Live music preview: Weekend picks - Bob Mould, Sebadoh, WOBEON, RVRB Records

It has been too long since we posted a weekend preview primarily because there have been so many events to cover in Austin recently we can hardly keep up. With students back in town and the Texas music festival season heating up, we thought it prudent to offer recommendations on the top shows of the weekend. There are plenty of them. Garage-rock buzz band, OBN IIIs play Empire Control Room tonight to kick off Weekender Austin, a four day mini-festival. Friday evening 90's alt-rockers, Sebadoh will appear on the Red 7 stage while local Afrobeat sensations, Hard Proof keep the party going at Holy Mountain. The latter head out of town following the show for their first ...Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music review: Sixth year a success at Utopiafest

The little festival that could. That is the tagline Utopiafest should adopt to describe the music festival that produced their sixth event this past weekend in a remote part of Central Texas while limiting attendance and booking great national and local acts. One reason for the success of the festival is the vision of co-founder Aaron Brown who basically put together a show that possess all the ...Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music review: Sub-Pop act Washed Out sold-out return to Mohawk Tuesday

The best live acts always seem to defy categorization. Sub-Pop solo artist Washed Out (Ernest Greene) is a perfect example. The Georgia native sold-out his appearance at The Mohawk on Tuesday. Their previous two performances at the venue sold-out too, in part because the music could be easily labeled a number of different genres (chill wave, synth-pop, electronic, alternative, indie rock), thus he is... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music review: Night Beats return to Austin for mind blowing Sound Select gig

This past Saturday at Hotel Vegas, Seattle trio Night Beats packed Red Bull's Soundselect show. The group plays an amalgam of psych, blues and garage rock that has attracted a legion of fans since they performed at Austin Psych Festival in 2013. Red Bull's monthly event is hosted at various Austin live music venues and typically features a stellar local lineup. The undercard had two Austin bands on it, Sea Lion and Mirror Travel. Headliner, Night Beats was the sole ...Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music review: Robert Rodriguez, Chingon put Latin twist on Sin City party

Robert Rodriguez    Photo: Suzanne Cordeiro

Director Robert Rodriguez took center stage in Austin Wednesday night with the premiere of his film, "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (3D) at the Paramount Theater. Following the screening, attendees headed to The Rattle Inn for a VIP reception which featured music from Chingon. The group is comprised of members of Del Castillo and Rodriguez who formed the band to record music for his film "Once Upon a Time in Mexico." The event was one of several fundraisers the Austin Film Society hosts each year.

Prior to Rodriguez arriving at the venue, there was a... Continue reading at Examiner.com

4 Austin bands you need to see from the Vagabond Collective Summer Nights finale

On a warm August evening that boasted a bevvy of good shows in Austin, Vagabond Collective hosted their final Summer Nights show at Empire Control Room Saturday. It was an opportunity to showcase an impressive cross section of local music. A talent heavy, seven acts were booked inside the Control Room and on the back patio. Headliner Marmalakes, along with Shivery Shakes,Chipper Jones and Yum played tantalizingly good sets. It was an evening that highlighted how... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music review: Mars Volta offshoot Antemasque sold-out Mohawk

While Austin's music scene is well documented, El Paso has their own vibrant music scene as evidenced by the sold-out crowd on hand at The Mohawk Sunday for ANTEMASQUE. The new band is an offshoot of the now defunct The Mars Volta, led by guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, an El Paso native. Nadie Sound (Rodriguez-Lopez's record company) label mates, Le Butcherettes opened the early-evening show in front of a nearly... Continue reading at Examiner.com

TV preview: Arts in Context to feature The Octopus Project on KLRU, streaming August 1

By now readers of this column have gotten used to seeing reviews of live tapings at Austin City Limits television which airs nationally on PBS. What folks may not be aware local PBS affiliate, KLRU produces Arts in Context a show that delves deeper into the work of artists and how they create, collaborate and incorporate elements together. Emmy award-winning producer, Mario Troncoso, makes the documentary show.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. (CST) KLRU will air an episode on The Octopus Project, an Austin electro-pop band that has been... Continue reading at Examiner.com

Live music review: Nick Cave taped first Austin City Limits TV show Sunday

Since last Sunday we have been mulling over the first Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (NCBS) episode taping at Austin City Limits TV. Even if you are not a rabid Nick Cave fan, one thing is certain, the man will make you feel something. For most of the audience members, seeing the Australian impresario live was the zenith of a cult-like reverence for the singer. Cave sold-out the same room the previous evening for an ACL Live performance that had fans filling our Twitter feed with over the top superlatives. Judging from an informal survey we conducted, the tv taping was a bit more... Continue reading at Examiner.com

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