The Luv Doc: No Strings Attached

Dear Luv Doc, So, I’ve been hooking up with this dude for a few months now, but he never wants to actually go out – for fear someone may think we are dating. We aren’t dating. The screwing with no strings attached is good for me. When we see each other in public, he says…

by The Luv Doc

20,000 Days on Earth

This documentary (for which Nick Cave receives a script credit), gets inside the artist’s notoriously fussy creative process.

by Marc Savlov

The Good Lie

A well-told story about four lost boys and girls of the Sudan in America gets a welcome assist from Hollywood.

by Kimberley Jones

Tracks

Mia Wasikowska and Adam Driver star in this story about Robyn Davidson’s solitary trek across the Australian desert.

by Marjorie Baumgarten

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

MØ No Mythologies to Follow (Chess Club/RCA Victor) As MØ (pronounced “muuh”), Karen Marie Ørsted lands somewhere between the vampy Lana Del Rey and crunchy production queen Grimes. Full-length debut No Mythologies to Follow comes birthed from email chains with Rhye producer Ronni Vindahl, whose beats behind Ørsted’s seductive croon are reined in just enough…

by Abby Johnston

ACL Music Fest 2014 Friday Reviews

Blackberry Smoke Leave a Scar: Live in North Carolina (3 Legged) Rock bands flagrantly preserving the Seventies can hardly do it better than firing up that staple of the Me Decade: a double live album. Atlanta’s Blackberry Smoke wave the Southern rock flag, so a 2-CD set in the tradition of Skynyrd’s One More From…

by Michael Toland

Soccer Watch

The Texas Longhorns got a signature win Friday night, knocking off previously unbeaten, untied, and sixth-ranked Texas Tech, 1-0 on an OT goal by freshman Olivia Brook; it was the Raiders’ first Big 12 loss in two years. A 2-0 loss Sunday to 17th-ranked West Virginia leaves the Horns at 6-4-2 on the year (1-1…

by Nick Barbaro

Friday Festival Face-Off: Beck/OutKast

Beck Years Active: 29 Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif. Number of Albums: 12 Career High Point: Sea Change Grammy Nominations/Wins: 12/3 Musical Weapon of Choice: 1449 Silvertone Danelectro Notable Collaborators: Childish Gambino, Pharrell Williams, Thurston Moore, Stephen Malkmus Songs He Has to Play: “Loser,” “Lost Cause,” “Where It’s At” Best Lines: “There’s a destination a little…

by Kahron Spearman

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Reuben and the Dark Funeral Sky (Arts & Crafts) Crossing Mumford & Sons and Coldplay, Reuben and the Dark pumps indie folk with enough steroids to fill arenas. Not that Funeral Sky wallows in melodrama. Heart nailed to sleeve throughout, Reuben Bullock sings with a sense of resignation, giving even towering anthems “Bow and Arrow,”…

by Michael Toland

Saturday Festival Face-Off: Skrillex/Eminem

Skrillex Name: Sonny John Moore Age: 26 Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif. Height: 5’4″ Other Bands: From First to Last, Sonny & the Blood Monkeys, Twipz Biggest Fuck You to the Music Industry: “Rock That Body” with the Black Eyed Peas Hairstyle: Shaved on left, long on the right Trouble With That Hairstyle: Once lit long…

by Chase Hoffberger

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Miniature Tigers Cruel Runnings (Yebo Music) What happens when synthpop revivalism begins drowning in its own bubbles? Ask Miniature Tigers, which bet the farm on spry Eighties emulation clad in summer sport coats. Unlike the damaged tape warble of Neon Indian, this Brooklyn-via-Phoenix quartet’s overwhelmingly clean chillwave approaches sterility. Fourth LP Cruel Runnings starts with…

by Greg Beets

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

The Rosebuds Sand+Silence (Western Vinyl) If Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp’s fifth long-player, 2011’s Loud Planes Fly Low, charted the death of a marriage – the North Carolina couple divorced in 2009 – its follow-up signals the birth of separate-but-equal lives. Co-produced by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Sand+Silence is all forward progress, from the “we…

by Melanie Haupt

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

The Chain Gang of 1974 Daydream Forever (Warner Bros.) “Why do people like you think everything is all right?” choruses the deceptively titled “Death Metal Punk” on the Chain Gang of 1974’s sophomore slump. They should answer their own question. The brainchild of singer/multi-instrumentalist Kamtin Mohager, Daydream Forever overflows with the sunny vibes of the…

by Tim Stegall

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Bernhoft Islander (Big Picnic) A household name in his native Norway, Bernhoft has made inroads in the U.S. with distinctly left-of-center blue-eyed soul. His live sets pivot on looping and layering acoustic guitar, beat boxing, soul claps, and a piercing falsetto. There’s more than a touch of Mayer Hawthorne to Bernhoft, but most obvious muse…

by Thomas Fawcett

Two Weekends Again Demands Multiplicity!

Last year, inaugural edition of the dual weekend configuration, ACL Fest felt entirely Groundhog Day. The same rave – give or take the locals and a notable act here and there – staged twice. This time around, with Lorde headlining week two only, another bit of Harold Ramis genius comes to mind: Multiplicity. For the…

by Raoul Hernandez

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

Benjamin Booker (ATO) “Where I’m going, I never know,” declares Benjamin Booker at the outset of his debut LP, the sharp kicker to the opening salvo of an immaculately cascading riff beckoning Chuck Berry. Benjamin Booker enthusiastically reels amid the unpredictable and unrestrained, the 25-year-old New Orleans-via-Florida songwriter’s guitar ripping to drummer Max Norton’s unbridled…

by Doug Freeman

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Nikki Lane All or Nothin’ (New West) Walk of Shame, Nikki Lane’s 2011 debut LP, pleased Nashville with its throwback rockabilly cut with a modern, biting sensibility. The South Carolina native’s sophomore platter and first for New West digs even deeper. Dan Auerbach adds his star-making touch behind the helm while letting Lane’s twang lead…

by Doug Freeman

Foraging Near Zilker

1) Chuy’s With hubcaps, colored lights, and a velvet Elvis, this is Austin-style Tex-Mex at its tacky, funky best. It’s almost always busy, but the chips and creamy queso are worth the wait. 1728 Barton Springs Rd. 2) The Picnic A curated selection of some of Austin’s best food trucks – including Turf N’Surf Po’…

by Chronicle Staff

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

Zoé Programaton (EMI) Mexican rockers Zoé deliver pockets of spacy psych on fifth effort Programaton, released late last year to a dedicated audience of Spanish speakers around the globe. Balancing grunge with Beatles worship starts on opener “10 A.M.,” León Larregui delivering an urgent vocal backed by distorted riffs. “Fin de Semana” (“End of the…

by Nina Hernandez

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Cults Static (Columbia) The Bandcamp-to-Sony success of its eponymous 2011 debut, driven by chiming pop single “Go Outside,” prematurely pigeonholed Cults by launching them to the mainstream. Sophomore disc Static determines to prevent that fate, if not intentionally eschew it. Between releases, Brooklyn duo Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion split as a couple, so emotional…

by Doug Freeman

Barton Springs Pool Info

Give your ears a break and your body a much-needed bath by dropping by nearby Barton Springs Pool, which is fed by underground springs. A recent grounds-improvement project added an ADA walkway to the pool and more bike racks, making our town treasure even more accessible to the masses. So jump in. At a chill…

by Chronicle Staff

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

Mac DeMarco Salad Days (Captured Tracks) We last left Mac DeMarco as a hyper-underground weirdo writing songs somewhere out in Small Town, British Columbia. Since then, this star has risen on the tongues of kid sisters and Target commercials. The music industry moves in mysterious ways. DeMarco remains signed to Captured Tracks, and his second…

by Luke Winkie

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

According to MinnPost, children aged 14 and younger in the U.S. are 16 times more likely to die from an accidental gunshot wound than children in other developed countries. According to Michelle J. Budig in The Fatherhood Bonus and the Motherhood Penalty, for each child a woman has, her wages will decrease by about 4%.…

by Mr. Smarty Pants

ACL Aftershows

Thursday 2 The Eastern Sea, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Walker Lukens, Holy Mountain Beck (outside: SOLD OUT)/Black Pistol Fire, Mirror Travel (inside afterward), Stubb’s Friday 3 The Head & the Heart, Lucius, Emo’s KUTX Live: The Head & the Heart, Temples, Lake Street Dive, Hard Proof, Four Seasons, 9am The Preatures, Young & Sick, Holy Mountain…

by Nina Hernandez

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

Falls Into the Fire (Verve) Difficult to separate the autobiography from Falls’ debut EP given the romantic relationship and breakup of Australian duo Melinda Kirwin and Simon Rudston-Brown. It’s not bitterness that saturates the six songs of Into the Fire, but rather a lovely resignation, the sad slip away of love that maybe shouldn’t have…

by Doug Freeman

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

The Gaslight Anthem Get Hurt (Island) Any lyric Brian Fallon puts to song could be scribed in tattoo ink across a banner draped on a heart. He’s a hopeless romantic, introspective poet, and author with a strong sense of imagery. All those avenues to advanced writing come through on the Gaslight Anthem’s fifth studio LP…

by Kevin Curtin

ACL Fest 2014 Interviews

Jimmy Cliff Jamaican vocal great Jimmy Cliff remains a global master of translating triumph into song. Signature compositions “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross” summon inner strength to overcome struggles both social and personal. “It’s a seed planted in me by my family, this positive way of looking…

by Kevin Curtin

Day Trips

Llano’s Fain’s Honey Company and Fredericksburg’s Pedernales Brewing Company meet in a bar, and the results will surprise you

by Gerald E. McLeod

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

Iggy Azalea The New Classic (Island) Not long ago, Iggy Azalea’s rise would’ve constituted a watershed development. A spunky Aussie rapper? Orthodoxy shock! Between Ke$ha’s chart rule, Kreayshawn’s hotshot moment, Danny Brown’s androgyny, and Mykki Blanco’s homosexuality, those lines remain permanently blurred. That doesn’t make Azalea’s major-label debut any less glib. A breezy 12 tracks…

by Luke Winkie

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Real Estate Atlas (Domino) “Less is more” when it comes to Real Estate’s modus operandi. Like its predecessors, the indie quintet’s third album dazzles wholly understated. A lean 38 minutes, Atlas plays out both tailored and unrushed, each of its 10 tracks arranged simply while sounding unequivocally lush. A breezy dream-pop landscape and smooth surf-rock…

by Neph Basedow

Civics 101

Thursday 10/2 Ballot Boxing: Dis­trict 7 Forum Alamo Village, 2700 W. Anderson. Saturday 10/4 National Night Out Kickoff Event Celebrate National Night Out with a daytime kickoff party featuring free games, music, and food. 10am-2pm. Mueller Airport Lake, 4550 Mueller Blvd. www.nnoaustin.org. Volunteer Deputy Registrar Training Last week for this popular program! Please RSVP, include…

by Chronicle Staff

ACL Music Fest 2014 Saturday Reviews

Broken Bells After the Disco (Columbia) Sci-fi sounds strange coming from an Oregonian folk peddler and hip-hop guru, but Broken Bells’ sophomore surprise pulses galactic dreams. Landing us smack in the middle of a universe of shiny production and Eighties synth influence, After the Disco quickly settles into a groove balancing Shins frontman James Mercer…

by Abby Johnston

Under the Big Tent

Whales and the Navy When Joshua Horwitz makes his first visit to Austin, he’s making time to see the million or so Mexican free-tailed bats that live under the Ann Richards Bridge. But it’s more than just the standard tourist diversion. “I’m interested in bats,” he says, “because bats are what got the Navy interested…

by Richard Whittaker

Quote of the Week

“Immigrants often carry invisible diseases.” – State sen. and candidate for lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, R-Houston, when asked about border security during last Monday’s debate against state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte.

by Chronicle Staff

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Jenny Lewis The Voyager (Warner Bros.) As Jenny Lewis creeps toward the big 4-0 it weighs heavy on third solo LP The Voyager. The classic rock-scripted memoir details dysfunctional relationships, nostalgia, and insecurities lying over the hill with the same wit and effortless coolness demonstrated by the twentysomething who fronted Rilo Kiley for 15 years.…

by Abby Johnston

Gay Place

The week is alive with the sound of Brand New Key, BLXPLTN, Fea, Julie Nolan, GayCL, Cap City Men’s Chorus, and more

by Kate X Messer

ACL Music Fest 2014 Friday Reviews

Bleachers Strange Desire (RCA) If the name Bleachers hints at a rough and tumble garage-punk band in the modern tradition of Ty Segall, the fidgety indie rock of “I Wanna Get Better” and widescreen, Robert Smith-aping goth-pop bombshell “Rollercoaster” will disabuse you of that notion. Fun guitarist Jack Antonoff was finishing up his day job’s…

by Luke Winkie

Hornography

The Texas head coaching search ostensibly began in 2012 with the focus on two names. Charlie Strong wasn’t one of them. Retired Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds and whichever group of entitled billionaires thought they were rich enough to decide who coaches a college football team sat in a room, drank a bit of scotch, and…

by Eric Sollenberger

Food Events

Good Taste: Home is Where [ ] Food and art converge. Thu., Oct. 2, 6:30pm. The Contemporary Austin, 700 Congress, 512/453-5312. $20 members, $25 non-members. Supper Friends: Viva la España Chorizo, manchego, y tú. Fri., Oct. 3, 7pm. Swoop House at 2Dine4 Catering, 3012 Gonzales, 512/467-6600. $65. Longhorn Breakfast Club Bloody Mary bar and brunch…

by Chronicle Staff

ACL Music Fest 2014 Friday Reviews

Ana Tijoux Vengo (Nacional) Vengo doesn’t bust a single as indelible as “1977,” title track off the 2008 album that put Ana Tijoux on the musical map from NYC to France, where she was born while her family lived in political exile from Chile. Nevertheless, the political MC’s fourth long-player flashes the old-school boom bap…

by Thomas Fawcett

ACL Music Fest 2014 Friday Reviews

Ozomatli Place in the Sun (Vanguard) Bolstered by Jurassic 5 staples Chali 2na and Cut Chemist on their 1998 debut, Ozomatli emerged on the L.A. club scene with a fresh mix of hip-hop, cumbia, salsa, y más. Sadly, sixth studio disc Place in the Sun culminates a long drift toward global pop banality. “Brighter” is…

by Thomas Fawcett

ACL Music Fest 2014 Sunday Review

Chromeo White Women (Atlantic) Over its decade run, Chromeo has openly flirted with the absurd. Line by line, the Canadian duo leaves you wondering whether you should laugh or simply revel in its carefully constructed electronic R&B. Either way, they never stand still, and the moment the pure pop bliss of “Jealous (I Ain’t With…

by Abby Johnston

Headlines

CITY COUNCIL resumes deliberations today (Oct. 2) still in exile at Commissioners Court, where members will revisit the transportation network company (i.e., ride-booking) proposal, and also consider relaxed enforcement of “special event” rules on West Campus. See “Council,” Oct. 3, 2014. FIRST WEEKEND of the Austin City Limits Festival begins tomorrow, Oct. 3, featuring OutKast,…

by Chronicle Staff

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