Friday, March 6, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

Review

Swans Mohawk Troy Gonzales
Live MusicReviewTroy Gonzales

Live music review: Swans played final big sound performance at Mohawk

Troy Gonzales 2728 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Legendary experimental rock band Swans returned to Austin on September 10 to play Mohawk for what is being touted as the group’s final full band tour.  in support of Birthing, their 17th studio album. Bandleader, Michael Gira has stated that the record would be the last “big sound” Swans album, with future releases from the band being “significantly pared down” and that it would mark his last album as the main producer of Swans. For music fans who made it to Mohawk earlier this month, it was a bittersweet moment from artists who have deeply influenced various experimental music genres since their inception in 1981. 

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Lola Tried PR photo
Becky RodriguezReviewSong

Song review: Austin act Lola Tried released single off new EP, Hot Shot Barbie

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“And just like that…” Austin’s rock four-piece, Lola Tried released the latest single on September 8 for their EP, Feast which dropped four days later. As this is the fourth EP release for the long-running local act, “Hot Shot Barbie” is clear in its effort to build upon their power pop, garage, and indie rock background and make giant leaps toward revamping and further evolving their sound with the upcoming record.

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Spoon-landscape- 4 Moody Amp Angela Betancourt
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Indie rock legends Pixies and Spoon played Moody Amphitheater

Case Cockrell 3203 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Indie rock legends come in many forms. Whether you’re discussing the likes of Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, or Guided By Voices, someone in the room is going to eventually bring up The Pixies. Hailing from Boston and now entering their 40th year, the prolific songwriting of singer and guitarist Black Francis remains influential. For their 2025 North American tour, the Northeastern outfit enlisted the help of hometown heroes Spoon, making a sensible pairing of two leading musical entities in their respective birthplaces. For the Austin stop on the run, the double-headline bill made its way to Moody Amphitheater on Saturday, September 6, a sweaty occasion that made it all about the music. 

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King Yosef 29th St Ballroom Justin Clark
Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

Live music review: King Yosef with Street Sects or How TikTok kids found real Industrial music

Robert Dean 3765 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The kids are all right. For a while there, it seemed like the industrial scene was dead as disco, but after catching Austin’s Street Sects open for King Yosef and Youth Brigade at the 29th Street Ballroom Wednesday night, it’s a fair take to conclude that something’s bubbling up in the industrial scene like it did with hardcore and punk, with waves of new, young fans finding the music, in part to being chronically online. The underground is finding its way, even if it’s via TikToks and Instagram blowing bands up – whatever, it’s better than Sabrina Carpenter

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Pigs x7 29th St Ballroom Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs delivered bone crushing riffs

Case Cockrell 3532 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Newcastle’s Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (or Pigs x7 to make things easier) has been on a steady barrage of bone-crushing riffs, a consistent stream of records, and travels throughout the world to deliver their flammable methodology of sludge metal to the masses. Fresh off the release of their 2025 full-length Death Hilarious, the Pigs quintet covers all their bases with down-tuned guitar strikes and relentless, raw vocal aggression. With Nashville alternative metal act Waxed in tow on this run of shows, the double bill wrapped their tour in Austin at the under-new-management 29th St. Ballroom, sending things off with a deafening display of power on Wednesday, August 27.

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The Groanies 2 PLC 2025 Ryan Odom
Greg AckermanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Psych Lake City rocked with The Groanies, Seeking the Sun and Musor

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One of the aspects of the Salt Lake City music scene that can be appreciated is the strong foundation provided for cutting edge local acts provided by venue operators like annual Urban Lounge event Psych Lake City which took place August 15-16 at the popular downtown spot. Eleven years in, this mini-fest has consistently showcased up and coming psych-rock acts along with psych-adjacent artists. This year’s edition was a perfect example. The Cosmic Clash was on hand for the second evening of performances, as The Groanies, Seeking the Sun and headliners, Musor rocked Urban. The showcase put a spotlight on the quality of young acts SLC has to offer.

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AlbumMike CosmicReview

Album Review: The Division Men to drop star studded album Hymns and Fiery Dances August 22

Mike Cosmic Cota 3978 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

El Paso duo, The Division Men haven’t released an album in eight years. Their last album, Ninos Del Sol, was released in 2018 and featured a star-studded lineup of musicians; Rafael Gayol (Leonard Cohen), Steven Hufsteter (The Quick, Tito & Tarantula), Jay Reynolds (Asleep at the Wheel), and Jake Garcia (Black Angels) to name a few. Their new album, Hymns and Fiery Dances is nothing short of genius. The record drops August 22 everywhere you listen to music.

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Tear Dungeon 17 Radio East Justin Clark
Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

Live music review: Tear Dungeon tour kick off at Radio East with stage dives

Robert Dean 3815 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

I’ve seen a lot of things in my years of going to rock and roll shows. I have experienced a man in a rubber sex mask spit fake blood into a child’s face. Whenever Tear Dungeon plays, there is always a chance of something insane happening. Between roof climbs, the highest stage dives, a garage being ripped down to the studs (see: their show at the now-defunct Ghost Cat Lounge) the band has established a culture of chaos at their shows, that if you’re here, being an absolute psycho is A-OK. The band’s show at Radio East on Saturday, August, 9 was no exception

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Coalesce promo photo
Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

Live music review: Coalesce Invented Your Favorite Band and You’ve Probably Never Heard of Them

Robert Dean 5763 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

One of the joys of the chaotic internet is that legendary bands never truly die—they just slumber beneath the surface, waiting to drag themselves from the muck like Godzilla and roar back into the stratosphere. Coalesce, the Kansas City hardcore pioneers who helped birth metalcore in the ’90s, has been one of those beasts. During my annual hometown pilgrimage to Chicago this July, I discovered Coalesce was playing with local post-metal heavies Pelican at the gorgeous Thalia Hall in Pilsen. Having not seen them since probably 2000 or 2001, I had to witness whether middle age had dulled their legendary violence.

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Grandmaster Gala 2025 Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Grandmaster Gala Two at Paramount with Nolan Potter and Urban Heat

Case Cockrell 3411 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The second annual Grandmaster Gala took place at the Paramount Theatre in Austin last Saturday, July 26 bringing the best of the local music scene, band curated visual art, and a sendoff of one of Austin’s most adored acts. The event came as the first time local mega ensemble Grandmaster took the stage at the world-famous venue, bringing a destination event for the band and their peers that have been a part of their meteoric rise in the local scene since their inception in 2023. The event was hosted by Austin show promoter Jake Ames, a task that was not taken lightly to mark a new chapter of Grandmaster and their already loyal local following. 

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