Saturday, September 12, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

songwriter

Dolly Parton by Dennis Carney public domain image
Music NewsOpinionRobert Dean

Music news: Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at 80

Robert Dean 506 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Country music legend Parton died Tuesday in Nashville at 80, closing a career that stretched seven decades and made a poor girl from the Smoky Mountains one of the most recognizable people on Earth. Her publicist said she died peacefully at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, surrounded by loved ones, after what the family called a brief battle with cancer. She had been admitted Friday. A small private service will be held for the immediate family. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025.

Read More
Erykah Badu and The Alchemist PR photo
AlbumBrian HillsmanPreview

Album preview: Erykah Badu and The Alchemist to release collab album, “Sorry, we don’t have an album title yet.”

Brian Hillsman 770 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

On Friday, August 28, famed singer and performer Erykah Badu and legendary DJ and producer The Alchemist will release their highly anticipated collaborative album, currently titled, Sorry, we don’t have an album title yet. The LP marks the first full-length release from Badu in 16 years.

Read More
Portugal the man 5 ACL Live Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Portland act Portugal. The Man showed no creative bounds at ACL Live with La Luz

Case Cockrell 1829 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Alaska natives and Portland-based musical collective Portugal. The Man is an outfit that knows no creative bounds. Built by visionary John Gourley and rounded out by a laundry list of collaborators who have come and gone over the years, the Oregon vehicle has retained a creative streak that’s produced 10 full-length studio projects since forming in 2004. For the last stop on their run supporting new LP Shish, the Portugal company made their way to Austin’s premier venue ACL Live on Friday, December 12 for a headlining extravaganza that brought the new and old material, with a lot of new in rotation to celebrate the latest release.

Read More
Neko Case Paramount Theater Troy Gonzales
Live MusicReviewTroy Gonzales

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

Troy Gonzales 2272 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

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.

Read More
Jeff Tweedy 4 Paramount Theater Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live Music Review: Jeff Tweedy Celebrates New Triple Album at Paramount Theatre

Case Cockrell 1666 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

A songwriter like Jeff Tweedy is rare company. With an ever-growing gaunlet of books, records, and musical outlets, the Illinois-born artist has maintained an unrivaled prolific streak that’s shown no signs of letting up as he reaches the not-so-ripe age of 60. After a phenomenal three-day stint with his primary vehicle, Wilco, at ACL Live last December, Tweedy and his family band made their way to the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin on Wednesday night. The Austin stop comes as a part of the tour to celebrate the release of triple LP Twilight Override, a 30-song epic chronicling the Midwest wordsmith’s more hopeful side. For the gig at one of Austin’s most coveted and beautiful venues, the results did not disappoint, given a storied career spanning over four decades.

Read More
Been There 4_Mix Master Mike 2_20251108_OlkerPhoto_096
Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Been There 4 benefit at Radio East featured Mix Master Mike and Austin artists

Brian Hillsman 1611 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The two-stage setup in the Radio/East backyard was the perfect setting for the Been There 4 benefit live music event – “the party to end homelessness.”  The event took place on Saturday, November 8 with Beastie Boys’ wax authority, Mix Master Mike atop an impressive bill that included a raft of high quality Austin artists amid a decidedly upbeat vibe. The annual fundraiser began humbly at Camp Esperanza, the state-ordered Northeast Austin homeless encampment that The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) set about to support with a wealth of services for folks struggling to make ends meet. The TOOF staff included many members of the music community and their friends, including filmmaker Aaron Brown (Onion Creek Productions) and his partner at Been There Lenny Barszap. 

Read More
Patrick Sweany PR photo Joshua Black Wilkins
Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

Live music review: Patrick Sweany deserves a bigger stage

Robert Dean 1769 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Every time Patrick Sweany rolls through town, I ask myself the same question: how is this guy not bigger? It’s the eternal curse of music nerds — finding an artist you love and wondering what the hell is wrong with everyone else. But Sweany’s different. He belongs in the same conversation as Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Marcus King, and the Black Keys. He’s that good.

Read More
ACL Festival skyline
Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Six must see bands at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2025

Case Cockrell 2644 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual music extravaganza that takes place in the heart of Austin every Fall, and the curated talent ranges from worthy up-and-coming artists and legacy acts to round out its eclectic, genre-spanning array of music. For this year’s installment, The Cosmic Clash has put together a list of six must-sees you need to put on your list for the first weekend at Zilker Park which begins October 3. Tickets and set times can be found via the ACL website or through recommended resellers.

Read More
Mark Lanegan via ML
OpinionRobert Deansongwriter

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

Robert Dean 5244 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

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.

Read More
New music
AlbumReviewRobert Dean

New music: Teddy Long, Dim Light and Hugo Monster albums are fresh finds

Robert Dean 4429 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

I wanted to give you a few new things to listen to if you’re in the market for new ear candy. When the world is a constant depression machine, the power of music is unmatched, a salve that can make us feel human again when there’s just too much punishment on our hearts and souls and by the grace of god, some caveman, somewhere, figured out that if you beat a few rocks together with sticks over a cowhide, the beautiful noise happened.

Read More