Sebadoh at Red 7: Live Review
For indie rock purists, Sebadoh resides unquestioningly in the hall of fame. While the Sebadoh project has been largely inactive in the new millennium, the members have all been pursuing other collaborations and solo projects….
You’re Here! Fall Kick-Off at Cheer Up Charlies
Last SXSW, Pop Press International joined forces with local label Punctum Records, non-profit organization Attendance Records, recording studio Estuary, and tape label Accrue Cassettes, along with a few other entities and sponsors, to…
Live Review: Monofonus Press & Spray Paint Take Over Hotel Vegas 9/19
A light sweat covering his face, John Wesley Coleman strummed through a couple of his best C-major compositions kicking off the Monofonus showcase at Hotel Vegas Friday night. With a lighter amount of…
Live Review: Shabazz Palaces Get Otherworldly at Red 7
Hip-hop can be a difficult genre to perform. In terms of actually “performing,” the result can be more karaoke than art exhibition. The easiest route for large scale stage productions usually revolves around…
Photo Gallery: Shots from Utopiafest 2014
Rain or shine, weather happens. Even if the forecast is less than desirable, one simply has to embrace it. Ringing especially true at outdoor events, doing so peacefully echoes the natural disposition of the earth much more than…
Dear Someone: (Where are the) Girls, Girls, Girls?
Walker Lukens is a musician living and working in Austin, Texas. His latest album is called Devoted. His advice column Dear Someone runs semimonthly on Pop Press International. You can send in your own inquiries by emailing…
Live Review: The Gospel of Earth at Red 7
Just to preface, Earth is possibly the heaviest live band I have ever experienced. I’m not necessarily using the word “heaviest” like most passionate metal fans would in terms of their favorite “heavy”…
A Weekend of Glorious Escape: Utopiafest 2014 Photo Essay
Through cloudy skies, Utopiafest shone. This past weekend, despite the downpour and its muddy repercussions, this family-friendly festival had music lovers, yogis, and ultimate frisbeers alike flocking to Utopia, TX, unleashing their outdoorsy…
Utopian Living: Highlights from Utopiafest
Yesterday, Pop Press INTL. Assistant Editor Lukas Truckenbrod did a great job capturing the Utopiafest vibe and reported about some of the music from this year’s installment. 2014 marked the third time I’ve…
Yonatan Gat Brings Killer Live Show to Cheer Up Charlies Tonight
This summer, I stumbled into catching a set by ex-Monotonix member Yonatan Gat. Floored doesn’t quite cover how taken I was with the performance, which had me sputtering incomprehensible praises of the show for…
Upcoming: Spray Paint at Hotel Vegas 9/19
Friday the 19th welcomes Austin’s premier scum-rockers back to Hotel Vegas. The no-wave trio will be celebrating the release of their new LP Clean Blood, Regular Acid. A set of their noisiest, dark-humored…
Indie Rock Legends Sebadoh Play Red 7 Tomorrow, September 19th
This is indie rock royalty. It seems crazy that this show isn’t yet sold out, but I’d call it a solid bet that Red 7 will be at capacity come tomorrow night when…
Barcelona with The Young Wild at Holy Mountain: Live Review
Monday night atop the Mountain, Seattle band Barcelona immersed the grooving audience in melodic songs of old and new. The trio released the final component to their three part EP series, The Melodrama, in March, revealing yet…
Vibing at Utopiafest
Despite some serious rain Friday evening, vibes were mellow at Utopiafest 2014. Yes, arriving at Utopiafest on Friday night was not the smoothest ride; buses and cars were stuck in mud, shuttle service into…
Live Review: 2014 Stargayzer Festival
The clouds that hung over Austin on Friday the 12th were omnipresent, looming and spitting even after the sun went down. The mat grey sky blanketed everything as the temperature dropped below 80…
Spotlight: Voxtrot Member Ramesh’s Royal Ambitions with New LP The King
“Yeah, whatever happened to that band?” A common lament among music aficionados, especially those tuned into alternative label bands that might only make an album or two before succumbing to the enormous difficulty…
Delta Spirit with EDJ on at Emo’s East Riverside: Live Review
East Riverside’s premier rock and roll venue, the venerable Emo’s, hosted epic indie-rock darlings Delta Spirit last week in support of their newest release, 2014’s Into the Wide. The album’s lead single is a…
Show Preview: Barcelona with The Young Wild at Holy Mountain, September 15th
Tonight, following their release of The Melodrama, a three-part EP investigating the nature of love, Seattle trio Barcelona is swinging into Holy Mountain at 8 PM. The show promises to douse the audience with a…
Sungod’s Heavenly “Shiftless en Nkawkaw”
Out of the gate, Sungod blazes into their latest single with a barrage of percussion. At first, the mix seems to be restrained and tame, easy on the listener. But things are not…
Inaugural Stargayzer Fest This Weekend in Austin
This weekend begins the first ever Stargayzer Festival, held at the east sides infamous Pine Street Station. A spectacular line-up of a 100+ artists representing the LGBTQIA community will fill out the weekend…
Interview: Hikes’ Woodsy Selves Ready for Utopiafest
Yesterday we brought you a Q&A with Austin band Borrisokane. Today, we’re proud to bring you another interview with an artist performing Utopiafest this weekend. Hikes will play tomorrow at 2:15 PM. Band…
Austin Band Borrisokane Talks About Upcoming Utopiafest Performance
Austin’s music scene is diverse to be sure. However, few bands exercise the kind of diversity within their body of work as Austin’s Borrisokane. They’ve been called dream pop, gloom pop, synth pop,…
Hungry Cloud Darkening Shares “Blue Green” from Glossy Recall
Anacortes, Washington based band Hungry Cloud Darkening is set to release their new album Glossy Recall, out October 7th via OFF TEMPO. After a close listen to the band, you won’t be surprised to…
SOAK Shares Single, Signs to Rough Trade
UK songstress Bridie Monds-Watson is 18 years old, and she’s already garnering acclaim with her songs that employ diverse production values and emphasize her smoky vocals. Likely that’s what prompted stalwart indie imprint Rough…
Video: Amen Dunes “Splits Are Parted”
A pendulum ponytail wags in the dark as a young girl runs towards the viewer, opening the video for Amen Dunes’ latest single “Splits are Parted.” Backlit, hand reaching forward through a strobing…
Show Preview: Delta Spirit with EDJ at Emo’s Thursday, September 11th
Touring in support of their newly released album, Into the Wide, Delta Spirit will bring their famed, energetic live show to Emo’s tomorrow night. With four albums under their proverbial belt, the band has…
Live Review: Balmorhea Returns to Austin with Jess Williamson at the Parish
It’s been over a year since Balmorhea played in their hometown of Austin, Texas. Over a year has the fan base been out of touch with one of the most precise post-rock bands…
Gridiron Maiden Week One
In case you missed it, 10 representatives from across Austin’s music community are playing in a fantasy football league called Gridiron Maiden. You can win tickets to a Transmission show by predicting the…
Dear Someone: Will Reuniting Feel So Good?
Walker Lukens is a musician living and working in Austin, Texas. His latest album is called Devoted. His advice column Dear Someone runs semimonthly on Pop Press International. You can send in your own inquiries by emailing…
Upcoming: Shabazz Palaces September 16th
Tuesday the 16th welcomes back Seattle’s hip-hop wunderkind Shabazz Palaces. On the tail of their most recent, excellent release, Lese Majesty, the duo of Ishmael Butler and Tendai Maraire will perform on the…
Show Preview: EARTH at Red 7 Sept. 16
Ever-cosmic and always-droning, Seattle band Earth pulls into Austin’s live music orbit this coming Tuesday (a week from today) at Red 7, where they will be joined by seriously psychobilly singer-songwriter King Dude…
Whirr at Red 7: Live Review
Cruising through two decades worth of College Rock 101 in an open topped convertible, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes began the night at Red 7 Saturday. A guitar/drummer two-piece, the band exhausted their audience…
Contest: Win Tickets to Slow Magic at Mohawk September 17th
Mysterious, masked DJ Slow Magic, who blends electronic beats with live drum performance will play the Mohawk a week from tomorrow on September 17th. Slow Magic is yet another DJ in the rising…
Live Review: Raw Paw Closes Out Summer with Epic Scoot Inn Show
Despite rain in the early evening, the weather was just fine, if a little muggy, for local arts and music collective Raw Paw’s epic send off to summer at Scoot Inn on Friday…
Parquet Courts Share New Video, Play Dates Under Multiple Pseudonyms
Today slacker rock band Parquet Courts shared a new video for “Bodies,” a track culled from their recent effort Sunbathing Animal. The track features the group’s distinct, lackadaisical vocal delivery over wavering guitar lines…
Raw Paw Hosts Stellar Bill Tonight with Hikes, Milezo, Chipper Jones
Tonight at Scoot Inn, arts and music collective Raw Paw will host an awesome bill of bands and reveal the theme to their new zine. If you’ve been to one of the collective’s…
Austin’s Music Geeks Are Playing Fantasy Football
You heard me. Pop Press International has organized a fantasy football league of folks from Austin’s music community, employees of Transmission Entertainment, Mohawk, Holy Mountain, Cheer Up Charlies, Side One Track One, Austin…
Should We Be Watching Football?
When I read this Buzzfeed article about Michael Sam being cut from the Rams earlier this week, my guilt reached meltdown proportions. Although Oshinsky has a few issues with the logical structure of…
Show Preview: Whirr at Red 7 Saturday, September 6th
Supporting their new album Sway (out September 23rd on Graveface Records), the bay area’s Whirr will be playing at Red 7 this Saturday September 6th. A sound equal parts atmospheric and heavy, Whirr…
Austin Bat Cave Benefit Hosts Benefit with Bill Callahan, Jon Dee Graham
Austin Bat Cave is a non-profit writing and tutoring center serving a diverse population of young people. The center fights the good fight daily to keep our young people interested in reading and…
Show Preview: Balmorhea at the Parish Sunday
Balmorhea is the kind of band that can take hugely expansive ideas and wrestle them into musical form, creating a cinematic experience for the ears. Strings, synthesizers, vocal harmonies, fingerpicked guitar and various tuned…
Hear Tracks from Taft/Little Lo Upcoming Split on Punctum Records
We’ve written before about how much we like both NYC-based dream pop band Taft and expansive indie rock outfit Little Lo. So, we’re naturally thrilled that the two projects will share a 7-inch…
Non-Profit Experimental Theater Company Twin Alchemy Plans First Season
On recent trip to Houston, I had a conversation with a close friend about the abundance of live theater in Houston. We’ve had similar conversations in the past about the city’s arts community as…
Bishop Allen at Holy Mountain: Live Review
Bishop Allen hasn’t played Austin in years. His show last week at Holy Mountain was a must see for me, as I’ve been a fan from the earliest days. I was eager to…
United, 7th Street Jams
This weekend, Austin Music People took over the streets with United We Jam, a massive event supporting Austin musicians and benefitting Austin musician-lovers. AMP works to improve upon the state of Austin’s music industry and…
Suspirians Release Show at the Lost Well: Live Review
What once was the Frontier Bar in Austin’s East Side is now the Lost Well, opened by biker-friendly, former Lovejoys bartender Marcello Murphy. To keep heaviness afloat Saturday night, Austin indie-psych-noise band the Suspirians…
J. Roddy at ACL Taping: Live Review
In its 40th TV season, KLRU’s Austin City Limits has brought a loaded hand to the table. With tapings from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Jeff Tweedy, Los Lobos and Beck, the series…
Dear Someone: Doggone It, People! Like Me!
Dear Walker, My ex and I have a lot in common. We both live in the same town, we’re both musicians, we both share some of the same friends… But unfortunately he is…
Mother Falcon at Mohawk for United We Jam: Live Review
Last weekend, on both Friday and Saturday nights, Austin Music People’s fundraiser United We Jam hosted bills of local bands at myriad venues across the city. Our own Lukas Read wrote yesterday about…
Jamie xx at Mohawk: Live Review
I’m glad there’s a market for Jamie xx. There’s certainly risk in the work of the esteemed DJ behind The xx’s electronic soundscapes and beats. It doesn’t offer the emotive depth and traditional instrumentation that…
Mineral Plays First Show in 17 Years
Although I was lucky enough to catch a couple of sets from Mineral spinoff projects after moving to Austin in 2001, I was several years too late to see the quintessential emo band….
Holy Wave Euro-Tour Kickoff Show: Live Review
Holy Wave will be in Europe by the end of the week, kicking off a stint of dates with a show in Sweden at the Oslo Psych Fest. But before leaving, they stopped at…
Mumblr Shares “Got It” Ahead of Full of Snakes
If you’re looking for a soundtrack to laying around on a thrift store rug, semi conscious, surrounded by a sea of red Solo® cups, then you’re in luck! Philadelphia based rock quartet Mumblr…
Show Preview: Bishop Allen at Holy Mountain Saturday Night
I’ve been a fan ever since a friend put a Bishop Allen song from Charm School, their first album, on a mix CD for me. I listened to all of the songs from their EP…
Album Review: Bishop Allen – Lights Out
Bishop Allen hasn’t released an album since 2009. Their newest effort, Lights Out, dropped via Dead Oceans earlier this week. “Start Again” and “Why I Had to Go,” the album’s first two songs,…
Allah-Las Crafty New ‘Buffalo Nickel’ Video
With Allah-Las’ video for their latest single “Buffalo Nickel” from their upcoming album Worship the Sun, every listener, near and far, is invited to join them on a time-traveling voyage back to 1967 – under…
Cinema East Screens Final Summer Film, The Heart Machine
Cinema East’s summer series has included a run of phenomenal films, viewed on French Legation’s lush lawn beneath the Texas night sky. If you’ve attended any of them, I probably don’t need to…
Austin Music People’s United We Jam 2014 Dominates Downtown this Weekend
– We were proud to partner with Austin Music People last year for the first annual Austin Music Blogger Awards. Austin is lucky to have an organization of people devoted to handling the…
If You Like Mineral, You’ll Love The Parking Lot
Yesterday, The Austin Chronicle published an article about Mineral reuniting. It’s fair to say that people are pretty stoked about Mineral’s reunion and upcoming performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest. Tonight, there’s a must-see…
Suspirians Celebrate Album Release at The Lost Well
We’re not the only ones who think Suspirians are great; we were happy to se the band show up on Do 512’s list of five bands you should be listening to right now….
Cool Off At Float Fest This Sunday
I love new ideas. The creators of Float Fest are giving you an opportunity to experience music in tandem with cooling off while floating the river. If you’re going to have a music…
Show Preview: Christian Lee Hutson at Holy Mountain Tonight
Solid sonic textures, a dash of grit, and embellishments such as faraway whistles and multi-tracked vocals make Christian Lee Hutson’s song “Ghost to Coast” convincing and endearing. The song feels like Wilco at…
Show Preview: Jamie XX at Mohawk Tonight
If you xx die-hard fans are looking for a way to tide yourselves over during the long stretches of time between the band’s trips to Texas, you should be at Jamie xx’s Mohawk…
Watch: Patch – “Who Will I Dream?”
Built on accordion, tambourine, and acoustic guitars, Austin band Patch’s song “Who Will I Dream?” is a boozy, late-night, lover’s lament. The song’s narrator pines the departure of a loved one, ensuring us that…
Dear Someone: For the Sake of the Song
Walker Lukens is a musician living and working in Austin, Texas. His latest album is called Devoted. His advice column Dear Someone runs semimonthly on Pop Press International. You can send in your own inquiries by emailing…
Versus Project Showcases Local Band Collaboration at Scoot Inn: Live Review
For months, we’ve been telling you about The Versus Project — an ambitious collaboration between some of Austin’s best bands that resulted in the release of a six disc box set of EPs…
Blood, Sweat, and Cheers with Night Beats at Red Bull Sound Select Showcase
More than once, I’ve written about Red Bull Sound Select‘s ability to book killer shows. The corporate-backed music series refuses to stick to one venue, one city, or even one genre. Red Bull…
Tinnarose Preps LP; Plays Stubb’s Saturday
Austin folk pop band Tinnarose will release their new eponymous LP next Tuesdeay via Nine Mile Records. The band creates layered folk pop that employs both sunny riffs and crunchy guitar tones while…
Watch the Trailer for Scott Walker and Sun O)))’s Collaborative Album
I’m not sure that there will be a time when we can remember the fact that Scott Walker and Sun O))) once worked together on an album, because it’s likely upon the release of…
Seattle Band S Releases Second Single from Forthcoming Cool Choices LP
We were excited when we heard the news that Carissa’s Wierd (yes spelled that way) member Jenn Ghetto had plans to release new material from her new(ish) band S. The first single had us…
Utopiafest Releases Schedule, Hosts Pre-Party Tonight
We’ve already told you about what a magical experience Utopiafest can be, as well as that the lineup this year is stellar. If you, like us, already have plans to attend, you’ll be…
The Versus Project feat. Borrisokane, Young Tongue, & Knifight Live at Scoot Inn on Saturday
We couldn’t be more excited about seeing a live incarnation of the bands who participated in The Versus Project. We’ve written about it time and time again, even premiered a track or two,…
Sylvan Esso with Dana Buoy at Emo’s: Live Review
In light of Sylvan Esso’s outstanding debut effort as well as the quality repertoire of Akron/Family and member Dana Buoy’s solid new solo recordings, Sunday night’s double-bill at Emo’s stood out as a…
The Mole People Celebrate Lost Age LP Release at Spiderhouse
Lost Age isn’t just the title of The Mole People’s excellent new album, out last week on Punctum Records, it’s a holistic philosophy. The bands–Big Bill, Those Howlings, and The Mole People–that played…
Donate to Austin Musician Andrew Collins, Injured in Motorcycle Accident
Austin musician Andrew Collins was in a serious motorcycle accident on Tuesday, and is currently in a coma. Collins is best known as the vocalist for Austin bands including At All Cost, LAX, and Vegatron….
Album Review: Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats) – EDJ
Eric D. Johnson is no stranger to the world of indie rock, collaborating with bands like the Shins, Califone, Vetiver, and his personal songwriting vehicle, the Fruit Bats. Leaving behind that moniker, Johnson (known solo…
Letting Up Despite Great Faults Release Neon at Holy Mountain: Live Review
Local synthpop dreampscape band Letting Up Despite Great Faults released their third LP Neon this past Saturday at Holy Mountain. Supporting the band and filling out the rest of the superb lineup were Löwin, Whiite…
Vagabond Collective’s Summer Series Finale: Live Review
Last Saturday night, I got my sweat on as I jumped between the indoor and patio stages at Vagabond Collective’s final Summer Nights series at Empire Control Room. Drinks were flowing and the…
Dear Someone: I’ve Been Known to Quiche and Tell
Walker Lukens is a musician living and working in Austin, Texas. His latest album is called Devoted. His advice column Dear Someone runs semimonthly on Pop Press International. You can send in your own inquiries by emailing…
The Both (Aimee Mann & Ted Leo) at Mohawk: Live Review
The Both, a collaborative project between accomplished songwriter Aimee Mann and alt-rock hero Ted Leo, brought not only their music but also their A-game stage banter to Mohawk’s outdoor stage last Wednesday night….
Vagabond Collective Hosts Summer Series Finale with Marmalakes & More
Vagabond is doing it big, y’all. The local art and music collective has already thrown several epic summer parties, some of which we wrote about. This final installment of their summer series boasts…
Thao and The Get Down Stay Down Make ACL Taping Debut
Following in the Footsteps of longtime collaborator Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down finally made their debut performance at Austin City Limits on Thursday evening. Thao Nguyen confidently…
Ultimate Painting Share New Track “Winter In Your Heart”
With its jangling guitars, mellow vocals channeling Lou Reed, and steady kick and snare drum beat, Ultimate Painting’s new track “Winter In Your Heart” is an immediately addicting track. It floats by effortlessly…
Sylvan Esso Bring Their Beats to Emo’s Sunday, August 17th
In case you missed our review, we are into Sylvan Esso’s debut record, which dropped earlier this year. We were also pretty enamored with the duo’s FPSF performance earlier in the summer. The pair employ buzzing,…
Album Review: The Mole People – Lost Age (Pop Press Pick)
The Mole People’s Lost Age has undeniably classic appeal—think early David Bowie or Blondie fronted by a charismatic and unhinged dude rather than Debbie Harry. Or if you want a (fittingly) less common…
Letting Up Despite Great Faults Celebrates Neon Release Saturday at Holy Mountain
We already wrote a bit about the new, beautiful, pristine, and shimmering synth pop tracks from Austin band Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Over the years, the group has continued to expand an incredibly…
Seattle Band iji Wows Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
I met Zach Burba on my recent trip to Seattle at a Lake / Bouquet show at Hollow Earth Radio. When I told Zach I was from Austin, he said he’d be playing…
Aimee Mann & Ted Leo Collaboration The Both Comes to Mohawk on Wednesday
Although we live in an era of the revitalized music legend, where an extensive list of performers we never thought we’d see take the stage have relaunched careers, Ted Leo is one legend…
Album Review: Daniel Bachman – Orange Co. Serenade
Today we find ourselves in the sweat of Daniel Bachman’s newest work, Orange Co. Serenade, out on Asheville label, Bathetic Records. Known for its predilection to experimental music with a folk bent, Bachman…
NYC Band Little Cinema Shares “Diving Board” feat. Dana Falconberry
Although it may seem out of the blue for a little indie pop band based in Brooklyn to have so many Austin-centered components: the group’s first single was recorded here, at Deadly Sparrow Studios…
Show Preview: Alex Napping with iji at Cheer Up Charlies Tonight
The Stereogum premiere of Alex Napping‘s debut single “Weak Knees” made such a splash, we hardly need to tell you about it, but in case you somehow missed it, we’re sharing it with…
Song Premiere: Young Tongue’s “Matriarch” from The Versus Project
The Versus Project is going to be amazing. And that’s not a hard claim to make, since several songs have been shared from the forthcoming six-disc, six-band collaborative box set both on this…
Matthew Squires Performs Endearing Guitar Pop at Cheer Up Charlies
Although I’ve written about Matthew Squires and listened to his music, I had managed to be occupied during almost every show he’s played until this week at Cheer Up Charlies. As one would…
Roger Sellers Hosts Fundraiser for Debut Album
What I love most about Roger Sellers is his complex approach to making music. When I first saw his “Roger Sellers is not a DJ” tag line, I thought it was a wry…
Yonatan Gat’s Transfixing Show at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern
Yonatan Gat’s set at Seattle’s Sunset Tavern last week was a surprise musical miracle. Gat was a member of underground garage rock band Monotonix from Tel Aviv, Israel. I was clueless about Yonatan…
Maggie Bjorklund’s Spooky New Single “Missing At Sea”
Maggie Bjorklund will be releasing her second full-length album “Shaken” on Bloodshot Records October 14 here in the US. The first track to be released from the album is spooky stomper “Missing At…
Wonders in the Hidden Cave of Seattle’s Hollow Earth Radio
A tiny, narrow, urban grotto in Seattle’s Central District, serves as the home for Hollow Earth Radio, a young internet radio station committed to giving voices to underrepresented musical formats and artists, including…
Utopiafest Returns with Great Lineup, Provides Rare Festival Opporunity
I first attended Utopiafest three years ago for their third annual event. I had such a great experience that Pop Press International ponied up to be a sponsor the next year for a…
White Denim Make ACL Taping Debut
Monday night, your PPI correspondent had the privilege of seeing White Denim play the Moody Theater for an ACL taping. More fortuitous was the fact that it was being broadcasted live to the…
Anacortes Unknown 2014 as Magical as Ever
Making the trek from Austin, TX to Anacortes, WA, each July has become an essential pilgrimage for me. Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, hidden in the furthest northern reaches of Washington state,…
