On this day in music history in 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) disclosed its "plans to fight Internet piracy." The plan was to sue hundreds of individual computer users "who illegally share music files online." Hey! That worked out well, didn't it?... [continue]

On this day in music history, David Bowie released the "Space Oddity" single to coincide with humankind's first lunar landing. And now, onward! Here's your Midweek Show Jumpstart:... [continue]

Ye old music fans, gather 'round! Come n' get a dose of weekly show previews! On Friday, Ladytron will be at Stubb's. Touring on their fourth studio album, Velocifero, Ladytron will be sure to bring their unique blend of glam/electro-pop. Norway's Datarock opens, and doors are at 7:00 p.m.... [continue]

Is it us, or does it seem like this is going to be a really hot summer in Austin? It's hot outside, dude. Really hot. We advise staying out of the sun as much as possible for the sake of your health as well as for the sake of your overall comfort. As for the evenings, well, by all means, go outdoors, it's nice and cool. Here are this weekend's recommended activities once you get there: ... [continue]

Austin, lace up your walking shoes and prepare thyself for a quadruple blast of high-caliber musical entertainment across the downtown area this Saturday. Yes, it appears that the stars will align this weekend, giving us a ludicrous amount of options from which to choose in just one night. It's like the summer solstice of live music, dontcha know. We now pass the difficulty of choice to you, gentle readers: we are merely the conduit for such information.... [continue]

Spurred in large part by Mayor Will Wynn's concern that Austin was losing too many music venues, the City created the Live Music Task Force last February. As the downtown area grows and develops, it is the charge of this task force to find a way to find a way to optimally integrate music into our city's future.... [continue]

South African mob violence leads to the deaths of 22 immigrants. Here's a nice piece on Bush's current efforts to lower oil prices before the the U.S. Presidential election. U.S. soldier is refusing to serve in America's "illegal war." The latest science on sexual orgasms. Those of who commute on I-35 each day, take note. Lots of delays planned. UT just approved a new student activity center with a $69 million pricetag. That whole... [continue]

Yes, you can breathe again, Austin. The Villa Muse saga has, at long last, come to its fiery end. Which is fine by us, since we're kind of tired of writing about it. Ha-Ha. Um, but seriously.... [continue]

UT Law student takes on misleading advertising by Darque Tan. In these ads, the company advocates the resounding health benefits of UV tanning, such as increased vitamin D production and UV’s ability to convert cholesterol into vitamin D (which, technically, is true), but fails to address the popular concerns on the health risks associated with UV tanning, such as various types of skin cancer.... [continue]

At Coachella this past weekend, Roger Waters released the giant Pink Floyd "Animals" tour pig into the air above the crowd during his set, the underside of which read "Obama." McCain is calling Obama names and stuff. Your brain has a need for social status, says a recent study. An increasing American life expectancy gap is revealing itself to researchers. Between 2005 and 2006, Travis County per capita income rose 3.8 percent to $39,781.... [continue]

According to Jimmy Carter, Hamas may, under certain conditions, accept Israel's right to exist. "Open access science": A possible future? New study claims that 58% of music in the U.S. is not paid for. The Pennsylvania Democratic Primary comes down to the wire... Austin has gained approximately 22,000 new jobs in the past year. Are we approaching a nationwide food shortage? The United Nations is urging a major increase in worldwide food production in... [continue]

ImageAfter Art The arts writer at the Wall Street Journal is mad as hell about the state of art writing, and he's not going to take it anymore! /// Three Broadway shows are now scheduled to play at Austin's Long Center in 2008: The Drowsy Chaperone, A Bronx Tale, and Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy. /// Apertura, the Austin Museum of Art's new addition at Laguna Gloria Art Museum, opens tomorrow. The opening is free and... [continue]

The South Texas Project - a nuclear energy facility containing two nuclear reactors - may be expanding soon. Why New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson chose to endorse Obama over Hillary. Interesting little expose piece on the polygamist farm out in West Texas. Yesterday, down Uruguay way, meat enthusiasts set the new world record for the largest amount of beef ever cooked at once. It was 26,400 pounds. Yeah. This is gonna be good. The... [continue]

Since Thursday, state & local law enforcement officials have removed over 200 people - 159 of them children - from the polygamist compound out near Eldorado, Texas. Condi Rice for Vice President? From his cold dead hands...like, right now. Why do some smokers get lung cancer while some don't? A recent study says: The answer might be in your genes. Yet another terrible idea endorsed by the Bush Administration: "The FDA's decision on whether... [continue]

ImageAfter Art One of the most significant art heists in Australian history took place on April 1st. The robbery was apparently carried out by "drunken itinerants." /// Apparently art theft is on the rise. As a result, museums are re-considering how they handle new acquisitions (since they might be stolen). /// As part of the Waller Creek area renovation project, the 21c Museum Hotel and 21c Museum Residences will be built at East Cesar Chavez... [continue]

Word on the street is the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will approve plans to build the first nuclear power plants (three of 'em, to be exact) since the meltdown at Three Mile Island back in 1979. The question at the heart of this issue: is nuclear energy really a safer, healthier alternative to coal? As the sunny season approaches, this Slate article on whether sun-bathing is bad for you makes a nice, edifying read...... [continue]

This week's news in art, books, music, and film.... [continue]

Obama had "three times as much money in the bank at the end of February as Hillary Clinton." This puts him at a significant advantage as the Democratic convention grows closer. Yes! Money can buy you happiness. But here's the rub: You have to give it to someone else. The Chinese government claims that the Dalai Lama is colluding with Muslim terrorists to disrupt the coming Olympic Games. There may be water on one... [continue]

The week's news in the world of art, books, film and music.... [continue]

The Wall Street Journal dogs the SXSW Conference. According to speculators on Wall Street, Tuesday is a "make-or-break" day for the U.S. economy... Yikes: Apparently there's a growing concern over hackers being able to hack into pacemakers and other implanted devices. Tibetan protests against the Chinese government have recently intensified. The Dalai Lama fears imminent bloodshed on a large scale...while the Chinese government has blocked YouTube viewing of the Tibetan protests. Many community gardens throughout Austin are at risk of being bulldozed for the sake of urban growth.... [continue]