garage rock

Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Levitation Halloween Kickoff at Hotel Vegas with Osees and Kairos Creature Club

Halloween night 2024, marked the opening evening of Levitation Festival this year.  With artists from around the globe opening on stages at venues throughout Austin, Kairos Creature Club and Osees presented a Halloween kickoff at East Sixth’s Hotel Vegas. It was a show that would surely deliver. Each year, Osees make their way to Austin for a four-night residency at East Austin live music hub. And every year, they put on versatile sets that exceed the expectations of music fans. Halloween night last Thursday was no exception.

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: England’s Idles delivered wild night at Moody Amphitheater May 21

Sometimes, chaos is laced with love. Bristol, England’s Idles have been shooting off musical mortar shells since 2009, and each new release has seen the English band building off the previous. If you’re a fan of post-punk, hardcore, dance-punk, or anything punk rock-related in new music, Idles is a band that will strike a chord with your music listening holes. On their latest album, Tangk, Idles enlisted the help of Radiohead’s right-hand man, Nigel Godrich. The result was a more dialed-back, calculated effort from the group, touching on hints of dance music and soft rock cuts that aren’t without the England band’s carefully calibrated  ballistic nature that their rabid fanbase has become accustomed to.

Read More
Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Wine Lips and Forty Feet Tall rocked 13th Floor

On Monday, May 6, Red River Cultural District venue, The 13th Floor was flooded with patrons stoked to check out Wine Lips on the heels of their latest full-length release, Super Mega Ultra. One month to the day after the LP release, the Canadian quartet put on a raucous, mosh-inducing performance with enough pull to prompt friends Forty Feet Tall to fly in from Portland for the pairing. The two bands rocked 13th Floor with stand-out performances.

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Ty Segall brought his Three Bells tour to Mohawk April 22 with Sharpie Smile

Prolific garage rocker, Ty Segall brought his current tour to Mohawk on April 22 in support of his latest album, Three Bells. The new record has seen generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 82. A frequent performer in Austin, Segall always draws a devoted audience to his Central Texas shows and last month’s gig was no exception. 

Read More
Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Album Review: Wine Lips new album Super Mega Ultra emphasizes their growth and trajectory

On April 5, Wine Lips released their latest LP, Super Mega Ultra, the much-anticipated follow-up to their breakout album, Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party. The Toronto-based act thrilled at Austin Psych Fest last year. Then dropped this punk rock banger recorded and mixed by Simon Larochette at the Sugar Shack in London, Ontario.

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Garage rock titan Ty Segall brings his Three Bells tour to Mohawk April 22

The California musician has made Austin his second home, playing triumphant sets at various venues around the area. After a triumphant performance to wrap up his backing band, The Freedom Band’s era, he is embarking on another tour supporting his latest Chicago-based Drag City Records studio effort, Three Bells, one of his most polished works to date. For Austin’s stop on the tour circuit, Ty Segall will perform at Red River Cultural District staple Mohawk, in the heart of the downtown area on April 22. 

Read More
Case CockrellFeatureInterviews

Neo-psych lives on through the generations: A deep dive into the psych-punk antics of Grocery Bag

You know you’re in Austin’s West Campus when you see someone tear their entire car bumper on the curb. For Austin band Grocery Bag, it’s their sanctuary. In the Austin College Co-Op scene, it feels like anything is possible

Read More
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Atlanta garage punks Black Lips rocked Parish with Gus Baldwin and Death Party

Atlanta’s Black Lips have kept this dream alive since the label’s dissolution. Since embarking on numerous tours and album cycles since 1999, the garage outfit has been a musical binge since their inception. With a stage show that goes the lo-fi, rocking distance, there was never a dull moment on Friday night at Austin’s Parish in the city’s East Side. 

Read More