Pop Press International’s Most Played Tracks & Albums of 2013
Welcome to my year-end reflection on the past twelve months’ best songs and albums. This post is long. I dare you to read it all. If you’re just here for the list, scroll…
Juliana Barwick at The Parish: Live Review
The Thursday night arrival of unseasonably cold weather in Austin, Texas coinciding with Juliana Barwick’s arrival in Austin for her show at The Parish seemed significant. Barwick’s songs, which were recorded in Iceland,…
Live Review: The Tontons, Ishi, and Clouds Are Ghosts at Red Bull Sound Select Showcase
Red Bull’s Sound Select program has previously hosted a show at Holy Mountain, and this Tuesday the program found themselves across the street to Austin’s Empire Control Room for a Tuesday night bill…
Austin Psych Fest Announces Killer Lineup
You know how sometimes a festival announces a lineup and there are a couple of good bands and you want to see them and then some of the other bands aren’t as interesting…
The War On Drugs Announces Album, Shares Single
Unequivocally: “Red Eyes,” the new track from The War on Drugs, is incredible. Subtle synths and awesome noodley guitar tones add depth to the song’s steady strum. Reverb-laden vocals echo, bouncing between introspective…
Show Preview: Octopus Project, Tele Novella, and Borrisokane play Mohawk Friday December 7th
You need more reasons? I just gave you five excellent ones in the headline! The epic dance party that will undoubtedly ensue anytime Austin faves The Octopus Project plays is a damn good…
Show Preview: Juliana Barwick Brings Gorgeous Sounds to The Parish Thursday, December 5th
Tomorrow night, Juliana Barwick will bring her beautiful music to the Parish, and you should be there. Part of the trouble with trying to describe the transcendently beautiful quality of Juliana Barwick’s music…
The Tontons Headline Red Bull Sound Select Show Tonight at Empire Control Room
The Tontons are a name you must have heard by now. Red Bull’s Sound Select concert series has previously featured the Houston indie-pop band, who has also been landing spots on festival bills…
Show Peview: Nightlands at Mohawk Tonight, December 3rd
Nightlands is the recording project of Dave Hartley, who creates serene and understated, glowing pop tracks. Tonight, Nightlands will bring all of that carefully constructed pop beauty to Austin for a show at…
Seattle Band Cumulus Shares New Video for “Middle”
A once-wheelchair-bound woman defies expectations and goes on an afternoon adventure in the new video from Seattle indie pop band Cumulus. The video is directed by Randy Walker and shot with a highly…
Built to Spill, Genders, and Slam Dunk at Stubb’s: Live Review
Built to Spill has been pretty quiet for the past few years in terms of releasing new matieral, but hasn’t given up touring as the band has made their way through Austin at…
Superchunk Shares New Video for “Void”
After almost a decade of silence, 90s lynchpin indie rock outfit Superchunk released Majesty Shredding in 2010 and continued their return by following up with I Hate Music earlier this year. Today the group released a new…
Cass McCombs at The Belmont: Live Review
Hey, we did everything we could to get you our for the Cass McCombs show on Friday night. If you missed it, it’s on you. And if you were worried about the cold…
Juan Wauters Preps Solo Debut, Shares “Water”
60s folk is written all over “Water,” the first track to emerge from Jaun Wauters’ solo debut. The former frontman for The Beets has signed to Captured Tracks and will issue N.A.P North American…
Axxas/Abraxas Announces Eponymous Debut, Shares “I Almost Fell”
The artistic expression of Atlanta’s Ben Asbury has adopted the moniker Axxas/Abraxas, has signed to stalwart indie label Captured Tracks, and will drop its self-titled debut album on March 4th of next year….
Watch Arcade Fire’s Video for “Afterlife”
We exist within the minds of these characters, moving between their dreams. These are not the trivial dreams of ambition, goals, success–that American dream. These are the powerful and real dreams of longing,…
Boone Graham to Release Boone’s Best on Accrue Cassettes
On December 14th, Austin label Accrue Cassettes will release a collection of the best songs spanning the decade-plus career of musician Boone Graham. Graham’s music follows in the footsteps of heart-on-sleeve songwriters such…
Eating Out to Release 7″ on Suicide Squeeze
It seems like Burger Records was always doing the cool thing before anyone else. Three songs by Vancouver band Eating Out that were originally issued on cassette by Burger in 2012 will be…
Show Preview: Built to Spill and Genders Play Stubb’s Saturday November 23rd
You’d have to be completely out of touch with alternative music to not know indie-rock legends Built to Spill. Doug Martsch and his band seem to be increasingly active these days, and their…
Destroyer at The Belmont: Live Review
I’ll be honest: when I heard that the current Destroyer tour would be a solo endeavor, I felt like the set might not be as powerful as with a full band. That foolish…
Hikes Share New Video Reenacting Hook
I’ve written before about how much I adore Austin math-folk band Hikes. Their busy, twinkling guitar work and periodically explosive drums remind me of bands dear to my heart, and I’m happy to…
Temples Share “Mesmerise” from Upcoming LP Sun Structures
Flowing waves of psychedelic sound wash over the listener in UK band Temples’ appropriately named single “Mesmerise” taken from the band’s upcoming Fat Possum album Sun Structures. Borrowing sensibilities from late 60s and early…
Dum Dum Girls Share Album Trailer
Dum Dum Girls are really hitting up the media channels as H&M previewed their first single “Lost Boys and Girls Club” and now V Magazine is hosting the trailer for their album Too True,…
Damien Jurado Shares Video for “Silver Timothy”
Mystery shrouds Damien Jurado’s video for single “Silver Timothy” from the upcoming album Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son. An accident prompts a man to flee the scene, but only to discover what?…
Xiu Xiu Announces New Album, Shares “Stupid in the Dark”
Most impressive about Xiu Xiu is Jamie Stewart’s complete commitment to his art. The most recent Xiu Xiu show I saw was sold out, but attention and attendance have waned over the decade…
Neneh Cherry Shares Title Track from Upcoming Four Tet Produced Album
I’m new new Neneh Cherry, but the announcement of the Swedish songwriter/hip hop artist’s new album was accompanied by enthusiastic tweets from the music connoisseurs over at Austin Bloggy Limits, which is enough…
Chvrches Play Sold Out Stubb’s Show Friday November 22nd
This summer, Chvrches sold out the Mohawk, and it took almost no time for them to get back to Austin. This time, the band has sold out the much larger Stubb’s and will…
Majical Cloudz Share New Song “Savage”
Majical Cloudz have been performing “Savage” in their live set for some time, and the song was originally conceived around the same time as the tracks for the band’s debut Impersonator. Indeed, “Savage” possesses…
Show Preview: Moon Honey at Red 7 Thursday November 21st
Recently, we brought you a video from Louisiana based band Moon Honey. The video and song, which is culled from the bands forthcoming album Hand-Painted Dream Photographs, features lush, ambling, psychedelic arrangement. On Thursday…
The Head and the Heart, Quiet Life, and The Eastern Sea at Stubb’s: Live Review
Simply said: I’m impressed. Sunday night marked my third time to see The Head and the Heart perform live. I’ve also seen The Eastern Sea perform a few times as well. Both acts…
Show Preview: Cass McCombs Plays The Belmont Friday November 22nd
Cass McCombs is one of independent musics most underrated songwriters. Furthering his catalogue of reflective, somber pop that channels rock and Americana through diverse production styles, McCombs issued the expansive and excellent 22-track…
Album Review: Mount Eerie – Pre-Human Ideas
The day’s light is almost gone. The street that leads you home is the same as it always has been. Yet as the early winter, dusky light bounces through the branches of the…
Public Service Broadcasting Releases Debut Album Today, Stream It Now
UK group Public Service Broadcasting releases their debut album, Inform – Educate – Entertain, today. The group’s music emphasizes rhythm and evolving soundscapes while heavily utilizing soundbytes and samples. The band has taken the…
Julianna Barwick Shares Video, Launches Tour
Ghostly, serene, beautiful, and fluid are all words that might be used to describe Julianna Barwick’s new video for “The Harbinger,” and in fact, her entire newest effort Nepenthe, out now on Dead Oceans….
Austra Shares Video for Single “Forgive Me”
As a follow up to Austra’s most recent effort Olympia, the group will release a single for “Forgive Me” that also features two new tracks, out digitally on November 26th. This week, the band…
Lake Shares New Video for “Perfect Fit”
Lake is one of indie pop’s best kept secrets. At times, a swelling buzz of attention will surround the band, but it always seems to inexplicably fade. The Olympia born group has changed…
Show Preview: Destroyer Plays The Belmont Tuesday November 19th
I don’t know why I never realized how influential Television is on the music of Dan Bejar until I saw Television live at Fun Fun Fun Fest. Anyway, if you saw Television at…
Photo Gallery: Best Shots From Fun Fun Fun Fest 2013
Fest forever. Do we need a reason to want to just keep on Festing? Fun Fun Fun Fest is a week and a day passed, and we miss it dearly. We’re already looking…
of Montreal at Mohawk: Live Review
Seeing bands perform live music can be rewarding–the subtle differences in arrangement, the inability to dub over and redo, the immediacy, the intimacy. However, more often than not, live performances consist of a…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Day Three Featuring The Men, The Julie Ruin, Slayer, and Jurassic 5
Oh, the culminating day of a music festival. Such internal conflict and turmoil. Your feet and liver barely feel like they can take anymore, and yet you hope the imposing Monday morning at…
Shearwater Shares Video for “I Luv the Valley OH!” (Xiu Xiu Cover)
I love Shearwater, and Shearwater loves Xiu Xiu. A bizarre love triangle only made more confusing by the fact that that I love Xiu Xiu. The love affair between the bands began with a…
Nadine Shah Shares Video for “Aching Bones”
We’re big fans of Nadine Shah’s austere songwriting, as evidenced by our review or her excellent new album. This week, the songstress shared a new video for album track “Aching Bones” featuring visceral…
Folk Rock Outfit Quiet Life Opens for Head and The Heart in Austin
You may already know that The Head and the Heart will play back to back nights in Austin at Stubb’s this Saturday and Sunday evenings. It’s always nice to see a larger act…
Show Preview: Poliça at Emo’s w/ Marijuana Deathsquads
We’ve brought you a couple posts about Poliça leading up the release of their sophomore album Shulamith, which dropped last month to favorable reviews. The synth-pop group will be in Austin tonight for a show…
Artist Spotlight: Daniel Francis Doyle
Sometimes Austin’s music scene feels like a double-edged sword. Any night of the week, you can find a quality live music experience, but in a market this saturated, difficulty arises in knowing how…
Angel Olsen Announces Album, Shares “Forgiven/Forgotten”
Earlier this year, stalwart indie label Jagjaguwar added Angel Olsen to their lineup and, now, have announced a forthcoming LP from the songwriter. Burn Your Fire for No Witness will be released on February…
Show Preview: Kate Nash, La Sera, and Galpals at Mohawk Saturday November 16th
Saturday night will be popstastic. And perhaps even more importantly, completely fueled by amazingly talented female musicians. British indie-pop songstress Kate Nash will take over the outdoor stage at the Mohawk and will…
Fuzz Shares Live Cut of B-Side “You Won’t See Me”
An EP from garage rock band Fuzz will be the second installment of Castle Face Records’ new and ongoing series Live in San Francisco. The label previously released material from psych rockers White Fence. The…
Dog Bite Shares “Dream Feast” From Forthcoming LP Tranquilizers
We were big fans of Atlanta based band Dog Bite’s debut album and even invited the band to play our SXSW day party last year. Dog Bite has announced the release of their…
Gems Share New Song “Ephemera,” Drop Medusa EP
We told you recently about Gems’ new EP Medusa, released this week. To accompany that release, the band has shared “Ephemera,” another new track from the EP. The song is lush and sparse, beautiful…
Hear A Track From Vertical Scratchers’ Merge Records Debut
Daughter of Everything will be Vertical Scratchers debut and will be released by Merge Records on February 25, 2014. The band’s upbeat, fuzzy pop promises frenetic drumming and fun melodies and follows in…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Day Two Featuring Television, Deerhunter, and M.I.A
In the beginning there was the Fest. And the Fest was good. If I haven’t said so yet, Fun Fun Fun Fest not only knows how to put together an amazing lineup but…
Show Preview: of Montreal at The Mohawk Friday November 15th
You really can’t beat an of Montreal show. Kevin Barnes and co. make most other live acts seem like emphatic yawners. From insane costumes of skeletons and creatures to sexually explicit cartoonish enactments…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Day One Coverage Featuring Kurt Vile, Johnny Marr, and Snoop Dogg
And then the fest was upon us. We ran almost thirty posts leading up to Fun Fun Fun Fest 2013, and we still couldn’t have prepared you for every moment of awesomeness that…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Day One Photos (Pardon Us While We Fest)
We’ll share all of our thoughts about this year’s excellent installment of Fun Fun Fun Fest early next week, but for now we’re giving you a single photo from each of the artists…
Cults, SACCO, and Mood Rings at Emo’s: Live Review & Photos
Emo’s East housed a four hour long dream-experience on Tuesday night with Cults, SACCO, and Mood Rings, all of which cast their dream pop spell over the crowd for the duration of the…
11 Bands You Should Not Miss at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Okay, so you just couldn’t handle the realness of our exhaustive chronological preview of artists we recommend seeing at Fun Fun Fun Fest. You’re looking for the bottom line. Something a little more…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Preview: Who To See, Where, and When
So you never got around to planning your schedule for Fun Fun Fun Fest. We get it! You’ve got a lot going on. Don’t worry. Just sit back and relax–that’s what we’re here…
Video: Destroyer – “Bye Bye”
We’d like to state officially that we, Pop Press International, believe it an unwise usage of time to attempt to determine what Destroyer’s Dan Bejar will do next. If you guessed that the…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Spotlight: Merchandise
See Merchandise. You’re going to see Merchandise. Why are you going to see Merchandise? They absolutely slay. Seriously. We saw them at NXNE this summer at one of the best shows of the festival. Tons of…
The Black and White Years Share New Track “Little One”
The Black and White Years had a big first year, getting “discovered” by Jerry Harrison and being lauded categorically at the Austin Music Awards, including snagging the Best New Band Award. Then, the…
The Blow with Love Inks at Red 7: Live Review
For New Year’s Eve 2006, my first blog, Urban Pollution threw a party at the fairly newly opened Mohawk. The bill included A Hawk and a Hacksaw featuring Jeremy Barnes of Neutral Milk…
Those Darlins and Diane Coffee at Red 7: Live Review
While The Blow and Love Inks were providing danceable pop on the Red 7 outdoor stage, the indoor room at Red 7 felt like a whole different era of rock. 70’s glam-rock infused…
CocoRosie’s Magnificent Performance at The Belmont: Live Review
Perhaps being born in Hawaii and Iowa to parents with Syrian and Native American lineage and then living in New York and Paris as well as a slew of other cities can explain…
Nine Inch Nails ACL Taping Review
Austin City Limits knows how to keep fans on their toes. Even ACL producer Terry Lickona had to admit he never thought he’d say these words, just before uttering the name “Nine Inch…
Help Support Marmalakes Record Full-length Album
Over the past several years, folk-leaning indie-pop trio Marmalakes has become one of the most lauded and beloved bands in Austin. They’ve accomplished that with a handful of solid EPs. Now, they’re asking…
Hospitality Shares New Track “I Miss Your Bones”
When we posted two weeks ago that Hospitality had announced their second full-length, slated for a January 28th release on Merge Records, I thought it might be another couple of months before we…
See Creepy Goons Hunt Down Ty Segall In New Video
In the new video for Ty Segall’s song “The Man Man” a car full of creepy, dystopian goons hunt down an understandably paranoid Ty Segall. See what happens when they find him–watch the…
Show Preview: Tristen at Mohawk Wednesday, Feb 6th
Is total honesty a winning quality? No one asked me to write this show preview–no publicist reached out, no promoter (no offense intended!). I hasn’t necessarily planned to write it. I knew that…
Dum Dum Girls Announce Third Album, Share Video
Austere dream-pop (nightmare pop?) act Dum Dum Girls will issue their third album, Too True, through Sub Pop on January 28th, and have shared the video for album track “Lost Boys and Girls Club.”…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Spotlight: Cayucas
You need a reason to go to Fun Fun Fun Fest? You need more than the best weather imaginable? You need more than the beautiful scenery of Auditorium Shores? The lineup itself affords…
Cumulus at Holy Mountain with The Lonely Forest: Live Review
Throughout independent music history, people have marveled at the power a small town like Olympia, Washington, home to stalwart K Records, has wielded. The city of less than 50,000 people helped propel independent…
Father John Misty at Emo’s: Live Review
A figure in a dark suit steps into dim light with a gigantic bunny head on. The rabbit walks to the middle of the stage, uncorks a bottle, and pours a healthy glassful…
MGMT Share Bizarre New Video, Play Fun Fun Fun Fest
MGMT has taken things to a whole new level of weird in their new video for “Alien Days,” which was the first single to be released from the bands latest album. The video…
Gem Club Shares “Polly” From In Roses
Hardly Art is a label I trust wholeheartedly. Their diverse yet constantly phenomenal roster of artists never ceases to impress me. So, when I first heard “Polly” by Gem Club, I thought, “Okay,…
The Julie Ruin Gets Remixed by YACHT, Performs Fun Fun Fun Fest
We’ve been stoked about former Bikini Kill member Kathleen Hanna’s project The Julie Ruin since its inception, and we’re especially excited to see the group perform at this year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest…
Show Preview: Cults with Mood Rings at Emo’s Monday, Nov. 4th
Often, the mind numbing bore of Monday can put you in a bad mood, but luckily, this Monday Emo’s is providing an easy fix by hosting Cults with openers Mood Rings. Cults create…
Gems Announce EP Release Show, Stream “Medusa” Now
Washington D.C.’s Gems create ghostly pop with soaring synths and steady beats. The band is a boy-girl duo featuring Lindsay Pitts and Clifford John who’s sound falls somewhere between Beach House and Purity…
Fun Fun Fun Fest is Rock ‘n’ Roll Down to the Details
We’ve said before that Fun Fun Fun Fest is the kind of festival that maintains their cred, year after year. Sure, there are sponsors, but they won’t be completely unrelated companies whose logos…
Show Preview: CocoRosie at The Belmont Saturday, Nov. 2nd
CocoRosie’s most recent opus, Tales of a GrassWidow, was cinematic, narrative, and imaginative. Their live shows hold the same allure, featuring costumes, extravagant staging, and of course, CocoRosie’s haunting and peculiar songs. The band…
The Breeders to Play Only Texas Show at Mohawk on New Year’s Eve
The Mohawk dropped a splash of announcement today regarding their plans for New Year’s Eve. Okay, so the pun is terrible, but the news was great! The reunited Breeders will play the final…
Weekly Rundown: The Blow, Those Darlins, Grape St., Cut Copy, Arcade Fire, and Moonface
This week’s Weekly Rundown spans more than we could cover. Feel free to take some of the links to stories we almost wrote about in this edition. And good luck deciding between the three…
Show Preview: The Blow with Love Inks Plus Those Darlins at Red 7, Saturday Nov. 2nd
Let me tell you how much we like The Blow. I once flew The Blow from Seattle to Austin to perform for a New Year’s Eve party sponsored by my blog in 2007….
Fun Fun Fun Fest Spotlight: Interview with Audacity
Fun Fun Fun Fest’s Nites programming has become increasingly substantial over the years and this year will feature artists as notable as Twin Shadow as well as up and coming bands such as…
Show Preview: Grape St., John Wesley Coleman, Booher, and Twinsmith at Hotel Vegas
If you’re looking for the best local music on Halloween, we already told you about Tele Novella’s show at The Owl tomorrow night. But if you’re in search of a weekend endeavor, we…
Show Preview: Cumulus Plays with Lonely Forest Tonight at Holy Mountain
I can’t put into words all of the personal reasons I have to be excited about this show. Cumulus is from Seattle and recorded their new album in The Unknown–the same venue that…
Moonface Shares New Video for “Barbarian”
Moonface released their new album “Julia with Blue Jeans On” today on Jagjaguwar. The former Wolf Parade member finds himself constructing an album of deeply moving tracks as exhibited in the new video…
Nine Inch Nails to Perform for ACL Taping
Austin City Limits continues to display their commitment to a wide variety of artists and musical styles as well as up and coming performers. However, the announcement that Nine Inch Nails will perform…
Cut Copy Streams Entire New Album, Plays Fun Fun Fun Fest Nov 9th
Cut Copy is giving us plenty to get psyched about in advance of their upcoming performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest on the Orange Stage on Friday November 9th. Recently they released a…
Show Preview: Tele Novella Follows New Video with Special Halloween Show at The Owl
If you, like us, were a fan of Agent Ribbons, then you’re undoubtedly already a fan of Natalie Ribbons’ new pop outfit Tele Novella that features members of Voxtrot, Jason Chronis and Matt…
Show Preview: Ashley Eriksson at The Owl Thursday Oct 30th
This is the best show you don’t know about in a good while. The Owl is formerly Baby Blue Studios, and while the venue may be slightly off the beaten path, it has…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Spotlight: Q and A with Mark Perro of The Men
The lineup for Fun Fun Fun Fest this year is impeccable. It’s hard to even know which band to be most excited about, but for us, The Men certainly rise to the top…
Fun Fun Fun Fest Spotlight: Interview with The Tontons
We really adore The Tontons. The Houston quartet creates vocally centered indie pop that feels a bit like The Cardigans with more edge and a lot more soul. At the forefront of the…
Album Review: Arcade Fire – Reflektor (Pop Press Pick)
Arcade Fire’s fourth full-length album Reflektor is a marvelous achievement. Working for the first time with former LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy, the band has created a complex album, stylistically diverse yet…
Dirty Projectors Share Video for “Impregnable Question”
The Dirty Projectors’ latest album Swing Lo Magellan is nothing short of a masterpiece, and Dave Longstreth and co. have provided a rich context of visual components to support the album–short films, a…
Connan Mockasin Shares New Track “Do I Make You Feel Shy?”
From the sexy, synthy sounds of Memory Tapes to Gayngs, and all the bands in between, indiedom has seen a sharp rise in the influence of the 80s in recent years. On “Do…
The Starfolk Channel 90s Indie Rock in New Video for “Into the Clouds”
Minneapolis indie rock outfit The Starfolk released their self-titled album last month and have recently dropped a video for album track “Into the Clouds.” Moving between isolated minor chords strumming patters and soaring…
Video: Soft Metals – “On A Cloud”
Just in time for All Hallow’s Eve, there’s some witchy magic brewing in Soft Metals’ new video for “On A Cloud,” culled from the band’s Capture Tracks released album Lenses, which dropped this summer….
Show Preview: Father John Misty at Emo’s, Tuesday, October 29th
Father John Misty, aka Joshua Tillman, formerly of Fleet Foxes fame, created one of the best albums of 2012. Blending the styles of great songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, John Lennon, and Harry…
Stream Arcade Fire’s Reflektor In Its Entirety Here
Do we need to say more? We’re working out the full album review and will certainly comment on it shortly. But below you can stream the masterpiece that is Arcade Fire’s latest album, Reflektor.
