Taking Austin for a 'Spin'

One of Austin scenesters' favorite gripes is how we don't get enough national recognition and that for as much coverage local bands get from the coasts, Antone's might as well be in Dallas and Emo's in Waco. (OK, maybe it's not that bad.) But judging by the May 2007 Spin magazine, which hit newsstands this week, we're going to have to find some other complaint. From cover boy Britt Daniel on down, Austin is all over this issue like a cat on a june bug. TCB, frustrated by Houston Astros pitchers' inability to keep the Philadelphia Phillies off the bases, cataloged every last Austin reference, shout-out, and allusion Monday night, including a few that might surprise you.

Cover: Britt Daniel next in line for bathroom!

Also: Lollapalooza, co-owned, managed, and programmed by Austin-based C3 presents, which you may have heard.

And: Jeff Tweedy recorded Uncle Tupelo's last and Wilco's first albums at least partially in town.

Page 13: Morrissey tour ad: May 26 at the Backyard!

14: Editor's letter: Doug Brod mentions "… an exhausting yet exhilarating SXSW …"

17-19 (gatefold photo spread): Seven photos, two from Austin American-Statesman photographers (excuse us?), and Riverboat Gamblers frontman Mike Wiebe hanging upside down from Emo's rafters.

Also: The prime East Austin real estate on display as Turbonegro rocks the Victory Grill's back yard.

24: The Spin Mix (Songs You Need to Download Now!): Ghostland Observatory, "Sad Sad City (Live on KEXP)":"Texas' answer to the Scissor Sisters."

25: Austin narrowly misses hosting date on the Honda Civic Tour, headlined by Fall Out Boy. Thanks, San Antonio!

26: Only on Spin.com!: blurb advertising online SXSW coverage reminds us yet again that Pete Townshend sat in with the Fratellis.

32: The Spin 20: "[Occasional Austinite] John Popper's Weapons Bust: Police find four rifles, nine handguns, 37 steel-tipped harmonicas."

Also: Unrelated, but best joke of issue: "Matt Dillon's Dinosaur Jr. video: Good to see he's recovered from Citizen Dick's nasty breakup."

33: Q&A with Linkin Park's Chester Bennington: Continuing the Austin tradition of taking credit for anything the Dixie Chicks do even though none of them live here anymore, LP's new LP producer Rick Rubin also helmed the Chicks' Grammy-winning Taking the Long Way.

38-39: In My Room: Paul Wall: Photo of Paul hugging Lil' Keke at Big Hawk's funeral "ran in The Austin Chronicle." Holla!

Also: Wall misidentifies the Roger Clemens Astros jersey on his wall as being from UT's 1983 national championship team.

46-49: Four-page AT&T Blue Room hypes Austin City Limits Festival as one of six co-sponsored by subscriber-seeking telecommunications behemoth.

"Ultimate Festival Guide" foldout: ACL Fest one of 10 encapsulated, one of three in Southern U.S., with Jazz Fest and Bonnaroo. Icons listed: hippies, hipsters. What to bring: "Your dad." Predicts lineup of "old-timers" (Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Police, Crowded House) and "people who only sound like old-timers" (Norah Jones, Wilco, Dave Matthews Band, Ryan Adams). Spin also loves ACL's food court.

Also: half-rained-out Urban Music Festival and October's Big State Festival in Aggieland mentioned in "The Calendar."

50-51: Two-page spread of cover stars; Britt Daniel is fourth from left.

52: Perry Farrell talks about Lollapalooza, once again brought to you by Austin's C3 Presents. He's open to taking it on the road again - look out, Chicago!

54-55: Britt Daniel interview: Daniel talks about playing early at Lollapalooza 1995, the only year it stopped in Austin, then seeing Pavement and Sonic Youth. Says new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is full of "happy accidents," he might smoke weed at dusk, and he has no idea what a chill-out tent is.

57: Jeff Tweedy interview: Of all the cover subjects, he and Daniel are "probably the closest musically."

Also: Blames School of Rock, directed by Austin's Richard Linklater, for causing "a fucking kid-band explosion right now."

58: Tom Morello interview: Ex-Austinite George W. Bush comes up 35 words into the interviewer's first question.

Also: Frequent Eighties Cactus Cafe performer Steve Earle name-checked in seventh question; would try Bush as "war criminal" if he could.

65: "(The Best of) The Bottom of the Bill": Roky Erickson is "a true psychedelic legend," while the Black Angels are "drone-happy Texans [who] should be good for a mid-afternoon contact high."

84: New(ish) Austinite Bill Callahan's Woke on a Whaleheart gets 2 1/2 stars: "Almost shallow."

Also: Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero billed as "Trent Reznor vs. George W. Bush."

90: Son Volt, featuring Austin's Andrew Duplantis, has new record The Search reviewed (***): "A sober cruise down the white lines between timelessness and nostalgia."

91: Reissues: HighTone Records Anthology: Rockin' From the Roots: Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely singled out for their ability to 'blur genres.'

Also: Dave Alvin big-ups Abilene.

98: Austin-born "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has first starring role in The Condemned reviewed as "a knack for representing the little guy." Compared favorably to Ah-nuld.

THE FINAL TALLY

Number of pages in issue: 107
Pages with some Austin connection: 27
Pages with more than one Austin mention: five
Approximate % of content related in some way to Austin: 25-30%

Pronouncement: Save Britt Daniel, Austin is sparse in the meaty areas, but huge on the margins - just the way we like it. Keep it weird, y'all!