UPDATED for 2016 - 5 Ways to Find the Best SXSW Parties and RSVP

South by Southwest (SXSW) Music, Film and Interactive Festival is only 4 weeks away. The festival takes place March 11-20 in Austin. Each year there a hundreds of sponsored, free parties with live music, complimentary food, drink and swag for party-goers.

With the growth of SXSW Interactive, there are top tier music events to attend during interactive as well as the music week. All you need to do is RSVP and arrive early enough to enter the venue before it reaches capacity. Keep in mind, badge holders will have priority at official showcases. The amount of listings, can be daunting, so we compiled a short list of resources to... Continue reading

Live music review: Sweet Spirit and Walker Lukens led off year for Black Fret

Sweet Spirit and Walker Lukens at Black Fret 2016 opening

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Even if you are an Austin music fan that is 'in the loop" you may not be familiar with the non-profit organization Black Fret which donates $100,000 to 10 local bands each year. The funds come from annual dues collected from the group's members. The "Patrons of Local Music" charity was launched by Matt Ott and Colin Kendrick in 2013 as a way for Austin residents to support emerging musical acts. The majority of past recipients have used their $10K grant from Black Fret towards production costs to record new material.

Last week the group convened at The Parish in downtown Austin to introduce members to their first three grant candidates of the year; Sweet Spirit, Walker Lukens and Harvest Thieves. All three are... continue reading

Live music review: Galactic brought NOLA funk, The Suffers added H-Town soul

Friday evening at Emo's was billed a headliner show for New Orleans-based Galactic but ended up a fantastic double-bill with H-town buzz-act The Suffers opening the show. A large portion of the audience came for Galactic but those in know arrived early to catch the soulful Kam Franklin and the nine piece, self-styled Gulf Coast soul players lay a heavy dose of emotion on fans. The soul didn't stop with The Suffers as Galactic guest vocalist Erica Falls belted out lyrics with ferocity. The feel-good vibes were flowing.

Beyond being New Orleans' best known jam band, Galactic features... Continue reading

Live music review: BADBADNOTGOOD packed Yellow Stage to close Fun Fun Fun Fest

If you're a frequent Examiner reader, you may have asked yourself why the hell we included an instrumental jazz band among our top picks at this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest(FFF Fest) last week. We had good reason. Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD (BBNG) performed as a quartet Sunday for most of their headlining set with frequent collaborator, saxophonist Leland Whitty. Simply put, their music is sublime. There is no other touring act that sounds like these guys. Where else can fans hear a band that takes classic and contemporary hip-hop tunes and turns them into... Continue reading

Live music preview: 5 must see buzz acts at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2015

With eight short days left on the calendar until Fun Fun Fun Fest (FFF Fest) takes overAuditorium Shores in Austin we're overdue to share our top five picks from the excellent lineup this year. Since most of us are familiar with the headliners: Chvrches, Wu-Tang Clan, NOFX, Odesza and Lauryn Hill we're sticking to buzz acts in our list. After all, Fun Fun Fun Fest curates a lineup that is made for discovering bands.

Speaking of Hill, her addition to the line-up in place of D'Angelo and the Vanguard who first cancelled his ACL TV appearance last week then cancelled his ....Continue reading

Live music preview: 9 recommended acts at ACL Festival 2015 weekend two

The second weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Festival) is upon us at Zilker Park beginning tomorrow at noon. For once, it looks like there will be no rain this year (fingers crossed). Here's to hoping that prediction rings true on Monday morning. You are likely asking yourself (if you're a regular reader of this column) why read a weekend two preview when most of the lineup is similar to opening weekend? The answer is simple. We now have the benefit of hindsight. We can look both back to last week and forwards to this weekend's slate of music and intelligently choose our weekend two lineup. It sounds scientific when we say it like that doesn't it?

The truth is there is... Continue reading

Music festival preview: Austin Psych Fest reveals Levitation 2015 lineup

Austin Psych Fest marked the rebranding of the eighth annual event as Levitation 2015 by revealing a stellar lineup today. Flaming Lips, Spiritualized, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Tame Impala and festival founders, The Black Angels top the list of bands announced. The renaming comes as the festival welcomes new partners, Transmission Events, the same people who produce Fun Fun Fun Fest. The festival takes place... Continue reading at Axs.com

Live music review: Duran Duran performs exclusive set for F1 Grand Prix Saturday

 the eve of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) Grand Prix race in Austin Sunday, legendary '80s rockers, Duran Duran performed an exclusive set at ACL Live at the Moody Theater for race fans. The VIP-style event featured open bars, cocktail tables and buffets of food offerings. The two-time Grammy winners ran through a hit-filled 90-minute set while shrieking female fans voiced their excitement at seeing the Englishmen in the flesh.

While the band rests largely on the laurels of their first five albums (all released in the '80s), Duran Duran have admirably continued to record new albums releasing their 13th studio album, All You Need is Now in 2011 when they could have easily slid into being a retro-act like so many other aging bands. Also laudable was the absence of backing tracks which the synth-heavy act could have easily employed without complaint from their rabid fanbase. Instead, with ...Continue reading at Axs.com

Music festival preview: COTA Fan Fest to bring Joan Jett, family fun to Austin this weekend

The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) hosts a big Grand Prix race every fall. While everyone may not be race fans, most people in Austin like free live music, food trucks, beer gardens and activities for kids. At least that is what COTA and event sponsors are betting on as Fan Fest begins Friday in downtown Austin. The lineup of musical acts is impressive for a free music festival. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, De La Soul, Black Joe Lewis, Devotchka and many other international and local acts are slated to perform through Sunday.

Fan Fest will take place October 31-November 2 across ten city blocks of downtown Austin from the Warehouse District to Republic Square Park beginning at 4 p.m. Friday. Live music acts... Continue reading at Axs.com

Live music preview: Utah indie rockers Desert Noises return to Stubb's Friday

Last March during South by Southwest we were invited to the Do512 Lounge to watch a few bands the entertainment site invited to perform. One of those bands, Desert Noises was so impressive for a young, unknown group we struggled to get them out of our head after the show. Fortunately, we never did get that foursome out of our head and we watched the indie rockers from Orem, Utah twice more after seeing them at SXSW. On Friday lead singer and songwriter, Kyle Henderson and company return to Stubb's BBQ to play on the inside stage.

We asked Henderson why the band likes playing Austin. He replied... Continue reading at Axs.com

ACL festival review: Pearl Jam, The Replacements thrilled Sunday crowds on day 3

Much like New Orleans' Jazz Fest and Chicago's Lollapalooza, day three at Austin City Limits (ACL Festival) featured the largest crowds of the weekend. The huge turnout was for good reason. Hugely popular act Pearl Jam may have topped their incredible ACL Festival 2009 performance. The Replacements played the same Samsung Galaxy Stage earlier in the day. The legendary garage-rockers are back touring after a 21 year hiatus. Fans also had an opportunity to see local legends Spoon at the opposite end of the park at the Honda Stage. Spoon are taping another ACL TV show this week. An epic day of live music took place yesterday during an equally epic weekend.

Although the rare appearance of The Replacements on the main stage was a hot topic of conversation, the electric undercurrent of excitement around... Continue reading at Examiner.com

ACL Festival review: Day 2 - Eminem, Skrillex, Iggy Azalea, Trombone Shorty photos

More fantastic fall weather graced the second day of Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) this weekend at Zilker Park. We grabbed photos of Eminem, Skrillex, Interpol, Trombone Shorty, Lucius and much more as the largest crowds of the weekend took in all the music. We spotted Adrian Grenier enjoying Snowmine at the BMI stage. The actor and music aficionado has good taste. Snowmine impressed with indie rock hooks and great vocal performances. Iggy Azalea commanded a gigantic crowd at the Retail Me Not Stage. Lucius invited Head and the Heart to guest with them for a chillingly good sunset show. Headliners Eminem and Skrillex battled it out for supremacy at the cost of... Continue reading at Examiner.com

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

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

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

Weekend music preview: Polyphonic Spree, Sam Pace CD Release, Mellowfest, Old Crow Medincine Show, Wheeler Brothers

One would think with summer here and students headed home for the break that things would slow down in "The Live Music Capital of the World" but one would be wrong. This weekend is a perfect example. There are a couple of big shows out at the Austin360 Amphitheater; Rascall Flats with Sheryl Crow followed by Kiss and Def Leopard. But there is even more goodness happening in and around downtown Austin Friday and Saturday. The Polyphonic Spree, Mellowfest, Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit and Old Crow Medicine Show with Ray Wylie Hubbard and... Continue reading at Examiner.com