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…
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…
Shearwater Live at the Parish with Marmalakes and Brass Bed
I am so sorry that some of you missed Saturday night at the Parish, because the bill featured a solid trio of artists who are particularly enjoyable in a live setting. Shearwater was…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Jens Lekman w/ Taken By Trees at the Mohawk
Jens Lekman is a born performer—hilariously witty as he sways and croons. After only one song, Lekman announced a surprise for the Austin crowd Tuesday at the Mohawk. “We’re going to play the…
Leonard Cohen Live at Bass Concert Hall
Leonard Cohen can be counted among a small, elite group of masters of songwriting. While luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Paul McCartney are still actively touring and creating albums, 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…
Divine Fits Halloween Show at Stubb’s
Britt Daniel and Dan Boeckner have something special with Divine Fits. The pair, along with Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks have formed an indie supergroup that’s rapidly gaining notoriety. As postively as their debut…
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…
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…
Dinosaur Jr. and Shearwater at Mohawk
This is legendary. I mean, this trio of indie-rock royalty has defied all the odds and are out touring behind an outstanding record that marks a period more productive than the time that…
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…
Mount Eerie Live at the Parish
A week ago, DIY-hero Phil Elverum, who has produced some of independent music’s most iconic records, brought Mount Eerie to the Parish, touring behind a pair of thematically linked 2012 releases, Clear Moon and…
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,…
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…
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…
The Tallest Man on Earth at the Paramount
Seeing a show at the Paramount usually results in an outstanding and memorable evening—particularly when the artist chosen to perform works well in the ornate, acoustically focused, old theater. The Tallest Man on…
Photo Set: Deep Time Homecoming, Black Gum’s Final Show
It’s difficult to tell if Deep Time sounded tighter than usual back from tour, because they always sound so perfectly on. Lead singer Jennifer Moore later joked with me, “No, we fall apart…
Shonen Knife, Bobby Jealousy, and GALPALS at Red 7
It’s been a couple weeks now since Shonen Knife, Bobby Jealousy, and GALPALS demolished the indoor stage at Red 7. Our delayed coverage is attributable to editors’ schedule and certainly not to lack…
Agent Ribbons Cassette Release Party
The bill at Frontier Bar Tuesday night offered several acts I’d been curious about for a while. Although Jason Chronis has been performing as JC & Co for a while now, I’ve somehow…
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…
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…
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…
Tristen, Follow That Bird, and GALPALS at Swan Dive
Exactly 75% (six out of eight) of the people to take the stage at Swan Dive Saturday before last were women—a refreshing statistic that filled me with joy from the moment I first…
Dr. Dog Austin City Limits Taping
Dr. Dog’s epic performance for their Austin City Limits taping last week marks a crowning achievement for the band, who have recently released their 7th full-length album, and 2nd for Anti-, Be the…
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…
Moonface at Red 7
After the Jonathan Richman show last Friday night that was extremely delayed (more on that tomorrow), I still had time to make my way up the street and get into Red 7 just…
The Young Instore at End of an Ear
End of an Ear is as great a spot as one can hope for to attend an instore. It lacks any pretentiousness, maintaining the cool, relaxed feel of a neighborhood house show with…
Psychedelic Light and Sound at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Calling it a success would be an understatement for exactly how well Psychedelic Light and Sound went down at Cheer Up Charlie’s last weekend. Psychedelic Light and Sound, already in planning for their…
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…
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…
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…
Xiu Xiu and Yamantaka // Sonic Titan at the Mohawk
I’ve never liked the term art rock. Probably because of my own inability to grasp the value of the word as a descriptor of music. However, there really is no other way to…
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…
The Antlers Live at High Noon Saloon
The Antlers have released two albums to date, “Burst Apart” and “Hospice,” and both have certainly been worthy of repeat listens. The albums harbor another pleasant surprise with every subsequent spin, revealing a…
tUnE-yArDs Taping at Austin City Limits
Before Merrill Garbus set foot on the Austin City Limits stage, the crowd anxiously awaited what they knew would be a powerful performance. Since the release of her first album BiRd-BrAiNs in 2009,…
Father John Misty, Har Mar Superstar, and Dana Falconberry Live at the Mohawk
I’ve had the Father John Misty record on repeat in my car since I first listened to it about a month ago. It is, without question, one of my favorites of the year….
RTB2 and No Future Live at Frank
Frank is becoming one of our favorite places to catch a show. Being able to show up early to chow down on a Chicago style veggie dog with a side of tasty waffle…
The Donkeys Live at ND
Twang emerged as the operative theme of the evening Wednesday at East Austin’s ND, where a well assembled bill of complimentary artists delivered successive solid sets to a room of devoted fans. Paul…
Ruby Fray and Briana Marela at Wardenclyffe Gallery
This past Sunday marked Ruby Fray’s first show since Emily Beanblossom moved her project from Olympia, Washington several thousand miles to Austin, TX. Having been here for four months settling in, the artist…
Tennis Live in Austin at the Parish
Austin loves Tennis. Evidence: the absolutely packed house of attentive fans at their show this past Tuesday at the Parish. And Tennis loves Austin. Evidence: they were just here for SXSW (second year…
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…
Allo Darlin’ with The Wave Pictures and No Future Live at the Mohawk
Accolades are in order for whoever put together the bill at Austin’s Mohawk this past Tuesday night. Each band complimented the others perfectly, sharing enough common ground to provide a bridge from one…
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…
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,…
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…
