Big Bill Played the First and Best SXSW Show We Saw
The day before SXSW 2016 began, I wrote, “I can’t think of another current Austin band more iconic or resonant,” regarding weirdo punk rockers Big Bill. The band evidenced their vitality the next day…
9 Personal Picks for SXSW 2016
Undoubtedly, a SXSW preview list of artists will be driven to some extent by the writer’s own interest. However, it’s hard to imagine that aspects like press agents’ persistence, buzz surrounding an artist,…
Hear Weird Punk Heroes Big Bill’s Latest: “Weird Walk” & “Mainly Manly”
Big Bill represents everything punk should be. Sure, you’ll find drums played at breakneck speed, distorted guitars, and sneering vocals, but that’s not what I mean. Big Bill’s songs and performances push against…
Iggy Pop and Josh Homme Set for Legendary ACL Taping
To cap their 41st season and launch their 42nd, Austin City Limits will host a taping on Tuesday, March 15th featuring a special collaboration of two music legends: Iggy Pop and Queens of the…
Premiere: Epic Dream Pop Track “Teenage Crime Wave” by Pageantry
Denton, TX dream pop band Pageantry have been honorary members of the Austin music community for a number of years now, as they often make the trek south to perform in the city’s numerous…
Protomartyr Triumphs at Sidewinder, Returns for SXSW
A week ago, lauded post-punk outfit Protomartyr performed at The Sidewinder, an Austin venue still in its infancy. The event marked the first sold-out show I’ve seen in the space, since Red Eyed…
FPSF Announces 2016 Lineup with Headliners Deadmau5, Modest Mouse, The National
We’re firm believers that Houston doesn’t get the recognition it deserves when it comes to its cultural offerings. One staple of the city’s music scene is Free Press Summer Festival, held each year…
Show Preview: Stacked Bill of Local Acts at Cheer Up Charlies Tonight (ATX)
Our privileged Austin experience means that a stacked bill of outstanding local acts constitutes almost every weekend at Cheer Up Charlies, or any number of our Red River district live music venues. Still,…
Upcoming: Protomartyr Brings Post-Punk to Sidewinder (ATX)
This Friday, post punk outfit Protomartyr brings their live show to The Sidewinder, touring behind their newest effort, The Agent Intellect, out now on Hardly Art. While the band has the ability to dissolve…
Radiation City Plays Sidewinder Tomorrow, Touring Behind Synesthetica
The Pacific Northwest continues to produce noteworthy and compelling music. Portland-based band Radiation City’s newest effort, Synesthetica, out now on Polyvinyl, offers another prime example in support of that assertion. The band’s last album, Animals in the…
Ty Segall Emotionally Mugs Mohawk: Live Review
I can’t tell you who said it first, but articles comparing Ty Segall’s latest artistic development to the combined influence of David Bowie and Iggy Pop abound as of late. When everyone’s saying the same…
Track Premiere & Interview: The Loch Ness Mouse – “Warm Circuitry”
The Loch Ness Mouse has been making delightful indie pop for over two decades. But it wouldn’t be surprising if you haven’t heard of them — the band hails from Oslo, Norway, and…
Siren Sound Temple Lures Listeners with Reverb, Rhymes, and Rock n Roll
For its 2nd annual event, Nine Mile Records’ Siren Sound Temple put together an incredible and diverse bill of artists hosted by one of Austin’s newest venues, Barracuda. Although we arrived later than we…
Siren Sound Temple Offers Rock n Roll Holiness to Congregants Saturday Night
It seems insane that the first Siren Sound Temple happened a year ago. The epic event that features an extensive bill of local bands and emphasizes female musicians and artists returns for its…
Converse Rubber Tracks Offers Bands Free Studio Time, Britt Daniel Mentorship at SXSW
At last year’s SXSW, we took an opportunity to drop by Converse Rubber Tracks’ pop-up studio in East Austin. Frankly, the program was so incredible it seemed almost too good to be true….
Fresh Hip-Hop from Tron & DVD: “Magma”
Rapping about everything from the Vice President to Darth Vader and rhyming “fallacy” with “audacity,” duo Tron & DVD deliver a new track filled with literate lyricism that finds the intersection of comic book nerds and…
Dig Two New Tracks from Genuine Leather
If you, like me, expect a band called Genuine Leather to be a punk band or maybe a dark alt-rock band, you’d be wrong. Maybe country is your second guess — you know,…
Ty Segall & The Muggers Make Plans to Wreck Mohawk Friday, February 19th
You either have your tickets or you don’t. And if you have your tickets for Ty Segall’s sold out show at the Mohawk this Friday, there’s no doubt you’re already planning to be…
Bully and Diet Cig Shred at The Parish: Live Review
It has been a little over a week since Bully and Diet Cig careened through Austin to issue blistering sets of garage rock on the Parish, and the mere memory of the show…
Julia Lucille’s Tape Release at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
Last Friday at Cheer Up Charlies, songstress Julia Lucille performed in celebration of her new cassette, The Bedroom Tapes Volume One, which features songs she has written periodically on the occasion of each…
Cross Record, Adam Torres, Nadia Play Spellbinding Sets at Mohawk
Cross Record’s album release event at Mohawk on Saturday night emerged as a transfixing and indelible moment in music. Years after musicians have become legends, people muse about what it might have been…
Live Review: Shearwater’s World Tour Kickoff Show at ND in Austin
Long-time Shearwater fans rejoice: a new album recently arrived via Sub Pop, and the group’s hometown show at the ND last Wednesday, kicked off a tour that will make stops in the U.S., Europe,…
Show Preview: Unknown Mortal Orchestra Plays Emo’s Sunday February 7th
Touring behind a new LP, Multi-Love, psych rock outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra has just gotten underway on a massive North American jaunt that will traverse the U.S. and make stops at festivals like Coachella, Shakey…
Track Premiere: Kodachrome Shares Song from Gritty Western Film Soundtrack
Austin psych-pop band Kodachrome, under the guidance of band leader John Constant, has recorded the soundtrack for an upcoming gritty western film, Kill or Be Killed, and we’re proud to premiere one track from said…
Hear Jennifer O’Connor’s Buzzing Pop Track “It’s a Lie”
A decade ago, Jennifer O’Connor released a wonderful collection of indie pop songs called Over the Mountain, Across the Valley and Back to the Stars on Matador Records. The next year, I saw her…
Julia Lucille Shares Bedroom Recordings Inspired by the New Moon
Last summer, songwriter Julia Lucille moved into an Airstream trailer in the woods for a few months after a breakup. There, Lucille began to write and record sparse bedroom songs each new moon as a way of…
Hear Ghostly Experimental Rock from The Renderers
Eerie, moaning strings and gently squealing guitar feedback serves as the backbone for “Seaworthy,” a track culled from New Zealand band The Renderers upcoming LP, In the Sodium Light. Due out via Ba Da…
Shearwater Launches World Tour at North Door Wednesday February 3rd
For more than a decade now, Shearwater has been a band dear to my heart. I moved to Austin near their origin and had the privilege of watching them evolve into one of the…
Show Preview: Garage Pop Band Bully Plays Parish Thursday Feb. 4th
More than six months after the release of their debut Feels Like, Nashville based band Bully are still riding the wave of success generated by their premier LP. With Alicia Bognanno, who not only writes…
Watch Technicolor Hearts’ Epic Video for “Dream Jar”
Upon first watching Technicolor Hearts’ new video for their song “Dream Jar,” I was struck by how many different settings and landscapes the video incorporates. From a backdrop of vibrant hot air balloons,…
Hear Sullen, Breezy Pop Track from L.A.’s Amber Quintero
It has been over two years since we shared a track from L.A. pop band and Stones Throw artist Boardwalk, but we welcomed a recent update from band member Amber Quintero who has…
Boone Graham Promises to “Never Give Up”
Those familiar with Austin songwriter Boone Graham know him for earnest and quirky acoustic pop songs akin to Kimya Dawson or Paul Baribeau. Both musically and lyrically, Graham’s songs evoke universal connectedness through simplicity…
Day for Night Festival’s Inaugural Event in Two Weeks
In two weeks’ time, Day for Night Festival will take place in Houston, TX on December 19 & 20, featuring headliners such as Kendrick Lamar, New Order, Philip Glass Ensemble, and Death Grips…
Lomelda Celebrates Forever Tonight at Cheer Up Charlies
Warm and intimate, Waco-based band Lomelda’s debut album Forever feels familiar on the first listen. Rest assured, the arrangements are fresh: dexterous, syncopated rhythms and multi-tracked vocals meander through mellow grooves and build to…
Track Premiere: Dana Falconberry + Some Say Leland Split 7-inch
Austin stalwarts Some Say Leland and Dana Falconberry have recorded a split 7-inch, entitled After, to be jointly released by Annie Street Arts Collective and Punctum Records. They’ll celebrate with a show tomorrow night…
Converse Rubber Tracks Presents Stephen Malkmus and Mirror Travel Saturday at the Parish
A few months ago, during SXSW, I wrote an article about the work that Converse Rubber Tracks has done around supporting local musicians and conscientiously providing resources that actually benefit artists. I was…
Track Premiere: SUPERMOON “Emily (Knot My Nets)” and B-side “Hitchhiker”
You may recognize SUPERMOON front man Paul Banks’ name from his work with his backing band The Carousels. Together, Paul Banks and The Carousels created folk rock songs with occasionally theatrical flairs. Following…
Daniel Johnston Represents Everything Great About Austin
Saturday night, mainstay Austin venue The Mohawk hosted one of the city’s most legendary musicians, Daniel Johnston. Johnston sounded better than I’ve heard him sound in years–more present and less flustered. Undoubtedly, the songwriter…
Light in the Attic to Reissue Five Françoise Hardy Albums
Étre tranquille mon cœur! Er, be still my heart! Got carried away there, as I’m ecstatic that purveyors of all things cool and archival, Light in the Attic Records, will reissue five classic…
Premiere: Crocodile’s Subtly Surreal Video for “My Little Girl”
Wavering, surfy guitars ring out over frontman Gianni Sarmiento’s distorted vocals in this infectious little noise pop song from Crocodile. A broken lightbulb, a wooden robot, cacti, and of course a crocodile make…
Hannah Lew Goes Synth Pop on Cold Beat’s “Spirals”
San Francisco musician Hanna Lew has created punk-leaning garage pop first with the band Grass Widow and later with Cold Beat. Today, she debuted a dark pop track, “Spirals,” which centers on her airy vocals…
Track Premiere: “Pulled Over” – Generifus
Steady drums and an undulating guitar whine define the lead track on Olympia, Washington band Generifus’ forthcoming (and sixth) full-length, Extra Bad, which was recorded at the legendary Dub Narcotic Studio. The introduction…
Juan Wauters’ Quirky Party Vibes at Mohawk: Live Review
Juan Wauters is a special kind of performer and songwriter. “Outsider music” a friend called his sound as we discussed Wauters’ set between songs Saturday night at the Mohawk. I’m buying it, but…
Anacortes’ Annual Music Event Set for This Weekend
Anacortes, WA is a magical place. And if you’re the sort of person that delights in an intimate musical experience unfettered by the commercial onslaught of modern day festivals or even your city’s…
Watch Reservations’ Claymation Space Work Camp Video for “Planet”
The lead single for Reservations’ upcoming album Taking Time is outstanding — ghostly vocals float on thick, buzzing synths and reverb-soaked drums. To accompany the track, the band has released a claymation video depicting…
Interview: The Weather Station’s Tamara Lindeman Talks Landscapes External and Internal
Before I saw The Weather Station last month in Austin, I had been listening to the band’s newest album, Loyalty, on repeat for weeks. The Weather Station is the project of Tamara Lindeman,…
Stream Nap Eyes’ New LP for Paradise of Bachelors Ahead of Release
I’m impressed with the great work North Carolina-based label Paradise of Bachelors has been churning out recently, including the much-lauded new LP from The Weather Station. This Friday, the label will release a full-length…
Stream Hazy Summer Folk Jam “To the Marshes” from Tedo Stone
Tedo Stone’s “To the Marshes” has the big, buzzing production of an epic summer jam like Tom Petty’s more upbeat tunes or Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” cut with the distorted chords of…
Visually Captivating: Cross Record at Radio (Live Review)
Some bands I write about so frequently and like so much that soon I feel I’ve run out of ways to articulate the truly incredible nature of their songs and shows. Such is the case with…
Dig Strange Boy Ryan Sambol’s “Dinner Where I’m Staying”
The Strange Boys were great, and the band created some compelling music, especially considering the incredibly young age of these prodigious musicians. Despite our collective sadness that the Strange Boy’s have come and gone,…
Velo Releases Spring Installment of Their Four-part Album
We reported a few months ago about Austin band Velo’s debut EP. Now, the band has shared the second installment of what will be a four-part release constituting an album’s worth of material…
The Weather Station Braves Hurricane for Brilliant Austin Show
Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration — the hurricane bit, not the fact that Tamara Lindeman (aka The Weather Station) performed a stunning set of songs at The Parish on Tuesday night. The hurricane…
The Sonics Prove They’ve Still Got It: Live Review
The Sonics are not a reunion band. Yes, since 2007 they’ve been periodically reunited for tours. And yes, they recently released their first album of new original material in 49 years. But the…
Rising Folk Stars The Weather Station Plays Parish Tonight
Frequently, modern indie folk bands receive praise for taking listeners back to a lost era. Some of the most popular bands in the genre have become so merely by approximating the aesthetics of…
Photo Gallery: Our Best Photos from FPSF 2015
Yesterday, we brought you our weekend highlights from the outstanding 2015 installation of Houston’s FPSF. Check out a gallery of our favorite photos from the weekend below. All photographs © Bryan C. Parker…
Hometown Pride and Festival Highlights at FPSF 2015
As soon as I glimpsed the FPSF 2015 lineup, I couldn’t wait for the festival to arrive. Over the years, FPSF has continued and furthered their commitment to two important categories of bands:…
Other Lives Bring Brooding Pop to Mohawk Tomorrow Night
Stillwater, Oklahoma band Other Lives arrive in Austin tomorrow night for a show at Mohawk. The group’s sound shatters any stereotypes you might hold about a band from a place called Stillwater in Oklahoma,…
Courtney Barnett’s Claim to the Throne: ACL Taping Review
Australia’s Courtney Barnett sits poised to become the queen of indie rock. As Austin City Limits’ Terry Lickona noted last night before Barnett took the stage: it’s rare for artists to perform on…
Wicker Makes Debut with “Blue and Green”
The first time I saw Lauren Burton, she was onstage with punk outfit A Giant Dog, totally losing her shit and screaming along with Sabrina Ellis. The debut of her new project Wicker…
Julia Lucille’s Emergent Performance at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
Over the past half year or so, I’ve seen Julia Lucille perform a handful of times. She always delivers haunting, ethereal performances that hinge on her floating vocal delivery and ghostly guitar picking….
Five Shows to See in June
The summer is upon us, and we have a list of five shows in June that you should not miss. Incredibly, none of these shows are sold out, but they should be, and there’s a…
Hear New Track “Cherry Picking” from Duo Girlpool
I caught Girlpool at this year’s Fader Fort during SXSW and was convinced by the duo’s plodding, simple, pop that blends elements of late 90’s punk with the aesthetic of lo-fi acoustic pop. “Cherry Picking,” the…
Abram Shook Welcomes Us to his Landscape Dream
Abram Shook’s last album, Sun Marquee, released last January, succeeded as one of the year’s best, in Austin or otherwise. The record employed bright, major-key guitar noodling, brilliantly syncopated rhythms, and Shook’s smooth croon….
Reasons We’re Starting Our Summer with FPSF Again
To be honest, you had me at Future Islands, FPSF. I can’t figure out why other texas festivals haven’t booked the band, who have garnered spots on major festivals across the country. Future…
Two Breathtaking Nights with Sufjan Stevens at Bass Concert Hall
Sufjan Stevens has always written songs dense with mythological and personal points of reference; emotions and sentiments bubble perceptibly on the surface, but truly understanding them takes consideration and scrutiny. While this remains so on…
Stephin Merritt Brought Humor and Love to Central Presbyterian Church: Live Review
The Magnetic Fields’ primary creative force, Stephin Merritt, brought his theatrical songs to Central Presbyterian Church on Wednesday night for a conceptual performance. Merritt was accompanied by cellist Sam Doval, another member of Merritt’s…
Why Levitation (Née Psych Fest) Deserves Your Attention
This weekend, Levitation (originally dubbed Austin Psych Fest) will take over Carson Creek Ranch for a three-day festival of some of psych rock’s most lauded bands from up-and-coming must-see acts like Fat White…
Photo Gallery: Levitation Presents Whirr, Holy Wave, Moving Panoramas, and More
Peruse these photos taken April 18th at Mohawk for this Levitation-sponsored bill featuring Whirr, Holy Wave, Moving Panoramas, Pollen, Tele Novella, and more. All photos © Pop Press International & Bryan C. Parker…
Unlocking the Spirit: Father John Misty Live at Stubb’s
Who knew the wonders of the human spirit that would be unleashed by a months-long psychedelics binge outside of L.A.? After Josh Tillman left behind a lengthy series of somber, experimental folk songs…
Adam Torres Gives Old Songs New Life at Cactus Café
For his show last Thursday at the Cactus Café on the University of Texas campus, songwriter Adam Torres revived a number of older tunes to celebrate the re-release of his underground gem Nostra…
Watch Austin Psych Rockers Tamarron’s New Video “68”
Successive waves of swelling reverb wash across the aural plane of Tamarron’s new track “68,” which is taken from a live studio session. Undulating guitar chords build to buzzing guitar solos and plodding…
Girls to the Stage: Sleater-Kinney Live at Stubb’s
Sleater-Kinney’s incredible performance at ACL’s Moody Theater proved to be only a warmup for the energy they brought to Stubbs’ outdoor stage last Friday night. Rain nor hail nor gloom of night (seriously, it…
Jon and Josiah of Head and the Heart Tonight at Radio Coffee
A quiet buzz has surrounded the fact that lauded folk rock band The Head and the Heart’s members Jonathan Russell and Josiah Johnson will make an appearance tonight at South Austin hangout Radio…
Epic Bill with Whirr, Christian Bland, Moving Panoramas, and Cross Record Saturday at Mohawk
On several recent occasions, Mohawk has made good use of their indoor and outdoor spaces with cohesive bills of like-minded bands occupying both stages throughout the evening. Promoter Marcus Lawyer teamed up with…
Sleater-Kinney’s ACL Taping Melted My Face and Warmed My Heart
Sleaker-Kinney’s performance for their ACL taping (and live stream) last night was unlike any other I’ve seen in the history of the revered television program. One of music’s most appealing qualities lies in…
Pop Press International Sponsors Austin Sketch Smash Thursday Night
Music may be our first love, but we’ve been proud to run several satire posts via our contributor Karen Early’s recurring column Early to the Party, right here on Pop Press International. Dipping our…
Sleater-Kinney Brings Riot Grrrl Legacy to Austin for Two Shows This Week
As proud as I feel that Carrie Brownstein pursued (another) one of her passions and, along with Fred Armisen, created a hit comedy show, I have to force myself not to cringe every time I…
The War on Drugs Mesmerizes at ACL Taping
In recent seasons, Austin City Limits has continued to widen the appeal of their programming by reaching out to a variety of audiences. While roots and folk music still seem to dominate the…
A Pilgrimage West to Marfa Myths
Bent against the flow of the entire universe descending upon Texas’ capital for the inception of the nation’s largest film and music festival, I drove my car head-on into the sun with two…
Video Premiere: Young Tongue – “Heavy Metal Thunder”
Skateboarders can only land tricks during the choruses of Young Tongue’s “Heavy Metal Thunder,” or so their new video for the song would have you believe. The black-and-white video features footage of each…
Chill Phases of the Heart
This year marked the second iteration of a March gathering dubbed Chill Phases that occurs at the end of SXSW on a Sunday, the only day of the week appropriate for the mellow,…
Hotel Vegas Dominates SXSW with Impeccable Lineups
Despite the unmistakable sign of large budgets behind events at the Fader Fort, Hype Hotel, Pitchfork day parties, SPIN party, and Flood Fest (who all threw appropriately outstanding events with those budgets), underground hero…
Partying with Fader, SPIN, and Hype Machine at SXSW
SXSW has garnered a reputation as the largest music industry party in the country. Of the innumerable shows, events, and gatherings that happen over the course of the festival’s ten days, the annual parties…
The Ceremonial Torch of SXSW’s Inaugural Night of Music
Last week, a scan of a SXSW ad from 1989 (the festival’s third year in existence) popped up on my Facebook timeline. The ad boasted over two dozen venues and more than a hundred…
Converse Rubber Tracks Studio Hosts Local Musicians at SXSW
In 2003, two years after I moved to Austin, when SXSW was a much smaller affair and Emo’s still occupied real estate on Red River, a Seattle based indie label called Barsuk held…
In the Studio with Must-see SXSW Artist Yonatan Gat
If you could see only one band at SXSW, Yonatan Gat should be a strong candidate. You don’t have to take our word for it; the New York Times, Vice, and many others agree, even…
Finding That Sweet Spirit
Throughout Marvin Gaye’s young life, even into his adulthood, he endured constant physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father. The encouragement of his mother kept him going and pushed him…
Velo Shares Atmospheric Pop Show Ahead of EP Release Show Saturday
Saturday night at Empire Control Room, Velo celebrates the release of their first EP. While little information exists about the young Austin band, we’ve been treated today to a listen of a track…
Marfa Myths Festival Plans Legendary Weekend March 13-15
As adventurous Texans, we’ve been Marfa fans for some time, from personal vacations to clear our cluttered minds and experience one of modern art’s precious treasures to valuing the town’s burgeoning contributions to…
iji Preps Whatever Will Happen for Release on Team Love
Seattle indie pop band iji has announced that their new album Whatever Will Happen will see release via Team Love Records on June 2nd. Few details have emerged, but the band’s past endeavors and the…
Attendance Records Teaches Students to See The World, Differently
Non-profit organization Attendance Records is prepared to release their new album–The World, Differently–composed of material culled from a collaboration with high school students and some accomplished Austin musicians. They will celebrate the release with a…
Towers of Youth: Celebrating Life with Raw Paw
When Raw Paw takes over a venue, they take over a venue. The upstart arts collective utilizes every inch of available space, filling it with vibrant art installations and playful games. Last time it was…
Watch Colleen Green’s New Video for “TV”
In her wry new video for “TV,” Seattle garage pop purveyor Colleen Green gives us several DIY versions of television’s most time-honored show formats. Who could forget 2 Girls and a Doug, The Accumulators, or…
Grooves Galore at Cheer Up Charlie’s with Taft & Sweet Spirit
I liked Taft before Thursday night, but the group’s performance at Cheer Up Cahrlie’s last week exhibited new levels of vitality. From the first time I saw Taft, I always felt the band, guided by…
Five Tracks We’re Digging Right Now: Rose Windows, Joanna Gruesome, and more
It’s been a while since we’ve let you know what new tracks we’re digging as of late, so here’s five that range from rockin’ to soulful to downright delicate. Listen on, dear reader….
Pop Press INTL. & Heˆrd Present: Velo EP Release Party at Empire Control Room
We admit that we may not know what we’re getting into. But, hey, isn’t exploring the unexplored what underground music is all about? Velo is a brand new band from Austin creating art work…
Sufjan Stevens Shares “No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross” from new LP
I’m always a little impressed when the internet so rapidly comments upon a song that has just been released. Of course, many of us know what we like when we hear it, but I…
Taft Celebrates Groove Redundant Tonight at Cheer Up Charlie’s
On Tuesday, Austin upstart Punctum Records furthered their incredible and expansive catalog by releasing the debut LP from glam rock revivalist band Taft. The show tonight promises enjoyment, with a supporting cast of Sweet…
Knifight Bathed Cheer Up Charlies with Waves of Dark Pop: Live Review
Many of argued the importance and influence of both New Order and Joy Division on contemporary independent music. Friday night at Cheer Up Charlie’s provided some undeniable evidence as the venue showcased two…
Album Review: Mount Eerie – Sauna: Pop Press Pick
Phil Elverum is the James Joyce of Anacortes, Washington. Although any one of his works may not equate to the singular force of Ulysses, his cohesive and monolithic body of work as a…
