Photos: Marmalakes at Mohawk (Free Week)
Free Week has gotten more and more crazy (and exciting) with each passing year. The highlight set so far has to be Marmalakes at the Mohawk on Saturday night. With frontman Chase Weinacht…
Season Finale of Hardly Sound Featuring Ralph White Airs Tonight!
As we have written before, Hardly Sound, created by Chris Kim and Randy Reynolds explores and documents integral facets of Austin’s music scene and community. Written with humor and conveying deep respect for…
New Track: “To Look Over the Ground” – Raymond Byron
Raymond Byron is Castanets frontman Ray Raposa’s spinoff project. The project produced an LP under the moniker Raymond Byron and the White Freighter on the Asthmatic Kitty imprint last year. Now, a new…
New Tracks: “1000 Leather Tassels,” “Mr. Mister” – The Blank Tapes
San Francisco’s Blank Tapes draw on 60s pop and psychedelia for their new songs “Mr. Mister” and “1000 Leather Tassels.” The organ of the former recalls songs by the Zombies, but the reverb laden…
Video: Damien Jurado – “Kalla Hus”
Earlier this year, Damien Jurado gave fans the gift of an amazing new album, Maraqopa, released by Secretly Canadian. Just in time for the holidays, he has given us another one: a video…
Interview: Mirror Travel on Their New Record and Falling in Love with Marfa
Pop Press International recently had the privilege of exchanging emails with Austin’s Mirror Travel in advance of their upcoming show as part of New Year’s Eve’s best bill, the No Play Music sponsored…
Sonny Smith Unveils New Song from 100 Records Project
During an artist’s residency at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, CA Sonny Smith, of Sonny and the Sunsets, began the enormous project of creating 100 fictional records for 100 fictional bands….
Band Spotlight: Love Inks
Today, we’re calling attention to one of this city’s best bands–a band who has some amazing accomplishments under its belt. Love Inks has shared the stage with young, fresh acts such as YACHT…
The Babies, Deep Time, & GALPALS Live at the Mohawk
The Babies’ Our House on the Hill was one of the most underrated records of 2012. Employing no-frills, straightforward rock ’n’ roll, it surpasses albums that take themselves too seriously or focus too…
New Track: “Year of the Glad” – Marnie Stern
Marnie Stern possesses a reputation as a serious guitar player who can shred with the best of them and who creates songs that are densely layered barrages of sound. However, the first single…
Matador’s Iceage Prep You’re Nothing
Matador Records recording artist Iceage have prepared their sophomore album entitled You’re Nothing, which will be released on February 19th. This young group from Copenhagen released their debut LP New Brigade on Matador,…
New Track: “I Fell in Love with a Feeling” – Nightlands
Nightlands have a new album called Oak Island due out on Secretly Canadian on January 22nd. Though we’ll have to wait a few more months for that, today they’ve given us the two-minute…
New Track: “Heaven” – Popstrangers
New Zealand pop outfit Popstrangers have released a video for the song “Heaven” from the forthcoming album Antipodes out February 26th on Carpark Records. The gritty, ticking verses open up into shimmering choruses…
New Track: “Younger Days” – Mount Moriah
Mount Mairah will release Miracle Temple, their second album, on February 26, 2013 via Merge Records. The group has released the first track, “Younger Days.” The country-leaning folk pop floats by easily with memorable…
Austra at Work on New Album, Announce Tour with The xx
Domino recording artist Austra has announced that they are in the process of working on a follow-up to last year’s critically acclaimed album Feel It Break. Along with this news comes the announcement…
Video: Dirty Projectors – “Offspring are Blank”
Dirty Projectors have released a new video for the track “Offspring are Blank” from their phenomenal album, Swing Lo Magellan, which was released by Domino earlier this year. The video, directed by the…
Video: Ruby Suns – “Kingfisher Call Me”
We already wrote about “Kingfisher Call Me” when the Ruby Suns announced their album and made the track available for download. Now, the band has released a video for the track. To accompany…
The Best Albums of 2012
Welcome to Pop Press International’s list of the best albums of 2012. There are a few things we have to confess to you before you read further. Let’s cut right to the chase….
New Track: “White Noise” – Black Books
Just in time for Christmas, we’ve been given an exquisite present: a new dark dream pop track called “White Noise” from Austin’s Black Books. We had an opportunity to see the band when…
Phosphorescent Announces New Album, Shares “Song for Zula”
I’ve been a Phosphorescent fan since I first heard “Salt and Blues,” the first track on their debut LP. It has been a great pleasure to watch the band change and evolve over…
New Track: “Jean’s Waving” – Amor de Dias
Merge Records artist Amor de Días has released a new single, entitled “Jean’s Waving” in advance of a forthcoming full-length, The House at Sea, which will see release on January 29, 2013. The laid back…
Track: “Ghosts Behind” – Phone Tag
Brooklyn’s Phone Tag dropped their self-titled LP on Dutty Artz in September to nearly unanimous if limited critical acclaim. We’re just now being turned onto the group that is fronted by Gryphon Graham…
New Track: “If We Were Banished” – Radar Brothers
Yesterday, Merge Records announced the release of a new Radar Brothers record, entitled Eight (it’s their 8th album), and also shared the first single, “If We Were Banished,” from the forthcoming LP. The track…
Mountain Goats Live at Emo’s
Oh, the cathartic joy of a Mountain Goats show. Let’s be honest—the Mountain Goats, whether recorded or live, simply aren’t for everyone. Highly literate, dark, comedic acoustic pop built on the most ferociously…
Show Preview: No Play Music New Year’s Eve at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Every time a big event day comes around (Fun Fun Fun and ACL weekends) or there’s an epic mini-festival of a tour kickoff or record release, it seems that the Sour Notes always…
New Track: “Swimsuit” – Cayucas
Recent Secretly Canadian signee Cayucas has released a second single entitled “Swimsuit.” We mentioned the track when we wrote about the band’s first single, “Cayucos.” This new single is every bit as infectious…
of Montreal and French Horn Rebellion Live at Mohawk
A live performance by of Montreal has come to be synonymous with visual spectacle, and the group’s performance at the Mohawk on Tuesday night furthered this association with outlandish stage antics and dramatic…
SXSW Announces Next Round of Bands!
Although Christmas is right around the corner, the music lover’s Christmas, South by Southwest is still a few months away. However, today we have been blessed with the glory of another announcemnt of…
Cave Singers Announce New Album, Share “Have to Pretend”
The Cave Singers have announced that they will release their new full-length, Naomi, on March 5 via Jagjaguwar. Members Pete Quirk, Derek Fudesco (Pretty Girls Make Graves, Murder City Devils), and Marty Lund…
New Track: “Empty Promises” – Cass McCombs
Formerly available as only a B-side from the “Bradley Manning” 7″ single, released on Domino earlier this year, “Empty Promises” has now been released for streaming. How does McCombs so excellently balance steady pop…
Album Review: Memory Tapes – Grace/Confusion
Memory Tapes, the recording project of Dayve Hawk, releases its third album, Grace/Confusion, today on Carpark Records. Hawk sharpens his skills even further on this album, effortlessly blending and moving between vastly divergent…
Sufjan Stevens Live at Emo’s Austin (Photos and Recap)
Employing the outrageousness of a confetti cannon, inflatable pink unicorns, tinsel trimmed boots, Christmas trees, a plethora of lights, Superman capes, and feathered headdresses draped in balloons, Sufjan Stevens and his backing band…
Win a Ticket to of Montreal at the Mohawk Tuesday with French Horn Rebellion
One of indie’s most respected acts is set to play the Mohawk this Tuesday. Of Montreal’s live show possesses a reputation that precedes it. Though no one can be sure exactly what the…
Video: Foxygen – “Shuggie”
Foxygen has released a new video for their song “Shuggie,” from the forthcoming full length We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, out January 22nd on Jagjaguwar. With each new…
Video: Flying Lotus – “Tiny Tortures”
Flying Lotus has released a cinematically stunning new video for their song “Tiny Tortures,” taken from their recent album Until the Quiet Comes. Starring Elijah Wood, the video begins with dark, brooding sounds that parallel…
New Track: Helado Nego – “Dance Ghost”
Helado Negro has released an initial glimpse at a full-length, Invisible Life, that is slated for release March 5th on the Asthmatic Kittiy imprint. The track, “Dance Ghost,” lives up to it’s name…
New Track: Shugo Tokumaru – “Decorate”
Shugo Tokumaru creates intricate Japanese pop with orchestral, idiosyncratic flourishes. “Decorate” befits the new track released from his album In Focus? more appropriately than one can imagine. Each new instrument emerges as a smile-inducing…
New Track from Parquet Courts – “Light Up Gold
Last month we posted a track from punk-influenced, power-pop outfit Parquet Courts. The group is promoting a new track: the streamlined and steady, one-minute pop tune “Light Up Gold II.” The title track…
Buke and Gase Release Album Details; Share Title Track
Post punk outfit Buke and Gase have announced that their forthcoming full-length will be entitled “General Dome” and will be released via Brassland Records on January 29th. The album art for the record…
Wild Belle Performs on Conan, Announces Album Release Date
Above you can watch Wild Belle perform album track “It’s Too Late” on CONAN last night. I’ve been impressed with Wild Belle’s lack of fear to spit out a slew of songs from…
Brooklyn’s Lazyeyes Shares New Track, Announces EP Details
Last month we wrote about Brooklyn’s Lazyeyes, who create reverb-laden, surfy dream-pop. One of the greatest pleasures of this job is receiving an email, personally, from a band you know nothing about and…
The Pharmacy Live at 29th St. Ballroom
After getting stuck in some unfortunate holiday traffic on my return from my hometown in East Texas, I made my way straight to the 29th St. Ballroom on Friday night to catch the…
Memory Tapes Shares “Replaced” Mix
Wednesday we wrote about a new mix posted by Davye Hawk, aka Memory Tapes. Shortly after that Hawk tweeted that the song had to be taken down, saying that it was “not [his]…
New Track: Chromatics – “Cherry”
As our friends over at Austin Town Hall point out, a new track by Chromatic dropped between Thanksgiving and the weekend. I know what you’re thinking, people were working between Thanksgiving and the…
The Pharmacy Shares Album Stream, Plays 29th St. Ballroom Friday
Seattle’s The Pharmacy creates high energy indie-rock with catchy guitars galore that always recalls much of the pop that came out of Athens in the late 90s. The group released an excellent new…
Memory Tapes Share Remix of B-sides and Unreleased Tracks + Errors Remix
Yesterday, Memory Tapes posted on their blog a nearly 30 minute montage of remixed B-sides, unreleased tracks, and clips from various releases. The cut, simply titled “Displaced mix” can be heard in its…
French Horn Rebellion Shares Love is Dangerous Remix, Tours with of Montreal
French Horn Rebellion has shared a new Chrome Canyon remixed version of the disco dance track “Love is Dangerous,” from their EP of the same name, which drops on December 11th. You can…
Album Review: The Babies – Our House on the Hill
The Babies, a collaboration between Woods bassist Kevin Morby and Vivian Girls guitarist Cassie Ramone, dropped their sophomore album, Our House on the Hill, last week on the Woodsist label. The effort feels…
Album Stream: Azita – Year
Although not entirely eschewing elements of punk such as distorted guitars, Azita’s new 8-song album Year, out today on Drag City, employs aspects more traditional and beautiful such as careful piano beneath gorgeous vocals….
Video: Night Moves – “Country Queen”
We wrote previously about Night Moves’ track “Country Queen” and reviewed the band’s recent show at Stubb’s. Now, we’ve been given a video for “Country Queen” from their album, Colored Emotions, out now…
New Track: “Be Still” – The Curious Mystery
If you know me, you know that lo-fi pop from K Records is basically what I live for. K is my favorite label, and I can’t speak highly enough of their commitment to…
Read About Foxing Quarterly’s Inaugural Issue and Win a Copy of Your Own
Foxing Quarterly, a new literary magazine from Austin, Texas, held the release party for its inaugural issue earlier this month at Domy Books. To celebrate the event, several of the magazine’s editors (including…
Moonface Shares New Video and Fan Letters
Though their album was released more than six months ago, Moonface has shared a new video for the song “Headed for the Door” from their full-length With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery. Like the song,…
New Track: “Neighborhood Watch” – Memory Tapes
“Neighborhood Watch” is the sprawling, divergent opener from Memory Tapes’ impending new album, Grace/Confusion out December 4th on Carpark Records. Dayve Hawk, the creative force behind Memory Tapes, has indicated that the title …
Video: Naomi Punk – “Voodoo Trust”
Naomi Punk are set to drop The Feeling on November 20th on Captured Tracks, and in anticipation of that release, they have given us a video for album track “Voodoo Trust.” A spooky…
Jens Lekman w/ Taken By Trees at the Mohawk
Jens Lekman is a born performer—hilariously witty as he sways and croons. After only one song, Lekman announced a surprise for the Austin crowd Tuesday at the Mohawk. “We’re going to play the…
Leonard Cohen Live at Bass Concert Hall
Leonard Cohen can be counted among a small, elite group of masters of songwriting. While luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Paul McCartney are still actively touring and creating albums, the…
New Track: “Know Til Now” – Jim James
Jim James is one of indie-rock’s most unpredictable and innovative songwriters, creating music that runs the gamut of musical genres or totally defies them all. James is set to release his newest album…
New Track: “Edie’s Dream” – SUUNS
Today Suuns shared the first cut from their second album, Images Du Futur, due out via Secretly Canadian on March 5, 2013. Simple snare taps, sparse guitar notes, and ethereal vocals comprise the structure of “Edie’s Dream.” Through its…
Video: Beach House – “Wild”
In a way, I’ve been waiting for this for months. “Wild” is my favorite track from what I consider to be a serious contender for the year’s best album, Beach House’s Bloom. The…
New Track: “Rooftop” – Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
Like many musicians, Aly Spaltro, aka Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, cultivated her talent working a job at a video store, steeling away in the late night hours to work on songs. The efforts will…
Video: Wild Belle – “Keep You”
Wild Belle’s new video explores themes of maturity and relationships as the band’s Natalie Bergman struggles domestically with her little man, who seeks other waters before returning to the comforts of his home. Directed…
Fun Fun Fun Day Three with Black Angels, Givers, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Despite total weariness weighing down the human body and the utter desire for rest, the final day of an epically awesome festival always feels a little sad. Sunday of Fun Fun Fun Fest…
SXSW Announces Initial Wave of Performing Artists
It seems like it’s earlier every year that bands are announced for SXSW. But we’re only a few weeks from the massive volunteer calls that follow the holiday season and from there it’s…
Video: King Tuff – “Keep on Movin'”
King Tuff’s new video, filmed in 3D, resembles the garage rock he creates: simple yet highly entertaining. The video for “Keep on Movin’” features folks doing just that–moving and grooving to the sounds…
Win Tickets to Jens Lekman and Taken by Trees at Mohawk!
Talk about a show we’re looking forward to: smooth-singing Swedish crooner Jens Lekman supported by conceptual chanteuse Victoria Bergsman as Taken by Trees. Warning: editorial comments ahead. I’ve loved Jens Lekman since the…
Fun Fun Fun Day Two with Why?, Surfer Blood, and Girl Talk
The second day of Fun Fun Fun Fest brought beautiful weather that turned even nicer as the sun began to set. The day’s lineup presented the fewest number of artists I was excited…
Fun Fun Fun Day One with Cursive, Santigold, and… Val Kilmer?
If Fun Fun Fun Fest were incarnated as a human being, your new punk-rock friend would definitely have knuckles proudly tattooed: STRT CRED. Fun Fun Fun Fest has carved a name for itself…
Photo Pop 2012 Showcases Talent of Local Music Photojournalists
This Friday, an event at Red 7 will pay tribute to and exhibit the hard work of some of Ausin’s most important fixtures in the independent music community. No, I’m not talking about bands,…
Kung fu and Vegetarianism: Talking with RZA
RZA can’t be categorized. This is immediately obvious as I begin talking to him to discuss his directorial debut, The Man with the Iron Fists. To call him a rapper vastly understates the…
Divine Fits Halloween Show at Stubb’s
Britt Daniel and Dan Boeckner have something special with Divine Fits. The pair, along with Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks have formed an indie supergroup that’s rapidly gaining notoriety. As postively as their debut…
Laarks Releases Video in Advance of New LP
It has been almost two years exactly since Eau Claire, Wisconsin’s Laarks released their debut LP Exaltation of Laarks on Absolutely Kosher. As they lead up to releasing their impending sophomore album Fiat…
Trailer Released for Charles Atlas Film with Antony
Songwriter Antony and filmmaker Charles Atlas have released a trailer for their upcoming film Turning. The film tells the story of a series of women whose gender and sexuality is difficult to define,…
Video: Tamaryn – “The Garden”
Huge, clanging guitars announce the onset of “The Garden,” as rapid pulses of color flash on the screen. A vibrant, overexposed barrage of lo-fi clips skipping frenetically from one to the next create…
New Track: “Clear Lake Strangler” – TV Torso
“Clear Lake Strangler,” the new track from Austin’s TV Torso takes my breath away. How do they get that much sound into the mix? The acoustic strumming and distorted electric guitars are perfectly…
Hardly Sound Shares Preview and Clip of Third Episode with Royal Forest
If we were betting men, we’d say you’re already an avid, attentive fan of Hardly Sound. Why wouldn’t you be? The series is beautifully shot, artful and nuanced, created by two of Austin’s…
Video: Lost Animal – “Say No to Thugs”
Just in time for Halloween, in their debut video for upcoming album track “Say No to Thugs,” Lost Animal tells the story of a boy trying to dispose of a body, only to…
Jagjaguwar Releases Soundtrack for The Comedy
Jagjaguwar has released the official soundtrack for Rick Alverson’s new film The Comedy, which stars Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show) through iTunes, and it will be available through other digital retailers…
Win Tickets to See Belaire Perform Horror Film Scores Halloween Night
There are, expectedly, a million shows booked for tomorrow night. However, none so unique and promising as this one. Belaire will perform horror film scores from the 1970s alongside live projections at the…
New Track: “Electric (DJ Japanster Remix)” – TEEN
Carpark recording artists TEEN have released a remix of their song “Electric,” reinvented by NYC’s DJ Japanster. Though the band’s album In Limbo, released August 28th, includes plenty of dark, synthy pop, the…
Final Day to win Tickets to Divine Fits Halloween Night
Today is the day! At the end of the evening, we will choose a winner for two tickets to see Divine Fits on Halloween night at Stubb’s. Some of you followed the directions…
Win Tickets to a Screening of Energy Documentary Switch
In case you missed our post on Friday, a documentary film about energy called Switch will be screening in Austin all this week thanks to the efforts of Arcos Films, which includes our…
Show Preview: Dana Falconberry w/ Sour Notes, JC & Co, and Bobby Jealousy
Saturday. November 3rd. Blackheart. FREE! Some complimentary beverages for the first 100 people courtesy of Dripping Springs Vodka. Go. We’ll be honest. We’re a sponsor for this show. However, you should know that it…
Arcos Films Screens Energy Doc Switch in Austin this Week
I’ve always been impressed by the guys behind the scenes. Joe Brashears made a documentary feature about Mount Everest. He climbed the world’s tallest peak with 40 lb. IMAX cameras, but he’s nowhere…
Video: Husky – “Tidal Wave”
This is the kind of video that wins awards. As a backdrop for Husky’s subtle, folk-tinged song “Tidal Wave,” Celeste Porter has created a beautiful and captivating world filled with creatures of stylized…
Tracks: “Borrowed Time” – Parquet Courts
The first lyrics on Parquet Courts’ track “Borrowed Time” from their recently released LP Light Up Gold ring incredibly true: “I was feelin’ nostalgic…” With their upbeat guitar hook and quick snare fills the band…
Sharon Van Etten Shares New Demo Track from Deluxe Edition of Tramp
Songstress Sharon Van Etten released her newest album Tramp in February to wide acclaim. Now, she has prepped a deluxe edition of the album that will include demo versions of each album track…
Video Montage from All Tamara’s Parties 2.0 w/ The Sour Notes, Deep Time, and The Bad Lovers
Jared Boulanger, lead singer for the Sour Notes is easy to spot at a show. He’s the guy down with the flip video camera, making sure that he has some shots of each…
All Tamara’s Parties 2.0 Lights the Way for Indpendent Shows
Most people who know me can tell you that K Records and Calvin Johnson act as pillars of my philosophy of how the music industry should work. The first time I interviewed Johnson,…
New Tracks and Video: Cayucas – “Cayucos” and “Swimsuit”
The sounds of the beach have longstanding traditions in pop music, most famously created by the Beach Boys. Since then, and increasingly in recent trends, bands have sought to establish fun-loving, beach party…
Sufjan Stevens Releases New Christmas Album, Plays Emo’s December 1st
Having already released a five EP set of Christmas songs several years ago, Sufjan Stevens is up to it again, this time releasing volumes 6-10 of the Songs for Christmas series. It seems this…
Video: U.S. Girls – “North on 45”
U.S. Girls are set to release their album GEM next Tuesday on Fatcat. This week, in anticipation of the release, the group has given us a video for album track “North on 45.” Directed and…
Video: La Sera – “Break My Heart”
What’s more essential to pop than a breakup song? After attempting to destroy photos of a former love interest, the scissors rebel against La Sera’s Katy Goodman before the maps, posters, notebooks, and…
Video: Wild Belle – “Backslider”
Families collaborating has a long tradition in the music industry. So, it’s awesome to see that on top of sibling duo Wild Belle making a great pop song together, they recruited younger brother…
Video: Matmos – “Large Green Triangles”
If you listened to “Large Green Triangles,” the newest song released by avant-garde, orchestral pop artists Matmos, you might not know that the sharp swells and trancelike vocal samples tell the story of…
Jack White Austin City Limits Taping
As Jack White’s career has steadily transitioned from unknown to indie hero to cultural superstar, he’s had the opportunity to collaborate with Loretta Lynn, share the stage with Lou Reed, and has seen…
Father John Misty at the Parish
Father John Misty has played Austin quite a bit since Josh Tillman formed the recording alias and began working on songs. After a show last SXSW, he was back shortly after at the…
Dana Falconberry Album Release Show
If angels exist they sound like Dana Falconberry. Angelic is an adjective probably too often ascribed to musicians, particularly those of the female persuasion. However, I make the comparison pointedly, because Falconberry sings…
Show Preview: All Tamara’s Parties 2.0 Saturday at Cheer Up Charlie’s
I’ve had some awesome experiences at ACL. Bob Dylan said “the answer is blowin’ in the wind.” Well, at ACL, so is the music sometimes. If you’re looking to avoid the sound difficulties,…
Video: The Mountain Goats – “Cry for Judas”
John Darnielle weaves emotionally complex, vivid scenes in short, rapid fragments of beautiful lyricism. So, it makes sense that the same discriptors could be applied to the Mountain Goats’ new Carlo Mirabella-Davis directed video…
