pop music – The Cosmic Clash

Live music preview: Six bands to see at Kilby Block Party 2026

May 6, 2026 Greg Ackerman 963 Views American Football, Automatic, Ben Kweller, Die Spitz, festival preview, Gelli Haha, Granddaddy, hardcore, Hayley Williams, indie rock, KBP, Kilby Block Party, live music, Lorde, metal, music festival, pop music, post-punk, preview, punk rock, rock n roll, Salt Lake City, This is Lorelei, Turnstile

Utah’s most exciting music festival, Kilby Block Party is entering its seventh year in 2026 with its most ambitious lineup to date. The fest runs May 15-17 at Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City. It feels like this unassuming fest which began on a closed-off road behind Kilby Court, the beloved DIY venue it’s named for has become something else entirely with a lineup featuring a pop star (Lorde), a rocker turned pop star (Hayley Williams) and a melodic hardcore act (Turnstile) which shows just how far this independent music fest has come in a relatively short time. Rather than focus on the obvious headlining sets to profile, we’ve selected seven bands to see at KBP 2026. Before we dive in, fans should know some ticket options are already sold-out or nearing sold-out. If you’re considering attending, grab tickets here.

Greg Ackerman Live Music Preview

Live music preview: Six buzz bands to see at ACL Festival 2024 Weekend One

September 25, 2024 Greg Ackerman 4142 Views ACL Fest, ALC Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival, BALTHVS, bands to see, buzz bands, Chappell Roan, Eggy, Glass Beams, Khruangbin, Mannequin Pussy, pop music, psych folk, psych-rock

Each year when the lineup for Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Festival) drops, reactions to the headliners listed often dominate the online discussion that follows but logically with nearly 80 acts on the bill each weekend, there are bound to be buzz bands to see. Weekend One has quite a few artists that made our list of acts to watch perform. We narrowed that list down further to two recommendations per day. Also included are the remaining bands that we took note of when examining the exhaustive roster which includes newbie pop sensation, Chappell Roan whose set got moved from Saturday to Sunday in order to move her performance to the largest stage at the festival, Amex.

April Dawne Live Music Review

Live music review: Madonna delivered a fiery show at Moody Center Sunday night

April 19, 2024 April Dawne 6706 Views Celebration Tour, live music, Madonna, Moody Center, pop music, Prince, Review

Was it just a fever dream, an acid trip, or did my friends and I catch Madonna’s Celebration Tour Sunday night in Austin, Texas at the new Frank Erwin Center, aka the Moody Center? After what I experienced April 14, I’d say it might have been all of the above.

Ram Vela & the Easy Targets What the Hell album art

Greg Ackerman Review

Album review: What the Hell EP by Ram Vela & the Easy Targets nails pop punk irony

July 25, 2023 Greg Ackerman 3345 Views album review, new music, pop music, punk rock, Ram Vela & the Easy Targets, Reel Big Fish, The Offspring

Back in June, Ram Vela & the Easy Targets dropped their new EP, What the Hell. The record is filled with pop punk irony on par with West Coast punk heroes The Offspring or the irreverent Reel Big Fish.

Mike Cosmic Review

Song review: Jeremiah Jackson dropped Wet Dream yesterday

May 2, 2023 Mike Cosmic Cota 2319 Views Austin, Guero's, Jeremiah Jackson, pop music, single release, Wet Dream, Wet Leg

Austin glam rocker Jeremiah Jackson released a new single “Wet Dream” on May 1. The song was written by the British indie rock group Wet Leg led by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. Some of Wet Legs’ hits include “Chaise Longue” and “Ur Mom.”

Album Mike Cosmic Review

Album Review: The synth vibes of new Dena Hope record In Transit

January 31, 2020 Mike Cosmic Cota 1342 Views album review, Austin, Dena Hope, electronic music, new music, pop music, synth music

The local electronic music scene has expanded rapidly with a raft of female powered acts dotting the landscape. Synth-popster Dena Hope is one of the latest artists to hit the Austin scene. Joining local acts who have already adopted the expanding genre, Hope brings her own artistic vision with likes of Austin acts Primo the Alien, Flora and Fawna, and Dossey. Her latest endeavor the “In Transit” EP set to release on January 31