Sad news that long-time Houston band Bright Men Of Learning is calling it quits. You can read the details from Jeremy Hart at Space City Rock, but do yourself a favor and go to Vinyl Junkie (4202 Canal) today (Saturday, 3.10.12) to catch the band’s final show, along with a slew of other local bands [...]

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Here’s a list of bands performing at Cactus Music this month: Saturday, 3/10 @ 1:00pm – Anthony Barilla: Apocalypse Town Saturday, 3/10 – Dr. Dog @ 3:00pm Sunday, 3/11 – Kevin Barnes [of Montreal] @ 1:30pm – Solo piano performance Monday, 3/12 – The Mittenfields  @ 5:30pm Tuesday, 3/13 – Busby Marou @ 4:00pm Tuesday, [...]

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Houston’s Balaclavas are among the chosen few representing the Bayou City at this year’s South By Southwest 2012 in Austin, which kicks off next week. The band is known for its exciting, energetic shows and released one of Houston Calling‘s favorite local albums of 2011, Snake People, via Dull Knife. You can listen to tracks [...]

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Black Books have quickly made a name for themselves in the Austin area with impressive live shows and a respectable EP, 2011′s An Introduction To… I previewed the band in last year’s Houston Calling SXSW preview, and recently found out the band has been working on new material and will be performing shows in Austin [...]

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Musician James Mercer returns as The Shins (with a few new musicians in tow) with a new album, Port Of Morrow, and an upcoming tour, which includes a stop in Austin during South By Southwest 2012. Watch the video of new single, “Simple Song,” below: And here’s a video of the excellent “Sleeping Lessons”: The [...]

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Austin’s Pure X should be happy they get to ride on The Jesus and Mary Chain’s coattails so closely during this year’s South  By Southwest. The group’s 2011 album, Pleasure, made a few best of 2011 year-end lists with its fuzzy, droning rock, and continues to garner the band attention. Here’s a video for “Surface”: [...]

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English rockers Kasabian are huge in their home country yet the band gets fairly minimal fanfare here in the U.S., with debut single “Club Foot” being the only song most have likely heard here. That doesn’t mean, however, that the band hasn’t consistently released new and interesting albums. The disappointing Empire aside, Kasabian has a [...]

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Free Press Summer Fest 2012 runs June 2-3, 2012, in Houston’s Eleanor Tinsley Park. Passes available at fpsf2012.com.

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Psych rockers Sleepy Sun play an official showcase at SXSW 2012, promoting their April 10th release, Spine Hits, which they fittingly recorded in the California desert near Joshua Tree National Park. Sleepy Sun plays its official South By Southwest showcase in Austin at Buffalo Billiards on Wednesday, 3.14.12, and also at Bat Bar on Thursday, [...]

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Houston-based prog rockers Scale The Summit were among the bands selected to play an official showcase in Austin during SXSW 2o12. The band’s 2011 release, The Collective, was among my favorite Houston albums last year, and the band continues to expand its fanbase with its explosive sound and undeniable talent. They’re serious, and it shows. [...]

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