Wednesday, June 24, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

Austin Music

Paper Sister band photo
AlbumBecky RodriguezReview

Album Review: Austin’s Paper Sister release dreamy and punchy Quiet Betrayals EP

Becky Rodriguez 266 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The new record, Quiet Betrayals is the first EP release by the four-piece band from Austin, Paper Sister. Combining elements of shoegaze and post-punk, dream pop, and indie alt rock, the 6-track EP highlights selected singles over the past couple years, with some releases as recent as April of this year. The  dreamy and punchy EP featured a release party presented by 101X Homegrown Live at The 13th Floor on May 29 with French Film, Feedr, and Variety to celebrate the group’s new recording.

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Shakey Graves by straydog media
Greg AckermanInterviewsLive Music

Interview: Austin artist Shakey Graves is coming to Utah Arts Festival with a great new record

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When The Cosmic Clash got to Salt Lake City one of the first annual events we heard about was the Utah Arts Festival. We were duly impressed that a city SLC’s size, invested so heavily in visual art, music and literature. There were panels, live music and tons of visual artists represented. It seemed like the story of Salt Lake’s Mormon monoculture was exaggerated fiction. In town, at least culturally it kind of is. The city founded by Mormons has more similarities to Austin, Texas than it does to the Vatican; Blue dot in a red sea, state capitol, big public university north of downtown? Sounds like ATX. We learned the UAF is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, doubling down on quality musical headliners including Austin’s own Shakey Graves. The singer and songwriter performs June 20 (Saturday) early on in his recently launched tour supporting his new record, Fondness, Inc.

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Mike CosmicPremiereReview

Song premiere: Austin music scene veterans Mean Jolene drop single Private Plane today

Mike Cosmic Cota 1049 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Veteran Austin power-pop and garage-rockers, Mean Jolene release a new single “Private Plane” today.  The track is on their up and coming third studio album, Play Nice, recorded and mixed at Estuary Recording with John Michael Landon. The song’s theme “fantasizes about a return to innocence — reflecting on escapism as a form of self-preservation and how this can directly conflict with the desire to grow and overcome adversity.”

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Nug the band PDX
Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Six more buzz bands to see at SXSW 2026

Case Cockrell 2559 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The 2026 South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival is days away. The roster of music festival artists can seem overwhelming at first glance. With a lineup that can satisfy every kind of music lover, The Cosmic Clash is bringing you six more buzz bands you should put on your list for the upcoming long week of music in Austin. All set times, along with venues, can be found on the SXSW website and the SXSW GO mobile application.

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Bryan Ritchie courtesy of Bryan Ritchie
Case CockrellInterviewsMusic News

Interview: The Sword’s Bryan Richie works hard to sustain the Austin music scene

Case Cockrell 1690 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

If you’ve spent any real time in the Austin music trenches, you know the difference between hype and longevity. Bryan Richie has been on the longevity side for over 20 years. Between his work with The Sword, Spaceflight Records, and his electronic outlet Galactic Protector, he’s watched the local ecosystem evolve through boom cycles, venue shakeups, and the streaming era’s slippery slopes. We caught up with him to talk about staying busy, supporting artists the right way, and why Austin’s scene, while ever-changing, is far from dead. Richie is gearing up for a European tour this year while celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Sword’s triumphant debut Age of Winters, and will release the sequel to his 2019 solo record on February 24. We caught up with him to discuss the upcoming release and why the Central Texas music system still matters and how every bit of fan support is crucial to making it all happen. 

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Parker Woodland Free Week 26 Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Free Week returned in 2026 with cover free showcases

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Free Week returned to the Red River Cultural District last weekend, marking another successful year of cover free showcases that benefit local businesses throughout downtown Austin. The RRCD non-profit presents Free Week to keep venues and other establishments running during the slow period in both the service and music industries for employees and musicians until the Spring. With 80+ artists across 10+ venues, Free Week 2026 proved a massive success, as thousands attended to welcome yet another year in the vibrant Austin scene. The Cosmic Clash team participated in both days of the festival and wanted to highlight what stood out to us about the extravaganza.

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Mugger 2 mini fest Empire Garage Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Electronic duo Sextile returned to Austin with stacked local bill

Case Cockrell 933 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Los Angeles by way of Brooklyn electronic duo Sextile returned to Austin for a third time in 2025 to end the year with a loaded bill on Saturday night at Empire Control Room and Garage. The stacked lineup included Nashville egg punk extraordinaries Snooper along with local band appearances from Gus Baldwin & The Sketch, Alma Muneca, Mugger, and The Opera who are Cosmic Clash SXSW Webberville Block Party vets.

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Dick Chalmers Delaney Gibson Moon
Music NewsOpinionRobert Dean

Eulogy to those we lost: It was a rough year for the Austin music scene

Robert Dean 3187 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

It was a rough year for the service industry and the Austin music scene. We lost plenty of global legends, but also some of the folks who make this city special — the ones who make Austin… Austin. On the bigger stage, we lost Joe Ely and Garth Hudson, Roberta Flack, Sly Stone, and the eternally cool Ozzy Osbourne. We also lost Kiss member, Ace Frehley and Brian Wilson. The Mavericks singer Raul Malo passed on to the next plane, which hit hard. 

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Big Bill BBB 8 6 Radio East Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Big Bill Ball 8 at Radio East offered accurate snapshot of Austin music scene

Case Cockrell 1629 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The eighth annual Big Bill Ball at Radio East in the Southeast part of town, marked another celebration of the Austin scene, offering a snapshot of local music in 2025 with a six-band bill featuring some of the best active acts in the Austindie sphere. For this year’s installment, the philosophical art punk mainstays celebrated the release of their new studio LP, Sick Myth. Continuing the Big Bill way of inclusive activism through comedic lyrical punchlines and a variety of punk rock angles, the one-day event gave attendees one of the most coveted evenings of live music in 2025 during Saturday night’s (November 22) gig at the southeast Austin backyard venue. The mini-fest was co-sponsored by famed photographer and show promoter, Pooneh Ghana for the annual showcase.

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Jeff Tweedy 4 Paramount Theater Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live Music Review: Jeff Tweedy Celebrates New Triple Album at Paramount Theatre

Case Cockrell 1440 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

A songwriter like Jeff Tweedy is rare company. With an ever-growing gaunlet of books, records, and musical outlets, the Illinois-born artist has maintained an unrivaled prolific streak that’s shown no signs of letting up as he reaches the not-so-ripe age of 60. After a phenomenal three-day stint with his primary vehicle, Wilco, at ACL Live last December, Tweedy and his family band made their way to the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin on Wednesday night. The Austin stop comes as a part of the tour to celebrate the release of triple LP Twilight Override, a 30-song epic chronicling the Midwest wordsmith’s more hopeful side. For the gig at one of Austin’s most coveted and beautiful venues, the results did not disappoint, given a storied career spanning over four decades.

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Been There 4_Mix Master Mike 2_20251108_OlkerPhoto_096
Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Been There 4 benefit at Radio East featured Mix Master Mike and Austin artists

Brian Hillsman 1372 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The two-stage setup in the Radio/East backyard was the perfect setting for the Been There 4 benefit live music event – “the party to end homelessness.”  The event took place on Saturday, November 8 with Beastie Boys’ wax authority, Mix Master Mike atop an impressive bill that included a raft of high quality Austin artists amid a decidedly upbeat vibe. The annual fundraiser began humbly at Camp Esperanza, the state-ordered Northeast Austin homeless encampment that The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) set about to support with a wealth of services for folks struggling to make ends meet. The TOOF staff included many members of the music community and their friends, including filmmaker Aaron Brown (Onion Creek Productions) and his partner at Been There Lenny Barszap. 

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