Results tagged “themohawk”

On January 14, 2010, Austin's Dana Falconberry will release her latest full length, Halletts. She'll celebrate the album's release at the Mohawk on Red River.

Attendees who caught the California band Crystal Antlers at Fun Fun Fun Fest this year were privy to something weird and special. Loud but comforting, the band's engaging set was one of the weekend's most wacked-out.

Red Bull is taking advantage of our city’s penchant for nurturing an inexhaustible amount of talent with quite a novel idea. This Thursday, The Mohawk hosts Red Bull Locally Thrown, a truly unique event where six of Austin’s finest disc jockeys -- DJ Manny, DJ Orión, Prepmode, DJ Bigface, Richard Gear, and DJ JE will mix, match, and spin ten local bands’ music. It is a celebration of all things Austin music and you definitely need to be there, and as a V.I.P. no less.

If you're into introspective folk music written by mountain men with thick bears, it may have been a rough year for you.

Friendly Fires are one of the most fun dance-rock bands we've heard in recent years, despite there being a myriad of purveyors of that genre. The band throw copious percussion, pretty synths, and choruses full of harmony into a sound equal parts Cut Copy and Franz Ferdinand, which implies that they're on the more interesting side of the indie dance-pop fence. In recent months, the group have been nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, toured with Interpol, and (perhaps most importantly) have had their single "Jump In The Pool" chosen as the theme for BBC's football highlight show! After a trip to SXSW 2009 was canceled due to the chance to play some big European dates, Friendly Fires finally arrive on Red River tonight, and we suspect there will be a lot of dancing.

The memories of Fun Fun Fun Fest remain vivid and fresh, and after that amazing yet exhausting weekend, surely we could be excused for a taking a deserved break to recharge our bodies. No such luck in our beloved city which refuses to rest on its laurels. Yes, just a week after that immense gathering of music, comedy, and arts, Massive Beacon, Reversal Films, and The Dark Agency present the second annual ATX Converge at The Mohawk.

The fourth edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest officially kicks off at noon tomorrow and naturally, one can be forgiven for looking ahead to day one already. The likes of The Jesus Lizard, Les Savy Fav, Chelsea Peretti, The Sword, Pharcyde, Neon Indian, and Shearwater are all on Saturday’s schedule but let’s hold our horses for we still need to indulge in a full night of revelry before we set up camp at Waterloo Park for the weekend. This evening, Austinist proudly presents the After The Jump blogger’s panel at 5:30 at The Mohawk, followed by the latest installment of our Local Music Is Sexy series, spread across the 'hawk and Club de Ville this year.

Okay, now on to the fun! Co-sponsored by Austin Eavesdropper and Ultra 8201, the Bleet-Up this year is a conglomeration of partners including press outlets (ahem), PR Teams, restaurants and more.

Halloween is just around the corner and it’s natural to gravitate towards all things dreary and sinister leading up to October 31st. Especially in light of the gloomy weather in Central Texas lately. But if you’re in the mood for irresistible melodies garnished with glistening synthesizer and drum machine beats, head down to The Mohawk tonight for a hearty helping of Islands’ shiny pop songs. Although the Canadian band’s lyrics have been known to contain some dark subject matter, their forte is undeniable hooks and hum-along choruses, the kind that bounce around in your head all day. The duo of Nick Thorburn and Jamie Thompson formed Islands in 2005 following the demise of The Unicorns and released their debut album Return To The Sea in April of 2006. Thompson left the band shortly after, leaving Thorburn to spearhead 2008’s Arm’s Way but rejoined the ranks prior to Vapours. The new album (released last month) finds Thorburn, Thompson, and company in good form, fine-tuning an accessible collection of atmospheric synth-pop soundscapes to perfection.

It’s no secret that we’ve been fans of White Denim for a long time. And for good reason. The band has churned out a handful of excellent records, and on stage, the trio of James Petralli, Steve Terebecki, and Josh Block exhibit an instinctive chemistry, combining effortlessly to execute their calculated sonic experiments. Although the new record Fits dropped in the U.K. this past June (read our review here), it finally saw an official release in the U.S. earlier this week and the boys will mark this momentous occasion at The Mohawk on Saturday night with a typically robust performance, no doubt.

This past weekend might have been one for the ages but The Mohawk is not resting on its mighty laurels just yet. This Saturday, prepare for yet another sonic blast at the venue when Japanese band Mono sets up shop to peddle its atmospheric post-rock compositions. Mono’s forte is epic instrumental soundscapes that build up gradually before erupting with ferocious splendor, à la Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. The members’ technical expertise is evident in the intricate details and it’s no surprise that they bring it all together in a very cohesive fashion -- they’ve been honing their skills collectively for over a decade now. The band formed in 1999 (a few years after that other Mono) and has released five full-lengths, including 2009’s Hymn to the Immortal Wind. No strangers to the use of assorted string instruments in their work, the band employed a chamber orchestra to further embellish Hymn’s lush, grandiose sound.

We’ll admit it. We’re still not fully recovered from the mud-a-thon that was this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival. And the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest, which has us licking our chops in anticipation, is still a few weeks away. Just when we thought it was safe to stay home for the weekend, a look at the line-up in store for us at The Mohawk has done away with any such feeble notions. Yes, the redoubtable Red River St. venue is home to three amazingly appealing nights of raucous rock ‘n’ roll all weekend.

They came out of the same electronica renaissance in the early 2000s that also spawned the mopier Her Space Holiday and The Faint, and like their peers, the intervening years have changed the thrust and direction of the Chicago-based Telefon Tel Aviv.

The Lemurs have been a huge part of Austin's power pop scene for years now. This most recent year, however, has brought huge changes to the group. Members leaving, new ones coming on board, a transitional EP and a full-length in the works combine to make the Lemurs a band to keep a keen eye on once again. Tonight, they'll play at the Mohawk with Michael Kingcaid (What Made Milwaukee Famous) and do a couple of new tunes. We had a chance to catch up with singer / guitarist Mitch Billeaud and talked about the scene, what's been going on, and what's around the corner for the Lemurs.

Amidst the sticky rhetoric and hysterical screaming that surrounds the current debate over health care, it's refreshingly difficult to argue with the good intentions and good times planned for the Heart Beats fundraiser this Sunday.

As we mentioned on Monday, Austinist is pleased to present two nights of The Sword’s metal massacre at The Mohawk this weekend. We caught up with bassist (and producer) Bryan Richie recently -- check out the interview below. And enjoy “How Heavy This Axe” off Gods of the Earth via YouTube -- the video was directed by local media entity Super!Alright!.

Hard rock and metal fans in Central Texas have been blessed with some amazing concerts in the last year and a half. Iron Maiden brought their nostalgic “Somewhere Back In Time” tour to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Selma last year, Metallica sought and destroyed at Stubb’s this past SXSW, and just last month, Tool’s obvious genius was showcased at the AT&T; Center in San Antonio. Now we can take a step back from those mammoth gigs and look to Austin’s very own metal icons to put the heavy back in metal -- Austinist is proud to present two nights of The Sword this weekend at The Mohawk -- enter the form below for a chance to win two tickets to Saturday’s show.

Happy birthday, Austinist photographer and notable Austinite Aasim Syed! No longer content with a round of birthday drinks or a nice dinner at Bagpipes, Mr. Syed is instead having his own mini-festival at the Mohawk this Saturday.

The demise of Sound Team (following the release of Movie Monster) was, for the most part, considered to be a sad turn of events for the talented crew in the band. However, most of them reorganized fairly promptly and successfully -- Bill Baird’s various projects (sometimes boasting former Sound Team band mates) are already a staple of the Austin music scene. TV Torso contains Sound Team alums Matthew Oliver and Jordan Johns, along with A. Leonard Jones, and the trio has been performing intermittently around town over the last few months (initially as The Minotaurs). Now, with two 7" vinyls available for purchase on their website and a recently completed East Coast jaunt, not to mention a Le Diamant Brut feature, TV Torso is primed for take off. This Thursday, check them out at The Mohawk when they headline a quite sumptuous local bill also featuring Pink Nasty and The Authors.

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public" said H.L. Mencken, and The Onion is betting on it. With their first Fame Whores competition tonight at The Mohawk, they are inviting participants to display their talents, "dubious or otherwise" in front of a crowd and a panel of judges.

The Castanets have been a fixture in weird folk for years, with Ray Raposa lately dipping further into country music. His latest is entitled Texas Rose, the Beasts, and the Thaw, out on Asthmatic Kitty records, and he's playing The Mohawk tonight.

It’s natural to settle in for a cozy evening at home on Sunday and disregard any notion of the impending gloom that beckons. The thought of Monday morning’s alarm clock can grind away the memories of even the most buoyant of weekends. However, we do live in Austin and the well of inspirational live music never runs dry. Chug down a 5-Hour Energy drink or revitalize with a strong cup a’ tea. Then head down to The Mohawk with a keen ear to delay your case of the Mondays. The Veils, spearheaded by the redoubtable Andrew Finn, craft shimmering pop songs containing the sort of poignant lyricism that should have you reflecting on all the things in your life, good and bad, that make you tick. Finn’s astute songwriting only just overshadows his versatile voice which soars upon backdrops of pulsating rock and gentle folk alike and is regulary complemented by vibrant keys. It all adds up to the perfect antidote to your lingering feelings of doom and gloom. We’re so eager to get you out of the house we’re sending you to the show for free. Enter your details in the form below for a chance to win two tickets.

The genre-defying instrumental band Tortoise arrives in Austin on the 15th in support of their seventh proper full-length LP, the aptly-titled Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey). It's their first new disc in five years, though its cast of five has been quite busy in other projects. They formed in 1992, a Chicago/Louisville conglomeration of rhythm players/sections brought from Bastro, Eleventh Dream Day, Precious Wax Drippings and Tar Babies. Their arsenal of instruments was always impressive - vibraphones and analog synthesizers weren't exactly on the radar of most indie bands in 1994. The fact that really, nobody has ever known what to do with Tortoise (the infamous "post-rock" tag still follows them wherever they go) has probably in part contributed to the band's longevity.

Once upon a time a member of Deerhoof, Chris Cohen left that band and has made a new home for his sound in the poppy Cryptacize. After releasing the lovely Mythomania on Asthmatic Kitty, the band has regrouped as a four-piece and are touring in support of the album.

Seattle's Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band will be stopping by The Mohawk tonight as part of their tour of their summer tour.

Legendary NYC band Sonic Youth dropped The Eternal (their 16th studio album) on Matador Records today. We’re guessing that you’re not going to make it to the band’s official release event in California but fear not because Matador, Waterloo Records, and yours truly are proud to present The Eternal - Austin: A Sonic Youth Release Party here in town at The Mohawk. Join us from 5 to 8 p.m. this evening to listen to the new record while taking advantage of some recession-friendly drink specials at the bar. We’ll be giving away a couple of copies of The Eternal; a DJ set by Gerard Cosloy (Air Traffic Controllers) is also on the schedule. And since you’re going to love the album oh so much, Waterloo Records will be on hand to allow you to purchase the CD and LP instantly.

The brothers Carney, better known as Pontiak, line The Mohawk’s walls with sludgy psychedelic soundscapes this Saturday evening. Prior to that, at 5 p.m., the trio will supply the patrons of End of an Ear with ample drone as well. Lain, Van, and Jennings were born in Virginia and moved away to Maryland where they first started playing together, only to return to their farm in Virginia to build themselves a studio. After self-releasing their early efforts, they signed on with Thrill Jockey Records in 2008. The label re-released 2007’s Sun on Sun and Pontiak followed that up with a split record (with Arbouretum) containing new material along with John Cale covers.

Thanks to everyone who attended the very smooth Yacht Rock Austinist Indieroke & Hoot Night this past Wednesday at The Mohawk. Although a few non-Yacht Rock songs did sneak into the playlist (and we’ll correct that in future themed Indieroke events), all in all, we were treated to spectacular renditions of a fair amount of Loggins and Messina, Doobie Brothers, Toto, Hall & Oates, and Steely Dan songs, and some stellar soft-rock covers by Watch Out For Rockets and mouse.about. John Pesina was there to capture all the shenanigans.

After weeks of planning, the rather special, very smooth Yacht Rock Austinist Indieroke & Hoot Night has finally arrived. Tonight, head down to The Mohawk at the early kick-off time of 8 p.m. and for a measly $3, sing your favorite soft-rock classics while also enjoying short sets of 70’s hits by local musicians. Performances by Watch Out For Rockets, members of Canopy, and mouse.about are all on the schedule but fear not, for you and your inner Kenny Loggins will still have ample opportunities to take the stage and cast your spell on the audience. We are also expecting a few individual tributes and Michael McDonald especially seems to be a firm favorite of the staple Indieroke attendee. The three bands on the bill have promised the likes of “Maneater” by Hall & Oates, “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac, and “Listen To The Music” by Doobie Brothers, and guests from a few other local acts will also be making cameos. Tonight’s Indieroke promises to be a unique evening when Austin’s finest Yacht Rock connoisseurs come together and pay homage to all things soft-rock.

The Thermals formed in 2002 and dropped their debut More Parts Per Million the following year. The band’s vivacious pop-punk ditties garnered the attention of one Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) and their career gained further momentum with 2004’s F*ckin' A, their first album for Sub Pop (and our personal favorite). Drummer Jordan Hudson departed soon after and as a result, Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster took it upon themselves to play all the instruments on album number three The Body, The Blood, The Machine, produced by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty.