As we mentioned last Friday, Austin entrepreneur Jim Plamondon, through his company Thumtronics, has unleashed both a new musical instrument and a new concept of music theory on the international stage that many believe could bring substantial attention to our fair city's music industry. It's called the "Thummer." Praised in last Friday's Wall Street Journal, the device addresses the difficulty that many people experience when attempting to learn how to play the regular old keyboard.......

According to Microsoft, Santa likes to talk about oral sex. The space shuttle heads to the International Space Station this Saturday. The CIA destroyed vidoetaped evidence of their interrogations of two top terror suspects in 2002. Rest assured, this is probably an isolated incident. A positive sign for our economy. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a mormon and nobody cares. The U.S. House sends kickass energy bill to Senate. City ordered to put......

Image by LuiSFher Gallo via Cafe Tacvba’s MySpace Cafe TacvbaThursday, December 6La Zona Rosa (612 W. 4th Street)$40, Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm[info] | [tickets]Pop quiz: name a band that has won multiple Grammys, performed on MTV Unplugged, been compared favorably to Radiohead, played three encores at a recent Lollapalooza, and headlined to 170,000 people at Mexico City's Palacio de los Deportes. If you're thinking U2 or Coldplay, we couldn't blame you. But the......

The Austin Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Austin: Handel’s MessiahDecember 4, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.4214 N. Capitol of Texas Highway (4214 N. Capitol of Texas Highway)Riverbend Centre[info] | [tickets] Sir Thomas Beecham wrote of Handel in his memoirs, "Since his time mankind has heard no music written for voices which can even feebly rival his for grandeur of build and tone, nobility and tenderness of melody, scholastic skill and ingenuity and inexhaustible variety of effect…Handel…is......

Photo from ImageAfter Starting today, we'll be publishing a weekly roundup of various arts & entertainment news that we've come across. Most of these developments, whether national or international, have a direct relationship with something local, whether it be an organization, individual, or our collective culture. In any case, it's a nice chance to broaden our world view -- a definite bonus (or necessity, some might argue) for a city that revels in creativity! --......

Senator Barack Obama delivered a rousing speech to thousands of die-hard supporters this past Saturday at the Backyard, touching on just about every hot issue at the core of next year's election debates. Pledging to shut down Guantanamo, restore habeas corpus, and renew the hunt for Al Qaeda, Obama stressed the need for a stronger international agenda and quoted Kennedy's famous inaugural address—"Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear......

Image from www.homeslicepizza.com Home Slice-O-RamaSaturday, November 17Home Slice Pizza (1415 South Congress)Noon-6pm, Admission is free; booths, games and drinks cost tickets. All carnival proceeds to benefit Young Texans Against Cancer[info] The delicioso crew at Home Slice Pizza will celebrate their second year of slinging perfecto pizza by hosting a back yard carnival on Saturday, with all proceeds benefiting Young Texans Against Cancer. Here's what's on tap: • An old school pizza eating contest to win......

Stay away from the Denver International Airport. Major anti-abortion group endorses that Law & Order guy. Ship spills more than 1.3 million gallons of oil into the Black Sea. As if Russia's environment wasn't effed up enough... New studies show that children who are identified as troubled in kindergarten might end up doing fine in elementary school. So give the kids a chance, okay? Having good friends at work makes you less stressed out.......

Image courtesy of The Pinker Tones’ MySpace The Pinker TonesTuesday, November 13Beauty Bar (7th St. at Red River)$5, 11 p.m.[info] The Pinker Tones had to cancel their show at the Mohawk in July but the Barcelona based duo of Mister Furia (Salvador Ray) and Professor Manso (Alex Llovet) return to Austin this Tuesday, fresh on the heels of a new remix record titled More Colours!. The Pinker Tones have two prior full-lengths, and compositions for......

Album Cover, Go With What You Know Zappa Plays ZappaTuesday, November 13Hogg Memorial Auditorium (24th at Whitis)8pm[info] | [tickets]Post by Mark H. Being the spawn of an international superstar can be a tough weight to carry. Some try to sluff off comparisons, others try to appropriate their parents' legacy while striving to maintain their own sense of artistic creativity, and others still go unseen or heard until ending up in rehab. Dweezil Zappa seems to......

Photo from olganza.comIf all goes as planned, Austinites may soon be able to get out of the country for less than the cost of a cab ride to the airport. Mexico's no-frills airline, vivaAerobus, was recently granted access out of Austin Bergstrom International Airport by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The carrier, which seems to be the Mexican equivalent of UK's wildly popular Ryan Air, claims that it'll begin offering one-way tickets for as low......

Image from MySpaceBONAPARTE What's the Deal: Chances are slim to none at the moment if you are in the United States and you want to see this odd rock and roll force that's catchy, boisterous and riddled with pop culture references. Bonaparte is the name taken by the project’s mastermind and frontman who is from unknown international origins. His MySpace says he hails from Berlin, but it also claims St. Helena as well as saying......

Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye & Youssou N’Dour at the Maison des Esclaves AFS Presents Return to GoréeTuesday, November 6thAlamo Drafthouse South Lamar (1120 S. Lamar)$4 / Free for AFS members, 7pm[info]The place where my fathers died, return to the land of Gorée, the place where my mothers cried, return to the land of Gorée. – Harmony Harmoneers We'll admit it: our jazz knowledge consists of a couple of Miles Davis and John Coltrane albums mixed with......

Flood waters threaten thousands in southern Mexico. Hurricane Noel will bring heavy rainfall to the East Coast. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begs U.S. Diplomats to serve overseas. NASA plans a risky spacewalk to save a ripped solar wing at the international space station. Hollywood writers are set to declare a strike sometime today. Get ready for a reality television blitz! NBC Anchor Brian Williams is hosting SNL this week. The reunion show......

Rock y Roll Dia’s second annual Dia de los Muertos concert takes place at 7 p.m. this Friday at La Zona Rosa. Hosted by VJ Paul Saucido (Sonido Boombox on ME Television), last year’s bash was marked by an appropriately eerie atmosphere, a sharp dressed Paul, and international and local musical talent. This year the event is a two day extravaganza, with music from Austin acts such as Boombox and Kanko, and out of state......

Sip 'N' Stroll: As a warm-up for next spring's Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, the organization is sponsoring a very enjoyable-sounding Sip 'N' Stroll event at three of The Domain's new restaurants. The concept is simple: you wander from restaurant to restaurant in groups, and each of them serves you a flight of wines and some paired appetizers. NoRTH features Italian eats, so naturally they'll be focusing on Italy's wine varietals. Regan Jasper, the......

Le Loup will just have to quell the audience’s hunger for Friday night indie pop with their ever-expanding experimentalism, as Saddle Creek’s Georgie James have canceled due to illness. But, any void caused by a lack of shimmering girl/guy harmonies at Mohawk will be quickly filled with handfuls of banjo, keyboards, toy instrument sounds and digital assistance. Echoey and breathy vocals entwine as hand claps overlap and the computer age openly embraces the simple, earthly......

Careful stringing up those fake spiderwebs this year. If you haven't been following the bizarre case of the Russian "chessboard serial killer", you should before it becomes a full length feature film. Protestor with painted blood on her hands gets within inches of Condoleeza Rice. Craddick blames trial lawyers for trying to get him out of the House Speaker's office. One of the largest fires in California was sparked by arson. 5 gold championship......

Beirut The Flying Club Cup (4AD) Beirut is Zach Condon, and Zach Condon is right on time. His international folk through every instrument imaginable (except guitar) is rich with cultural consciousness and adventure and is just the reinvigoration the folk, indie, rock and whatever-music scenes need to get over their musical malaise. The resplendent and occasionally haunting sounds of the cello, accordion, violin, mandolin, piano, sax, clarinet, glockenspiel, flugelhorn, trumpet and more ukelele than you......

There're some krazy kapers going on this week in theatre. From a drag-king musical to a one-woman show, the sisters are doing it for themselves. We've also got a brand spankin' new theatre company to tell you about. Read on! First, don't tell your neighbors, but some thespians have moved in up the street; North by Northwest Theatre Company opens its inaugural season on Friday with The Nerd. Larry Shue's "houseguest from hell" comedy is......

Just as they debuted their most promising exhibit to date, Congress Avenue's Volitant Gallery yesterday announced plans to shutter its doors at the end of the month. "At this point it appears Volitant Gallery will be losing its lease by October 31, 2007," wrote Volitant Gallery Director Xochi Solis. "Sean [Gaulager, Volitant's assistant director] and I are excited to begin new and fresh challenges that will continue our personal missions for art education and growth......

And you thought hipsters tried too hard. Soon taking over the space vacated by the Alamo Drafthouse is Pangaea, Austin's very own safari-themed nightclub in the Warehouse District. The so-called "ultra-lounge" will come decked out with various and sundry adornments meant to evoke visions of the Dark Continent and intrepid desert expeditions — we're guessing mounted zebra heads, tribal hunting gear, and the like. Unabashedly exotic and — if its London sibling is any indication......

The new head of EMI apparently gets it. Study: "War on Terror" is spawning legions of terrorists. Texas investor to help fund the International Space Station with the hope of saving millions of lives. Campaign by Blackwater to further embarrass our country continues to be a great success. Parisian vandals destroy valuable piece of art, trot away laughing, smoking cigarettes and looking absolutely fabulous. Article about students getting it on during class at a......

With three days left for the 20th annual Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF), the festival organizers have decided to offer up several free screenings to the public. "One of the issues we've talked a lot about this year is how to make the festival as inclusive and affordable as possible," said Lucas Schaefer, Executive Director of aGLIFF. "We want everyone who wants to attend to be able to attend as many of......

Saturday and Sunday, October 6th and 7th Hey you, big-spender: if you missed FactoryPeople's last pop-up store (at their former 1325 South Congress location), take a look-sy at the jewelry by Crumley, designed by Austinite-turned-New Yorker Brian Crumley. Crumley pieces are favored by stylists for both national and international photo shoots and runway shows. Guests can chat up Brian from noon to 6 p.m. and sip Crumley Cosmos—a raspberry champagne cocktail—while grooving to some......

Today's New York Times has an interesting article on Austin gaming mogul Richard Garriott, the person behind the Ultima franchise. The eccentric millionaire is a self-described space junkie, but whereas other enthusiasts would be content to collect "normal" space-related objects — "astronaut autographs, mission patches, ... 'flown' goods" and the like — Garriott has the means to think outside the, err, box. To wit: a giant, Soviet-made aluminum replica of Sputnik, which he purchased......

The Health Alliance For Austin Musicians (or HAAM) provides local artists with low-cost health care and other related services. This year’s HAAM Benefit Day is here (today), and the organization is presenting numerous shows all over town this evening, along with a Telethon on ME Television. One can offer their assistance in funds by donating online as well. The HAAM Benefit Day is presented with support from a number of entities, including Whole Foods......

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King, and appreciated their beautiful skyline. Chicagoist knows what it's like to like the Cubs. But naming your kid Wrigley Fields? At least they can breathe a little easier now that Grossman's out and......

“Then wolves will live in peace with lambs. And leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions and young bulls will eat together. And Reverends will profess their love for leather culture.” The above spin on a few verses from the Book of Isaiah pretty much sums up the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival’s stellar opening festivities. As expected, there was a strong sense of community that only increased throughout the......

The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) is all grown up in its 20th year and it shows in tonight’s kickoff festivities. Not only is the inaugural film—Call Me Troy—a world premiere, it is also the first documentary in the festival’s history to serve as an opening night film. The schedule continues to entice with another noteworthy first: the Sapphire MojitoMartini. You can down this “aGLIFF 20 Signature Cocktail” and chat up......