ACL 2013 Highlights Day One
Spread out over two weekends for its 2013 installment, ACL arrived more massive and imposing than ever before. Since you’ve likely already seen coverage and heard wide ranging opinions about the festival and…
Local Natives ACL Taping Review
I was a fan of Local Natives second album Hummingbird, which dropped earlier this year. The album was careful, deliberate, and swelled to anthemic heights repeatedly throughout its eleven tracks; it also garnered…
Top 11 Picks for ACL Weekend Two
So, you bought tickets for the second weekend of ACL in its inaugural year. You suffered through the pictures and excitement of half your friends going to the first weekend. But look on…
Neko Case ACL Taping Review
Neko Case embodies not only everything that ACL has come to stand for but also the direction in which the show has been trending in recent years. Case’s particular brand of pristine Americana,…
Fuzz at Red 7 Live Review
Legend has it that a vehicle encounter with a wild hog delayed Fuzz’s arrival in Austin at Red 7 on Friday night. Though the packed crowd grew restless when the band still hadn’t…
Peter Hook and the Light at The Belmont: Live Review
It was the songs that brought New Order fans out to the Belmont on Tuesday night. And the songs sounded great. As a founding member of New Order, Peter Hook possesses an intimate…
Austra and DIANA at Mohawk: Live Review
It must necessarily be considered kind that the bands started more than half an hour late on the outside stage at Mohawk last Friday night. Because if they had begun on time, I…
Chelsea Wolfe at the Mohawk: Live Review
Friday night, darkness descended on the Mohawk, although it was tempered with an unmistakable glimmer of beauty. Chelsea Wolfe’s live set is even more foreboding than her recorded work. Live, the songs emphasize…
Dana Falconberry, Brass Bed, and Reservations at Mohawk: Live Review
You’d think that being a brilliant lyricist and accomplished musician would be the thing that sets an artist apart. And to a point, you’d be right. Dana Falconberry’s distinct voice always stirs something…
Ty Segall at Mohawk with Holy Wave and Hidden Ritual Live Review
Ty Segall performed at the Mohawk at the beginning of the summer, and last night he returned for a show in these closing weeks of the season. Despite Segall having played Austin several…
Dawes ACL Taping: Live Review
Even with solid bands, the conditions surrounding a show can matter as much as anything the band does onstage. This fact is a sort of double-edged sword that both makes live music exciting…
Kurt Vile and the Violators with Sonny and the Sunsets at Mohawk Live Review
I had been looking forward to this show for months. I’m at shows several times a week usually and see a tremendous amount of live music. And I love it. But this show…
Balmorhea, Mirror Travel, and Jess Williamson at Mohawk Live Review
Friday’s bill at the Mohawk featured a somewhat unlikely assortment of bands, but within that offered a diverse range of talent from sparse and oddly beautiful to noisily forceful to quiet and serene….
Social Studies Live at Brick and Mortar Music Hall
We’re big fans of San Francisco based band Social Studies, and were even privileged enough to host them at one of our SXSW day parties last year. While on vacation in San Francisco,…
Belle and Sebastian at ACL Live
Belle and Sebastian was one of the first indie bands I listened to. I bought If You’re Feeling Sinister at Waterloo Records around 2001 and fell in love fast. I purchased the remainder…
Brass Bed Live at Hi-Dive in Denver
While Pop Press International is on vacation in Colorado, we took the opportunity to check out one of the local venues that houses many of indie-rock’s stalwart, national touring acts. We felt lucky…
Borrisokane, Pageantry, and The Calm Blue Sea at Mohawk Live Review
Borrisokane is a band gaining credibility quickly as they’ve played some great shows and solid bills in recent months. We loved their album release show, which pulled out all the stops. Opening the…
La Luz at Hotel Vegas with GALPALS Live Review
Last Friday night, all-girl garage pop band La Luz made a stop in Austin at Hotel Vegas to perform a show with GALPALS. Despite being only vaguely familiar with the band, I was…
Bobby Jealousy Rocks 4th of July, Releases Demos, Tours
The Bobby Jealousy department has been abuzz with news over the holiday week and weekend. Before the band would later rock the 4th of July with a show at Museum of Human Achievement,…
Good Field Live at Lambert’s
We’re huge fans of Good Field, and we don’t keep it a secret. It felt like it had been too long since we’d seen the band, so it was great to catch them…
Soft Healer Live at Hotel Vegas
Distance isn’t keeping Soft Healer down. Though two members now reside in Ithaca, NY, the originally-Austin-based experimental pop group has just released a new EP and will be touring in the coming months….
Foxing Quarterly Lit Fest at Scoot Inn
Foxing Quarterly’s third issue is just around the corner, and this past week the crew teamed up with a slew of other indie publishing houses, literary journals, zines, and start-ups to host a…
Live Review: Joanna Barbera Album Release with The Couch at Holy Mountain
We were on double duty in Austin’s busy music scene last Thursday night, and after a great Mikal Cronin show at Mohawk, we almost jogged down to Holy Mountain to see Joanna Barbera’s…
Mikal Cronin with Shannon and the Clams and A Giant Dog Live Review
After falling in love with Mikal Cronin’s newest album MCII a couple months ago, I had been looking forward to his show at the Mohawk since its announcement. When openers Shannon and the…
Eleanor Friedberger with TEEN at the Parish Live Review
Eleanor Friedberger’s most recent album Personal Record, out this month on Merge Records, further eschewed the spastic and jarring tendencies of her former band Fiery Furnaces and sought to embrace breezy pop songs…
NXNE Part One: Street Cred
Our coverage of Toronto, Ontario’s NXNE music, comedy, film, interactive, and art festival will take place in three parts with each focusing on a different aspect of what gives the festival its identity…
Interview: Hardly Sound’s Chris Kim Talks Season Two and Storytelling
If you haven’t seen Hardly Sound yet, you’re mistreating yourself. The show is a documentary television series that airs on KLRU, Austin’s PBS channel. Hardly Sound claims to focus on Texas underground music, and it does….
Interview: Quiet Company Talks About Their Experiences at NXNE
Standing behind Toronto’s famous Horseshoe Tavern, minutes before Quiet Company would take a stage that has hosted performances by The Rolling Stones and Wilco, we were able to talk with them about their…
10 Must-see Bands at NXNE
Here’s our list of 10 of the bands we’re most excited about seeing at NXNE. Of course, we’re beside ourselves with excitement over seeing The National in Yonge-Dundas Square, and who can resist…
Radiation City with Feverbones and Hello Caller at Mohawk Live Review
When I reviewed Radiation City’s newest effort Animals in the Median, I really liked it. So, it’s a true testament to the excellence of their live show that these songs sound even better…
Black Moth Super Rainbow at The Mohawk
We know, we know, this show was so last week, but we wanted to share some photos and reminisce about Black Moth Super Rainbow’s recent show at the Mohawk in Austin. BMSR creates…
FPSF Day Two with The Men, Cat Power, and TV on the Radio
Scattered overnight showers weren’t about to stop the second day of FPSF. Unfortunately, the ominous radar images had me moving sluggishly, foolishly procrastinating what I thought would be an early afternoon in the…
Interview: Radiation City Talks Musical Influences, Rattlesnakes, and Flat Tires
As soon as Radiation City’s Cameron Spies answers my call, the relaxed Pacific Northwest ethos is immediately apparent. The band is currently travelling across my home state, a good stretch from their own…
FPSF Day One with Iggy and the Stooges, Passion Pit, and Postal Service
Free Press Summer Festival, known verbally as “Free Press” and digitally as FPSF, held its fifth annual music festival this past weekend in Houston’s Eleanor Tinsley Park. The young festival appears to share…
FPSF Preview: A Place To Bury Strangers Discusses Desire to Fornicate with Texas
If you’re booking a festival, hell, if you’re booking a show anytime or anywhere, you should consider A Place to Bury Strangers. Few bands making music today come with a more talked about…
FPSF Preview: Interview with The Sour Notes
Before The Sour Notes were one of Austin’s most steadfast acts, some of its members called Houston home. This weekend they’ll return to the HTX for an appearance at FPSF alongside huge acts…
Best Coast at Mohawk with Lovely Bad Things and GALPALS Live Review
Best Coast’s performance at the Mohawk on Sunday night featured a lengthy setlist of upbeat pop songs and solid performances by opening acts. The sold out crowd seemed to agree; concertgoers bordered on…
Eternal Summers at Mohawk Live Review
Saturday had to be one of the busiest show-packed weekends in a long time for an always busy live music city. Outstanding local bills took place at Beerland and Holy Mountain while touring…
Borrisokane EP Release Party at Scottish Rite Theater Live Review
Borrisokane weaves mutli-textured pop music, employing an unexpected blend of guitars electric and acoustic and sounds synthetic and organic. Though many of the bands with which Pop Press International has fallen in love…
Midgetmen’s 11th Anniversary at Red 7 Live Review
What, you thought a little rain was gonna stop the Midgetmen from getting sloppy drunk and playing some sloppy punk after doing it for 11 years? Anyone who knows anything about the band…
Bill Callahan at Central Presbyterian Church Live Review
I wrote in my preview of Saturday’s show that Bill Callahan was a too-often forgotten treasure of the Austin area, a fact bolstered by his intimate and impeccable performance at Central Presbyterian Church…
Father John Misty at Emo’s Live Review
I’ve seen Father John Misty twice before, and his recent sold-out performance at Emo’s marked the third occasion. If you can see a band that has only a single album more than once…
Ten (More) Albums You Should Be Listening To Right Now
We were honored when Nerve magazine recently asked me to compose a list of five albums for their recurring guest column “Five Albums You Should Be Listening To Right Now;” the results are…
Phoenix ACL Taping Live Review
I’ve never seen an ACL taping crowd more amped during a performance. While this resulted in more noise than usual and one woman having to be removed from the studio, it also made…
of Montreal at the Mohawk Live Review
No one delivers more of a spectacle in a live performance than experimental dance-rockers of Montreal. Their shows utilize costume, performance, projected light, and a barrage of textured pop to provide a multi-sensory…
Jim James ACL Taping Live Review
Over the past decade and a half, My Morning Jacket emerged as one of the most beloved indie-folk bands on the scene. At the forefront of that band was the always captivating Jim…
Yo La Tengo at the Mohawk Live Review
Indie-rock royalty Yo La Tengo performed at The Mohawk on Friday night, gracing Austin with an incredible set in three acts. The first act consisted of a mellow, almost whispered, series of songs….
Full Coverage of Austin Psych Fest Day 3 with Moving Sidewalks, Roky Erickson, and Clinic
On paper and in actuality, Austin Psych Fest’s Sunday lineup boasted the most anticipated and most enjoyable bands of the weekend. From festival headliners The Black Angels and The Moving Sidewalks to underground…
Photo Gallery: Austin Psych Fest Day 3 with Black Angels and Moving Sidewalks
Full coverage of Austin Psych Fest Day Three will be up tomorrow. For now enjoy our extensive gallery of photos from the third day of the fest. All photos © Bryan Parker and…
Austin Psych Fest Day Two
Rain had been threatening all day, but the weather was holding when I arrived for day two of Austin Psych Fest’s 6th annual event. Missing several artists I had hoped to see, I…
Austin Psych Fest 2013 Day One
For its 6th installment, Austin Psych Fest took a major leap out of a few venues around Austin to a full-fledged, field-style music festival with several sizable stages held just outside of Austin…
Austin Psych Fest Preview: Interview with Elephant Stone
Elephant Stone has toured with Austin Psych Fest creators the Black Angels in recent months and frontman Rishi Dhir is a longtime friend of the band. Elephant Stone will perform at this year’s…
A Place to Bury Strangers and Metz at Mohawk for Psych Fest Pre-party
People often say that a band “destroyed it,” but when they say that about A Place to Bury Strangers, they literally mean they destroyed it, and the “it” is often the bass guitar of member Dion…
Youth Lagoon with Majical Cloudz at Mohawk Live Review
In March, Youth Lagoon released what is at least in my top five albums of the year so far. So, despite the plethora of events occurring last night in Austin, the decision to…
20 Bands to See at Austin Psych Fest
Tomorrow night Austin Psych fest will kick off with a pair of pre-parties at the Mohawk and Red 7, both with incredible bills. The weekend that follows will feature performances by some of…
Austin Psych Fest Preview: Interview with The Laurels
Austin Psych Fest commences at the end of this week–in only two days if you count the pre-party festivities that will unfold on Thursday night. The festival has grown epically since it’s inception,…
Bob Mould and Ringo Deathstarr at Mohawk Live Review
Punk pioneer and indie-rock veteran Bob Mould brought a blistering performance to the Mohawk Saturday night. A packed house chanted along with almost every song, pumping their fists as Mould plowed with reckless…
Interview: The Black Angels’ Christian Bland Discusses Austin Psych Fest 2013
In a week’s time, Austin Psych Fest 2013 will get underway. At the center of the festival are the creators and psych music torchbearers The Black Angels, who recently released a new album,…
Psych Fest Performing Artist Vinyl Williams Breaks Down Psych Music
Vinyl Williams creates psychedelic opuses with elaborate layers and textures. Frontman Lionel Williams has been pretty vocal and philosophical in interviews regarding his production and approach to making music. We reached out to…
Lumineers with Shovels and Rope ACL Taping
Austin City Limits has deep roots in folk and country music, and its earliest tapings included artists such as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and Townes Van Zandt. As folk music has…
Interview with The Shivas Ahead of Austin Psych Fest Appearance
The Shivas, hailing from Portland, have one of the most energetic and captivating live shows around. We should know, since we booked the band to play our SXSW Day Party. You can see…
Frank Smith Album Release Show at Holy Mountain Show Review
Frank Smith’s Nineties is a phenomenal work of powerful indie-rock tinged with beautiful keys and folk influences. So, it was a given that Pop Press International would be in attendance when the band…
Reservations EP Release Show with Grace Park & the Deer and Hello Caller
Reservations, the project of frontwoman Jana Horn, celebrated the release of its first EP at the Mohawk on Saturday night with a little help from friends Hello Caller and Grace Park and the…
Grizzly Bear ACL Taping Review
Austin had an incredible treat to host Grizzly Bear for two nights during the same week. Following their outstanding set at Stubb’s on Monday, the band made a stop at Austin City Limits…
Bleached w/ Hunters and Fleshlights at Mohawk Live Review
Friday night at a sold-out Mohawk proved to be nothing short of an old-fashioned punk rock show with headliners Bleach supported by opening acts Hunters and local favorites Fleshlights. The crowd came early…
Grizzly Bear and Owen Pallett at Stubb’s w/ Sour Notes and Letting Up Despite Great Faults After Show
It feels like forever since Grizzly Bear played in Austin, but the band came out of hibernation and ventured to the warmth of Texas for the spring. Their show last night at Stubb’s…
Walker Lukens Album Release Show at ND w/ Good Field
Recently relocating from New York to Austin, Walker Lukens has a few EPs and albums under his belt, but his new effort Devoted feels like he’s taking his game to the next level….
Greg Mullen and the Cosmic American Band Album Release at Holy Mountain
Sometimes you want desperately to be in two places at once. This past Saturday, it was three, as several bills showcased stellar local artists, two of which celebrated the release of an album….
Dana Falconberry and Buxton at Stubb’s Live Review
Having seen Dana Falconberry more than a dozen times, it’s astounding that she can still inspire in me wonder and awe with each performance. This is especially notable considering that I see six…
Foxing Quarterly Issue No. 2 Release Party w/ Good Field & Derrick Brown
Foxing Quarterly continues to grow as “a print-only creative space for writers and artists.” Daniel Mejia and Jane Robbins Mize edit this quarterly publication which has made lasting impressions on the literature scene in…
The Tontons at Holy Mountain w/ Royal Forest Live Review
Houston’s Tontons are a band who have been garnering remarkable press in recent months, including several stories right here at Pop Press International. Fresh off a mind-blowing SXSW week during which the band…
Video: Pop Press INTL.’s SXSW Day Show w/ Dog Bite and Good Field
We’re pleased to bring you footage of each of the 14 bands that played our SXSW Day Show at the New Movement. We picked the bands because we love each of them, but…
The Twelve Best Performances at SXSW 2013
For those of you who like reading something earnest and thoughtful, we wrote this post right here. However, if you just want the quick and dirty SXSW recap, you’re in the right place….
Vampire Weekend Austin City Limits Taping
Austin City Limits has built a legacy on the shoulders of outstanding musicians, namely country/folk legends and particularly those from Texas. However, as a true reflection of the diverse Austin music community, the…
SXSW Day 5 feat. Smashing Pumpkins, The Sword, Dog Bite, and Pageants
The final day of SXSW came extraordinarily early for me. While others might have gotten a late start, allowing themselves to sleep in to ease the exhaustion, Pop Press International’s first SXSW day…
SXSW Day 4 with Flaming Lips, Kendrick Lamar, and Phosphorescent
After hustling all morning to get some photos up and edited of day three, I made my way down to Sidebar where DC vs. Austin, hosted by Pop Press International and Side One…
Full Coverage: SXSW Day 3 with Flaming Lips, Alt-J, and Solange
We already brought you outstanding coverage of SXSW 2013 days one and two as well as photos from SXSW day three. We’re back with full coverage of the third day and will follow…
SXSW Day 3 feat. Flaming Lips, Alt-J, DIIV, and Solange
For extensive writing about SXSW days one and two, click here and here. We’re swamped planning for our two day parties: one at Sidebar today and the other at The New Movement tomorrow….
SXSW Day 3 Field Report from Chris Witte
I’m running on three hours of sleep, I’ve hardly changed my clothes, my shoes are worn through, my feet blistered, my car was towed, and still I’m having an absolute blast here in…
SXSW 2013 Day 2 Highlights feat. Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, & Youth Lagoon
As opposed to the more than a dozen bands I saw yesterday for day one of SXSW, I only saw eight bands yesterday, but I might trade seeing those eight for all the…
SXSW Day 2 Field Report from Chris Witte feat. Toro Y Moi and Ra Ra Riot
So yeah, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were like, yeah, great, and other big names were abound on the SXSW scene last night, but I secretly pity anyone who didn’t at least stop in…
SXSW Day 1 Field Report from the Mohawk by Chris Witte
Heralding the start of an animated week of world-class musical festivities, Mohawk began its South by Southwest run last night with an enticing line-up of exciting bands that included a special guest appearance…
SXSW 2013 Highlights Day 1 feat. Local Natives, Body Parts, and Social Studies
By the end of the first day of SXSW, it’s always hard to believe that there are four more left. In part, because of how many amazing artists you’ve seen, miles you’ve walked,…
SXSW Preview and Interview: Social Studies
Social Studies just about stole the night when they played a recent Austin set with buzz bands like Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Foxygen. Their closing song “Terracur” captivated the room as much as…
SXSW Interview and Preview: Brass Bed
When we caught Brass Bed opening for Shearwater last month, we were more than impressed. We were able to get in touch with the band for a brief interview in advance of their…
SXSW 2013 Best Bets: Showcases and Day Parties
Many SXSW attendees, including myself, constantly bounce around during SXSW, and have no problem running across town and waiting in a few lines to see a ton of different bands. These kind of…
SXSW Preview & Interview with The Blank Tapes
California’s The Blank Tapes create fuzzy beach hits with just enough grit ad quirk to keep the songs affecting and distinct. The band has garnered a tremendous amount of buzz leading up to…
Interview and SXSW Preview: Dana Falconberry Talks Tour Slop
If you’ve read this blog much in the past year, it would be hard for us to conceal the fact that we love Dana Falconberry. Leelanau, her most recent effort, was an outstanding record not…
Interview & SXSW Preview: The Tontons
Houston’s Tontons are taking SXSW by storm, playing a slew of shows and appearing on high profile bills with bands such as Dawes. We are pleased to have the band playing the Pop…
SXSW Preview: Good Field
From right here in Austin, TX, Good Field is one of the bands Pop Press International is most excited about right now. Their excelent debut album was just released last month, and the…
25 Must-see Bands at SXSW 2013
SXSW 2013 starts this weekend with film, and music follows next Tuesday, which is almost impossible for us to believe. All this week, we’re going to bring you content regarding the nation’s best…
The Lonely Life Screening w/ ((sounder)) and GALPALS Afterparty
The event last Thursday that took place at both the Scottish Rite Theater and the Mohawk had so many great things going on it was difficult to process it all. Primarily, the event…
Tame Impala Live at Stubb’s with Sour Notes and Feathers After Show
Tame Impala is a band at the pinnacle of hype right now; their second album Lonerism has received universal rave reviews. Tuesday night, these Australian psych-rockers paid a visit to Austin to play…
Pop Press International Announces SXSW Day Show with Dog Bite, Pagents, & more
Pop Press International is proud to announce our SXSW Day Show at The New Movement Theater at 616 Lavaca on Saturday March 16th from 11AM-6:30. We could not be happier with our lineup…
Good Field Album Release Show w/ Dana Falconberry and Belaire
Good Field has been rapidly gaining notoriety in the Austin music scene for some months now. As both an album release party and a tour send off, Good Field asked good friends (and…
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foxygen, Social Studies, and Tiger Waves Live at Mohawk
Wednesday night at the Mohawk was a testament to both the outstanding music that has already been released in 2013 as well as the super-lineups that Transmission Entertainment has proven themselves capable of…
Top 5 Official SXSW Shows Announced So Far
With a month until SXSW begins and tens of thousands of visitors make their pilgrimage to Austin for the city’s most vital week and a half, buzz is starting to heat up around announcements of…
The xx with Austra at ACL Live
The xx have defied all probability since 2009, because they’ve been a buzz band since 2009. Rather than burning out in a blaze of productivity or fading away with a hurried, lackluster sophomore…
What Made Milwaukee Famous Live at Hotel Cafe in LA
Often you will hear that a band is better in live performance than on their studio-produced album, but it can be a hard thing to believe until you experience it for yourself. The…
