Sub Pop darlings Fleet Foxes performed to an attentive, sold-out crowd at Mohawk last night, supported by Seattle's The Dutchess and the Duke and locals Balmorhea. Austinist contributing photographer Ali Bagheri provided the photos. ...

By now it should be apparent that we at the Austinist think that Fleet Foxes are absolutely, 100% badass. After all, in the last three months we've touted the excellence of not only their eponymous debut LP, but also have we waxed eloquent on their Sun Giant EP—reading those reviews makes it pretty clear that this is a band whose return to Austin falls into the highly-anticipated category. Simply said, preceding this quintet is a reputation as a throwback to kinder, less electronic musical times, and they have garnered critical acclaim far and wide not only for their studio work, but also for their consistently-satisfying live show. The modest northwesterners use cascades of vocal harmonizing, led by talented frontman Robin Pecknold, and well-arranged instrumentation to make them a group more than worthy of Mohawk's hump day headline. ...

At first, it'd be easy to mistake Fleet Foxes for old-school My Morning Jacket, or even present-day commercial heroes Band of Horses. After all, they've got that Americana thing going, it seems at times that they're drowning in reverb, you'd assume everyone's got long hair, et cetera. But if their excellent debut EP wasn't enough to make it clear that this Washington quintet is a much different beast—and a gorgeous one at that—their first full-length should do the trick....

This week's band to watch is The M's and their Real Close Ones long-player, out today on Polyvinyl. The Chicago-based quartet's retro psych is garnering lots of attention, and this release is most likely the gate-crasher. Also out this week are Fleet Foxes' self-titled record and Shearwater's Rook (Matador), please check back with us later in the week for reviews. ...

Xachua’Bsh, Washington's quintet has quickly become a buzzing glimmer of hope in a massive onslaught of post-SX dance rock fervor, offering ornate instrumentation and traditional folk elements in non-traditional ways with their EP, Sun Giant. Thick vocal reverb (which earns them unfair Band of Horses comparisons), Fleetwood Mac inspired harmony, and layered instrumentation (tin pans, fiddle, piano, shakers, mandolin) lend the songs a focused yet limber vibe. "White Winter Hymnal" borrows from traditional folk songs and church choir on the front porch purity, but the precise execution of the harmonized round and the pristine production give the track a feeling of soaring perfection....

Thursday Flamingo Cantina takes a break from bringing in bands like The Skatalites and Israel Vibration. Instead, for this free day show they will host the shimmering and sentimental, Swedish alt rock of the Shout Out Louds. You’ll also hear the catchy California rock of Rogue Wave and the love song sing-alongs and quirky experiments of Akron/Family. Sub Pop’s Portland drums-and-guitar duo The Helio Sequence come prepared with spacey indie rock prettiness, and Fleet Foxes are set to impress with charming guitars and melodic tones. Expect a thrilling display from Athens’ psych-folk collective Elf Power. ...