The Pixies at Austin Music Hall with Best Coast: Live Review
The Pixies played “Cactus” third. “Bone Machine,” “Wave of Mutilation,” and then “Cactus.” If that fact means nothing to you, it’s likely you were never as completely obsessed and dedicated to the music…
La Snacks Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary with Album Release Show
Austin band La Snacks are something of a mainstay in the independent music scene. Tomorrow night, they’ll celebrate 10 years of being a band as well as the release of a new record, Le…
Winners of Austin Music Blogger Awards Announced + Event Photos
The Austin Music Blogger Awards in conjunction with Austin Music People’s music industry awards took place last night at Spiderhouse Ballroom, and we were incredibly proud to be part of the event. We’ll…
Jess Williamson Shares Video for “Spin the Wheel”
Jess Williamson is having a great week. She’s just returned from a West Coast tour, and yeseterday, the songwriter not only released a new video for her song “Spin the Wheel” from her…
Perfect Pussy Share Convulsive New Track “Interference Fits”
“Interference Fits,” the new track from punk band Perfect Pussy is aptly titled. Almost melodic, crunchy guitar opens the song before it drifts into sputtering drums and swirling loops of feedback and distortion….
Damien Jurado Expands Tour, Shares Video for “Magic Number”
We’re completely in love with Damien Jurado’s newest effort Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son. So, it understandable how excited we are to share the news today that not only has Jurado shared…
Austin Music Blogger Awards Tonight
The 2014 Austin Music Blogger Awards are tonight, I am excited to celebrate some of our favorite music of 2013 with the public as well as this strong community of artists! If you…
Album Review: Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Pop Press Pick)
I had no idea that the points of reference for Burn Your Fire For No Witness, the new album from Angel Olsen, would be Patsy Cline and Leonard Cohen. Simply put: I had no…
Aisha Burns Plays at Holy Mountain Tonight
We’ve written a few times about Aisha Burns, who is a member of the celebrated Austin band Balmorhea and whose debut solo record Life in the Midwater piqued enough interest to be nominated for an…
Horse Thief Shares Video for “Devil”
We told you recently about the news of OKC’s Horse Thief signing to Bella Union for their upcoming LP Fear in Bliss. The group already shared the audio for upbeat, folky track “Devil,” which…
Show Preview: Cian Nugent with Ralph White, Jonathan Horne, & Randy Reynolds
Tonight, Irish musician Cian Nugent will open for Angel Olsen at Holy Mountain tonight, and you should definitely go to that show, but we want to tell you about another opportunity to see…
Ski Lodge Shares Beautiful New Song “Our Love Is Over Now”
Ski Lodge dropped their debut album full of indie pop tunes last year and have followed up with the release of a single, “Our Love Is Over Now.” Scant information is available on…
U.S. Premiere: We Cut Corners – “Best Friend”
Perhaps due to our globally-minded ethos and our blog’s moniker, we tend to get quite a few submissions from the UK. To be direct, I often find many of those submissions to be…
Help Borrisokane Release “Versus Project” EP Box Set
We’ve written previously about the amazing EP box set project undertaken by Borrisokane and premiered a track from the project a few weeks ago. This is an incredible project that reflects the community…
Cheer Up Charlies’ Triumphant Reopening
As I walk up to Cheer Up Charlie’s on Friday night, I’m at once astounded by the line, which snakes back from the venue’s gate and down Red River. For the past couple…
Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Paramount Theater: Live Review
If you’ve never had the privilege of visiting Preservation Hall in New Orleans, here’s what happens. As early as an hour and a half before doors, patrons begin lining up down St. Peter,…
Peg (Avi Buffalo’s Sheridan Riley) Shares Lo-fi Pop Song “Take Too Much”
Avi Buffalo drummer Sheridan Riley has announced her project Peg will release a split 10″ record with Hand Habits. Peg’s Living with Abbreviation EP and Hand Habits’ Small Shifts EP will be out Feb. 25 on Eschatone Records. Peg’s…
Photos and Live Review: The Naked and Famous
There’s no way around the fact that this review is essentially an internal dialogue I’m having regarding my feelings on The Naked and Famous as a band. I’m always fascinated by which artists…
Watch the New Video for “Alcohol” from Sisyphus (Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, & Serengeti)
You didn’t really expect a rap project involving Sufjan Stevens to be without some heavy shit, right? Sisyphus, the collaboration between Stevens and hip-hop artists Son Lux and Serengeti has shared a video…
TEEN Shares “Not For Long” From The Way and Color
Remember a few days ago when TEEN shared a teaser trailer for their upcoming album The Way and Color out April 22nd on Carpark Records, and we told you that as a barometer, the…
Pop Press INTL. Announces You’re Here: Music + Interactive Showcase March 12th & 13th
Pop Press International is incredibly proud to announce that this year we will partner with Punctum Records, Attendance Records, Mama Bird Recording Co., Accrue Cassettes, Western Dynamo, and Estuary Recording Studio to present a music and interactive showcase…
6 Great Shows in Austin This Saturday Night
People always talk about how Austin is the “Live Music Capital of the World.” While I love and embrace our city’s moniker, I still feel like we could do more to support our…
These Songs Belong to Everyone: Reflecting on Seeing Neutral Milk Hotel Live
Although during Netural Milk Hotel’s hiatus Jeff Mangum began appearing in public, at shows, more frequently, contributing parts to friends’ records, and even releasing material, it was hard to see a reunion tour…
Lord Huron at Emo’s with Superhumanoids: Live Review & Photos
A clear upward trend can be observed in Lord Huron’s trajectory. In 2012 they headlined Stubb’s indoor stage. Last year the returned and performed on the much larger outdoor stage, opening for Alt-J….
Band of Skulls Set Album Release Date, Tour, Share New Video
The first two songs to surface from Band of Skulls showcase divergent facets of the band’s style–one more forceful and crunchy and one that leans on melody and nuance. Both “Asleep at the…
Sacco Prep Debut Album, Share Two Videos
Sacco will release their debut, eponymous album on Sensibility Music on Aprill 22nd. The band has already seen some sizable exposure from touring in support of Cults last year. Sacco’s songs range from…
Stream New EP From Whiite Walls Now; Release Show Friday
Whiite Walls is 1979. The band’s new EP embodies that musical era when the lines between dance and punk began to blur. There’s a little bit of disco, lots of hi-hat, twinkling guitar…
We Like Accidents: Talking with The Pixies’ David Lovering & Joey Santiago
The summer before my freshman year of high school, I got into a car with my girlfriend, and she turned up The Pixies’ album Doolittle. It blew my world wide open and changed…
14 Great Austin Albums from 2013
Don’t worry–you’re in the right place. Likely, you saw this headline and thought, surely this is an old post; we’re two months into 2014. We’ve had this post drafted since the end of…
Show Preview: Young Girls, Reservations, Shivery Shakes at Lambert’s
So you came out of hibernation for Neutral Milk Hotel and realized how great live music is. You love that you live in the “Live Music Capital of the World,” but secretly harbor…
Blouse Takes Us Down a Dark Highway in “Happy Days” Video
Although the song is called “Happy Days,” the new video fro Blouse carries the viewer down an ominous, dark highway and angles toward film noir. We can’t help but be reminded of the…
Soft Metals Share New Video for “No Turning Back”
As a perfect way to commemorate the celebration of true love that is the consumerist paradise of Valentine’s Day, dreamy electro pop band Soft Metals have shared a new video for track “No…
Majical Cloudz Share Interactive Video for New Song “Love Soul”
Every time Majical Cloudz does something I fall deeper in love. The duo of Devon Welsh and Matthew Otto created an austere but affectionate, minimalist masterpiece with last year’s Impersonator. Their live shows are…
Cass McCombs Shares Traumatizing Video for “Name Written in Water”
One sentence stands out in the press release I received for Cass McCombs’ horrifying new video for “Name Written in Water”: “In the context of modern capitalist hegemony, we’re all just pigs to…
The Tontons Play Stubb’s Tonight, Opening for Bright Light Social Hour
We’ve written about The Tontons quite a bit here at Pop Press International and are huge fans of the band, which has seen increasingly widespread acclaim in recent months. Tonight, the group will…
Wild Beasts Share “Sweet Spot” Video from Upcoming LP
With artists like Dirty Projectors and Cass McCombs, Domino Recording Co. is a label you can rely on putting on quality sound. Wild Beasts are one of those bands and will be releasing…
Dead Rider Shares Video for Experimental Pop Track “Blank Screen”
Dead Rider’s song “Blank Screen” builds slowly, stuttering, clicking, and buzzing through the introductory phases until it swells to throbbing, hard-hitting highs. Synths whine, the drums are relentless, and frontman Todd Rittman belts…
Coathangers Release Track From Forthcoming Suicide Squeeze LP
On March 18th, The Coathangers will release Suck My Shirt on Suicide Squeeze. “Springfield Cannonball,” the first track to be release from the album, is a crunchy pop tune built around jilted female vocals. The…
Stream Austin Band Party Plants’ Lo-fi Pop EP
From the second Party Plants’s new EP begins to play, I love it. It’s a dish comprised of all my favorite ingredients: a little bit of lo-fi pop, a little bit of grit,…
Teen Shares Trailer Video for New LP
Teen has announced that their new LP, The Way and Color, will be released via Carpark on April 22nd and has accompanied that announcement with an album trailer video featuring a compilation of sounds…
Stone Jack Jones Shares Transcendent Track “Joy” feat. Patty Griffin
Despite the fact that he’s been kicking around music since the 80s, playing everything from rock music in Atlanta to folk music in Nashville, Stone Jack Jones is likely a foreign name to…
Show Preview: Lord Huron with Superhumanoids at Emo’s
Next Monday and Tuesday night, Lord Huron and Superhumanoids will take over Emo’s for a two night stint. Monday night is already SOLD OUT, but if you’re going to Neutral Milk Hotel that…
Photo Set: Little Lo at Holy Mountain
Last Saturday night, Austin’s Little Lo performed a set of their layered indie-rock to a crowded Holy Mountain. The band is in the process of finishing up the recording process for their new…
Show Preview: The Oblivians with Spray Paint & Hex Dispensers at Mohawk
In the 90s, the gritty, powerful garage rock created by The Oblivians pouring out of Memphis made them one of the foremost groups in the scene. The band’s sound drew on 60’s groups…
Sasquatch! Tickets for Two Weekend Festival On Sale Now
I’ve been wanting to go to Sasquatch! for years. One of my best friends lives in Seattle and even covered the event for my first blog, Urban Pollution one year. But I’ve watched…
Austin Psych Fest Makes Incredible Lineup Even More Incredible
Remember when we posted Austin Psych Fest’s initial 2014 lineup and were so flabbergasted at its greatness we almost couldn’t communicate it? Remember when Austin Psych Fest announced a second wave of performing…
Attendance Records Aims to Expand and You Can Help
Attendance Records is a great project that encourages musical appreciation and expression in Austin schools. You can help them expand just by voting! Their program is up in the Do the KIND thing contest for $10,000….
Woman’s Hour Signs to Secretly Canadian, Shares Track “Her Ghost”
Secretly Canadian is one of those labels you just trust. If they announce a release or a signing or a new track, you can comfortably assume it’s going to be worth a listen….
Premeire: Yum Covers “Indoor/Outdoor Paleontologist Blues” for Borrisokane’s Versus Project
The ambitiousness of Borrisokane‘s Versus Project is evidenced by its inability to be communicated in a sentence or even an entire post. I’m bewildered by its breadth. Understanding its depth and greatness requires…
Graham Weber Preps Faded Photos; Hear Two Tracks Now
Graham Weber is an Austin transplant by way of Ohio. His music captures the aching sparseness of his native Midwest, but Texas has seems to have provided a definitive lonesome twinge. Weber has…
Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks Announce Album, Share Track “Little Fang”
Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks has announced their debut album Enter the Slasher House, which will be released on Domino on April 8th. The band could almost be considered a supergroup, featuring not only…
Superchunk with Waxahatchee at Mohawk: Live Review
It’s below freezing in Austin, Texas on a mid-week night. Tomorrow morning, public schools, colleges, even the city’s official offices will be closed. But you don’t care, because you’re indie-rock giants Superchunk. A…
She Sir Shares Shimmering “Kissing Can Wait” Ahead of New LP
Austin band She Sir’s new song “Kissing Can Wait” is a reverbed wash of guitars with a glittering shimmer of twinkling notes laid on top. The band blends 90s shoegaze sensibilities with an…
New Austin Band Genuine Leather Shares “The Enemy”
It has never been production that makes a song great. Sure, there are bands that are built almost entirely on sound quality, and production emphasis can be almost necessary for the aesthetic of some…
Jorge Elbrose (Ariel Pink + Jorge Elbrecht) Release Video for “Called to Ring”
Last fall, stalwart indie label Mexican Summer released a book commemorating their 5th anniversary. The 10″ record that accompanied the extensive history of the label and the artist contributions of its roster included…
Owen Pallett to Release New LP In Conflict, Shares Album Trailer
Multi-instrumentalist Owen Pallett is known for his intensely layered music that blends lush organic sounds with beautiful electronics. On May 13th, Domino will release his newest LP titled In Conflict. The record is purported…
Video: Nostalghia – “Cool for Chaos”
Falling somewhere in the wheelhouse of Dresden Dolls or CocoRosie, Nostalghia is a gritty art rock project that embraces oddity and theatrics. The projects central figure Ciscandra Nostalghia considers herself an artist in many…
The 2014 Austin Music Blogger Awards
The Austin Music Blogger Awards is a partnership between Austin’s music blogger community and the nonprofit organization Austin Music People. The event will take place on Thursday, February 27th at Spider House Ballroom and…
Show Preview: Superchunk with Waxahatchee at Mohawk Thursday, February 6th
Superchunk and Waxahatchee make something of an unexpected touring combination, but that only means you’ll get to see two great yet divergent bands on Thursday night at the Mohawk. 90’s power pop legends…
St. Vincent Shares Video for “Digital Witness”
St. Vincent is firing on all fronts. The production for her new song “Digital Witness” is astonishing–captivating pans and layers of instrumentation. The influence of David Byrne is obvious in the song’s disjointed,…
The Men Share Two New Songs From Tomorrow’s Hits LP
The Men are exploring America’s musical landscape. When the Brooklyn-based band burst onto the scene in 2011 with the release of their second album, they were pumping out abrasive, caustic punk rock. After…
Mutual Benefit at The Mohawk with Poppy Red: Live Review
I’m still in a stage of shock regarding Mutual Benefit. At the band show on Friday night at the Mohawk I could do little more than smile as watched transfixed. The show took…
Video: Architecture In Helsinki – “Dream A Little Crazy”
Seeing a new Architecture In Helsinki video was something of a nostalgic experience for me, since I haven’t been attuned to the band’s work in something like six or seven years. In this…
All Girl Band Habibi Shares “I Got the Moves” From New LP
Our buds Austin Town Hall already had this track for you last week, but we thought it was so catchy we had to share it with you, too. Habibi, an all girl band from NYC…
Jess Williamson Album Release Show at Hotel Vegas: Live Review
Last week, Austin songwriter Jess Williamson released her new LP Native State and celebrated the occasion with a show at Hotel Vegas on Thursday night. The album, which you can read about here, is released on…
Live Review: Cate Le Bon with Kevin Morby & Love Inks at Mohawk
Cate Le Bon’s music fills me with an excited restlessness–perhaps because the ears process it as initially off kilter, slightly foreign but the heart and brain process it as brilliant, perfect, and definitively…
Album Review: Damien Jurado – Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son (Pop Press Pick)
Damien Jurado’s new album Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son, out earlier this month on Secretly Canadian, is a complex folk fever dream of an album—mysterious, dense, magical. I have fallen desperately…
Exclusive Premiere: New Music From Daniel Francis Doyle
Every day cells within the human body die and are replaced by newer, healthier cells. Each experience we have, joyful or terrible, teaches us something new and valuable about ourselves and the world…
Show Preview: Mutual Benefit Plays The Mohawk Friday with Poppy Red
Mutual Benefit’s Love’s Crushing Diamond came out late last year, and despite the categorical praise, I never even heard it until early in 2014. As such, it got left off of my year-end, best-of…
New EDM Mixes of Elliott Smith Songs Released by Soul Coughing’s Mike Doughty
You’ve likely heard by now. But to provide the brief details: under the moniker UUL, Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty has released three new mixes of (largely) unheard Elliott Smith material culled from…
New Orleans’ Buku Festival Adds Nas, Sleigh Bells, and More to Lineup
We’re pumped about New Orleans’ relatively young music and arts festival, Buku, and told you as much late last year when the incredible lineup was announced, including The Flaming Lips, Explosions in the…
Jess Williamson Album Release Party Tonight at Hotel Vegas
Yesterday, I published my review of Jess Williamson’s stark and arresting new album Native State. Tonight, Williamson will celebrate the release with a show at Hotel Vegas that also features performances by outstanding acts…
Album Review: Jess Williamson – Native State (Pop Press Pick)
Austin songstress Jess Williamson has been saving up Native State for a while, and the results are rewarding. Be assured: this is not a record of pop gems; this is not an attempt…
Eating Out Shares Video for “That’s My Man”
The new video for Eating Out’s “That’s My Man” perfectly fits the song’s drowsy, apathetic, teen-angst aesthetic. Faraway guitars and lethargic vocals echo while high school students attempt to put up with the…
Horse Thief Shares “Devil” from Upcoming LP Fear In Bliss, Plays Holy Mountain
There must be a thing with horses and the specific sort of aesthetic evoked by thinking of them, because there are certainly tinges of Band of Horses in the DNA of Oklahoma City…
New Track: Burnt Ones – New Heroes of Subscription Services
If you spend your time keeping up with small garage and psych labels such as Castle Face and Burger Records, the San Francisco based band Burnt Ones may be old news to you….
La Luz & Pure Bathing Culture at Red 7: Live Review
With a significant hip-hop bill slated outside and two indie darling bands ready to warm up the indoor stage, Red 7 drew a sizable crowd, especially considering the sub-zero temperatures bearing down on…
White Hinterland Shares “Ring the Bell” from LP Baby
Dead Oceans keeps carving out a special place in my heart. The label’s roster is astounding and every time they announce an album release, I can’t help but be excited at the prospect….
Show Preview: Cate Le Bon with Kevin Morby (of Woods) & Love Inks at Mohawk
We fell in love with Cate Le Bon’s newest album Mug Musuem late last year. The record received widespread acclaim, but in some senses flew under the radar. Tomorrow night Le Bon will play…
The Pixies Share Video for New Track “Magdalena”
While reviews of The Pixies’ new material remains fervently mixed, most fans have reached on consensus on which tracks are the most promising from the beloved bands two new EPs. From EP1, “Indie Cindy”…
Loop to Play Austin Psych Fest Among First US Dates in 24 Years
British band Loop took the psychedelic onset of the 1960s and created their own sound that made them one of the premier UK bands of the 1980s, sharing sensibilities with like-minded psych, shoegaze,…
Show Preview: Pure Bathing Culture & La Luz at Red 7
The last time I saw La Luz, the four girls demanded that the crowd part to create a row down which concertgoers could dance a la Soul Train. Yes. These ladies are awesome….
Video: Cass McCombs – “Unearthed”
The majority of Cass McCombs’ new video for “Unearthed,” directed by Eric Fensler, consists of a fixed timelapse shot of a mountain, slowly being eclipsed by shadow as a plume of condensation flags…
Abram Shook Album Release with Good Field & Royal Forest at Mohawk
Friday night at the Mohawk served as a local music extravaganza with a bill that featured two of Austin’s best bands supporting a rising Austin musician as he celebrated the release of his…
Dent May with Tiger Waves & Gang Sign at Holy Mountain: Live Review
Somehow, I’ve managed to miss Dent May’s live show time and time again. Even after I worked an all day photo shoot before the show, the stars finally aligned and I made it…
The National Returns to Austin to the Delight of ACL Weekend Two Ticketholders
If you’re anything like me, missing The National on the second weekend of ACL was one of the biggest let downs of the cancelled day. Perhaps The National felt like they needed to…
New Track: Miserable – “Bell Jar”
Miserable, the project of Kristina Esfandiari, former member of San Francisco-based band Whirr, has prepped a new EP for release on February 18th on Native Sound. The first single, “Bell Jar,” is noise-rock built…
Video: Matthew Squires – “The Turnings of the Earth (and Other Observations)”
Matthew Squires and his band The Learning Disorders have been quietly churning out an impressive number of videos for their odd yet charming, quirky folk-pop songs. Squires has the ability to write songs…
Live Review: Red Bull Sound Select Showcase with Octopus Project, Night Drive, & The Black and White Years
These Red Bull Sound Select Shows have begun to take things to the next level. We had a great time at the last show, which featured fast-rising stars The Tontons. This past Wednesday…
Great New Track from Coeds – “Sensitive Boys”
Coeds is like Blondie with a slightly darker, deeper undertone. Low, pulsing synths ride under a second catchy keyboard line as frontwoman Meredith Muñoz delivers a powerful and smooth vocal performance. So, they…
Free Week Report: Daniel Francis Doyle, Shivery Shakes, & Tiger Waves at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Dan Doyle (perhaps best known by his performing moniker and full name Daniel Francis Doyle) creates songs that possess an intriguing relationship with melody. In his songs, Doyle holds a melody, translucent and…
Angel Olsen Shares 2nd Track “HI-FIVE” From Forthcoming LP
As we previously reported, Angel Olsen’s new LP and first for Jagjaguwar, Burn Your Fire For No Witness, will drop February 18th. This week, Olsen shared from that LP a second song, “HI-FIVE.” The…
Punctum Records Free Week Show with Mole People, Shivery Shakes, Taft, RF Shannon and Battle Bend
Punctum Records is run by Austin resident Dan Rudmann and is an extension of the nationally focused, Brooklyn-based open access book publisher of the same name. Shivery Shakes is currently the only band…
Cat Power at Antone’s: Live Review
Cat Power’s live performances are infamous. Their retelling follows a similar pattern to the fisherman explaining the size of the biggest fish he ever caught. The time she made the crowd wait and…
Brazos at Holy Mountain: Live Review
Brazos frontman Martin Crane exudes a sort of frenetic calmness, a relaxed nervousness. As he quickly strums his acoustic guitar, his feet arch up onto their toes, tapping in swift alteration, but his…
Pop Press International’s Favorite Albums of 2013
Earlier in the week, I gave you a list of the songs and albums I’ve listened to more than any other (which I highly recommend as a far more useful list). I’m not sure…
10 Glaring Omissions From Our Most Played of 2013 List
Making a year end list can be a like packing for a long trip. For this long trip into the past, music writers are taxed with looking back over a year’s worth of…
Buku Music + Art Project Announces Great Lineup with Flaming Lips, Phantogram, Generationals, and More
Buku Music + Art Project is a two day event taking place in New Orleans. This year will mark the festivals third installment and will take place March 21-22 at New Orleans’ Blaine Kern’s…
Show Preview: Brazos at Holy Mountain on Wednesday, December 11th
We just included Brazos in our post of the most played tracks and albums of 2013. We’ve seen them play a number of times and even hosted them at our SXSW day party…
The Octopus Project, Tele Novella, & Borrisokane at Mohawk: Live Review
Friday night was freezing cold, and it still didn’t stop Austin from coming out to the Mohawk to see three bands that excel among the city’s bevy of performing artists. The crowd was…
