Japanese Breakfast and Snail Mail’s Magnetic Mid-Week Show at Scoot Inn
In Austin, great shows come and go, and almost any night of the week presents an opportunity to see outstanding live music. But occasionally, a show generates enough magic that it feels special,…
Reflections and Photos from Hovvdy’s Album Release Show at Barracuda
The project of Will Taylor and Charlie Martin, Hovvdy has an outstanding new album, Cranberry, out now on Double Double Whammy Records. As the project consists only of two songwriters often working remotely and…
The Weather Station Plays Antone’s Saturday Feb. 17
The deluge of quality music to experience seems continually increase. But the number of albums I come back to again and again, those that live on the turntable for weeks still hovers around…
Mega Bog Opens for Destroyer at Mohawk
Touring behind their second LP, Happy Together, Seattle-based band Mega Bog opened for indie rock stalwart Destroyer for a knockout billing of music this past Monday at Mohawk. Historically, Seattle brought crunchy, discordant rock…
Sylvan Esso Brings Dance Party to Stubb’s Tomorrow Night
Based on the beats of Nick Sanborn and the airy vocals of Amelia Meath, Sylvan Esso has evolved from the smooth jingle of breakout single “Coffee” to full on dance party tracks like…
Show Review: Aldous Harding’s Transfixing Set at Mohawk
Aldous Harding is the kind of artist you just can’t brush aside. Her songs are haunting and penetrating. They hang around like a low, gray cloud cover, blanketing everything in a soft, diffuse…
Photo Gallery: RG Lowe Celebrates Album with a Pool Party
It’s early summer in Austin. And if you’re RG Lowe, you’ve got a brilliant idea for a different approach to an album release party. Forget the hot, sweaty bars, and let’s hit the…
Photo Gallery: Big Bill Residency at The Electric Church
Those in the know have heard by now that Austin weird-rockers Big Bill are hosting a residency every Friday in June at The Electric Church. The band brings along a trio of openers for each…
Aldous Harding Brings Powerful, Austere Pop to Mohawk Monday 6/19
Last month, rising artist Aldous Harding released her sophomore album, Party, which has already garnered high praise from a variety of outlets. Emphasizing an austere, hushed vocal style and restrained, minimal arrangements, Harding’s gothic pop…
Big Bill Host Second Friday Residency at Electric Church Tomorrow
It’s no secret that we love weird rock saviors Big Bill here at Pop Press International. We’re not alone, as East Austin venue Electric Church has invited the band to host a residency every…
Conor Oberst in Top Form at ACL Live
If I’m honest: happy people bother me a little. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about focusing on the positives to keep yourself from spiraling headlong into depression. But it does seem like if…
Conor Oberst Gives Old Songs New Life at ACL Live This Friday
With his newest album, Salutations, Conor Oberst finished what he started. The songs on last year’s Ruminations, written and recorded solo, were always intended to be fully arranged works played with a band, a goal finally…
Mitski Broke All Our Hearts and We Sang Along at Mohawk
I would pay $20 just to see Mitski play “Your Best American Girl” one time, so the rest of the set is basically bonus. And that bonus is incredible. Mitski has made several appearances…
Alex Napping Releases Mise En Place Friday May 5 at Cheer Up Charlies
With three members based in Austin and songwriter Alex Cohen spending much of her time in NYC, Alex Napping playing in Austin is sadly lesson common than it once was. But Cohen is back in town to…
Songwriters Sallie Ford and Molly Burch Share Stubb’s Stage Sunday
Molly Burch has emerged as one of Austin’s most promising new talents. Her debut album, Please Be Mine, combined the traditional vocal pop sensibilities of Dusty Springfield with the slinky guitars and minimalist aesthetic…
Slack Capital Release Show at Barracuda Tonight
From the mind of Big Bill frontman Eric Braden and Austin Town Hall Records’ owner Nathan Lankford, the second installation of Slack Capital, a compilation of 27 songs from Austin bands, arrives tonight at Barracuda…
Show Review: Julia Lucille Celebrates Release of Chthonic
Last Friday, songwriter Julia Lucille celebrated the release of her excellent new album Chthonic at Mohawk, supported by a solid bill of openers, Jordan Moser and Lomelda. Navigating song structures and lyrics evocative of…
A Journey to RF Shannon’s Jaguar Palace
As you cross over the Montopolis Bridge, the last vestiges of Austin’s expanding boundaries dissolve into rolling green hills and farmland. From the edge of the city, it’s just a half-hour journey to Lockhart,…
Adam Torres Celebrates EP Release at Cactus Cafe Saturday, February 25
Following up last year’s critically acclaimed, widely beloved, and long awaited album Pearls to Swine, songwriter Adam Torres is already back with a new EP, I Came to Sing the Song, out today on Fat…
Jens Lekman Has the Cure for What Ails You at Mohawk Friday, February 24
Swedish crooner Jens Lekman just released his fourth studio album, Life Will See You Now, last week via indie stalwart Secretly Canadian. Lekman will make an appearance at Austin’s Mohawk tomorrow, Friday night, February…
Q&A: The Dan Ryan Discusses February Residency at Stay Gold
In May of last year, The Dan Ryan released its self-titled, debut LP, a collection of songs that merged noisy, echoing aesthetics with acoustic sensibilities. Since then the band has been at work on…
Adam Torres Furthers Music Legacy of Cactus Cafe
Steeped in songwriter history, the Cactus Cafe has hosted performances from greats like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Loudon Wainwright III. Only two albums into a career, Adam Torres may have a…
Get Dark and Broody with Cass McCombs at The Parish September 19
Circa mid-2000s, when Cass McCombs was just beginning to release music, I had the fortune of dating a girl from Baltimore, where McCombs lived for a time and the label, Monitor Records, who released…
Joanna Newsom Dives Into Spellbinding Set at ACL Live
Touring behind yet another critically acclaimed and staggeringly beautiful album, Divers, harpist and avant-folk musician Joanna Newsom performed Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater last week. Like great artists from across mediums and…
Mitski and Japanese Breakfast Bring Dark and Shimmering Pop to Sidewinder: Live Review
Someone somewhere must have done a calculation about the perfect amount of time for a band to wait before returning to Austin following SXSW, as it seems like bills of late have been…
Kevin Morby and Big Thief at Sidewinder: Live Review
Last week, two acts that both played SXSW and received notable attention returned to Austin for a sold out joint show at the Sidewinder. Initially known for his role as the bassist for Woods…
Damien Jurado and the Heavy Light Bring Heavy Songs to the Parish: Live Review
I’ve known Damien Jurado’s live shows to be quiet, intimate, and transfixing solo performances. I’ve seen him play deep in the woods of Washington State and to a crowded bar in downtown Austin…
Live Review: Flaming Lips at Live Oak Music Hall in Houston
Amidst late spring and early summer tour dates mostly as part of festivals, beloved psych rockers The Flaming Lips stopped by Houston to play one of the first shows ever at the newly opened…
Big Bill Crashes Punk Rock Prom at Swan Dive
Ain’t no party like a Big Bill party, cuz a Big Bill party gets weird AF. Frontman Eric “Bill” Braden wandering into the crowd and inciting slam dancing among a rowdy bunch of…
Cross Record Stops by Austin for a Hometown Show Amid International Tour
I’m not sure if I’m Cross Record’s biggest fan, but I’m trying hard to be. In more than a few posts, I’ve asserted that the band is one of Austin’s most vital acts,…
Reflecting on the Slack Capital Release Party at Barracuda
The compilation has long been a go t0 method of cross promoting and getting the word out about a cadre of like-minded artists in an environment where they might otherwise fly under the…
We’re All Hiding Behind Kurt Vile’s Hair
What makes live music good? When you attend a lot of shows, people frequently ask you about the quality of the show they skipped out on. Nevermind that you wrote about it on your blog;…
Athens Band Mothers Brings Delicately Powerful Pop to Stubb’s: Live Review
With indie rock songs both fragile and powerful, Athens band Mothers delivered a set that left the audience at Stubb’s’ indoor room transfixed and engrossed last Thursday. Falling somewhere between the music of Angel Olsen and…
Backstage at Dana Falconberry’s Stunning, Theatrical Album Release Show
If you attended Dana Falconberry’s release show for her new album, From the Forest Came the Fire, at the Stateside Theater last Saturday, you experienced an incredible display of artistry, in terms of both…
Show Preview: Psych Folk Hero Kurt Vile Plays Stubb’s Friday 4/15 (ATX)
Onstage, psych folk songwriter Kurt Vile hides behind his hair, quietly delivering impressively nuanced and sprawling songs over introspective, hazy arrangements. Similarly quietly, Vile has released some of the best and most revered…
Protomartyr Triumphs at Sidewinder, Returns for SXSW
A week ago, lauded post-punk outfit Protomartyr performed at The Sidewinder, an Austin venue still in its infancy. The event marked the first sold-out show I’ve seen in the space, since Red Eyed…
Upcoming: Protomartyr Brings Post-Punk to Sidewinder (ATX)
This Friday, post punk outfit Protomartyr brings their live show to The Sidewinder, touring behind their newest effort, The Agent Intellect, out now on Hardly Art. While the band has the ability to dissolve…
Ty Segall Emotionally Mugs Mohawk: Live Review
I can’t tell you who said it first, but articles comparing Ty Segall’s latest artistic development to the combined influence of David Bowie and Iggy Pop abound as of late. When everyone’s saying the same…
Ty Segall & The Muggers Make Plans to Wreck Mohawk Friday, February 19th
You either have your tickets or you don’t. And if you have your tickets for Ty Segall’s sold out show at the Mohawk this Friday, there’s no doubt you’re already planning to be…
Bully and Diet Cig Shred at The Parish: Live Review
It has been a little over a week since Bully and Diet Cig careened through Austin to issue blistering sets of garage rock on the Parish, and the mere memory of the show…
Julia Lucille’s Tape Release at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
Last Friday at Cheer Up Charlies, songstress Julia Lucille performed in celebration of her new cassette, The Bedroom Tapes Volume One, which features songs she has written periodically on the occasion of each…
Cross Record, Adam Torres, Nadia Play Spellbinding Sets at Mohawk
Cross Record’s album release event at Mohawk on Saturday night emerged as a transfixing and indelible moment in music. Years after musicians have become legends, people muse about what it might have been…
Live Review: Shearwater’s World Tour Kickoff Show at ND in Austin
Long-time Shearwater fans rejoice: a new album recently arrived via Sub Pop, and the group’s hometown show at the ND last Wednesday, kicked off a tour that will make stops in the U.S., Europe,…
Show Preview: Garage Pop Band Bully Plays Parish Thursday Feb. 4th
More than six months after the release of their debut Feels Like, Nashville based band Bully are still riding the wave of success generated by their premier LP. With Alicia Bognanno, who not only writes…
Gon’ Be Alright: Kendrick Lamar ACL Taping Review
The crowd last Friday night was younger than usual for an Austin City Limits taping. As the floor filled with people and smokers on the patio hurried to finish their pre-show cigarettes, a…
Converse Rubber Tracks Presents Stephen Malkmus and Mirror Travel Saturday at the Parish
A few months ago, during SXSW, I wrote an article about the work that Converse Rubber Tracks has done around supporting local musicians and conscientiously providing resources that actually benefit artists. I was…
Juan Wauters’ Quirky Party Vibes at Mohawk: Live Review
Juan Wauters is a special kind of performer and songwriter. “Outsider music” a friend called his sound as we discussed Wauters’ set between songs Saturday night at the Mohawk. I’m buying it, but…
Anacortes’ Annual Music Event Set for This Weekend
Anacortes, WA is a magical place. And if you’re the sort of person that delights in an intimate musical experience unfettered by the commercial onslaught of modern day festivals or even your city’s…
Visually Captivating: Cross Record at Radio (Live Review)
Some bands I write about so frequently and like so much that soon I feel I’ve run out of ways to articulate the truly incredible nature of their songs and shows. Such is the case with…
The Weather Station Braves Hurricane for Brilliant Austin Show
Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration — the hurricane bit, not the fact that Tamara Lindeman (aka The Weather Station) performed a stunning set of songs at The Parish on Tuesday night. The hurricane…
The Sonics Prove They’ve Still Got It: Live Review
The Sonics are not a reunion band. Yes, since 2007 they’ve been periodically reunited for tours. And yes, they recently released their first album of new original material in 49 years. But the…
In Support of Pittsburgh (Part 2)
This is the second installment of my two-part look into Pittsburgh’s music and cultural scene. Dig part one right here. Friday night, I got myself to Pittsburgh’s newest venue, the Spirit Lodge, which recently opened in the…
Hometown Pride and Festival Highlights at FPSF 2015
As soon as I glimpsed the FPSF 2015 lineup, I couldn’t wait for the festival to arrive. Over the years, FPSF has continued and furthered their commitment to two important categories of bands:…
Courtney Barnett’s Claim to the Throne: ACL Taping Review
Australia’s Courtney Barnett sits poised to become the queen of indie rock. As Austin City Limits’ Terry Lickona noted last night before Barnett took the stage: it’s rare for artists to perform on…
Julia Lucille’s Emergent Performance at Cheer Up Charlies: Live Review
Over the past half year or so, I’ve seen Julia Lucille perform a handful of times. She always delivers haunting, ethereal performances that hinge on her floating vocal delivery and ghostly guitar picking….
Five Shows to See in June
The summer is upon us, and we have a list of five shows in June that you should not miss. Incredibly, none of these shows are sold out, but they should be, and there’s a…
Abram Shook Welcomes Us to his Landscape Dream
Abram Shook’s last album, Sun Marquee, released last January, succeeded as one of the year’s best, in Austin or otherwise. The record employed bright, major-key guitar noodling, brilliantly syncopated rhythms, and Shook’s smooth croon….
Two Breathtaking Nights with Sufjan Stevens at Bass Concert Hall
Sufjan Stevens has always written songs dense with mythological and personal points of reference; emotions and sentiments bubble perceptibly on the surface, but truly understanding them takes consideration and scrutiny. While this remains so on…
Stephin Merritt Brought Humor and Love to Central Presbyterian Church: Live Review
The Magnetic Fields’ primary creative force, Stephin Merritt, brought his theatrical songs to Central Presbyterian Church on Wednesday night for a conceptual performance. Merritt was accompanied by cellist Sam Doval, another member of Merritt’s…
Why Levitation (Née Psych Fest) Deserves Your Attention
This weekend, Levitation (originally dubbed Austin Psych Fest) will take over Carson Creek Ranch for a three-day festival of some of psych rock’s most lauded bands from up-and-coming must-see acts like Fat White…
Photo Gallery: Levitation Presents Whirr, Holy Wave, Moving Panoramas, and More
Peruse these photos taken April 18th at Mohawk for this Levitation-sponsored bill featuring Whirr, Holy Wave, Moving Panoramas, Pollen, Tele Novella, and more. All photos © Pop Press International & Bryan C. Parker…
Unlocking the Spirit: Father John Misty Live at Stubb’s
Who knew the wonders of the human spirit that would be unleashed by a months-long psychedelics binge outside of L.A.? After Josh Tillman left behind a lengthy series of somber, experimental folk songs…
Adam Torres Gives Old Songs New Life at Cactus Café
For his show last Thursday at the Cactus Café on the University of Texas campus, songwriter Adam Torres revived a number of older tunes to celebrate the re-release of his underground gem Nostra…
Girls to the Stage: Sleater-Kinney Live at Stubb’s
Sleater-Kinney’s incredible performance at ACL’s Moody Theater proved to be only a warmup for the energy they brought to Stubbs’ outdoor stage last Friday night. Rain nor hail nor gloom of night (seriously, it…
Jon and Josiah of Head and the Heart Tonight at Radio Coffee
A quiet buzz has surrounded the fact that lauded folk rock band The Head and the Heart’s members Jonathan Russell and Josiah Johnson will make an appearance tonight at South Austin hangout Radio…
Hotel Vegas Dominates SXSW with Impeccable Lineups
Despite the unmistakable sign of large budgets behind events at the Fader Fort, Hype Hotel, Pitchfork day parties, SPIN party, and Flood Fest (who all threw appropriately outstanding events with those budgets), underground hero…
The Ceremonial Torch of SXSW’s Inaugural Night of Music
Last week, a scan of a SXSW ad from 1989 (the festival’s third year in existence) popped up on my Facebook timeline. The ad boasted over two dozen venues and more than a hundred…
Towers of Youth: Celebrating Life with Raw Paw
When Raw Paw takes over a venue, they take over a venue. The upstart arts collective utilizes every inch of available space, filling it with vibrant art installations and playful games. Last time it was…
Grooves Galore at Cheer Up Charlie’s with Taft & Sweet Spirit
I liked Taft before Thursday night, but the group’s performance at Cheer Up Cahrlie’s last week exhibited new levels of vitality. From the first time I saw Taft, I always felt the band, guided by…
Mesmerized by Dana Falconberry & Adam Torres at Cactus Cafe: Live Review
I’ve said it so many times before, I’m running of ways to explain Dana Falconberry’s transcendent shows. Saturday night at the Cactus Cafe yielded yet another phenomenal performance from this experimental folk act….
Ruby Fray and Indian Jewelry Kickoff Psychedelic Night at Mohawk
Friday night at Mohawk featured an epic six-band bill that occupied both the venue’s indoor and outdoor stages. Sometimes, live music reports feature the headliners and all but ignore opening acts. Since this…
Matthew Squires Takes Us Where the Music Goes to Die
Matthew Squires is a truth-teller. Or he’s trying to be. Telling the truth is hard–next to impossible, really. All we can do is work tirelessly, fearlessly to try to tell the truth, attempting to…
Live Review & Photos: 101X Homegrown & Vagabond Collective Showcase at Holy Mountain
Two stalwart entities, 101X Homegrown Live and Vagabond Collective, both of which book great bills that support local acts and get Austin’s music-loving public out to some of the city’s best venues, teamed up for…
Night Drive & Ishi’s Dark Dance Party at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Two outstanding synth-pop bands performed on Cheer Up Charlie’s outdoor stage this weekend. Dallas based Ishi brought jubilant and shimmering pop that demands dancing. John Mudd certainly feels the call to get down,…
Why Studium Is Important
Studium, a new record store and retail space for designer and handmade goods, is open now on Austin’s East 5th Street. The space is a collaboration between Byron & Blue boutique and Punctum Records…
Gold Beach Celebrates Single Release at Studium: Live Review
Gold Beach makes sense as a moniker. These songs shine with the glint of gold, but they’re also surprisingly soft and malleable, shifting from one moment to the next. Imagine an entire beach…
A Nite with Majical Cloudz at Cheer Up Charlie’s
I love Majical Cloudz for all the reasons I’ve outlined before. And the band is just getting better. Fresh off a string of tour dates with Lorde, the duo appeared more confident than ever…
Live Review: A. Sinclair Celebrates New Vinyl at Mohawk
A. Sinclair rocks. And by that I mean that Aaron Sinclair has always rocked. He rocked when his band was called Frank Smith, and he rocks now. It helps that Sinclair is backed…
Tennis & Pure Bathing Culture at Red 7: Live Review
I’ve always liked Tennis, but their show at Red 7 on Saturday night convinced me that they’re receiving significantly less credit than they deserve. Built around the creative forces of husband and wife…
of Montreal’s Never-ending Dance Party at Mohawk: Live Review
Of Montreal has the right to make the claim that they’re Mohawk’s house band, having played the venue three times in the last year. What’s more amazing is that their frequent trips to…
Mutual Benefit’s Gorgeous Set at Red 7: Live Review
Last night, Mutual Benefit, the project of musician Jordan Lee, made a stop in Austin for a set at Red 7. Lee’s music consists of dreamy soundscapes that wander from loose structures teeming…
Midnight Masses, BLXPLTN, Tennis System at Cheer Up: Live Review
Autry Fulbright, the creative force behind Midnight Masses and member of Trail of Dead, exuded raw energy at the group’s final U.S. show before departing on a European tour. As the band plays…
Run the Jewels Runs the Crowd at Red 7: Live Review
Last night, tastemakers and purveyors of music of all varieties Red Bull Sound Select (in conjunction with Fun Fun Fun Fest) brought hip-hop heavyweights Killer Mike and El-P, known collectively as Run the…
Literature Schools Hometown Crowd at Hotel Vegas: Live Review
Sunday night at Hotel Vegas was a homecoming for the revered pop punkers Literature, now residing in their northeast haven of Philadelphia PA. Kicking the show off late with blistered guitars and flailing…
Walter TV’s Mohawk Pizza Party: Live Review
Walter TV has been coined “Mac Demarco’s touring band,” “Mac Demarco’s friend’s band,” and “Mac Demarco’s side project.” These pseudonyms aren’t a far cry from the truth, but only if you’re comparing the…
Moonsicles, Borrisokane, and Van Allen Belt at Cheer Up Charlie’s: Live Review
With so many high profile events in Austin, it’s easy to forget that great music happens on a nightly basis. While much of the public can barely keep up with which festival is…
Spoon Digs Out Old Material at Stubb’s: Live Review
I wasn’t surprised when Spoon’s set for their 4th ACL taping centered on their newest effort They Want My Soul. After all, they’ve recorded many of their old songs during past appearances on…
Hometown Heroes Spoon Play New Hits at ACL Taping
Playing songs primarily culled from their new album They Want My Soul, Austin indie rock heroes Spoon played their 4th ACL Taping last night. I recently wrote about just how much I love the…
Temples ACL Late Night Show: Live Review
Despite having seen Temples on four occasions, Saturday night was my first time to see the group in a small venue when they played a show at The Parish as part of ACL’s late night…
Everyone’s Invited: Day Three of ACL 2014
ACL is not the coolest festival on the planet. It’s not even the coolest festival in Austin. And it doesn’t need to be. After all, coolness often requires a certain element of exclusion….
Ladies On Top: Day Two of ACL 2014
I believe in my heart that every human being possesses the same intrinsic value and should have the same rights, access, and visibility as any other member of the human race. It’s why I was…
Photo Gallery: Jenny Lewis and The Belle Brigade Spanning the Spectrum at Stubb’s
Jenny Lewis brightened up Stubb’s this past Saturday for her second show of four in Austin during this year’s ACL Festival, bringing along long-time pals The Belle Brigade, a harmonious LA brother-sister pop…
Phosphorescent Plays Two-Hour Set at C Boy’s Heart and Soul
Before kicking off a string of tour dates, Brooklyn-by-way-of-Athens band Phosphorescent booked a last minute show at the tiny C Boy’s Heart and Soul venue on South Congress. It seems that kicking off…
The War On Drugs, Psyched Out Americana at Stubb’s: Live Review
Although The War on Drugs’ show at Stubb’s in Austin was not sold out when the doors opened at 7:00 on Sunday night, an enormous line soon snaked around the block to purchase…
Alex Napping’s Album Release at Cheer Up Charlie’s: Live Review
To celebrate the release of their debut LP This Is Not A Bedroom, Alex Napping recruited a standout lineup of Austin bands–Big Bill, Soft Swells, and Löwin–to play alongside them on Friday night at…
Phosphorescent Plays Last Minute Show at C Boy’s Heart and Soul Tonight
The last time Austin had a visit from Phosphorescent was the 2013 installment of ACL Fest. Almost exactly a year later, the Brooklyn by way of Athens based project of primary creative force…
Reflections on Conor Oberst’s Show at Stubb’s
In July, when news broke that Joan Faircloth, the woman who had accused Conor Oberst of rape, had retracted her claims and admitted that 100% of the story was fabricated, I was relieved…
Yonatan Gat’s Incredible Cheer Up Charlie’s Show: Live Review
Watching Yonatan Gat and his band perform will blow your mind. The former Monotonix member’s live show leans heavily on improvisation and borders on performance art, incorporating signature lighting and expelling an incredible…
Ramesh at The Belmont: Live Review
Sometimes unexpected and less than desirable elements make for a more magical evening of music. Former Voxtrot member Ramesh, who recently released his first solo full-length The King, was supposed to play Belmont’s outside…
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…
