Bill Callahan at Central Presbyterian Church Live Review
I wrote in my preview of Saturday’s show that Bill Callahan was a too-often forgotten treasure of the Austin area, a fact bolstered by his intimate and impeccable performance at Central Presbyterian Church…
Father John Misty at Emo’s Live Review
I’ve seen Father John Misty twice before, and his recent sold-out performance at Emo’s marked the third occasion. If you can see a band that has only a single album more than once…
Royal Forest Shares “Everyone Who Knows You” Ahead of Full-length
Austin band Royal Forest is one of the city’s most under-talked-about bands on the scene. Frontman Cody Ground is something of an indie rock institution, having founded the band Loxly, who performed significant…
The Dig Releases Psych Rock from Forthcoming EP
The Dig creates atmospheric and textured psychedelic rock and both approaches are reflected in “Angeline,” the opening track on the band’s forthcoming Tired Hearts EP, out June 4th. David Baldwin provides dreamy, reverb-soaked vocals over…
DIANA Signs to Jagjaguwar, Announces LP, Video, and Tour with Austra
Dream pop group DIANA has signed to Jagjaguwar while simultaneously announcing a self-titled debut full-length, new video, and late summer string of tour dates with art-pop band Austra. The psychedelic, neon video is…
Show Preview: Bill Callahan at Central Presbyterian Church
Perhaps attributable to his reclusive nature to avoid the spotlight, it seems that Austin sometimes forgets that we have a priceless treasure in songwriter Bill Callahan calling the Austin area his home. After his…
Ten (More) Albums You Should Be Listening To Right Now
We were honored when Nerve magazine recently asked me to compose a list of five albums for their recurring guest column “Five Albums You Should Be Listening To Right Now;” the results are…
Album Review: Mikal Cronin – MCII (Pop Press Pick)
We were greatly impressed by the balance of melody and noise on The Babies’ 2012 album Our House On The Hill, and other bands such as The Men and King Tuff have experimented with…
Phoenix ACL Taping Live Review
I’ve never seen an ACL taping crowd more amped during a performance. While this resulted in more noise than usual and one woman having to be removed from the studio, it also made…
of Montreal at the Mohawk Live Review
No one delivers more of a spectacle in a live performance than experimental dance-rockers of Montreal. Their shows utilize costume, performance, projected light, and a barrage of textured pop to provide a multi-sensory…
Austin City Limits Announces 2013 Lineup
It seems that this year’s ACL Lineup was more heavily anticipated and produced than ever before, which only makes sense as the festival will expand to a two-weekend format for its 2013 installment….
Album Review: Deerhunter – Monomania
One thing’s for sure: you can count on Bradford Cox to create excellent music, but you simply can’t have expectations about what that music will sound like. Monomania is the newest effort from…
Jim James ACL Taping Live Review
Over the past decade and a half, My Morning Jacket emerged as one of the most beloved indie-folk bands on the scene. At the forefront of that band was the always captivating Jim…
Yo La Tengo at the Mohawk Live Review
Indie-rock royalty Yo La Tengo performed at The Mohawk on Friday night, gracing Austin with an incredible set in three acts. The first act consisted of a mellow, almost whispered, series of songs….
Austin Bands Set To Play Toronto’s NXNE in June
Living in Austin means that being a part of SXSW is next to given, and most citizens find themselves caught up in the festivities at least once during its sprawling ten days. However,…
Free Press Summer Fest Releases Schedule for Great 2013 Lineup
For a relatively small festival that feels like it’s still in its infancy, Free Press Summer Fest constantly delivers some knockout surprises. While The Postal Service has gone on to announce an extensive…
New Track: Caged Animals – “Cindy + Me”
Built on quirky, squealing synths, strange percussive clicks, and thin distorted bursts, “Cindy + Me” is the first single released in advanced of Caged Animals’ sophomore effort, which is due out later this…
Album Review: Cayucas – Bigfoot
Beachy, fun pop has been a recurring theme and the modus operandi of any number of indie rock bands over the course of the last decade or so. Not that it ever disappeared…
Austin Punk Veterans The Midgetmen Host 11th Anniversary at Red 7 on May 10th
Austin’s Midgetmen have been at it for 11 years, a testament to the band’s ability to just keep churning out slacker pop-punk power and pulling wild stunts. On May 10th they’ll celebrate those…
Full Coverage of Austin Psych Fest Day 3 with Moving Sidewalks, Roky Erickson, and Clinic
On paper and in actuality, Austin Psych Fest’s Sunday lineup boasted the most anticipated and most enjoyable bands of the weekend. From festival headliners The Black Angels and The Moving Sidewalks to underground…
Win Tickets to of Montreal with Wild Moccasins at Mohawk Monday May 6th
An of Montreal show is simply not to be missed. Their recent appearance in Austin included giant inflatable suits, painted skeleton faces, amorphous shapes created by multiple people in a costume, epic spandex,…
Show Preview: Yo La Tengo at Mohawk Friday May 3rd
Yo La Tengo’s oeuvre spans an impressive array of musical styles and years, consisting of more than a dozen studio albums. Their newest effort Fade is outstanding–one of the finest albums of the year so far…
Win Tickets to Father John Misty at Emo’s Tuesday May 7th
Last year, when we ranked the 20 best albums of 2012, we put Father John Misty’s Fear Fun at number three. What’s maybe more important is that we listened to the record more than any…
Photo Gallery: Austin Psych Fest Day 3 with Black Angels and Moving Sidewalks
Full coverage of Austin Psych Fest Day Three will be up tomorrow. For now enjoy our extensive gallery of photos from the third day of the fest. All photos © Bryan Parker and…
Small Black Shares New Single, Hosts Art Show, Announces Tour, Inspires Beer
It’s a big day for news with Small Black. We’re looking forward to the band’s upcoming album Limits of Desire, out May 14th on Jagjaguwar. The album’s first single, “Free At Dawn” was a…
Austra Shares New Video for “Home”
We wrote previously about the forthcoming album and single from art-pop group Austra. “Home” was released in advance of Olympia, which is out June 18th on Domino. Today the group released a video for…
Austin Psych Fest Day Two
Rain had been threatening all day, but the weather was holding when I arrived for day two of Austin Psych Fest’s 6th annual event. Missing several artists I had hoped to see, I…
TEEN Releases “Paradise” Ahead of New EP
Carpark Records will release Carolina, the new EP from indie-pop group TEEN. Ahead of that release, they’ve shared the song “Paradise,” an organ-backed track that features guitar picking and wavering vocals. The mix builds…
Austin Psych Fest 2013 Day One
For its 6th installment, Austin Psych Fest took a major leap out of a few venues around Austin to a full-fledged, field-style music festival with several sizable stages held just outside of Austin…
Austin Psych Fest Preview: Interview with Elephant Stone
Elephant Stone has toured with Austin Psych Fest creators the Black Angels in recent months and frontman Rishi Dhir is a longtime friend of the band. Elephant Stone will perform at this year’s…
A Place to Bury Strangers and Metz at Mohawk for Psych Fest Pre-party
People often say that a band “destroyed it,” but when they say that about A Place to Bury Strangers, they literally mean they destroyed it, and the “it” is often the bass guitar of member Dion…
Thee Oh Sees Release Video for “Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster”
Dark and sinister psych rockers Thee Oh Sees have released an aptly dark and sinister video for their song “Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster” taken from their most recent effort, Floating Coffin, which was…
William Tyler Announces Dates In Support of Merge Debut
Last month, William Tyler released Impossible Truth on Merge Records to widespread critical acclaim. It’s an album we somehow missed, despite our interest in the songwriter’s approach to a guitar centered album full of…
Os Mutantes Play Psych Fest This Weekend, Stream New Album Out Next Week
Brazilian psych-rock legends Os Mutantes will perform this weekend at Austin Psych Fest, among a roster full of other outstanding artists. Os Mutantes are one of those bands you thought you might never…
Youth Lagoon with Majical Cloudz at Mohawk Live Review
In March, Youth Lagoon released what is at least in my top five albums of the year so far. So, despite the plethora of events occurring last night in Austin, the decision to…
20 Bands to See at Austin Psych Fest
Tomorrow night Austin Psych fest will kick off with a pair of pre-parties at the Mohawk and Red 7, both with incredible bills. The weekend that follows will feature performances by some of…
Pure X Shares Third New Track From Forthcoming Album
Austin band Pure X has shared a third new track from their forthcoming album, Crawling Up the Stairs, which will see release May 14th on Acephale Records. We previously heard outstanding tracks, “Things In…
Yuck’s Daniel Blumberg Launches New Project Hebronix with Track “Unreal”
Former Yuck frontman Daniel Blumberg has announced a new project, Hebronix, and released a song, “Unreal” from a forthcoming album of the same name. Unreal will be released on July 9th via ATP records…
New Track: Mood Rings – “Pathos y Lagrimas”
“Pathos y Lagrimas,” the new song from Atlanta-based band Mood Rings reflects appropriately moody pop. The track will be on VPI Harmony, the band’s forthcoming full-length out June 25th on Mexican Summer. Faraway percussion…
Album Review: Brass Bed – The Secret Will Keep You
Lafayette, Louisiana based band Brass Bed’s new album The Secret Will Keep You is a swift-moving, riverine composition of indie-rock teeming with the alluvial guitar bursts and thumping bass that are deposited along…
Show Preview: Youth Lagoon with Majical Cloudz at Mohawk
Youth Lagoon’s Wondrous Bughouse is one of the year’s best albums, and tomorrow Trevor Powers will bring his musical project to the Mohawk for a show with Majical Cloudz, who will drop an anticipated…
Austin Psych Fest Preview: Interview with The Laurels
Austin Psych Fest commences at the end of this week–in only two days if you count the pre-party festivities that will unfold on Thursday night. The festival has grown epically since it’s inception,…
Bob Mould and Ringo Deathstarr at Mohawk Live Review
Punk pioneer and indie-rock veteran Bob Mould brought a blistering performance to the Mohawk Saturday night. A packed house chanted along with almost every song, pumping their fists as Mould plowed with reckless…
Interview: The Black Angels’ Christian Bland Discusses Austin Psych Fest 2013
In a week’s time, Austin Psych Fest 2013 will get underway. At the center of the festival are the creators and psych music torchbearers The Black Angels, who recently released a new album,…
Souvenir Stand Set to Release New EP
Indie-pop group Souvenir Stand hails from New Jersey, but they’d be easy to sell as a UK band considering their upbeat, fun tracks that recall pop staples like Camera Obscura or more recent…
Baptist Generals Share Second Single, Announce Tour with Mountain Goats
It has been a decade since the Baptist Generals release their debut on Sub Pop. It has also been a decade since the band toured with The Mountain Goats. I saw the two…
A Place To Bury Strangers Play Psych Fest Pre-party, Share Dead Moon Cover
On ThursdayApril 25th, the night before the onset of this year’s Austin Psych Fest, A Place to Bury Strangers will play a show at Mohawk as an official pre-party. Rounding out the outstanding…
Psych Fest Performing Artist Vinyl Williams Breaks Down Psych Music
Vinyl Williams creates psychedelic opuses with elaborate layers and textures. Frontman Lionel Williams has been pretty vocal and philosophical in interviews regarding his production and approach to making music. We reached out to…
Gauntlet Hair Shares “Human Nature” from Stills
Gauntlet Hair has announced the release of Stills on the Dead Oceans label on July 16th. Along with that announcement comes the release of the album’s first single, “Human Nature,” which is a low-pulsing gothic…
Lumineers with Shovels and Rope ACL Taping
Austin City Limits has deep roots in folk and country music, and its earliest tapings included artists such as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and Townes Van Zandt. As folk music has…
Interview with The Shivas Ahead of Austin Psych Fest Appearance
The Shivas, hailing from Portland, have one of the most energetic and captivating live shows around. We should know, since we booked the band to play our SXSW Day Party. You can see…
Nick Jaina Releases Primary Perception, Hear A Track Now
Portland, Oregon’s Nick Jaina boasts a wide variety in writing experience from writing ballet music in Brooklyn to composing film soundtracks in Los Angeles to creating theatrical scores in New Orleans. That wide range of…
Album Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito
After releasing the blistering Fever to Tell, the tightly crafted Show Your Bones, and the chic, shimmering It’s Blitz!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with their fourth studio album. As a whole, the…
Album Review: The Flaming Lips – The Terror (Pop Press Pick)
Growing towards the sunlight from their experimental roots, The Flaming Lips’ career sprouted and flowered on the raw nutrients of joy, silliness, and quirky fun. Songs like “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt….
Video: Youth Lagoon – “Mute”
Youth Lagoon’s Wondrous Bughouse is among the finest albums of the year, and “Mute” is one of that album’s highlights. While we’re citing “bests” and notable achievements, last year’s video for Youth Lagoon track…
New Track: Will Courtney – “There’s No Answer”
It has been a long time since we’ve seen any tunes from Will Courtney, one-time member of beloved Austin band Brothers and Sisters. After living on both coasts as well as back near…
Video: Paul White feat. Danny Brown – “Street Lights”
Rapper Paul White has released a video for the Danny Brown collaboration track “Street Lights.” Creatively and impressively animated by Plastic Horse, the video includes a series of visual representations for the song’s…
New Track: ADULT. – “Tonight, We Fall”
Dark, synth pop group ADULT. have emerged from an extended period of silence to release the eerie synth track “Tonight, We Fall.” The track will be on The Way Things Fall, the band’s upcoming…
Frank Smith Album Release Show at Holy Mountain Show Review
Frank Smith’s Nineties is a phenomenal work of powerful indie-rock tinged with beautiful keys and folk influences. So, it was a given that Pop Press International would be in attendance when the band…
Video: Small Black – “Free at Dawn”
Small Black’s Limits of Desire will see release through Jagjaguwar on May 14th. In advance of that release, the band has a new video for the album’s first single, “Free at Dawn.” Directed by…
Video: Carmen Villain – “Easy”
Carmen Villain has released a video for the swirling, dissonant pop track “Easy” from her cold, stark indie-rock album Sleeper, which dropped earlier this year on Smalltown Supersound. The video is comprised mostly of…
Reservations EP Release Show with Grace Park & the Deer and Hello Caller
Reservations, the project of frontwoman Jana Horn, celebrated the release of its first EP at the Mohawk on Saturday night with a little help from friends Hello Caller and Grace Park and the…
Grizzly Bear ACL Taping Review
Austin had an incredible treat to host Grizzly Bear for two nights during the same week. Following their outstanding set at Stubb’s on Monday, the band made a stop at Austin City Limits…
Bleached w/ Hunters and Fleshlights at Mohawk Live Review
Friday night at a sold-out Mohawk proved to be nothing short of an old-fashioned punk rock show with headliners Bleach supported by opening acts Hunters and local favorites Fleshlights. The crowd came early…
Radiation City Releases Second Single “Zombies” from Animals in the Median
We wrote previously about Radiation City’s forthcoming album, which is due out May 21st on Tender Loving Empire. Following the release of the first single, “Foreign Bodies,” the band has made available a…
Matthew Squires and the Learning Disorders Release Video for “Arcade”
Austin’s Matthew Squires and the Learning Disorders have released their first video, a stylized, adorable, and absurdist walk through the mind of the band’s creative force. The video and song are both as…
The Men Release Blistering Track “B-minor”
Recording during sessions for their outstanding and recently released New Moon, “B-minor” is an outtake by The Men. The track can be found on the third installment of the Todo Muere series, compilations…
EP Review: Annie Dressner – East Twenties
Annie Dressner is a former NYC resident now living in the UK. Dressner self-released her new EP East Twenties this week, giving the world four more of her straightforward, confessional folk songs. The…
Video: Doldrums – “Lost in Everyone”
A collaborative project from Angus Borsos & Airick Woodhead, starring the latter and shot by the former, “Lost in Everyone” is the visual accompaniment for the song by experimental rock group Doldrums. In the…
Video: Leah Nobel – “Ride the Butterfly”
Austin songstress Leah Nobel has released a video for the title track from her new EP, Ride the Butterfly. Nobel’s music revolves around her impeccable voice as she weaves delicate and beautiful folk…
New Track: White Prism – “Play Me, I’m Yours”
We told you last week about the White Prism EP, which will be self-released April 23rd, and brought you the track “Dance On.” Now, White Prism has issued a second track from the forthcoming EP….
The National Shares Another New Track “Don’t Swallow the Cap”
After just releasing one song, “Demons,” from their forthcoming album Trouble Will Find Me, somber indie-rock outfit The National have released a second new track, “Don’t Swallow the Cap.” The song features elegant piano…
Cayucas Shares Echoing New Track “East Coast Girl” from Bigfoot
Despite their breezy, laid-back LA sound and moniker that references a town in Southern California, Cayucas’ new song “East Coast Girl” transports us to a different region of the country, telling the “story…
Contest: Win Tickets to Bleached at the Mohawk Tomorrow, Friday, April 12
Pop duo Bleached, consisting of core members Jennifer and Jessica Clavin amongst others, will perform at the Mohawk tomorrow night, and we’ve got the hookup for you! Following acclaimed appearances at SXSW the…
New Track: W.H.I.T.E. – “I Wasn’t Afraid”
W.H.I.T.E. is the recording moniker of Thomas Hanson, and LA resident who creates dreamy pop. “I Wasn’t Afraid,” one such track, employs quick percussion and sustained synth-string notes. The song will be on III,…
Eleanor Friedberger Releases New Video Ahead of New Album
As one half of the Fiery Furnaces, Eleanor Friedberger constructed some lasting and hard hitting jams alongside brother Matt. Now, two years after the release of her first solo album Last Summer, Friedberger…
Night Beds Announce Summer Tour Dates
Elegant, country-tinged band Night Beds have announced a summer tour that will include a date in Austin at the Mohawk on June 6th. The band recently performed at SXSW following the release of…
Iceage Release “Morals” Video Featuring Piano, Tour U.S.
Iceage’s praised punk album You’re Nothing dropped earlier this year in February, and the band has just released a video of album track “Morals,” performed live and with the addition of a piano….
The Beets Share Video for “Doing As I Do” to Encourage Donations to Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts
Pop group The Beets will emerge after an extended period of silence to tour the U.S. In advance of the tour, the band has released a video for “Doing As I Do,” a…
New Track: Dungeonesse – “Nightlight”
Dungeonesse, a collaboration between Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner and White Life’s Jon Ehrens, has released a third track from their forthcoming eponymous LP out May 14th on Secretly Canadian. Like the two tracks before…
Lightning Dust Announces Fantasy Shares New Synth-pop Track “Diamond”
Lightning Dust will release their third studio effort, Fantasy, on June 25th on the Jagjaguwar label. The first single from that album is the minimal and dark synth-pop track “Diamond,” which is constructed around…
Two New Videos from Akron/Family, “Until the Morning” and “Samurai”
Experimental psych folk band Akron/Family have released a new video directed by Brian Sowell, which features a simple, sparse set from which frontman Miles Seaton delivers the song’s lyrics. The slow pulsing of the…
Haerts Releases Video for Single “Wings”
Haerts is one of those bands currently taking indie-rock by storm. Their debut song “Wings” has received widespread buzz in recent months, and now the song will be officially released as a 7”…
CSS Shares New Single “Hangover” from Forthcoming Album Planta
Brazilian electro-pop group CSS have announced the release of their 4th studio album, Planta, which will see release via SQE on June 11th. The band has steadily diverged from its punky, electroclash roots and steadily…
Grizzly Bear and Owen Pallett at Stubb’s w/ Sour Notes and Letting Up Despite Great Faults After Show
It feels like forever since Grizzly Bear played in Austin, but the band came out of hibernation and ventured to the warmth of Texas for the spring. Their show last night at Stubb’s…
Show Preview: Frank Smith Album Release at Holy Mountain Saturday April 13
For the second weekend in a row, multiple noteworthy Austin artists are celebrating the release of new albums. Last weekend it was Greg Mullen and Walker Lukens; this weekend, we already brought you…
Show Preview: Bleached at Mohawk w/ Hunters and Fleshlights
This weekend holds in store several great shows. Performing at the Mohawk Friday night will be Bleached, a band that has seen widespread buzz over the past few months surrounding their appearances at…
Mount Eerie to Release New Live Collection via XRA Records
Despite Mount Eerie’s primary creative force Phil Elverum owning and running his own successful label, the musician has a history of releasing EPs, singles, and collections through other channels. Yesterday the announcement came…
The Pastels Share New Single “Check My Heart”
The Pastels are more like a legacy than a band. Forming in the 80s, the group’s history and status has been murky for the past several years, but in February, the band announced…
Experimental Artist Colin Stetson Shares Three New Tracks
Colin Stetson, experimental saxophonist, will release his new effort New History Warfare Volume 3: To See More Light, out on Constellation April 30th. The label, which as release albums from the likes of Godspeed…
Walker Lukens Album Release Show at ND w/ Good Field
Recently relocating from New York to Austin, Walker Lukens has a few EPs and albums under his belt, but his new effort Devoted feels like he’s taking his game to the next level….
Greg Mullen and the Cosmic American Band Album Release at Holy Mountain
Sometimes you want desperately to be in two places at once. This past Saturday, it was three, as several bills showcased stellar local artists, two of which celebrated the release of an album….
Dana Falconberry and Buxton at Stubb’s Live Review
Having seen Dana Falconberry more than a dozen times, it’s astounding that she can still inspire in me wonder and awe with each performance. This is especially notable considering that I see six…
Album Review: Kurt Vile – Wakin On A Pretty Daze (Pop Press Pick)
Kurt Vile’s last effort Smoke Ring for my Halo received universal acclaim and was hailed as one of the best albums of the year. His newest album Wakin On A Pretty Daze expands…
The National Releases New Single “Demons”
The National previously announced the release of Trouble Will Find Me and shared artwork from the album. Now, the band has released the album’s first single, “Demons.” Hinged on singer Matt Berninger’s bass vocals,…
Video: Majical Cloudz – “Childhood’s End”
The video for Majical Cloudz’ immaculately produced, low-pulsing single “Childhood’s End” features Kenneth Welsh of Twin Peaks fame and was shot in stark black and white by Emily Kai Bock. The video follows the elderly…
Last Good Tooth Sign to Team Love, Announce Album, Share Track
Today brings a slew of news for young indie-folk band Last Good Tooth. The New York-based band has signed to Team Love records for the release of their debut album Not Without Work and…
Album Review: The Black Angels – Indigo Meadow
The Black Angels were among the first bands to begin popularizing what has become a massive resurgence of the psychedelic genre. Not that they reinvented the genre, which has certainly remained alive since…
Video: Still Corners – “Berlin Lovers”
Still Corners’ new music video for album track Berlin Lovers focuses on a young couple at a roller-skating rink juxtaposes playfulness with darkness. The video opens with a shot of a leather jacket…
Album Review: Frank Smith – Nineties
On their ninth album, Nineties, Austin band Frank Smith delivers some of the tightest, most powerful songs of their long career. Previously firmly rooted in Americana and folk-rock, the band leans in that…
