sunday or Tuesday night, or at the Velveeta room on Thursday, you may be fortunate enough to catch him working out new material. But you may have also caught Mauss on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Showtime's Comics Without Borders, or maybe his own Comedy Central Presents special. His jokes cast an irreverent lens on topics ranging from theme park disasters, to time travel, to the absurdity of truck commercials. His comedic voice is as distinct as his actual voice (he’s unmistakably from Wisconsin). Punchline Magazine named his debut album, Jokes to Make My Parents Proud, one of the Top 10 Comedy Albums of 2010. In Part One we chatted with Mauss about Australia, Wikipedia K-Holes, and crappy sitcoms, and here we talk his thoughts on the sadness of tough guys and his favorite kind of weirdoes. more ›

[Editor's Note: Both parts of this awesome interview were guest contributed by local writer and amateur comic Jared Walls.] Shane Mauss is a stand-up comic who, for the past year, has called Austin “home,” a relative term for a comic as busy as Mauss. If you find yourself at Cap City on a Sunday or Tuesday night, or at the Velveeta room on Thursday, you may be fortunate enough to catch him working out new material. But you may have also caught Mauss on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Showtime's Comics Without Borders, or maybe his own Comedy Central Presents special. His jokes cast an irreverent lens on topics ranging from theme park disasters, to time travel, to the absurdity of truck commercials. His comedic voice is as distinct as his actual voice (he’s unmistakably from Wisconsin). Punchline Magazine named his debut album, Jokes to Make My Parents Proud, one of the Top 10 Comedy Albums of 2010. We chatted with Mauss about Australia, Wikipedia K-Holes, and crappy sitcoms. On Thursday, we'll have Part Two of this interview, where we'll get his thoughts on the sadness of tough guys and his favorite kind of weirdos. more ›

Six long years after her debut feature, writer/director/artist Miranda July has returned to the big screen with The Future (now playing at the Regal Arbor and Violet Crown Cinema). It's a uniquely heartfelt story about a couple who decide to adopt a cat, not knowing that this very idea will alter the course of their relationship. July presents the story in a delightfully unconventional way by having the adopted cat Paw Paw narrate the story. This choice is likely to endear as many people to the story as it repels, but we loved it. more ›

After being pigeonholed as the second coming of Stevie Ray Vaughn when he came into prominence in the early nineties, guitarist and songwriter Ian Moore began to slowly dismantle those expectations with each subsequent album after his debut. 1995's Modern Folklore was punchy and strange, and the never-released follow-up The First Third's "progressive sound angered the label head, Phil Walden, so deeply upon hearing it" that he and Moore came to blows. Moore's band dissolved after the album was shelved, and though Moore rerecorded many of the songs on And All the Colors..., the original recording was buried. With the arrival of last year's fast and clean El Sonido Nuevo that resembles Moore's early work almost not at all, you might think it'd be an odd time to start looking back. Perhaps it's the perfect time. more ›

With her story "The Girls of Summer Redux" on the cover of last week's Austin Chronicle, music writer Audra Schroeder bids farewell to five years of work for our city's premiere alt-weekly. It's a fine cap to a career that has taken Schroeder into the wilds of Austin's underground, where she frequently explored the freaky, the avant-garde, and the feminine subcategories of sound. Part of a triptych of new blood in the Chronicle's music staff rounded out by Austin Powell and Doug Freeman, Schroeder lent a fresh viewpoint to a scene that alternately cleaves to the past as it itches to move forward. more ›

Whether at The Driskill Grill, Uchi, or Uchiko, if you've done some fine dining in Austin, June Rodil has probably stopped by your table to talk about wine. Now reunited with Chef David Bull at Second Bar + Kitchen and Congress, Ms. Rodil is currently serving as the beverage director for the Congress Avenue triple threat. Having been named Texas' best sommelier in 2009 by the Texas Sommelier Association, Rodil is continuing to work toward a coveted Master Sommelier designation while also cultivating quite a wine list at Congress. She recently spoke to us about wine trends, spirits, and which wines are in fact her favorite children. more ›

They Might Be Giants are inarguably one of the most prolific bands in rock history: with 15 studio albums and as many videos, collaborations with figures from Homestar Runner to John Hodgman and appearances on a slew of TV shows, Johns Flansburgh and Linnell have kept busy in the nearly 30 years they've been performing together. They've authored children's books and were the first band to release an online-only album, and their intellectual, catchy sound -- which often masks absurd, dark lyrics -- inspires bands of all genres. Their Dial-A-Song hotline, run out of a New York City apartment in the 80s (and eventually moved online, where it lived happily till 2008), was a groundbreaking experiment in both marketing and productivity. Recently, they contributed a rousing cover of Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping" to the AV Club's Undercover series. While they've become known for their family-friendly albums (on topics like The ABCs and The 123s), their latest release, Join Us, is their first "adult" album since 2007's The Else, and they're celebrating its release with a series of tours that'll take them all over the globe. We caught up with John Flansburgh to talk about collaboration, comedy and tour disasters (and good news: he promised that TMBG will be rolling through Austin in early 2012). more ›