earache!

Death Valley Nights

The Priests of Syrinx

When did the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony become the Oscars? A nearly three-hour run-time, teleprompter eyes, and enough hair dye to deluge AARP fall in perfect lockstep with filmdom’s annual backslapping. The ultimate tie-in? Jack Nicholson sits in the front row of both. Watch the music blow-out on HBO tomorrow. Read More | Comment »

5:20PM Fri. May. 17, Raoul Hernandez

Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season

Jimmy Buffet and Rodriguez share a cult. Not the same one, obviously, but rather their fans’ “great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book).” Amend Merriam-Webster to “film, book, or music.” The former liquored up the Austin 360 Amphitheater Friday and the latter brought the Erwin Center to its feet on Saturday. Read More | Comment »

9:37AM Tue. May. 7, Raoul Hernandez

Austin Psych Fest Live (Saturday): Capsula

Directly under a flight path so low you had to duck to avoid the constant stream of jetliners gliding in overhead, Capsula won the sonic battle first on Saturday’s mainstage. By the time the Bilbao-by-way-of-Buenos Aires trio finished its 45-minute set in a squall of feedback, they’d tamed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s rocket rides. Read More | Comment »

11:07AM Sun. Apr. 28, Raoul Hernandez

Rush’s Grand Design

Mea culpa. When Rush’s 20th studio disc Clockwork Angeles came out last year, I dismissed it out of hand – missing its 2112-like concept of dystopian complacency in the not too distant future. The Toronto trio’s three-hour siege of the Frank Erwin Center last night featured almost the entire LP, but that wasn’t the half of it. Read More | Comment »

11:47AM Wed. Apr. 24, Raoul Hernandez

Mad World

Bombings, explosions, no gun control – last week’s inhumanity reduced me to a Pat Benatar lyric, collateral LP muscle memory triggered by her perfect voice at the Moody on April 13. Tropico’s “A Crazy World Like This” (“sometimes I don’t know, what will ease the pain”) ricocheted at Old Settler’s Music Festival via Jerry Douglas. Read More | Comment »

4:20PM Mon. Apr. 22, Raoul Hernandez

Synchronistic Wanderings: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Pat Benatar plays the Moody Theater tomorrow night, Saturday. “Heartbreaker,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Hell is for Children,” “Love is a Bettlefield” – all remain synonymous with her name. So, too, should her guitarist and husband of 31 years, Neil Giraldo, the producer, arranger, “creator” to her “facilitator” and five-octave voice. Read More | Comment »

3:47PM Fri. Apr. 12, Raoul Hernandez

Grizzly Bear Speaks in Rounds

Taping Austin City Limits tonight at the Moody Theater, Grizzly Bear rehearsed for almost two full hours to a sold-out Stubb’s on Monday. Like one particular PBS live concert recordee before them, the avant-garde Brooklyn quartet has officially crossed over into the mainstream – with a big sound, big hooks, and bulk adoration. Read More | Comment »

12:27PM Wed. Apr. 10, Raoul Hernandez

The Return of Lila Downs

Lila Downs performs with all the force of a tropical depression. On 2012’s Pecados y Milagros, her ninth LP, the sexy, mezcal-swigging Mexican-American singer dazzled both sides of the border with folkloric stomps original and traditional. Circling back from last year’s South by Southwest, she uncorks this evening at the Long Center. Read More | Comment »

9:47AM Tue. Apr. 9, Raoul Hernandez

Wobeon and Beyond

Honk!TX just days after South by Southwest hurt but rewarded amply. March 29 & 30, we missed the Austin Urban Music Festival for some post-SXSW decompression in Port Aransas. Beginning next Thursday, we’re out in Dripping Springs for the Old Settler’s Music Festival. This past weekend of intoxicating weather belonged to Wobeon Fest. Read More | Comment »

3:00PM Mon. Apr. 8, Raoul Hernandez

Paul McCartney Wings It to the Frank Erwin Center

All I can say is thank God it wasn't the Stones. When the Frank Erwin Center sent out a press release Wednesday morning proclaiming "a major concert announcement"� a few hours after the Rolling Stones unveiled a tour with a lot of holes in it, I thought, "It couldn't be the Stones!?"� It's not. It's Paul McCartney, May 22. Read More | Comment »

12:57PM Thu. Apr. 4, Raoul Hernandez

Hello Old Friend: Eric Clapton Sends His Regards

Gary Clark Jr. encores his AMAs sweep tomorrow at San Antonio’s Maverick Festival. Many hoped GCJ would cameo at Eric Clapton’s Erwin Center show last Sunday. Jimmie Vaughan did. Read More | Comment »

4:20PM Fri. Mar. 22, Raoul Hernandez

Queen of Noise: Royal Thunder's Mlny Parsonz

Last year, Witch Cross cast a spell on Decibel magazine by pulling a nine rating out of 10 for a reissue of the Danish metallers’ only LP, 1984’s howling Fit for Fight, the insidious spawn of Mercyful Fate and the Runaways. That’s a fitting description of Atlanta’s Royal Thunder, showcasing twice this week at SXSW. Read More | Comment »

3:07PM Tue. Mar. 12, Raoul Hernandez

Last Chance SXSW Wristbands [Updated Again]

More than a few panicked emails rolled into the office today inquiring about South by Southwest music fest wristbands. By late afternoon, the conference confirmed that a handful of official SX venues would in fact be selling wristbands tomorow. Last-minute shoppers, your ships docks Tuesday. Read More | Comment »

11:20AM Tue. Mar. 12, Raoul Hernandez

Iggy & the Stooges Return to SXSW

As predicted in "Playback" on Thursday, Iggy & the Stooges confirmed a South by Southwest showcase today when Vans posted its Mohawk bills. Read More | Comment »

11:40AM Mon. Mar. 4, Tim Stegall

Stronger With Each Tear: Mary J. Blige

My SXSW was mindblowing. Dome ripping. Doesn’t start until Thursday, but as a host, I don’t get to enjoy it – much. Moby Grape, Stooges, and PJ Harvey fell on my lone Saturdays off, but I missed Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, and worst of all, Flower Traveling Band. Mary J. Blige Wednesday at the Moody makes up for most of it – final name on my bucket list. Read More | Comment »

5:57PM Fri. Mar. 1, Raoul Hernandez

Rumors Confirmed: Stevie Nicks at SXSW

Like Green Day on Monday, another South by Southwest confirmation came yesterday in Stevie Nicks, who bewitches the music conference in an interview with Ann Powers on Thursday, March 14, and also stars in a pair of SXSW Film docs. Read More | Comment »

12:47PM Fri. Mar. 1, Raoul Hernandez

Green Day Confirms at SXSW

Speculation proved right: Green Day puts in a live appearance at the Moody Theater on Friday, March 15, during South by Southwest. That‘s the same day back-to-back docs on the Bay Area punk trio screen at the Paramount for SXSW Film, Broadway Idiot and Cuatro! Read More | Comment »

11:41AM Mon. Feb. 25, Raoul Hernandez

The Terror: Flaming Lips at SXSW

With today’s announcement of the Flaming Lips headlining its Town Lake Stage on Friday, March 15, South by Southwest has now confirmed all three days of its free annual concerts on Auditorium Shores. Taken together, the bills represent the best triple grouping in years. Read More | Comment »

5:27PM Thu. Feb. 21, Raoul Hernandez

Emo’s Sold

After 10 weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Emo’s owner Frank Hendrix called to confirm that he’s sold the business to C3 Presents. The transfer takes place immediately. “I’m meeting [C3 head] Charles Attal at the building with the keys,” he stated just before 6pm. Read More | Comment »

6:00PM Mon. Feb. 11, Raoul Hernandez

Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks Confirm for Austin Psych Fest

Austin Psych Fest 2013 scooped me. In my working up a review of last fall’s Moving Sidewalks reissue, a 2-CD mini box compiling the Houston psych quartet’s sole 1968 LP and attendant singles and demos, APF beat me to the punch by announcing the Sidewalks’ performance at Carson Creek Ranch over April 26-28. ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons anchors the band. Read More | Comment »

2:47PM Tue. Feb. 5, Raoul Hernandez

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