Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Review

Brian HillsmanReview

Live Music Review: An Historic Evening With Scarface at Antone’s

On Friday, February 22, hip-hop icon Brad Jordan, famously known as Scarface, performed memorable, classic songs from his extensive catalog at Antone’s Nightclub.  The fabled South Houston native has been a highly-respected force of depth and integrity in the rap game since the late 80’s.  At Antone’s, fans witnessed Jordan not only rhyming in front of a live band, but participating with the instrumentation via lead guitar for several numbers.

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Brian HillsmanReview

Live Music Review: Andy Shauf at Mohawk on Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day, Canadian singer-songwriter and musical auteur Andy Shauf played Austin’s Mohawk, delivering his unique brand of folk to the Red River District.  The soft-spoken lyricist wowed a sold-out venue in an ease-inducing performance that infatuated a sold-out venue of folk fans.

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LiveReviewScott Rollins

Live music review: Texas legend Lyle Lovett played Beaumont’s Jefferson Theatre

The Jefferson Theatre was privileged to host Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group on February 10. The theatre, located in Beaumont, Texas is designated a Texas Historical Landmark and it’s listed on The National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1927, the storied venue features an 8-Rack Morgan Organ. The Jefferson once hosted the premiere of  classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life” with star Jimmy Stewart and director Frank Capra in attendance. It was the perfect place to host an equally storied Texas musician.

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AlbumMike CosmicReview

Album Review: The synth vibes of new Dena Hope record In Transit

The local electronic music scene has expanded rapidly with a raft of female powered acts dotting the landscape. Synth-popster Dena Hope is one of the latest artists to hit the Austin scene. Joining local acts who have already adopted the expanding genre, Hope brings her own artistic vision with likes of Austin acts Primo the Alien, Flora and Fawna, and Dossey.  Her latest endeavor the “In Transit” EP set to release on January 31

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AlbumBrian HillsmanReview

Album review: Cosmic Chaos “Eye Can See” release show set for Feb 5

Psych rockers Cosmic Chaos have been a prominent fixture on show rosters around Austin recently. Those lucky enough have seen them live understand the intense energy they bring to the stage. The band is  steeped in the local music scene, hosting a series of regularly-scheduled showcases themed The Acid Test.  In addition to their live music efforts, Cosmic Chaos has been busy recording their first full-length album, Eye Can See  which will see its release February 5 at Cheer Up Charlies.

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Greg AckermanReview

Best Austin Albums of 2019

Two years ago, over 400 albums were released by Austin artists according to Kevin Curtin at
The Austin Chronicle. Curtin then released a list of Austin’s top 200 records. His point? The musical bar is set so high in Austin that half of that momentous number of releases were deserving of some kind of mention in a year-end list. While we applaud him for the effort in producing a massive list of worthy albums, we’re keeping it simple with a more manageable collection of best Austin albums we loved listening to in the past year.

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ReviewScott Rollins

Album review: Reina del Cid’s Morse Code record is a lesson in songwriting

Reina Del Cid has released a new album, Morse Code and it is nothing less than an impressive and intellectual exercise of masterful songwriting and musicianship. The record actually dropped back on October 4 with a release show in Minneapolis and I’m finally able to file an album review. Been chomping at the bit to share it with you.

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Brian HillsmanReview

Album review: Austin hip hop artist Pat G’s album Whatever It Takes deserves attention

The Austin hip-hop scene is loaded with untapped talent.  For some reason, the industry machine overlooks the many adept artists who need only to be heard. However, if Austin artist, Pat G’s new (it dropped in April) sophomore album Whatever It Takes is an indicator of what’s to come for the Capitol City, the hip-hop world may soon take serious notice.

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AlbumBrian HillsmanReview

Album review: Bali Yaaah “Make Belief” EP debuted at Electric Church last week

Bali Yaaah puts on quite the performance spectacle. For almost a decade, the band has commanded Austin stages, formulating their own soundtrack fortified with the unique blend of 80’s synth, 90’s grunge and 60’psych-rock, merging various genres of world music throughout.

“Make Belief,” the band’s new EP released by The Sound Barrier Records, is now available on all streaming platforms, including Bandcamp and was debuted at The Electric Church on November 22.

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Brian HillsmanReview

Album review: New EP “Tonight” from Austin singer Christine Renner

Austin-based, indie-pop artist Christine Renner teamed up with established music production legend Chris “Frenchie” Smith, delivering an EP that transmits a modern-yet-familiar twist on Austin music. The record dropped Friday, November 22 after an EP release show at Mohawk on November 21.

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AlbumReviewScott Rollins

Album review: Vince Gill’s Okie is a pleasant surprise

I received a text from my good friend, musical soul mate, and partner in crime, who told me to listen to new Vince Gill record “Okie”. I was about to embark on a ten-hour car ride, so I downloaded it to the old iPhone like I’d just cracked the technology that morning and listened.  What I heard truly from the record that dropped back in late August of this year impressed me.

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