One of our favorite post-rock acts here in town, My Education, have a new album called Bad Vibrations. Until our review, get a sampling over at NPR Music, where the band is featured on Second Stage. ...

More Wristbands Available Wednesday: At least a few of the coveted SXSW wristbands will be sold via the conventional route this year. The Austin Chronicle reports that 400+ wristbands priced at $165 will be on sale from 9:30am on Wednesday 3/12 at Waterloo Records. These wristbands do not require an local ID, so out-of-towners can finally get their show at wristbands not obtained through nefarious means. They also report that a second batch may be made available next week, so stay tuned for more information....

Austin's Balmorhea released River's Arms last week, and kicked off their tour here in town. Their tour to support the record will follow the east coast, and land them back here in time for some SXSW gigs. Sample some of the instrumental band's lulling, hypnotic tunes c/o Western Vinyl, and check back here for a full-length review very soon....

Brownout! kick off their tour this week but not before supplying the Beauty Bar with diverse concoctions comprised of Latin funk, Afro-beats, soul and R&B. Following their Tuesday night gig in Austin, the eight-piece plays one more show in the Lone Star State, at Zeppelin’s Pub in El Paso before leaving for California....

There was no escaping the gravity of Austin in 2007. Three major festivals drew artists, labels, promoters and press from around the world. Critically and commercially, Spoon was an undeniably dominating force. Production power increased with the emergence of C3 Presents, a joint venture between heavyweights Charles Attal, Charlie Jones and Charlie Walker. Yet our unique universe still grows from within. Bands like Okkervil River and businesses like Transmission Entertainment continue to expand our horizons. My best of list is a celebration of what makes the Austin music scene independent and innovative....

It's been a big year for local acts. Big name bands like Spoon, Iron & Wine and Okkervil River made a huge impact on the independent music scene world-wide, while up and coming acts like White Denim and Moth!Fight! captured our attention at the indie rock water cooler all year long. As rising hopes and swelling egos swept the town alongside buzz and bravado, we parted ways with bands like SOUND Team and Clap!Clap!. ...

A sad week for LAist as they lose their trusted and amazing editor Tony Pierce to the LA Times, but what a blast his last week was. He shared his 25 Favorite CDs of 2007 and wrote a great review of just a good movie, No Country For Old Men. At UCLA, thousands of students celebrated the end of their quarter by running around campus in their undies (lots of photos in a two-part......

Image from Myspace; Photo by Colin Smith The Ponys + Chin Up Chin UpWednesday November 14The Mohawk (912 Red River)Doors at 9pm, Free![info] [The Ponys MySpace] [Chin Up Chin Up MySpace]Chicago's The Ponys traffic in post-punk and dark overtones, and have been tirelessly touring the club circuit for years. The band have recently opened for both Spoon and Bloc Party, but are now headlining their own fall trek through the South. Their latest work Turn......

P&K Grocery, South Austin's fancy mom-and-pop corner store, has gone out of business. Though open for only a year and a half, the tiny market on West Mary became a neighborhood staple, offering, among a host of more exotic specialty foods, wonderful sandwiches, hot dogs, and (best of all) cupcakes. The store did what it could to help out the community, and, in turn, became a much-appreciated part of the community as well. "We are......

Fun Fun Fun Fest captured more than a few hearts last December on a cold winter evening with a three-stage-pronged attack that provided ample genres for everyone in attendance. Some of the stand-out acts included Spoon, The Black Angels, The Octopus Project, Peaches, and Prefuse 73. This year, the fest is back, bigger than before, and a month earlier to boot. November 3rd and 4th will see Waterloo Park transformed into a musical carnival featuring......

Fun Fun Fun Fest captured more than a few hearts last December on a cold winter evening with a three-stage-pronged attack that provided ample genres for everyone in attendance. Some of the stand-out acts included Spoon, The Black Angels, The Octopus Project, Peaches, and Prefuse 73. This year, the fest is back, bigger than before, and a month earlier to boot. November 3rd and 4th will see Waterloo Park transformed into a musical carnival featuring......

As our friend The M.O. reported, Ghostland Observatory are set to perform on Late Night with Conan O'Brien tomorrow evening. It will be their first nationally televised performance, and they're expected to play a tune from delete.delete.i.eat.meat.... GLO recently recorded a set for Austin City Limits, and we can expect that episode to air on KLRU sometime in December. Known for their energy-packed live sets, GLO are wrapping up a very exciting year that saw......

Spoon (6:30pm): So here's the thing about Spoon: they're a studio band. And on record, they're pretty much bulletproof for this decade. But the band also have a deserved reputation as a sometimes shaky live act, and such was the case for the show's beginning today. Britt Daniel and the band emerged without opening music or much ceremony, plowing right into a half-dozen tracks from new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. But they......

You have to love ILYBICD's patience. They haven't played a show in "ages," (according to their MySpace), but will come out from hiding Saturday night at the Mohawk to "Hopefully play some new material." In the fall, the band will be heading back to the studio to begin work on their second full-length. Their self-titled 2003 release (produced by Brit Daniel) featured the slow-burning and pop-infused "Your Worst Is Your Best," but the long-awaited......

Now that Spoon have a Top 10 album on the Billboard charts, if there's a new king of the Austin indie-rock scene, it's Ghostland Observatory. If you've not heard them yet, we'll classify them as a dance and electronic rock duo who utilize synths, drum machines, and guitars to create a fairly unique sonic space for themselves which never fails to get a crowd moving. The duo of Thomas Turner and Aaron Behrens have......

If you happened to be downtown two weekends ago, you might have found yourself startled, amused, or even aroused (it’s okay, you’ll be totally accepted at some clubs in Japan) by the sight of four human forms wandering the streets in golden, skin-tight zentai suits. There must be something in the way head-to-toe spandex outfits cling to one’s body, because clubbers all over downtown were completely enamored with the mysterious beings - perhaps it......

ACL Previews Interview: Midlake Interview: The National Preview: The Wonderful Harmonizers, Loretta Williams Gurnell Preview: JJ Grey & Mofro and Charlie Musselwhite Preview: Young Love and the Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker ACL Band Clash, Round 1: Spoon Vs. Queens Of The Stone Age Snapshots Lollapalooza 2007 Snapshots: Summer Extrav-O-Ganza 2 Weekly Features The Argyle Academy New Release Tuesday: Art in Manila, Flight of the Conchords & Marissa Nadler Feature Review: Okkervil River's The Stage Names......

Austinist guest correspondent Beth Bellanti, Director of Marketing at Tito's Vodka, was at last weekend's Lollapalooza Music Festival in Downtown Chicago. With Austin having such a large presence at this year's event— the lineup included Spoon, Ghostland Observatory, Roky Erickson, and Blue October—we thought it only fitting to invite her to share some photos from the fest. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump.......

Okkervil River The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar) Like a knight clad in frail, antiquated armor but with precise and impeccable form, Okkervil River have proven on their latest release they have what it takes to awe a crowd that has come to expect so much from them. The Stage Names makes good on all forecasts calling for Will Sheff’s shaky, vulnerable vocals and sturdy indie folk songs with a eye for infection. They deliver a little......

Every fall, Austin looks forward to ACL Fest, and each year, there's always a point where two of your favorite bands are playing on different sides of the park at the exact same time. ACL Band Clash is a new, theoretically weekly series in which Austinist scribes Paige Maguire and Tom Thornton examine the worst ACL scheduling clashes, and try to provide good advice on finding a resolution. Well, good advice might be a......

Let's get to it: ACL Fest organizers dropped the aftershow schedule yesterday, and it's fairly extensive. Stubb's, La Zona Rosa, The Parish, and Antone's will all host aftershows over the Thursday to Sunday that everyone is in town for the big event. Highlights include an intimate show from The White Stripes and Cold War Kids at Stubb's, an extra gig from Argentina's loungerific Gotan Project (also at Stubb's), appearances by Spoon, Common, and Queens......

Photos by Eric Uhlir, Aasim Syed and Keith Gaddis. The Mohawk's summer of "secret" musical showcases continued on Friday night with a special performance by local heroes, Spoon. Fresh off the release of their critically lauded new album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the band took to the outdoor stage, tented against the threat of rain, ready to rock the capacity crowd.......

It's been a gloomy day, but leave it to Britt Daniel and Co. to save the evening with a surprise show at our beloved Mohawk. The Decemberists went off without a hitch last week, but this time is guaranteed to be even more awesome, in that it's outside (don't worry, there's a big tent). Spoon is gonna pack in as many as can possibly fit in the warm bosom of the Mo', but if,......

Spoon Waterloo In-store 6th & Lamar Downtown 5:00 PM free......

It's tough to believe that Spoon have been playing in Austin for almost thirteen years. Few who saw them gig during their early, Pixies-inspired days would've predicted that in 2007, Spoon would have one of the most bulletproof catalogs in indie rock. Their entire tenure with Merge Records has been stellar, showcasing a band who found confidence in independence and the concept of a slow but deliberate artistic and commercial build. Britt Daniel hasn't......

Justice † (Vice) You might have familiarized yourself with French dance duo Justice courtesy the remix of Simian's "Never Be Alone", and such an introduction wouldn't be a false start, though the album is a bit different. Justice, who have received (mostly justified) comparisons to Basement Jaxx and Daft Punk, seem to shine when given someone else's work to toy with, but seem less dynamic when working from their own toolbox. This album claims......

The official single from Spoon's latest, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, "The Underdog", was directed by Keven McAllester and features a ton of Austinites. Point out your favorite cameo appearance in the comments, and Pre-order Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga while you prepare for the release next Tuesday. Spoon Official Buy a Spoon Coffee Cup?......

In a town as creative as ours, there is plenty of ongoing chatter about “the next big thing," and (usually) further discussions regarding the viability of the buzz related to those bands. We strive to bring our readers show listings and news updates for some of Austin’s finest, be it Spoon or Ghostland Observatory. Amidst all that, we also do our best to recommend some of the city’s lesser known but equally talented acts.......

It must be the week of a major holiday, because there won't be a lot of new beautiful stuff on the walls at Waterloo or End of an Ear this week. If you're anxious for Kelly Rowlands' latest (Ms. Kelly), you're breathing a big sigh of relief right now, but H-town is about as close to home as it gets July 3 (please correct us if we're wrong). The new Madlib effort, Yesterday's New......

This morning marks the release of the ACL 2007 schedule grid. This is probably the most stressful day of the year for the avid ACL festivalgoer, as hopes of seeing every act one likes are dashed when seeing how many of your favorite bands are playing at the exact same time. It's impossible to program such a big festival without a couple of conflicts, but three stand out to us this year as particularly......