Austin (Texas)

The Best Concerts to See in L.A. This Week

Monday, April 8 Thao & the Get Down Stay Down THE TROUBADOUR Usually, when songwriters are as wickedly intelligent as Thao Nguyen, they tend to write morbidly gloomy and/or overly serious anthems of great meaning and purpose. That's not to say the Virginia native doesn't have her grand and heavy mo ... More >>

Theater Issue 2013: Why Be a Playwright in L.A.?

Danny Boyle Talks Trainspotting Sequel, Partying at SXSW and Zombies

Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle has an almost childlike quality about him. He appears to approach his surroundings with the brimming excitement of a kid who is just about to open a present and the sincerity of someone who hasn't been in this business for over 20 years. The moment people recogniz ... More >>

Enslaved - Troubadour - 2/8/2013

Ancient VVisdom, Royal Thunder, Pallbearer, Enslaved The Troubadour 2-8-13 Better Than: Watching your medicinal marijuana garden grow. The crowd piled in slowly but steadily, the Troubadour alit in blue. This was an older crowd for a metal show, full of parents out for the night, child-free marri ... More >>

5 Films People Will Be Talking About at Sundance

For the next 10 days, all Hollywood eyes--and those of many a filmgoer--will turn toward the frigid wilds of Park City, Utah, reportedly experiencing its chilliest winter in a decade. Their collective hope: to discover at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival (January 17 through 26) the next Beasts of the ... More >>

Air Sex Returns To Los Angeles

See also: *Air Sex Championships @ Bootleg Theater. Los Angeles is the capital of real sex, what with our globally potent porn industry and all -- not to mention Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt and the lingerie biz. But what about faking it? You'd think we might be good at it, seeing that we're also the ... More >>

Radar L.A. Returns Next Year, Plus the Latest New Theater Reviews

Radar L.A., the festival of local and Pacific Rim performance troupes that performed last summer, has secured the funding to return to Los Angeles in September, 2013. This was confirmed by Olga Garay, Executive Director of L.A. city's Department of Cultural Affairs, and Diane Rodriguez, Director of ... More >>

Occupy, The Musical? Mr. Satan Goes to Wall Street Gets L.A. Reading

A highly ambitious theater performance dropped Wednesday night in L.A., one that has the aim of helping to revitalize the Occupy Wall Street movement. Performed in a reading by members of the Sacred Fools theater company, Mr. Satan Goes to Wall Street is a full-blown musical satire that's a wistfu ... More >>

Rollins Announces "Capitalism" Tour, Will Hit Each State Capital

[Look for your weekly fix from the one and only Henry Rollins right here on West Coast Sound every Thursday.] Henry Rollins doesn't keep his political opinions quiet; in a column last fall about the Occupy protesters he recounted how senator Rand Paul "made a fool of himself trying to compare them ... More >>

Ernest Cline: The Ready Player One Author's 10 Favorite Songs From John Hughes Movies

While in town for SXSW last week, we checked in with Austin native Ernest Cline, the author of 2011 bestseller Ready Player One. It's sci-fi, but totally readable and compelling; the plot concerns a nerdy overweight teen living in a distopian future America where everyone spends all their time in a ... More >>

Nick Waterhouse, Papa - SXSW - 3/16/12

See also: *50 Cent, Eminem, and the Best of SXSW Yesterday *Nick Waterhouse meets a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Better than...worrying if your shoes match your purse. Nylon magazine and Guess Jeans teamed up for a SXSW day party in the chic W hotel in Austin, on a balcony where stylish couc ... More >>

Fiona Apple and the Best of SXSW Yesterday

​See also: Five Attractive Strange People Working for Tips at SXSW If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down ... More >>

Ink.: GQ's Best New Restaurant in America; Picca is #6

My Last BiteDungeness crab, broccoli mayo, broccoli "kimchi" at Ink.​Michael Voltaggio's Ink., which our own critic described as "the most eagerly anticipated brick-and-mortar opening in years," has been named the best new restaurant in America by GQ. The magazine's editors along with restau ... More >>

Los Angeles Fails to Rank as Drinking Hot Spot: What Gives?

We sometimes relish the salty sting of L.A.'s poor-performing ways when it comes to city rankings that range from traffic to penis size. We can take it. But we have to call b.s. on this particular list. The Daily Beast's latest "America's Drunkest Cities" roundup, just published, does not even p ... More >>

Fanatics! Henry Rollins' KCRW Show Tomorrow Night: New Track from Fall's Upcoming Album Ersatz GB

​KCRW BROADCAST #139 for Saturday, November 5, 2011 Fanatics! The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. At least that's what I've heard. For the first hour of our show, we will focus on music from the great state. I am in Austin, TX this weekend. I will be at the Fu ... More >>

Salt's Cure: Manliest Restaurant in America?

Anne FishbeinA hunk of meat from Salt's Cure.​Sometimes, the hive mind is just wrong. Men's Health took a poll to determine the "manliest restaurants in America." With all that blather about "the wisdom of crowds" and whatnot, what did the genius readers of the magazine decide was the most man ... More >>

Gilbert 'Magú,' Luján, Chicano Art Icon: An Appreciation

Gil Ortiz​ Gilbert "Magú" Luján used to laugh when described as a Chicano art icon, but he is more than deserving of the title. His irreverent, playful work across a broad spectrum of media that included cardboard, metal, ceramic tile and organic material, among others, fused a distinct visu ... More >>

The Flaming Lips Releases New Music in Life-Size Gummy Skulls, Teases Gummy Wayne Coyne Statue

The Flaming LipsGummy skull​Silver trembling fetus ornaments and posters screen-printed with human blood--the colorful antics of The Flaming Lips' promotions are well documented. In January, Lips singer Wayne Coyne announced the band was planning to release small batches of songs in unorthodo ... More >>

Countdown to Record Store Day: An Interview with RSD Co-Founder Michael Kurtz

​We've been looking forward to Record Store Day (or RSD) for awhile now. For one, it provides a welcome diversion for those of us not going to Coachella. Also, we are looking forward to all of the limited-edition vinyl releases, in-stores, and sales that come along with RSD. We keep hearing a ... More >>

Five Must-See L.A. Rappers at SXSW

Pac Div​ We know Odd Future's SXSW show will be swarming with ... everybody, and admittedly, we add to that mass media feeding frenzy with our special spread in this week's print issue, out tomorrow. But we like being able to breathe a little bit (which is why we live in this sprawling, sparkl ... More >>

Introducing LA Weekly's DJ of the Week: This Week, Dennis Owens

​ We received many responses to our many best DJs lists. So many, in fact, that we haven't been able to get a good night's sleep ever since, what with all the awesome DJs that we weren't able to properly honor and call attention to. So we decided to fix it with giving you a DJ of the week eve ... More >>

Kat Von D, 'Inked' Hollywood Heartbreaker, Gets All Wifey With Biker Jesse James

Let the tabloid frenzy begin​Updated after the jump: He even Tweets for her in Spanish! Forget those Motley Crüe "Starry Eyes" Kat Von D got tatted down the side of her face in a lovey stupor, leading her straight into the arms of bass player Nikki Sixx. The pin-up centerpiece of "L.A. Ink" ... More >>

LAX Food Prep Workers Cite Sanitation Problems, Labor Strife

Unite HereWorkers warn of unsanitary conditions at LAX facilities​ As if we need another reason to avoid airport food... Now, LAX workers warn that poor conditions at local food prep facilities may pose safety hazards to travelers. Workers responsible for in-flight food at 12 airlines held ... More >>

GQ's 4th Best New Restaurant in America? The Tasting Kitchen on Abbot Kinney

Anne FishbeinCasey Lane and crew at the Tasting Kitchen​ For those of you who do not read GQ for photos of Jessica Alba or sartorial advice but for other things, like restaurant news, Alan Richman has picked The 10 Best New Restaurants in America. Welcome to the year's end. New York City's Lin ... More >>

Rave Promoter Trumpets Texas Party Success, Praises The Kind Of 'Cooperation' Not Always Seen In L.A.

Timothy NorrisInsomniac's 'EDC.'​Insomniac Events, the Los Angeles rave promoter under that was put under the media spotlight following its controversial Electric Daisy Carnival event at the Coliseum in June, is claiming victory after an electronic dance music concert in Texas apparently went ... More >>

Paul Rudd: He's an Actor ... Right?

The ... actor ... on playing himself, Party Down and Dinner for Schmucks

Lynda Kay Parker: Country & Western the Hard Way

A Report From Juarez, the Front Line of the War on Drugs

A Report From Juarez, the Front Line of the War on Drugs

A Girl Group of One

Unveiling the mystery of Dee Dee and the Dum Dum Girls

L.A. Ranks Surprisingly Low Among Nation's Biggest Spending Cities

​Last week we told you how Los Angeles wasn't really a big city when it comes to the size of certain anatomical parts. Now comes word that Angelenos aren't really big spenders either. Despite the region being home to Rodeo Drive, the biggest Porsche-buying market in the nation and a large if ... More >>

At the Tip of the Spear

Players on the fringe, making the future

SXSW Roundup: KCRW Jason Bentley on Bad Mixes, Bad Bands and the Best Booze/iPhone Battery Ratio

Jeff MillerJason Bentley playing the Virgin Freehouse, SXSW 2010​KCRW's music director Jason Bentley is one of the patron saints of bands at South By Southwest. Countless bands playing the fest got their start from DJs at the station, and Bentley himself has championed dozens of them on his da ... More >>

Beardos, Bloggers, and 'stache girls: SXSW by the Numbers

Beardos, Bloggers, and stache girls: SXSW by the Numbers

L.A. SXSW Showdown: El Ten Eleven, Rainbow Arabia and LAZRtag at Submerged

L.A. SXSW Showdown: El Ten Eleven, Rainbow Arabia and LAZRtag at Submerged

7 Questions with @ScrewYouSXSW

​There's a new tweeter in town and she's mad as hell. In the last week, @ScrewYouSXSW, the self-proclaimed pissed off wife of a SXSW attendee, has been tweeting about happenings she's been learning about from her husband via text. A number of people at SXSW think this enigmatic person is of ... More >>

Pulp Fiction: Aaron Katz's Cold Weather

​ The first unqualified hit of 2010 SXSW Film Festival premiered last night to a packed crowd (including recent Oscar snubbee Jason Reitman) at Austin's Alamo Ritz. Cold Weather, directed by two-time SXSW alum Aaron Katz (his Dance Party USA and Quiet City premiered here in 2006 and 2007, and ... More >>

Geeks Never Partied in High School? Pfft. TechSet Sets the SXSW Party Standard at Speakeasy

Shannon CottrellBaratunde Thurston, Brian Solis, Nicole Jordan, Krystyl Baldwin, Melissa Jun Rowley, and Robert Scoble posing pretty at TechSet party​After a day of panels, (some painful, some filled with win), tech club reunions, impromptu hotel lobby drinkups and unconference geek-out sessions, ... More >>

6 SXSW Film Must-Sees

​ If you're heading to Austin for the SXSW Interactive or Music festivals and have a Gold or Platinum badge, you can use it to get into screenings at the SXSW Film Festival, which starts today and runs all the way through the end of the Music fest next week. SXSW Film has made a name for thems ... More >>

GQ's 10 Best Food Trucks in America: The Bandwagon Rolls On

GQ.comFojol Bros. of Merlindia​So GQ, the glossy magazine of mens style and perpetual home, it seems, of Derek Jeter, has published their list of "10 Best Food Trucks in America." The bandwagon rolls inexorably on, and although food trucks are a great, cheap way to eat these days--eclectic and ... More >>

Billy Corgan and Others Slated to Play Sky Saxon Memorial

Details of the memorial for LA garage rock legend and frontman of The Seeds Sky Sunlight Saxon have just been released through the artist's official MySpace blog. The event, to take place on July 24 at the Echoplex, will include performances from Spirits in the Sky, a collaboration between Billy Co ... More >>

LA Garage Rock Icon Sky Sunlight Saxon Hospitalized in Texas

The Seeds "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" Last Monday Sky Sunlight Saxon, founder of the legendary LA garage rock band The Seeds, was hospitalized in Austin, Texas. As of Wednesday afternoon, he remains in critical condition. According to a press release, Saxon's illness is undiagnosed. Sabrina Sa ... More >>

SXSW Keynote Speaker: Quincy Jones Talks Music, Inspiration and Succeeding as Black Artist

Quincy JonesIn a packed auditorium at the Austin Convention Center in downtown Austin, Texas, legendary music producer Quincy Jones gave the "keynote" speech on Thursday afternoon at the South by Southwest Music Festival. From the get-go, Jones struck a personal and political tone--a flyer sat on ev ... More >>

Leonard Cohen to Gig at the Nokia a Week Before Coachella

Leonard Cohen just announced an extended spring tour, and will hit the Nokia Theater on Friday, April 10 -- a week prior to his Coachella appearance. Which is great for those of us who were a little worried about seeing one of our favorite songwriters surrounded by a bunch of drunken/tripping/coke ... More >>

Michael Reich's Videothing.com Captures the Essence of L.A.'s Underground

TV party tonight

Radiohead's "In Rainbows," a Prehistory

Artists giving away their music for free, a chronology. 1906, Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Sailors off the coast of the Atlantic hear an eerie, otherworldly sound emanate from a box given to them by inventor Reginald Fessenden. On shore, Fessenden stands in front of a microphone attached to a sync ... More >>

Letters

Letters

Letters

Running on Empty

George W. Bush’s plea for votes — and brain cells