I recently wrote an article about Free Press Summer Fest for the new issue (Summer 2011) of Downtown Houston magazine, which you can pick up around the downtown area. The article includes an interview with festival organizers Omar Afra and Jagi Katial.

Or, you can view it online here. The article begins on page 16.
Passes to […]

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Canada’s In-Flight Safety‘s felt inspired after David Bowie expressed his approval of the band’s early EP. On its latest, We Are An Empire, My Dear, the band builds on the light and airy pop of their early work to create a batch of songs that, while similar in style to Coldplay, tends to retain a […]

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Musician Alex Dezen releases his new album under The Damnwells moniker today (Tuesday, 3.15.11). After label deals with Epic and Rounder, the band opted for a less traditional route for its new album: No One Listens To The Band Anymore was funded completely by the band’s fans via PledgeMusic.

No One Listens To The Band Anymore […]

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Houston’s Two Star Symphony returns to South By Southwest this week for its second showcase. The band recently played a part in the film Honky Tonk Blood, which you can find more about here.

I interviewed the band for last year’s Houston Calling SXSW preview. Read it here.
Two Star Symphony plays in Austin during SXSW at […]

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British singer-songwriter Lee MacDougall honed his skills in open-mike nights in London and has steadily grown his fan base by opening for the likes of Starsailor, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison. The musician brings his music to the U.S. this month, performing at South By Southwest and also in Houston at the Hideaway on Dunvale […]

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Buxton is one of Houston’s most respected bands, and one that in 2011 will undoubtedly see its fan base expanding far outside Texas. It’s music is both down-home and modern–I’ve likened the band to Wilco in the past–and the group’s recent signing to New West Records can only help to spread the word about the […]

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After a handful of solo albums, North Carolina musician Caitlin Cary is back with a band: The Small Ponds, and EP (Caitlin Cary & Matt Douglas Are The Small Ponds). On its way to Austin for SXSW next week, The Small Ponds makes a stop in Houston at Big Star Bar in the Heights for […]

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Aussie bands are always a highlight of South By Southwest. Brisbane band Drawn from Bees is currently touring the US and Canada, including a stop at SXSW and a Houston date on Sunday, 3.20.11, at Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar and a free in-store show at Cactus Music next Tuesday, 3.15.11.

Drawn From Bees’ Raven Jones recently […]

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I was first introduced to Chicago musician Scott Lucas‘ music when a friend brought over a CD in 1995 by rock band Local H. He had been obsessing over the single “Bound For The Floor” and wanted me to hear it. While scanning the liner notes, I noticed that the band thanked another Chicago band, […]

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Canada’s The High Dials has taken its love for 60s psychedelia and power pop and created a sound that, while similar to many of its influences, still possesses both an energy and modern feel that makes it unique. The band released Anthems For Doomed Youth–an excellent listen–in 2010 and heads to Austin this month for […]

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