Friday, March 6, 2026

Austin Music

Brian HillsmanLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: DAWA benefit to feature Killer Mike of Run the Jewels at Radio/East

There is some big news for Austin music fans this weekend. This Friday, September 12, Atlanta-based MC, Killer Mike (Run the Jewels), will headline Radio/East as part of the first DAWA fest. DAWA (Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action) is celebrating their sixth anniversary is an Austin-based non-profit dedicated to providing opportunity to historically marginalized, underserved creative communities. Riders Against the Storm bandleader and former city Music Commission Chair Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone conceived the organization to directly fund BIPOC community frontliners via direct giving and thoughtful projects like DAWA Studios which provides a place for creatives to film and record with equipment provided by the upstart NPO which was founded in 2019.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

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

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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Music NewsRobert Dean

Music News: The Mighty Lost Well Returns from the Dead

After a tumultuous few months, the cavern in our hearts is about to close: The Lost Well is finally ready to (re)open. After some nefarious Austin money shit went down, the famed heavy metal haven for weirdos and castaways was forced to close, leaving many in the city feeling like a friend had died. Yet, the mighty Lost Well returns from the dead. 

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Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

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

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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AlbumBrian HillsmanReview

Album review: Hard Proof dropped third LP Code Noir last month

Austin’s hometown jazz-funk collective, Hard Proof, released their latest album, Code Noir, in early February. The all-star Afrobeat collective released their third studio record followed by a Continental Club album release party. The recording is a listen that is bound to get you up and dancing in living room. It may be their best effort yet. 

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AlbumMike CosmicReview

Album Review: Austin post punks The Stayres new record Duplex drops tomorrow

Austin post-punk power-pop trio The Stayres will release their new LP, Duplex, on February 14 via Flak Records. The new record builds upon the pop hooks and driving guitars of their 2023 self-titled debut, adding a brighter, janglier sound and more narrative-driven lyrics.

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InterviewsMike Cosmic

Interview: Parker Woodland talk Austin music scene and new music with Mike Cosmic

Early January saw Mike Cosmic connect with and interview two members of Parker Woodland; lead vocalist and bassist Erin Walter, and drummer Keri Cinquina. These multi-talented musicians previously collaborated in Butch County before joining forces with guitarist Andrew Solin, forming Parker Woodland three years ago.

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Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Riverboat Gamblers thrilled fans at The Ballroom

The night of Sunday, December 15 at The Ballroom, was the setting for Texas hard-rock veterans, Riverboat Gamblers, to take stage in front of a packed crowd of anxious, longtime fans. It was a diverse crowd of all ages. College kids and middle-aged fans alike packed the small capacity, Guadalupe venue for what felt like a special performance on tap.

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Music NewsOpinionRobert Dean

This Party Sucks: Long Live The Lost Well

When you come up in the DIY rock and roll underground, the community that goes with the music is everything. Unlike most sub-genres of humanity, two punk rockers and a guy in a Slayer shirt will typically find something to talk about over a cheap PBR. The places that house those shared interests are important. These spots are somewhere for the weirdos to hang out, to hear their weird bands, and champion their outsider passions, are crucial for people to feel like they belong somewhere. To hoist drinks in their air in both celebration and sadness. There is often more than people drinking together in a bar. Instead, it’s the social glue that keeps people’s hearts and minds together, too. People like us, we bond over a Crass tape, or get excited about those annual Motorhead parties. Our culture of rock and roll is a brick of our identity and when you’re the kid with the Black Flag sticker on your skateboard who becomes the adult with the son in a Stooges shirt, you take shit personally when it comes to the things that helped craft your identity.

That’s why losing The Lost Well sucks so hard. 

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AlbumReviewRobert Dean

Album review: Spare Parts by Austin act Buzz Electro features loud guitars and nasty riffs

Guitars should be loud, and riffs should be nasty. The drums should sound like they hold the keys to the entryway to hell. Luckily, Buzz Electro got the memo. On their newest record, “Spare Parts,” the band gives it their all as one of the acts in Austin doing their best to be the loudest, horns up, drinks spilled version of rock and roll out there.

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