The annual South By Due East festival starts today (Friday, 3.11.11) at Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar in the Heights, and features a slew of local and regional acts. The fun starts at 5pm today and on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. More info at www.southbydueeast.com.

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The HoustonTXSW showcase is this Tuesday (3.14.11) at Republic Live in Austin. Schedule below: 4-6pm Houston Film Showcase 6-8pm Houston Interactive Showcase 8-12pm Houston Music Showcase The music line-up includes: 8pm Hilary Sloan 9pm Roky Moon and Bolt! 10pm Winter Wallace 11pm Co-Pilot More information at www.houstontxsw.us.

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I have been a fan of Houston punk rock trio Something Fierce for years, and have especially enjoyed watching the band’s continued success on its own terms. As I posted recently, Something Fierce has a new album coming out on Dirtnap Records in April (Don’t Be So Cruel), and returns to Austin next week for [...]

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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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Parts & Labor‘s new album, Constant Future, hits stores today (3.8.11), and the band plays at Fitzgerald’s in Houston this Monday, 3.14.11, on its way to Austin for South By Southwest 2011. Reportedly recorded in a former boxing ring in Milwaukee, the album pushes the boundaries of the band’s music, and its anthemic–yet catchy–electronic soundscapes [...]

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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 [...]

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Brooklyn’s Small Black plays in Houston on its way to Austin for South By Southwest, performing at Fitzgerald’s on Tuesday, 3.15.11, with Sun Airway and Cults. The band’s music is dreamy electronica, with a solid 80′s influence, but it’s also very modern-sounding. It doesn’t seem like the band is glomming onto any trend, which is [...]

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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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A while back, a friend whose opinion I greatly respect recently recommended I check out the band Yuck. Ever since, I have been seeing the band’s name mentioned in all sorts of music press. While I am still digesting the band’s album, there’s no doubt the attention is warranted. You can stream the album at [...]

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