Pageants Live at Origami Vinyl in L.A.
Featuring Rebecca Coleman, a former member of Avi Buffalo, the Long Beach trio Pageants impressed me even before they took the stage to perform their engaging variety of beachy, garage-house indie rock Friday…
Blues Control Live at Holy Mountain in Austin
Drag City is a label that has become prominent for working with indie darlings like Bill Callahan (Smog) and Joanna Newsom. However, fans forget that the label has a far more experimental leaning….
The Villettes Live at Swan Dive
Go see the Villettes for two reasons: 1) the most beautiful harmonies you’ve ever heard live, and 2) a copious amounts of smile inducing, incredibly endearing giggling emanating from the stage. Having just…
Centro-matic Live at the Mohawk with Frank Smith, Onuinu, and Love Inks
Being one of only a handful of live dates after a period of inactivity, Centro-matic’s crowded show at the Mohawk on Friday night was geared to be a special performance. I hadn’t seen…
Toro y Moi, Wild Belle, & Dog Bite Deliver Great Sets Alike at Emo’s
No doubt attributable to their status as pioneers who have been in part responsible for launching the chillwave genre and forever ingraining the style into the paradigm of independent music, Toro y Moi…
Bouquet Live at the Smell in LA
The Smell is a venue that looks like it sounds—a grimy, back alleyway hole-in-wall place in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles, not too far off from the infamous Skid Row. With its…
Ty Segall, Ex-Cult, and OBN III’s at Mohawk
Crowds were surfed, pits were moshed, beers were hurled at the stage, and faces were melted in a blistering fury of psychedelia. I guess one way to sum it up is the bruise…
Ava Luna and Zorch at Museum of Human Achievement
Saturday night, after catching a great show by Linen Closet, I bolted across town, deep into Austin’s East side to catch NYC’s Ava Luna. The band’s newest effort Ice Level blends R&B and spastic…
Linen Closet Live at the Central Presbyterian Church
After a quiet, beautiful set by Some Say Leland, the multitude of members (including two drummers) of Linen Closet took the stage at the Central Presbyterian Church Saturday night. The project is the…
Free Week Reflections Featuring Acre Yawn, Tiger Waves, The Couch, and Sour Notes
Other than the outstanding Marmalakes show at Mohawk on the first weekend of Free Week, I had a strangely quiet experience with this year’s event, despite the fact that the “week” has now…
Photos: Marmalakes at Mohawk (Free Week)
Free Week has gotten more and more crazy (and exciting) with each passing year. The highlight set so far has to be Marmalakes at the Mohawk on Saturday night. With frontman Chase Weinacht…
Interview: Mirror Travel on Their New Record and Falling in Love with Marfa
Pop Press International recently had the privilege of exchanging emails with Austin’s Mirror Travel in advance of their upcoming show as part of New Year’s Eve’s best bill, the No Play Music sponsored…
Band Spotlight: Love Inks
Today, we’re calling attention to one of this city’s best bands–a band who has some amazing accomplishments under its belt. Love Inks has shared the stage with young, fresh acts such as YACHT…
The Babies, Deep Time, & GALPALS Live at the Mohawk
The Babies’ Our House on the Hill was one of the most underrated records of 2012. Employing no-frills, straightforward rock ’n’ roll, it surpasses albums that take themselves too seriously or focus too…
The Best Albums of 2012
Welcome to Pop Press International’s list of the best albums of 2012. There are a few things we have to confess to you before you read further. Let’s cut right to the chase….
Mountain Goats Live at Emo’s
Oh, the cathartic joy of a Mountain Goats show. Let’s be honest—the Mountain Goats, whether recorded or live, simply aren’t for everyone. Highly literate, dark, comedic acoustic pop built on the most ferociously…
of Montreal and French Horn Rebellion Live at Mohawk
A live performance by of Montreal has come to be synonymous with visual spectacle, and the group’s performance at the Mohawk on Tuesday night furthered this association with outlandish stage antics and dramatic…
Sufjan Stevens Live at Emo’s Austin (Photos and Recap)
Employing the outrageousness of a confetti cannon, inflatable pink unicorns, tinsel trimmed boots, Christmas trees, a plethora of lights, Superman capes, and feathered headdresses draped in balloons, Sufjan Stevens and his backing band…
The Pharmacy Live at 29th St. Ballroom
After getting stuck in some unfortunate holiday traffic on my return from my hometown in East Texas, I made my way straight to the 29th St. Ballroom on Friday night to catch the…
Fun Fun Fun Day Three with Black Angels, Givers, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Despite total weariness weighing down the human body and the utter desire for rest, the final day of an epically awesome festival always feels a little sad. Sunday of Fun Fun Fun Fest…
Fun Fun Fun Day Two with Why?, Surfer Blood, and Girl Talk
The second day of Fun Fun Fun Fest brought beautiful weather that turned even nicer as the sun began to set. The day’s lineup presented the fewest number of artists I was excited…
Fun Fun Fun Day One with Cursive, Santigold, and… Val Kilmer?
If Fun Fun Fun Fest were incarnated as a human being, your new punk-rock friend would definitely have knuckles proudly tattooed: STRT CRED. Fun Fun Fun Fest has carved a name for itself…
Kung fu and Vegetarianism: Talking with RZA
RZA can’t be categorized. This is immediately obvious as I begin talking to him to discuss his directorial debut, The Man with the Iron Fists. To call him a rapper vastly understates the…
All Tamara’s Parties 2.0 Lights the Way for Indpendent Shows
Most people who know me can tell you that K Records and Calvin Johnson act as pillars of my philosophy of how the music industry should work. The first time I interviewed Johnson,…
Norah Jones Austin City Limits Taping
Warm wooden floors, an upright piano, paper doves hanging from the ceiling, and of course the Austin skyline created the homey, intimate environment for Norah Jones’ third performance on the Austin City Limits…
Jack White Austin City Limits Taping
As Jack White’s career has steadily transitioned from unknown to indie hero to cultural superstar, he’s had the opportunity to collaborate with Loretta Lynn, share the stage with Lou Reed, and has seen…
Father John Misty at the Parish
Father John Misty has played Austin quite a bit since Josh Tillman formed the recording alias and began working on songs. After a show last SXSW, he was back shortly after at the…
Dana Falconberry Album Release Show
If angels exist they sound like Dana Falconberry. Angelic is an adjective probably too often ascribed to musicians, particularly those of the female persuasion. However, I make the comparison pointedly, because Falconberry sings…
Show Preview: All Tamara’s Parties 2.0 Saturday at Cheer Up Charlie’s
I’ve had some awesome experiences at ACL. Bob Dylan said “the answer is blowin’ in the wind.” Well, at ACL, so is the music sometimes. If you’re looking to avoid the sound difficulties,…
Night Moves Live at Stubbs, Stream Their Entire Album Now
This past week, Domino Recordings artist Night Moves played the Mohawk in support of Lord Huron. Night Moves is a quartet that blends 70s glam and psych rock production with country instrumentation. It’s…
Grimes at Emo’s
Saturday night, Canadian electronic pop chanteuse Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes, filled Emo’s East with her dark, synthy, pop. To be honest, Grimes is an artist that I’ve greatly enjoyed on record, but…
David Byrne and St. Vincent at Bass Concert Hall (Photos and Story)
The better a performance, the more difficult it becomes to encapsulate with words, or even images. So, when I heard beforehand that the David Byrne and St. Vincent show was great, I believed…
UTOPiAfest Coverage Day 2 with Ben Kweller, The Wheeler Brothers, and White Denim
I looked at the forecast before leaving for UTOPiAfest, and knew that it was supposed to rain all weekend. I have to admit it. After the first day of relentless rain, I sat…
UTOPiAfest Coverage Day 1 with Dana Falconberry, Houndmouth, and Dr. Dog
As wet, wild, and wonderful as UTOPiAfest 2012 was this past weekend, one article simply cannot contain all of the adventurous escapades of the weekend. We will split our coverage into two days,…
UTOPiAfest 2012 Artist Dana Falconberry Talks About the Concepts of Home, Touring, and Her New Album
With UTOPiAfest days away and in the midst of recuperating from touring and planning her epic album release show, Dana Falconberry found time to correspond with Pop Press International about the themes of…
Interview: UTOPiAfest 2012 Artist Houndmouth
UTOPiAfest 2012 performing artist Houndmouth could be called a breakout success. They have one four-song EP under their belt, which has been incredibly well received by the listening public. You can tell from…
Beach House and the Walkmen at Stubb’s
The two-headed beast of a bill in the form of The Walkmen and Beach House descended on Stubb’s last Thursday night. Though much of the crowd that packed the sold out venue obviously…
UTOPiAfest 2012 Artist Ben Kweller Talks with Pop Press International
When UTOPiAfest announced Ben Kweller as one of their premier artists for this year’s festival, my first thought was that they couldn’t possibly have booked an artist that made more sense. Kweller is…
Twin Shadow with Niki and the Dove at Mohawk
George Lewis Jr.’s project Twin Shadow presents the best of two worlds—that smooth world of late 70s/early 80s new wave R&B and the more contemporary world of indie synth pop. Confess, the newest…
Fader and Vitamin Water Uncapped in Austin Features Little Dragon and Big Boi
The Fader has built a reputation in Austin like no other culture magazine as the creative force behind the Fader Fort, which takes place every year during SXSW. The event is everything you…
Dirty Projectors with Wye Oak at Emo’s
Breathtaking, while a dramatic descriptor, still falls short in attempting to describe the set performed by Dirty Projectors Thursday at Emo’s. Though I’ve listened to and greatly enjoyed the music of Dirty Projectors…
Deep Time and Mynabirds at the Mohawk
We have written extensively about Deep Time at Pop Press International, particularly leading up to the release of the duo’s excellent eponymous album, which just came out last month on Hardly Art. The…
Videoing Live at the Mohawk
Videoing is one of those projects best experienced live, which isn’t surprising considering Adreon Henry’s emphasis on art and visual stimulus. We highly recommend reading this post to deepen your knowledge of Henry’s…
The Endless Sour: Sour Notes Tour Kickoff at Red 7
After bringing you several stories leading up to the Sour Notes epic tour kickoff at Red 7, today we have follow-up coverage of the event. As expected, the 14 band show resulted in…
Just Doing Our Thing: Talking with Calvin Johnson
If cassette tapes are on the rise again, K Records founder Calvin Johnson is just the guy to provide solid proof. As part of Pop Press International’s Northwest Week, we talked with Calvin…
Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum Talks About Upcoming Tour and Album, Ocean Roar
All this week we’re bringing you coverage from our recent time in the Pacific Northwest. The focus of our trip was attending the first installation of Anacortes Unknown Music Series, organized by Phil…
Anacortes Unknown Music Series
Home is the unspoken but clear center that holds together the Anacortes Unknown Music Series. Formerly What the Heck Fest, the newest incarnation of the same event is a festival only in the…
POP INTL: On The Map – Nigeria’s Ofege
In the early 70’s some high school students in Lagos, Nigeria formed under the name Ofege to create guitar-solo heavy Afro-psych-rock. Their debut album Try and Love was highly successful in Nigeria but…
POP INTL: On The Map – Finland’s French Films
Today, On The Map is taking you to the Nordic country of Finland, where French Films has been garnering quite a bit of attention for their exciting mix of surf rock and new…
Jonathan Richman Live at the Mohawk
When our writer, Kelli Nastasi, reviewed Jonathan Richman’s show in Paris, France this spring, she had it exactly right: the guy is channeling spirits from a faraway place. His whole being is simply…
POP INTL: On The Map – Lithuania’s Clara Rockmore
Lithuanian-born Clara Rockmore was a child prodigy on the violin but health problems forced her to abandon playing as a teen. It wasn’t long after, however, that she discovered a new instrument: the…
The Cave Singers Live at Red 7
Last week, when the Cave Singers played Red 7 on a Monday night, I wasn’t expecting the absolutely packed house that filled the indoor room. I mean no discredit to the band, comprised…
POP INTL: On The Map – India’s Mohammed Rafi
We’re back this week with “Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai” by Mohammed Rafi, a song originally recorded for the 1973 film Loafer. Mohammed Rafi is considered one of India’s most beloved and talented…
Y△CHT Live at the Mohawk in Austin
Let me put it this way: at least one member of the Pop Press International staff feels dangerously at risk of quitting their day job, getting a triangle tattoo, and going on an…
It’s Like Sculpting: An Interview with Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum
With his newest effort Clear Moon out now and its counterpart Ocean Roar on the way later this year, prolific and luminary songwriter Phil Elverum corresponded with us via email about the acquisition of his…
Reptar at Silencio in Paris, France
David Lynch is well known for expanding the boundaries of the bizarre, and we’ve talked before about the peculiarities of the boys in Athens, Georgia’s Reptar, so it seemed only fitting that one…
Free Press Summer Fest Day Two Part Two
Half way through the second day of Free Press Summer Fest, the sun was scorching and we could feel our slight sunburns worsening. However, the Fancy Pants tent cured what ailed us when…
Free Press Summer Fest Day Two Part One
Welcome to the first part of our coverage of day 2 of Houston’s Free Press Summer Fest. If you missed our first two days of coverage, then you don’t know about the body…
Free Press Summer Fest Day One Part Two (feat. Snoop Dogg and The Flaming Lips)
Yesterday we brought you coverage from some outstanding bands performing at Free Press Summer Fest. Today, we continue that coverage and kick it off by writing about a band that hails from Houston’s neighbor…
Free Press Summer Fest Day One Part One (feat. Best Coast and Diplo)
Free Press Summer Fest has some serious cred for the following reasons: 1) the festival was started by two organizations that are locally oriented and grassroots, 2) the festival does an amazing job…
POP INTL: On the Map – Pakistan’s Nazia Hassan
It’s time to get intercontinental! We thought we’d celebrate the beginning of On the Map with a little pop number from Pakistan. “Disco Deewane”, sung by Nazia Hassan and produced by India’s Biddu,…
POP INTL: On the Map
Hey y’all! We’re excited to announce a new feature that will appear every Tuesday here at Pop Press International. “On the Map” will explore music from all over the world, spanning genres and…
Marmalakes EP Release Party
From the moment I walked through the heavy wooden doors of the Scottish Rite Theater, it was obvious that Marmalakes’ EP release party for In Arnica would not be a standard affair. I…
Hospitality and Eleanor Friedberger at Frank in Austin, TX
It’s difficult for us to hide our infatuation with Brooklyn based indie-pop quartet Hospitality. When we heard they would be opening for Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces at Frank in Austin, we…
Bon Iver Taping at Austin City Limits
Currently in taping for its 38th season, Austin City Limits is a stalwart, monolithic television program unlike any other. The fact that the program has achieved this with unwavering dedication to music has…
Belaire Album Release Party with Deep Time and Good Field
Austin has been waiting a long time for a record from electro-pop group Belaire. But the wait is over. Helmed by Cari Palazzolo, the line-up also includes Cari’s twin sister Christa and Matt…
Connected Aesthetics: Talking with Keep Shelly in Athens
In considering their visceral videos for songs such as “Our Own Dream” and the consistent backdrop of layered videos projected behind the band during their recent set at the Mohawk in Austin, it…
Chairlift and Nite Jewel Live in Austin at The Mohawk
Mohawk’s pre-show atmosphere was the perfect setting for a Tuesday show from Chairlift and their openers. The weather, cooling in the late evening, made downtown Austin itself seem sleepy, as if its weekend…
Field Report Live in Austin at The Mohawk
If you could bottle a storm, the result would be Field Report. The thunder vibrating powerfully, but quietly muffled against the glass. The lightning flashing, beautifully charged. Field Report knows how to keep…
Jonathan Richman Live at Fleche D’or in Paris, France
Jonathan Richman comes from another world. His songs tell us about his experiences on the “astral plane” and a girl he knew in some “ancient long ago” time. So when he steps up…
SXSW 2012 Highlights Day 4
By the time Friday of SXSW dawns, if you aren’t battling exhaustion and the uncertainty of wondering if you’re hung over or still plain drunk when you wake up at noon, you clearly…
SXSW 2012 Highlights Day 3
A day show at SXSW has the potential to be the great equalizer. If the sponsor chooses not to offer special access to badge holders or wristband wearers, adopting an equal opportunity stance,…
Down River Swimmers: An Interview with Tennis
Like many of the buzzworthy bands at SXSW, Tennis’s name is almost everywhere you look. With almost a dozen performances, including two official showcases, Tennis is one of the busiest and most popular…
SXSW 2012 Highlights Day 2
Day shows have always been an honored tradition for SXSW goers. Though the official SXSW entity has been known to attempt to reign in and control what shows bands playing official showcases can…
SXSW 2012 Highlights Day 1
With each passing year, SXSW has increased the number of bands, shows, parties, and even days the festival utilizes. Once only Wednesday through Saturday, in 2012, the music festival portion of SXSW stretched…
The Mountain Goats Live at Antone’s in Austin
Often, a band garners a compliment of being “great” live by playing their instruments with particular skill, carefully recreating intricate soundscapes from their recorded album, or introducing nuanced deviations from original incarnations of…
