Live music preview: 12 bands you should see at ACL Festival 2015 part I

We are 13 days from the 14th Austin City Limits Music Festival which means it is time to take a look at the weekend one schedule and plot your attack. The festival is top loaded with talent on Friday which means you are going to have to make some choices on which acts to catch. The bright side is Friday tends to be the least crowded of the three-day event making stage hopping a possibility for those ambitious enough.

We put together a list of a dozen recommended bands. The bands run the gamut genre-wise. There is soul, hip-hop, psych-rock, folk, Americana and punk represented and that's only half of our picks. With the festival safely tucked away in October, chances are high festival goers will encounter ideal fall conditions. According to the National Weather Service the long-range forecast calls for... Continue reading

Weekend music preview: Nick Cave, Quiet Company, Nicole Atkins, Quesoff IV

While Austin waits for the summer temperatures to dry up the roadways from flooding and heavy rain Thursday evening we were busy choosing the best live music and events to recommend this weekend. Besides Nick Cave performing back-to-back evenings at ACL Live and ACL TV there is a ton of fun stuff happening around town. Much of the events listed are free or... Continue reading at Examiner.com

New music: Residual Kid charity single drops July 15, free show Saturday

Tomorrow Austin garage act Residual Kid drop a new single, "Friday on My Mind" an Easybeats cover from 1966. The locals have been enjoying national buzz since SXSW 2013, recording with J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) and performing all over the country. All proceeds from the sale of the new record will be dontated to Hospice Austin and Livestrong. The all-under 18 band was inspired by fan, Miriam "Miri" Hyman who requested they record the song before she... Continue reading at Examiner.com

10 SXSW 2014 breakout bands to watch

Quiet Company

South by Southwest (SXSW) closed with a bang Saturday despite drizzly weather that put a damper on outdoor shows during the day. We saw sets by Snoop Dogg, Gary Numan and Phantogram among others. Snoop was fun. Gary Numan could teach a few young artists a thing or two about stage presence. Phantogram (sounds like a start-up app) were good too. But what we are really excited about are the breakout bands we saw perform for the first time during the festival; Desert Noises, July Talk, Future Islands, Bearcubbin, Lucius and Lucas Nelson and the Promise of the Real. Our list includes top tier Austin bands... Continue reading at Examiner.com 

Live music preview: Top Free Week shows you should not miss part 2

Where else can music fans start the year by seeing hundreds of local bands at venues throughout the city without paying cover charge? The fantastic Austin live music tradition each January simply called Free Week continues unabated at select clubs through Saturday. In addition to some new bands on the schedule that did not perform last week, you also have a chance to catch local acts you might have missed last week at no charge. Many of the bands get paid a percentage of the bar sales so buy a couple of drinks, tip your bartender and rest easy knowing you did your part to support local music. In our top Free Week shows you should not miss (part 2) you will find... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music preview: Top Free Week shows you should not miss this weekend

When Austin music fans attend music festivals South by Southwest, Austin City Limits and Fun Fun Fun Fest there are always a few local bands on the bill. Free Week is an entirely different sort of animal. Instead of a smattering of Austin bands amid a schedule laden with national acts and thousands of out-of-town visitors, the event is nearly exclusive to performers hailing from the "Live Music Capital." Every imaginable genre is represented; Latin, afrobeat, psych rock and everything in between. The week runs from today to January 11. We chose several must see Free Week shows to ...Continue reading at Examiner.com

Top 5 shows this weekend: Red White & Blue Ball, Adi Fest, Hard Proof, Quiet Company

Local music reigns this weekend in our first preview of the summer. Besides the fun and relaxed Red, White and Blue Ball Saturday featuring a ton of great bands there are a few good shows Friday to consider. Veteran Austin music writer, pr guy, promoter and all around nice guy Adi Anand celebrates his birthday with a rare show by All My Friends, an LCD Soundsystem tribute band. Hard Proof returns to Hotel Vegas for a night of funky Afrobeat and Quiet Company headline an all-star local lineup at the ND that includes Examiner favorite... continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music preview: MapJam to highlight local acts and Austin Music Map Saturday

Want to hear about a cool idea supporting the Austin music scene you can participate in?Austin Music Map is an interactive, community, documentary project by KUTX 98.9, the Association of Independents in Radio and Zeega who are highlighting their project with MapJam on Saturday. The day-long music festival features nine local acts at seven different East Austin venues from noon to 11 p.m. The event is... continue reading at examiner.com

Check out this Residual Kid video:

Free Week, the Austin music scene tradition started by Graham Williams (Transmission Entertainment) while he was booking shows at Emo's has grown from a couple venues along Red River to dozens of clubs in the "Live Music Capital", January 2-11. The fun kicks off Wednesday with shows by... continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music preview: Fun Fun Fun Fest, Run DMC, X, De La Soul, Edward Sharpe

Fun Fun Fun Fest 3-Day Pass 

Fun Fun Fun Fest (FFF Fest) is back for the seventh year this week with a packed schedule of events beginning Thursday evening until Sunday night at Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park. The festivities kick off Thursday with Superchunkat The Mohawk followed by Christian Bland and the Revelators at the ND at 501 Studios. All Nites after shows are... Continue reading at Examiner