Monday, June 22, 2026

singer songwriter

Greg AckermanInterviewsLive Music

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

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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Drew DoggettLive MusicReview

Live music review: Luck Reunion moved at a different speed to close SXSW 2026

After a week of SXSW, time starts acting strange. Days blur. Nights stretch. Everything feels loud, urgent, and time is slightly out of reach. Luck Reunion on March 19 at the tail end of Sx (a day after closing night) somehow felt like the opposite of that while still being every bit as packed and overstimulating. It was dusty, crowded, sunbaked, and full of movement, but it moved at a different speed. Less like a comedown and more like an oasis. A long exhale at the end of a marathon

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Live MusicPreviewRobert Dean

Live music preview: Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids is coming to 13th Floor

I have a deep love for The Get Up Kids. Their 1999 classic Something to Write Home About is an all-timer for me—one of those records that somehow still hits the same decades later. (I’ve been caught hoarse-singing along to “Action-Action” more than once in my life.) So when word came down that frontman Matt Pryor is dropping back into town, armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar, I was immediately in.

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Live MusicReviewTroy Gonzales

Live music review: Neko Case returned to the Paramount Theater in Austin for Thanksgiving

So on a warm Tuesday night, a two days before Thanksgiving, Neko Case and her touring band returned to the Paramount Theatre in support of her latest album, Neon Grey Midnight Green, her eighth studio album, which also follows her recent bestselling memoir,  The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You.  I’ve been lucky enough to have seen the New Pornographers on a couple of occasions but have only seen Neko Case solo once at the Paper Tiger in San Antonio. While I haven’t always thought of the Paramount Theatre as my go to place to see live music, I will concede that certain musical artist do benefit from its historic ambience, which can lend a sense of intimacy and warmth that you can’t find at any other venue.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Big Thief played their biggest Austin show at Moody Amphitheater

Emotions are running deep this year. Hints of hope are dwindling, leaving the house costs $50, and making ends meet is becoming increasingly daunting. For Brooklyn’s Big Thief, cautious optimism is the North Star, and being present in the moment and looking inward are the keys to maintaining a gratifying existence. For their graduation from mid-sized theaters to larger headlining appearances, an adoring array of fans made their way to Waterloo Park’s Moody Amphitheater on Wednesday night to celebrate the release of new LP Double Infinity. Their biggest Austin headlining show to date, the confidence and dynamic connection between them brought everything full circle for their career, which has seen personal development that feels unrivaled in 2025. 

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Greg AckermanLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Love is for Evermore benefit with Shinyribs, Sara Hickman at Radio East

Saturday, October 25 marks the third annual Love is for Evermore benefit at Radio East. The event supports Evermore, a national bereavement non-profit that advocates for benefits, education and resources for all Americans coping with the death of a loved one. One example is the group has gotten paid bereavment leave for military members. This year’s concert features Shinyribs, a rare live appearance by songwriter, Sara Hickman and special guests, Carruthers & Roush (members of The Bright Light Social Hour). There may even be some surprise guests onstage stage. Tickets for the event are currently on sale. There are VIP options which include a meet and greet with artists before the show.

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OpinionRobert Deansongwriter

Opinion: Mark Lanegan should be in same conversation as our greatest songwriters

I get that Jeff Buckley is beloved. I know people with tattoos of his lyrics. Listening to it, I was taken to a place of feeling like, it was too dated for me, that I felt like people loved this record for its mythology of Buckley dying young and tragically more than the actual musical weight of the record, that his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” made him so deep. It got me thinking about hype, legacy, and ultimately, Mark Lanegan.

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AlbumMike CosmicReview

Album Review: The Division Men to drop star studded album Hymns and Fiery Dances August 22

El Paso duo, The Division Men haven’t released an album in eight years. Their last album, Ninos Del Sol, was released in 2018 and featured a star-studded lineup of musicians; Rafael Gayol (Leonard Cohen), Steven Hufsteter (The Quick, Tito & Tarantula), Jay Reynolds (Asleep at the Wheel), and Jake Garcia (Black Angels) to name a few. Their new album, Hymns and Fiery Dances is nothing short of genius. The record drops August 22 everywhere you listen to music.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Asheville songwriter MJ Lenderman taped ACL TV episode

MJ Lenderman turned heads as a co-frontman and songwriter of Asheville breakout act Wednesday, before striking off on his own out of its touring lineup and taking up as a solo outfit. For Season 51 of Austin City Limits TV (ACL TV), the 26-year-old Lenderman and his backing musicians dubbed “MJ Lenderman and the Wind,” the North Carolina-bred musician delivered a coveted concert taping on July 1 that had the Moody Theater packed to full capacity. Fans were allowed to enter a lottery to win tickets for the performance, with only a select number being guaranteed entry for Tuesday night’s show. 

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AlbumReviewScott Rollins

Album review: new Willie Nelson record Oh What a Beautiful World covers Rodney Crowell

I first heard “The Banks of the Old Bandera” when Rodney Crowell’s album The Houston Kid debuted in 2001. I love that record and still feel it’s Crowell’s most artistic and intellectually stimulating recording, which is no small observation. I felt “Bandera” sounded like a Willie Nelson song. It only took twenty-four years, but Willie covered this song, and eleven other songs penned by Rodney Crowell on his newest release Oh What A Beautiful World, which dropped April 25, 2025. If you clicked the link, you saw a limited edition white vinyl only available from Willie’s website.

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Music NewsScott Rollinssongwriter

Charlie Robison: In Memoriam

Charlie Robison took his place amongst the fabled Texas troubadours even though he flirted with commercial success in Nashville a time or two. But he was a Texas boy. We all knew guys like Charlie, we saw them on Friday nights, around town. His relatable nature was part of his appeal. He passed on September 10, 2023 in San Antonio of complications from cardiac arrest. He was only 59.

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