On April 4, 1968, America's greatest civil rights leader was shot dead in Memphis, Tennessee. The following evening, one man bridged the gap between societal injustice and misery, just by being one of the world's most inspiring performer. ...

Local favorites Okkervil River released their new full-length today. It's called The Stage Names, and we'll be running a feature length review of it on Thursday. Art in Manila Set the Woods on Fire (Saddle Creek) Orenda Fink, ne half of the now-defunct Azure Ray, has been writing and recording solo work for a while now, but her most recent project is a collaboration between Fink and a group of folks that used to......

Glös - Harmonium Modern technology is moving at a rate faster than some can handle, while others utilize new possibilities to its potential as best they can. Glös started when Keeley Davis and Cornbread Compton of Engine Down traded music files via laptops with each other, experimenting with a new style of independent songwriting leading to eventual co-ordination through the file transfers. Davis’ sister, Maura (formerly of Denali), was also included in the process,......

FIRST THURSDAY [1] music • Tre Orsi (members of Shearwater, South San Gabriel, Little Grizzly), The Paper Chase, Red X Red M, at Emo's music/benefit • ME! Live presents the Emerging Artist Series Debut with Meagan Tubb band, Tacks, the Boy Disaster and the Channel at Antone’s (7pm, $5) music • Yonder Mountain String Band at La Zona Rosa music • Onion Creek Crawdaddies at Waterloo Records (5pm, Free) music • Horse + Donkey,......

WEDNESDAY [31] dj • fStar, a biweekly project about "living, breathing, moving graffiti" coupled with a live soundtrack at Jo's on 2nd Street (8-10pm, Free) dj • Cut Club at The Mohawk music • The Lymbyc Systym, This Will Destroy You, Loren Dent at Emo's music • Live Oak Decline, Sounds Under Radar at Stubb's music • Brother Will, Carley Wolf, Stoney's Spoken Word (featuring the Golden Boys) at Beerland music • Militant Babies,......

TUESDAY [30] books • Amy Wallen presents Moon Pies and Movie Stars at BookPeople (7:00pm) music • Dodo Bird, W-S Burn, Pink Nasty, The Easies at Emo's music • Stickman, Distant Seconds, The Late Fees at Beerland film • The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • The One-Man He-Man Show at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • AFS Essential Cinema Series: Vertical Ray of the Sun at Alamo Drafthouse South......

MONDAY [29] opera • Philip Glass' Waiting for the Barbarians at Bass Concert Hall music • Unwed Sailor, Bayta Darell, The Twilight Lieutenants at Emo's Lounge music • Hidden Hand, Kylesa, The Roller, Ironclad at Emo's music • The Fray, Mute Math at Frank Erwin Center music • Hill Country Outdoors' New Member Meeting at Opal Divine's Penn Field film • Darkon: The Movie at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • Melody at Alamo Drafthouse......

As a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. (and now, unfortunately, to James Brown himself), Alamo Music Mondays and KUT 90.5 present James Brown Live at Boston Garden. This legendary performance was taped on April 5th, 1968 - the day after King was assiasinated in Memphis. Boston Mayor Kevin White was set to cancel the performance, fearing an outbreak of violence (and we don't really blame him - Detroit, D.C. and Chicago all saw widespread......

MONDAY [15] books • The Xenogia Spoken Word Collective, Uprise Productions, and the Vortex present Genevieve Van Cleve and Sharon Bridgeforth with host Zell Miller III at The Vortex (6:45pm, $3) film • 24 Season Premiere party, night two at Alamo Downtown (7pm) film • James Brown, Boston Garden 1968 at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm) Photo of Bull Creek by mr3wan on flickr......

Here's the skinny on what's new at End of an Ear and Waterloo today: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead So Divided (Interscope) So Divided might sound divided to your tender and oh-so-spoiled by Austin scene-drenched ears, but the third major-label release from the hometown favorites doesn't appear to be divided enough to disrupt. Epics interspersed with New Pornographers-ish pop treats, multi-influential backdrops and lots and lots of atmosphere make......

GoogTube! GoogTube! GoogTube! Here's what's new at the record store: Annuals Be He Me (Ace Fu) Because of (or in despite of) their popularity with the blogging set, Annuals' highly anticipated album, Be He Me, is sure to be a hit this week. For fans of Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and yes, even Animal Collective, Annuals add a bit of punch to the whole "we're pretending to be lo-fi but really we spent......

Hang on to your wristbands, people, there's a lot going on this week in the world of legitimately released music! The Rapture Pieces of the People We Love (UMVD) The Rapture have finally caught up with their own hype following 2003's Echoes, working with producers Danger Mouse (Gorillaz/Gnarls Barkley), Paul Epworth (Bloc Party) and Ewan Pearson (UK DJ/Remixer) and delivering a disco, funk, punk and pop-influenced album worthy of all your parties, speedy drives......

While it arrives in Austin too late to capitalize on World Cup fever, the new documentary Once In A Lifetime tells a surprising and all but forgotten story. In the late 1970's, some brilliant businessmen sold the city of New York on soccer as a stadium event and planted the seed for a huge new pro sports league...only to watch their dream fall to pieces. The most entertaining thing here is to realize that......

Shake everything you got this weekend at Antone's, as the incomparable master of the funky horn blows into Austin. This has become one of the best shows of the year in Austin, as sax legend Maceo Parker does his best to burn the place to the ground. Maceo came to notoriety as the horn centerpiece (along with Fred Wesley) of James Brown's band The JB's, quite possibly the tightest unit in the history of the......

With new shows on sale from Sonic Youth, INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Rancid, it seems to be college radio nostalgia week for the concert update. There are also a nice batch of new indie shows, including Tapes 'n' Tapes for Pitchfork fans, Dios Malos for the mellow types, The Futureheads for the edgy punky stuff, and even Tilly and the Wall for you tap dancers. On with the shows: May: 5/10 -......

MONDAY [8] [music] Art Brut, Birdmonster, The Robocop Kraus at Emo's (link) [music] She Wants Revenge and OKGO at Stubb's (link) [music] The Lashes at Waterloo (Free, 5pm) (link) [film] Amelie (with FREE crème brulee) at Alamo Downtown (7pm) (link) [film] L.A. Confidential at Austin Java (8pm, FREE) (link) [film] Anime Monday at Ventana del Sol (7:30pm, FREE) (link) [film] Wet Hot American Summer at Rounders Pizzeria (6pm, FREE) (link) [film] School of Rock at......

Last week, we posted a major concert update for May and June. If you missed it, just click the Expand-O-Tron for the recap. You're welcome. This week has already brought a flurry of updates including two new shows at The Backyard. Here they are (Austinist looks out): 5/28 - Eagles Of Death Metal @ The Parish Room 6/03 - Film School + Margot & The Nuclear So-And-Sos @ Emo's 6/10 - Radio 4 +......

Summer is coming, and the post-SX lull appears to be ending for Austin gigs. Many SX bands are scheduling return appearances, and our outdoor venues are beginning to release May and June schedules. The following list offers some highlights (for comprehensive listings, check Pollstar or Showlist Austin): 4/15 - Calexico (free early show) @ Emo's 4/15 - Deathray Davies + The M's @ Emo's 4/24 - TV on the Radio + Celebration @ Emo's......

The Alamo Drafthouse Downtown is bringing you the double feature of a two-decades-ago lifetime. This Saturday night, there will be Breakin’, and then there will be some Boogaloo to follow, sucka! Yep, it was the eighties. The clothes were little more than layered flaps of mesh, pleather, zippers, and no-pocket pockets. Having a dick did not preclude one from the use of rouge or lipstick. Dudes dressed a bit girlish at times, and the......

After Wired ran a story documenting the GoogleCenter of the United States a bunch of ists jumped on the opportunity to figure out their own middle. Gothamist, Chicagoist, Bostonist and Seattlest all zoomed in on their creamy GoogleCenters. A crack cartography team is hard at work determining the GoogleCenter of the Ist-a-verse as you read this... Austinist read a book about Olympian Bode Miller and liked it. They also took a few pictures of......

Earlier this week kissy couples were wading through roses and red tissue paper deeper than an east coast snow dump and singles shook a tiny, lonely fist (no ring!) at it all. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Valentine's season is in the can, finally. Austinist is already pulsing with SX energy and posting on the People's Choice Award nominees and the short films that will be playing while the......

On April 4, 1968, less than twenty-four hours after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assasinated, James Brown was scheduled to perform a concert at the Boston Garden. He arrived at the airport and was told that the mayor had serious concerns about Brown playing during a time of intense anxiety and anger over the murder of one of the greatest civil rights leaders in American history. The Godfather would not hear of it.......

Aaron Behrens, a lanky, long haired fellow, dressed in a tight teeshirt and tight white pants, and Thomas Turner, tall, smoking, and drinking an unknown beverage out of a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag, are sitting in my back yard. They're both wearing sunglasses, because they are in a band, and that's how it's done. We talk about music, and Austin, and good omens. The band is called Ghostland Observatory. They play......