Watch First Trailer for Elliott Smith Documentary
The music of Elliott Smith has touched the lives of so many people that it only makes sense that we would continue to remember his legacy long after his life ended. The past few…
Mother Falcon to Release First-Ever Vinyl Through Punctum Records
Two weeks ago, Punctum Records announced that they would soon reveal the details for a forthcoming release from celebrated chamber pop ensemble Mother Falcon. Well, that day has come, and audio purists can…
Chance the Rapper Releases Mellow New Track “I Am Very Very Lonely”
Since the release of his excellent and acclaimed album Acid Rap, rising hip-hop hero Chance the Rapper has slowly released a few tracks, the latest of which, “I Am Very Very Lonely,” dropped yesterday….
Austin Psych Fest Preview: Interview with Medicine
Noise rock band Medicine served as an important force in the American independent rock scene in the 90s, creating austere, imposing rock music akin to lauded band My Bloody Valentine. The group returned…
Tele Novella Shares “Coat-Tail Rider” Video
We wrote previously about this new track from Austin indie pop band Tele Novella, and now the group has released a Jack Fleischer directed video for the song. “Coat-Tail Rider” stars band members…
Mirror Travel Shares Video for “Mexico,” Plays Psych Fest Saturday
Okay so we have a mega crush on Mirror Travel. We put them on our list of 11 bands you should see at Austin Psych Fest, happening this weekend, and we’ve written about…
FPSF Announces Lineup Additions Including Twin Shadow & Houston Rap Supergroup
Yesterday, we brought you our heartfelt list of why we love FPSF. No one should need another reason to attend such a great festival, but FPSF is giving you one anyway. Recently, the…
New Track: Grand Cousin – “Oxygen”
Grand Cousin creates flowing pop rooted in frontman Henry Hall’s smooth vocals, which are bolstered by wavering guitars and rolling percussion. The group shares some sensibilities with Grizzly bear or early Midlake (remember…
UK Psych Pop Band Toy Shares New Video, Plays Psych Fest
UK Psych pop outfit Toy has shared a new video to correspond with their US tour, which includes a date at Austin Psych Fest this weekend. The band plays the Levitation Tent at…
Album Review: RF Shannon – Hunting Songs (Pop Press Pick)
RF Shannon must’ve been born at some pre-dawn hour—those long, slow hours where minutes tick away like lingering drips from a leaky faucet. The Texas air is thick and humid. The roar of…
Punctum Records Announces Lost Weekend in NYC
We’ve been praising the work Punctum Records has been doing since their inception. Although they have worked extensively with Austin artists, the label’s origins tie back to the Punctum Books imprint, rooted in Brooklyn. During…
Five Reasons to Kick-off Your Summer with FPSF
– 1. The Lineup Year after year, I’m impressed by FPSF’s lineup. This festival, along with Austin Psych Fest and Fun Fun Fun Fest, possess some of the remaining shreds of authenticity in…
11 Bands You Should See At Austin Psych Fest
This baby goes to 11. I think we’ve made that joke before, but with a festival as high-energy as Austin Psych Fest is sure to be, the reference seems apt. Austin Psych Fest…
Beck ACL Taping: Live Review
Since an Austin City Limits Taping becomes a permanent document as a television episode that eventually will be released on a DVD, I assumed that Beck’s set last night would be a greatest…
Album Review: WOODS – With Light and With Love
Last year’s Bend Beyond was great without qualification. Still, that album can now be seen as a clear forerunner, a first run at a stylistic range, for WOODS’ new album With Light and…
Cloud Nothings and The Men Destroy Mohawk: Live Review
Pop Press International talked about this show quite a bit leading up to it, and have been proclaiming the greatness of both Cloud Nothings and The Men for a good while. The Men’s…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Launches Guess the Fest!
Fun Fun Fun Fest is our favorite festival, hands down. These guys always do it right, and we’re already pumped for what they have in store for 2014. This year’s fest will take place…
New Song from Little Majorette & Pontus Winnberg – “Wonder”
Since Lykke Li launched her label (say that ten times fast) INGRID, I’ve seen far less press about it than I expected. This week, the label released a new track, “Wonder,” from Swedish…
Vampire Weekend with Wild Cub at Stubb’s: Live Review
Perhaps more so than any band currently making music, Vampire Weekend has found universal acclaim, both winning the hearts of indie bloggers everywhere and beginning to reach newfound mainstream success by bagging a…
Future Islands’ Unforgettable Show at Mohawk: Live Review
When I left Future Islands’ sold out show at Mohawk on Wednesday night, I knew that the possibilities of my life were limitless. In the last couple of years, I’ve been to some…
Knifight and Ed Schreader’s Music Beat Opened for Future Islands at Mohawk
I was so floored by Future Islands performance on Wednesday that I dedicated a post exclusively to the show rather than doing a recap and discussing openers. However, I was also thoroughly impressed…
Wild Cub Opens for Vampire Weekend Tonight & Tomorrow at Stubb’s
Upbeat indie pop outfit Wild Cub will open for Vampire Weekend for two nights at Stubb’s tonight and tomorrow. The group shares some sensibilities with the headliners but their music also possess an…
Owen Pallett Shares Video “Song for Five & Six” Ahead of New Album
Ballet feels like an appropriate visual component to accompany the sounds of experimental pop violinist Owen Pallett. Like ballet dancers and ballet itself, Pallett’s music is graceful, beautiful, dexterous and powerful. The video…
Damien Jurado Performs Intimate Solo Set at Red 7: Live Review
Although Damien Jurado’s newest record features layers of lush, dense instrumentation, his set at Red 7 last night treated long-time fans to an incredibly intimate solo set. Jurado played alone with an acoustic…
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra Gets Metaphysically Philosophical at Mohawk
You should have been there, and there’s a good chance you weren’t. I’ve written before about just how many shows occur each night in Austin, but this week may take the cake. Last…
Löwin & A. Sinclair to Play After Show Following Future Islands Tonight
We’ve been meaning to write about both Löwin and A. Sinclair for a while now, so what better occasion than a bill featuring both of these new acts? The show will take place…
Show Preview: Future Islands at Mohawk Wednesday, April 23rd
Future Islands have exploded in the last few months. The buzz surrounding the band permeated the week of SXSW, and the band made their network television debut with David Letterman last month. The…
Enter to Win Passes to the ACL Taping for Beck
Beck is one of those artists that flies under the radar for a period of time, but he always emerges, and when he does, he usually completely takes over the current conversation in…
The National’s First Night at ACL Live
I’ve been looking forward to this show for a long time; it has been on my radar since the second and third nights were announced. The National’s High Violet is a masterpiece, but I’m in…
Damien Jurado Brings His Beautiful Sounds to Red 7 Tomorrow
I love Damien Jurado’s new album. This week is packed with great shows. Perhaps you already know about The National, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, Phantogram, and Vampire Weekend, and we’ll definitely be…
101X Homegrown Live with Ume, Megafauna, Black Books, Young Tongue: Live Review
101X continues to celebrate local live music by assembling stellar bills with some of the city’s best bands. Last month was a bill featuring The Tontons, Good Field, Speak, and Slomo Drags. This…
Instrumental Pop Band Chipper Jones at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review & Photos
After we caught the Attendance Records benefit show at Holy Mountain, we were able to swing by Cheer Up Charlies to catch the tail end of a set by instrumental pop act Chipper…
Hello Wheels, El Campo, and RF Shannon Play Attendance Records Benefit: Live Review
Austin nonprofit organization Attendance Records does the important work of teaching high school students about music, its industry and its creation. This includes everything from album artwork to songwriting to recording. With ever…
Flume at Emo’s: The Burgeoning Genre of EDM
Electronic Dance Music continues to increase In popularity as electronic producers garner headlining spots at festivals and hold top slots on radio charts. The world of indie rock still remains a little aloof,…
Show Preview: Ume, Megafauna, Black Books, & Young Tongue 101X Homegrown at Mohawk
Tomorrow night is going to rock. 101X Homegrown Live, under the direction of tastemaker Deidre Gott, has been putting together some amazing bills as of late. We had a blast at their recent…
Alex Cameron Shares Fantastic New Song “Mongrel”
Alex Cameron’s “Mongrel” is one of the most exciting we’ve heard in some months. The song, which channels great songwriters like Scott Walker and Jarvis Cocker, is simple and fresh both musically and…
Voxtrot’s Ramesh to Release Solo Album via Austin Town Hall
If you’ve ever found yourself wishing that Voxtrot had never dissolved, now you can practically satiate any lament with the musical output of its members. Core members Jason Chronis and Matt Simon have…
Dana Falconberry Shares 2nd Jim Eno Collaboration “Seven Hills”
We recently posted and wrote about Dana Falconberry’s collaboration with Spoon drummer Jim Eno for a 12″ single, Public Hi-Fi Sessions No. 2, which is due out this Saturday for Record Store Day. Today,…
Kairos Covers Kanye West’s “Street Lights”
We were pretty stunned by the debut track from La Luz bassist Lena Simon’s project Kairos. Recently, Kairos shared a new recording of a cover of Kanye West’s “Street Lights,” from his ablum 808s…
Parquet Courts Feature Sunbathing Animal in Video for “Sunbathing Animal”
Rambling punk rockers Parquet Courts have released a new video for “Sunbathing Animal,” a track that will appear on their forthcoming effort of the same name, set for a June 3rd release date…
Tomboy Debut’s New Video “Roll Out”
The duo comprised of Sarah Aument and William Shore will release their debut EP this summer and have shared an initial track and video from that forthcoming release. “Roll Out” is a sparse, synth…
Growl, Mole People, Party Girl, & Those Howlings at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
We adored the old Cheer Up Charlies. And while the east side locale will always hold a special place in our hearts, there’s no denying how completely awesome the new space is. In…
The National Comes to Austin for Three Nights at ACL Live
While I highly doubt anyone reading this blog is being informed for the first time that The National will be in Austin for three nights next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at ACL Live,…
Post Rock Band Chipper Jones Video Premiere: “amarillo/headrush”
Although Austin is not a city known for its experimental pop and instrumental post-rock, such as that created by duo Chipper Jones, the genre does have a presence and a precedent in this…
Mother Falcon Signs to Punctum Records
We’ve been touting the quality of Punctum Records over the last couple of months–telling you that the label continues to sign some of Austin’s best artists, that the label has accomplished an impressive…
Electronic Musician Flume Plays Emo’s Tonight
EDM continues to grow in popularity both within mainstream culture as well as in the world of independent music. Australian electronic music producer Flume is a name at the top of the pack…
Mac DeMarco at Mohawk with Juan Wauters & Que Pasa: Live Review
As Mac DeMarco’s show grew nearer, my amazement increased at just how many people wanted to attend the sold out event. DeMarco’s records, including his most recent, Salad Days, have been well received and…
Speak’s Joey Delahoussaye & Battle Bend Share Stage at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
My Saturday was full of all kinds of quiet, introspective music. Before seeing Reservations and Sarah Neufeld, I stopped by Cheer Up Charlies to see a set by Speak’s Joey Delahoussaye & Battle Bend,…
Sarah Neufeld (of Arcade Fire) with Reservations at Lambert’s: Live Review
Arcade Fire practically took over Austin last week. After the band performed two shows, one official show and one as cover band Phi Slamma Jamma, last Thursday night, another member of the band,…
Arcade Fire Members Played Continental Club as Phi Slamma Jamma Last Night
Last night, following Arcade Fire’s outstanding show at Austin 360 Amphitheater, core members of the band headed over to Continental Club for an intimate show. Frontman Win Butler got the night started by…
Arcade Fire at Austin 360 Amphitheater: Live Review
Arcade Fire have become one of rock music’s most celebrated and well-known bands. A feat they’ve accomplished while remaining relatively obscure (as far as world-renowned bands go) and, more importantly, remaining true to…
Show Preview: Mac DeMarco Brings Laid-Back Psych Pop to Mohawk
I’m pumped about this Mac DeMarco show. The last two times I’ve seen the lackadaisical psych pop guitarist have been at a SXSW event and at Fun Fun Fun Fest. Don’t get me…
Local Natives at Stubb’s: Live Review
I’ve seen Local Natives live several times now, and I’ve enjoyed each show so much that they’ve attained a status as one of my favorite acts to see live. Their performances reflect their…
Arcade Fire’s Sarah Neufeld Plays Lambert’s Friday April 11th
If you’re even slightly a fan of music, you’re probably aware that Arcade Fire will pass through Austin for a show this Thursday April 10th. However, you may not know that one of…
S. Carey, White Hinterland, & Dana Falconberry at Holy Mountain: Review & Photos
Monday night at Holy Mountain featured a Secretly Canadian double header with SC artist and Bon Iver member S. Carey headlining, and SC sister label Dead Oceans artist White Hinterland offering support. In…
Equals Celebrates Album Release April 11th at Empire Control Room, Hear “Glistener” Now
Instrumental rock band Equals will celebrate the release of their new album Tracts with a show on April 11th at Empire Control Room. The album is full of multi-layered, finely textured instrumental pop tunes…
Arcade Fire Plays Austin 360 Circuit of the Americas This Thursday
With the bands we cover on Pop Press International, it’s rare that we have any incentive to make a trip to Austin’s enormous new amphitheater venue at the Circuit of the Americas racetrack….
Local Natives Cover Johnny Cash, Play Stubb’s in Austin Tomorrow Night
The last time I saw Local Natives was at the Moody Theater for their Austin City Limits taping. It was the fourth time I had seen the band, and easily the best. The…
Tele Novella at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
Saturday night, Tele Novella celebrated the release of their new single, “Trouble in Paradise.” Over the last two weeks, we already brought you coverage of the A-side and the B-side, so you already…
White Denim & Cass McCombs at Stubb’s: Live Review
When I first saw that Cass McCombs would be opening for White Denim in Austin, I thought the bill was a bit strange. Last night, although both artists played solid sets, my initial…
Archie Bronson Outfit Shares Video for “We Are Floating” Ahead of New LP
Ahead of their fourth record for Domino Records, British rock band Archie Bronson Outfit has released a video for album track “We Are Floating.” The band follows in the footsteps of 90s indie…
Show Preview: S. Carey, White Hinterland, & Dana Falconberry at Holy Mountain April 7th
Listen, you’re going to need a nap Monday after work, because on Monday night, you’re going to have to be at Holy Mountain. The bill is simply too damned good. Headlining the evening…
Album Review: White Hinterland – Baby
White Hinterland’s new album Baby, out this week on Dead Oceans, is a genre-transcendent feat of genius, fusing R&B, electronic pop, and piano balladry. At times, the record’s aural components are remarkably straightforward,…
Alex Napping at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
We’ve seen Alex Cohen perform a solo set before, but her set on Monday night at Cheer Up Charlies with her full band showcased a wholly different project. Onstage, all four member of…
Tele Novella Shares New Track “Coat-Tail Rider”
It is happening for this band, and I couldn’t be happier. The raw talent in the lineup of Tele Novella is staggering—the group’s songwriting and instrumentation embody the highest quality indie pop. Jason…
Bagheera Shares Twin Shadow Produced Track “Say Anything”
Electronic musician and Red Bull Sound Select artist Bagheera has released a new track, “Say Anything,” which is a collaboration with Twin Shadow and features D’Angelo Lacy on vocals. On the track, upbeat…
Contest: Win Tickets to Cloud Nothings and The Men at Mohawk April 26th
Cloud Nothings and The Men on the same stage. Who says wishes don’t come true. And I’ll be many of you are feeling the same way. Both bands create powerful and gritty punk-leaning…
Contest: Win Tickets to Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra at Mohawk April 22nd
When I discovered A Silver Mt. Zion circa 2002, I was immediately hooked. Off kilter orchestral music that simultaneously embraced beauty and sorrow while challenging the paradigm of rock music—the band was definitely…
Craft Spells Shares Track from Forthcoming LP Nausea
Craft Spells has announced a new LP Nausea, set for a June 10th release on the Captured Tracks label. From that album, the group has shared a new track, “Breaking the Angle Against…
MARYANN Shares Video for “Shifting Ground,” Celebrates CD Release April 16th at CUC
Austin band MARYANN has played a slew of shows over the past year, gaining notoriety in the local music community. This month, they will unveil Wylie, the full-length album they’ve been hard at work…
Slomo Drags Releases Self-titled EP
We really enjoyed seeing Slomo Drags last weekend at the most recent installment of 101X Homegrown Live. The band has followed up that great show with the release of a self-titled EP, streaming…
Donovan Blanc Signs to Captured Tracks, Shares “Minha Menina”
New Jersey duo Donovan Blanc has signed to Captured Tracks, announced the forthcoming release of a full-length album, and shared from that album a new track, “Minha Menina.” The song features layers of…
Show Preview: White Denim and Cass McCombs at Stubb’s
Writing about Cass McCombs is always hard for me. I feel like I can’t ever contain in a post or even in words how much I love McCombs’ contribution to music over the…
Pop Press INTL. Founder Bryan Parker Launches Print Journal True Sincerity
It definitely feels odd, perhaps even seedy, to write a post about yourself in the third person. So, past the above headline, I’m coming clean with you. After working on Pop Press International…
Sun Club Shares Track from EP Out Now
Baltimore’s Sun Club has shared “Cheeba Swiftkick” from their new EP Dad Claps at the Mom Prom, out now on Goodnight Records. The song is built on subtle melodic shifts, distortion, and strained vocals….
Live Review: The Tontons, Speak, Good Field, & Slomo Drags 101X Homegrown Show
101x’s Homegrown Live program, under the management of Deidre Gott, does a great job bringing together a bill of strong local acts ranging in notoriety. Due in part to its radio connections, the…
Our Best Live Photos from Buku 2014
We had a blast in New Orleans at Buku Music + Art Project, a young festival that has begun to transcend its roots as an EDM festival and branch out to include a…
The 5 Best Moments at Buku 2014
If our two articles recapping Buku 2014 were simply too much to sort through, we’re bringing you an abbreviated list of our five favorite moments from the young New Orleans festival. 1) The…
Live Review: The Districts with Young Tongue at Stubb’s
Fat Possum, one of independent music’s most stalwart labels, has a roster full of distinct artists. When I heard The Districts, I was a little perplexed. The band sounded good enough–gritty folk rock…
Show Review: Mother Falcon Performs Ok Computer at Spiderhouse Ballroom
A cover is one thing, but orchestral arrangements for the entirety of one of rock music’s most beloved albums is a separate feat altogether. Orchestral, chamber rock band Mother Falcon set out to…
Show Preview: The Tontons Headline 101X Homegrown Live Saturday 3/29 at Scoot Inn
We’ve done everything we can to display our love for the Tontons over the last couple of years as the band has risen steadily in popularity and matured musically. However, that’s not going…
Show Preview: ODESZA at Stubb’s Saturday 3/29
Increasingly, the world of EDM merges with the world of independent rock as festivals readily welcome both genres of musicians and electronic producers remix songs by respected indie artists. A fine line exists…
Buku Music + Art Project Day 2 Recap
After an excellent first day of music that proved Buku has transcended a one-dimensional identity as an EDM festival, I was even more excited about the second day, especially the impending performance by…
Tele Novella to Release New 7″ “Trouble in Paradise”
Tele Novella has yet to release an album or even an EP, but they’re quickly becoming one of Austin’s most talked about bands. The group is currently out on tour and has just…
Sylvan Esso Releases “Coffee” Video, Tours with tUnE-yArDs
Watching people dance makes me wanna get up and dance, so I’m resisting all impulses to jump up and cut a rug and instead tell you about this new video from Sylvan Esso….
Show Preview: The Districts Play Stubb’s Tonight
The Districts released their debut EP on Fat Possum in January; the self-titled effort featured rootsy rock that moved from somber to frenetic as evidenced on the track “Funeral Beds.” Steady kick drum…
Mother Falcon Performs Ok Computer Tonight & Tomorrow Night at Spiderhouse Ballroom
Orchestral, chamber rock outfit Mother Falcon’s covers of Radiohead’s classic album Ok Computer have become staples in their transcendent live performances. Tonight and tomorrow night, the 20-piece band is giving fans two more chances…
RF Shannon Releases Hunting Songs, Plays Cheer Up Charlies Thursday
Last week, we brought you coverage of RF Shannon’s excellent album release show at Mohawk. Today is the official release date for the band’s album Hunting Songs, available for purchase now at Punctum Records’…
Buku Music + Art Project Day 1 Recap
When Buku announced their initial lineup featuring The Flaming Lips, Nas, Sleigh Bells, Generationals, Chance the Rapper, and Dan Deacon, I was immediately on board. The festival has taken further steps to fuse…
SXSW Coverage: Secretly Canadian Label Group Showcase
Sometimes I wonder about other people’s SXSW planning habits . I usually sort the showcases by venue. It gives me an idea of how far I’ll need to walk if I’m bouncing around…
Dana Falconberry Shares New Single “Palmless” From Sessions with Jim Eno
Skittering, electronic beats run the length of Dana Falconberry’s new single, “Palmless,” which is a product of a series of sessions with Spoon drummer Jim Eno and will be featured on a 12″…
Watch Matthew Squires Perform Show to an Adoring Crowd of Mannequins
I like what Matthew Squires is doing. Squires creates nasally, off-kilter acoustic pop songs that embrace the complexity of life, tackling terror and joy head-on. His songs are catchy and cute, but more…
Hear a Track from La Luz Bassist Lena Simon’s Project Kairos
A little before SXSW hit, I got an email from a publicist about Kairos, the project of La Luz’s new bassist Lena Simon. I actually bookmarked the email and planned to write a…
Live Review: RF Shannon Album Release Show With David Longoria, Canvas People at Mohawk
Whether a result of a recent tour, the many shows played in SXSW’s single week, or just the excitement of celebrating the release of their new album, the fact remains that RF Shannon…
Our Best Photos from SXSW 2014
Here’s a gallery of our favorite photos from 2014. All images © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
SPIN Stubb’s Party at SXSW 2014
For the past half decade or so, I’ve made a conscious effort to get ahold of one of the coveted SPIN laminates to attend their annual SXSW party held at Austin institution Stubb’s….
The Five Best Things I Saw at SXSW
Between planning an epic two day party and launching a quarterly print journal, True Sincerity, my SXSW was less packed with bands than it has been in almost a decade. That said, we…
Feverbones Announces & Releases Debut EP on Punctum Records Today
It’s a spring surprise. In one sudden move, Austin trio Feverbones, comprised of Abram Shook (The Great Nostalgic, The Low Lows, Shearwater), Matthew Shepherd (Dana Falconberry), and Christopher Cox (Dana Falconberry, The Lovely Sparrows)…
Album Review: The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Pop Press Pick)
Unlike other varieties of bears, polar bears are nomadic, moving from food source to food source, forsaking territory in favor of satiating their appetite. The Men are like that, and they still aren’t…
Daniel Francis Doyle’s “It’s Work” Video Stars Cast of Austin Musician
Daniel Francis Doyle is the kind of guy who sets out on tour via Greyhound Bus with just a guitar. His quirky songs are simultaneously charming, infectious, and challenging as his delightful melodies…
