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Humidity, random thunderstorms, and thousands of kids ready for summer vacation. It’s officially June in Austin, and we have an exceptional weekend of live music ready for your listening enjoyment. This weekend, we bring you a musically diverse record release, a fundraising festival for music education, and a country artist worth adding to your daily Spotify rotation. Enjoy the weekend. And, as always, listen local! [Read more…]
The Black Angels celebrate their new record, “Death Song,” in style during an Austin City Limits taping on May 23, 2017 (Credit: Scott Newton)
Full disclosure: psychedelic music isn’t my thing. No offense to the genre, but my appreciation is closer to respect than enjoyment. Something about freeform, meandering soundscapes clashes with my drum line, percussion ensemble upbringing. In the correct headspace, it can be beautiful, but it’s not something I blast in my car during my evening commute.
Or so I thought. By taking the evocative expressiveness of traditional psychedelic music and trapping it in a barbed wire cage of aggressive hard rock, Austin’s The Black Angels have created a unique sound. Their May 23 taping for the 43rd season of Austin City Limits on KLRU-TV was a celebration of a new record and 13 years of rocking out. [Read more…]
With the week winding down to the finish line, it’s time to look ahead to the live music Austin has to offer this weekend. This time around we present a Latin Black Sabbath cover band’s EP release, a former contestant from NBC’s “The Voice,” and Memphis soul with an ATX kick. Live music is alive and well in Austin, so get out there and enjoy it. [Read more…]
Austin Mic Exchange takes place weekly at Spider House Ballroom
Houston has a rap pedigree that goes back for generations. Dallas has also produced great hip hop, and the same goes for San Antonio. Austin’s contribution to music, on the other hand, has gravitated towards guitar picking and live outdoor festivals, a reputation we’ve been happy to embrace.
Pay closer attention to what’s happening with our live music scene, though. Austin Mic Exchange is rewriting what it means to be the Live Music Capital of the World by growing a DIY hip hop culture right here in Austin, Texas.
[Read more…]
Another weekend, another opportunity to enjoy the art form our fair city is best known for: live, local music. This week, we present our discerning readers with snarling garage rock, emotional indie pop, and a group prominently featured in a Robert Rodriguez film. Keep listening local, Austin! [Read more…]
Mother’s Day is this weekend, and what better way to celebrate that wonderful woman than with three days of live, local music. From an eclectic artist celebrating a record release, to a bluegrass festival, there’s a sound for every ear. Enjoy the weekend. And as always, listen local! [Read more…]
Emily Bell and The Talkbacks celebrated their new record, “Kali,” at 3Ten ACL on April 28 (Credit: Katie McDowell)
Music should be a constant evolution. If a band’s fifth album sounds the same as the first, something is wrong. And while die-hard fans may want the same old, same old, the work of a musical artist almost inevitably changes as he or she does.
With her April 29 record release show at 3Ten Austin City Limits, Emily Bell shook off the retro soul trappings of her former self, and donned a rock star persona of leather and lace. Vibrant and urgent with a rock-n-roll strut, Emily Bell and The Talkbacks’ latest crop of songs balances beauty and blast in every hard rocking note. [Read more…]
Another Austin weekend, another opportunity to enjoy fantastic live music. This week, we celebrate a record release from one of our favorite indie acts, a monstrous street festival, and down-home bluegrass like mama used to listen to. Enjoy the weekend, and listen local! [Read more…]
The weekend is right around the corner, and with it a host of local music to listen to. This week, we take a turn for the rootsy, country side of Austin music. Long the musical bedrock of this fine city, this week’s picks may have you pining for the quiet streets and backwoods hoedowns of Austin’s yesteryear. Enjoy and, as always, listen local! [Read more…]
Austin Music Foundation seeks to elevate and educate Austin’s music community (Credit: Mathis Kennington)
Even in the Live Music Capital of the World, it’s tough to make a living as a musician. From poor pay to middling tips to late hours, succeeding in the Austin music scene requires patience, persistence, and a little luck. Unfortunately, the music isn’t always enough.
Enter Austin Music Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to bolstering our creative community through artist-empowering programs, education, and economic opportunities. With the organization’s newest venture, the Artist Development Program, Austin Music Foundation aims to educate Austin artists on how to navigate the tricky world of the music industry. [Read more…]