Spoon’s Surprise Tour Kickoff Show in Austin
Last night felt quintessentially Austin. Last night Spoon played their first show in two years–a surprise event announced a few hours before set time and held at Hotel Vegas, a small club that accommodates only…
Austin Psych Fest Day 1: Black Lips, Woods, & The Zombies
As in years past, Austin Psych Fest delivered a solid lineup of cohesive music over an ambitious three-day event. While the genre of “psychedelic” music gets stretched somewhat at the festival, incorporating garage…
Psych Fest Preview: Q&A with Roger Sellers
Austin’s own Roger Sellers is one of a few local bands that will perform this year’s annual Austin Psych Fest. I’m always inspired by how Psych Fest reaches out to local artists as…
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…
Wild Moccasins Bring Energetic Pop to Holy Mountain
Other than each band consisting of four men and one woman, Wild Moccasins and Lost in the Trees couldn’t be any more different from each other. On tour for their second album, 88…
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…
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…
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…
Beat Heavy for the Uninitiated: Phantogram & TEEN Live at Stubb’s
In the spirit of transparency, let me start by saying that I wrote Phantogram off last March after listening to their music exactly zero times. It was the height of the Fader Fort-fueled,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
You’re Here! Recapitulation OR Why Lady Gaga is Wrong
We liked Punctum Records label owner Dan Rudmann’s comments about our joint event in early March, You’re Here!, so much that we asked if we could feature his article on our own site….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Weekly Rundown: Poliça, Crystal Stilts, The Couch, Kurt Vile, Besnard Lakes
We’re back with our second edition of Weekly Rundown. It always takes a few rounds to figure out if you like a new idea or not. We liked the final product last week,…
Crystal Antlers at the Mohawk with The Zoltars and Hundred Visions Live Review
Saturday night’s perfect, crisp fall weather was just an added bonus for an evening out seeing live music at the Mohawk, where three solid acts performed on the indoor stage. I arrived just…
ACL Weekend Two Day Two Highlights w/ Grimes and Autre Ne Veut
Although the 60% threat of rain lingered throughout Friday, Saturday morning dawned clear and bright and the forecast of the day was mostly clear until late evening. Although I’d planned to take it…
Win Tickets to Fun Fun Fun Fest with M.I.A., MGMT, Television, and Descendents
To be honest, the team over at Buzzfeed beat us to the punch with this incredible post they put up earlier this month highlighting the best parts of Fun Fun Fun Fest. So,…
Weekly Rundown: Mirror Travel, Crystal Antlers, Tycho, Matthew Squires
In an effort to make your consumption of what’s happening in popular music and in Austin, TX easier, we’re rolling out a new post called “Weekly Rundown” that will run near the beginning…
