Monday, July 13, 2026

Austin

Greg AckermanLiveReview

Live music review: A two-night stand for the ages by Beach House in Seattle

It’s been a perfect storm or more accurately a comedy of errors that have allowed me to miss Beach House over the years of touring in Austin. The band would come play ACL’s Moody Theater and I’d be out of town on tour with one of my own bands.

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Brian HillsmanLiveReview

Live music review: L7 brought remedy for political unease

The 1990’s were a helluva time for music. Grrrl rock, heroin chic and flannel all featured prominently in the music scene.  At the heart of it all was Grunge music made by the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and similar artists. Near the center of that magical era was L7. The Los Angeles, all-female, four-piece began their collective career in the mid-80’s. In the 1990’s, the group toured with the likes of Alice In Chains, Beastie Boys, and Pearl Jam.

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Brian HillsmanReview

Austin Punk Scene Takes an Eccentric Turn with Cowpunk Quartet Leche

The self-proclaimed “Lords of Shit City” have graced various Austin stages for nearly a decade.  With several regional US tours under their belt, the Austin four-piece, Leche has found themselves smack-dab in the middle of the modern Austin punk scene.

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InterviewsLiveMike Cosmic

SXSW Interview with MEXMODE – Four Daze of Clash

The most EVIL rap crew in Travis County, “MEXMODE”, will perform at the 2019 edition of Cosmic Clash Daze (World Music) during South by Southwest (SXSW).

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Mike CosmicReview

New Music: Darkbird Release New Single “Crimes”

Austin indie rockers “Darkbird” just released their new single “Crimes.” The song has a retro feel to it as if singer Kelly Barnes had been transported back to the mid 1980s to write a song. It also highlights Barnes’ strong vocal performance over a classic sounding new wave rock track. The band plans to drop this an successive singles, ending up with a new EP on the other end of those single releases.

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Greg AckermanPreview

Live music preview: Special Free Week show at Velveeta Room takes place January 2

The Cosmic Clash has successfully produced Free Week events in the past, but this year we wanted to try something

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Greg AckermanPreview

Live music preview: Luscious Heaven Shoegaze show and The Nothing Song label launch

There are probably more small, independent, local record labels in Austin than you’d expect. That fact isn’t stopping The Nothing Song owner, Trish Connelly from launching her own label on 7″ featuring talented newcomers, Blushing. The Cheer-Up Charlie’s booker is announcing the newly formed label at her Luscious Heaven: A Night of Shoegaze and Dreampop on Saturday, November 3 (this weekend) at the aforementioned Red River club.

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Greg AckermanLiveReview

Live music review and photos: Bob Moses played Emo’s with Mansionair

Vancouver-via-Brooklyn-based electronic group Bob Moses brought their Battle Lines tour through Austin at Emo’s last Friday, October 19 supported by Mansionair. Bob Moses is actually a duo comprised of Jimmy Vallance and Tom Howie, their pop-electronic work was filled out with a lineup of live drums, bass, keys, guitar and vocals for a set list that drew heavily from their latest album, “Battle Lines.”

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AlbumGreg AckermanMusic VideoReview

Album review: The Bright Light Social Hour released first new music in three years Friday

After covering The Bright Light Social Hour for nearly a decade, since their debut album The Bright Light Social Hour dropped, I can honestly say I couldn’t be more excited for the group. If you clicked the link, you saw tens of thousands of plays their debut has on Soundcloud which isn’t even the most popular streaming platform they’re found on. The band was hot. You couldn’t turn on KUT (KUTX didn’t exist yet) without hearing one of the band’s singles.

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Greg AckermanReview

Live music review: Ghostland Observatory swooped into Bat Fest with new show

It’s been eight years since Austin electronic duo, Ghostland Observatory put out an album. Let that sink in… EIGHT YEARS. That’s a lifetime in today’s music environment of countless streaming services, instant singles and surprise albums. The pair comprised of Thomas Ross Turner (keys, drums and weird sounds) and Aaron Behrens (guitar/vocals) hit the proverbial creative wall after non-stop touring and hype wore them out following the success of their aptly named second album Paparazzi Lightning and two more records on the heels of that impressive sophomore effort. 

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