Posts by Joey Willis

Modest Mouse is the type of band that generates both fair weather fans and obsessive fans. If you are one of the former than attending one of their shows can either be a great experience or an incredible disappointment. If you are one of the later, most shows are going to be the highlight of […]

[rating=7.00] Anyone who has ever attended a concert by Thee Oh Sees knows that it is always an energetic and exciting show. Having created the band as an outlet for experimentation in 1997, John Dwyer is the only core member of the band. This is part of what makes seeing one of their shows exciting. […]

Booking a concert on Father’s Day can be a bit of a gamble for some bands. However, this was not the case for An Evening with The Avett Brothers, which quickly sold out, and judging by the amount of families in the audience, it was a great gift for many fathers this year. Currently touring […]

The new Statesman Skyline Theater grand opening in Austin boasted an impressive bill on Saturday with Boston touring on their 40th anniversary tour and preceded by Dennis DeYoung performing the music Styx. Fans couldn’t have asked for a nicer night for Austin’s newest music venue’s inaugural concert. Situated right on the Colorado River, fans of […]

This year marks twenty years since New York-based Nada Surf released their debut album High/Low with its spoken-word rocker “Popular” blasting onto airwaves. However, unlike many other rock bands from the 90’s, Nada Surf is not touring with a twentieth anniversary play through of their debut album. Instead, Matthew Caws and co. are currently promoting […]

[rating=7.00] In 2008 Dani Neff formed the Austin-based hard rock trio Megafauna. Having released a new album every two years since 2010, their fourth album, Welcome Home, is the newest addition to their catalogue. Instead of following in the wake of their third album Maximalist, with its remorseless riffs and unrepentant hardness, this new undertaking […]

[rating=7.00] It’s been five years now since the members of Animal Eyes trickled their way down to Portland from Alaska. According to bassist Colin McArthur it was less about being able to go on tour easier than it was about the music scene in Portland. The evolution in their sound may have been partly influenced […]

[rating=7.00] Montreal-based Plants and Animals have been together in some form or another for the past fifteen years. The indie-pop trio is comprised of guitarist-vocalists Warren Spicer, multi-instrumentalist-vocalist Nic Basque and drummer-vocalist Matthew Woody Woodley. With their fourth release Waltzed In From The Rumbling, Plants and Animals have created a hauntingly beautiful album. The album opens […]

[rating=8.00] As the 90’s drew to a close and Britpop was declining in favor, Travis released their sophomore album The Man Who with its single “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?” and brought attention to the post-Britpop movement. Coldplay’s Chris Martin has said that Travis “invented [Coldplay] and a lot of others”. However, where […]

Formerly known as Austin Psych Fest and now called LEVITATION, the ninth edition of this annual festival, which takes place April 29 – May 1 at Carson Creek Ranch in Austin, TX, attracts reverb-loving fans from around the world. Unlike bigger mainstream festivals, the folks behind LEVITATION have carved out a niche by bringing together […]

In 2014, Dr. Dog bassist/co-lead singer, Toby Leaman told the sold out audience at Stubb’s in Austin, “It’s always been a dream of ours to sell out Stubb’s.” In what has become an annual tradition since then, Dr. Dog played two sold out performances on Friday and Saturday night and this time shared the spotlight […]

[rating=8.00] The Dandy Warhols have been creating music together for over twenty years. The majority of the first half of their career was spent on major label Capitol Records where they produced their most mainstream album Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, which included the single “Bohemian Like You”. After splitting with Capitol and forming their own […]

[rating=7.00] Over the past decade, Vancouver-based Black Mountain have never been afraid to experiment with their sound. While each of their past albums hold a nostalgic sound of the 70’s, each also have their own distinct personalities. Where their debut self-titled album referenced the music of early Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane, Black Mountain’s newest […]

[rating=7.00] At this point in Katy Goodman’s career it seems fairer to refer to her as ‘founding member of La Sera’ rather than ‘former Vivian Girls bassist.’ Having already released three critically acclaimed albums over the past five years, her newest album Music For Listening To Music To will exceed the output of her previous […]

[rating=7.00] Despite a relatively short career, London-based Yuck, have already weathered changes that would have destroyed most other bands. Two years after their self-titled debut was released in 2011 to critical acclaim, founding member and front man Daniel Blumberg left the band to pursue his own projects. However, Max Bloom (guitar/vocals), Mariko Doi (bass/vocals) and Jonathan […]

Forming in Louisville, Kentucky in 2006, Murals launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise $2,200 to record and release their debut 8-song EP On A Passing Cloud in 2012. Their songs are full of bright reverb guitar, echo-filled vocals, fluttery strings, sound effects, and thick, elastic bass lines. The ephemeral qualities of each song bring […]

Going to a concert to see a great band is exciting in and of itself. However, it’s even more exciting when a tour comes around with a double headliner. That’s exactly what Wavves and Best Coast are bringing with a reprise of their Summer Is Forever tour that they initially embarked upon five years ago. […]

Throwing a concert on Super Bowl Sunday seemed like a ballsy move. However, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Emo’s took that bet and were rewarded with a near-capacity crowd for the New Zealand/Portland-based rock band. Not everything went according to plan for the night though. Tour opener, the Baltimore based Lower Dens, nearly had to cut […]

[rating=7.00] Stylistically, London based Piney Gir (pronounced like “gear”) albums range from electronica to alt-country and many times a combination of both. For her sixth album, Piney has found a new sound for herself with mR hYDE’S wILD rIDE, one that combines American pop and indie music with English folk and beat pop from the […]

[rating=8.00] Rock music of the 80’s definitely had its own unique fingerprint, with bands like The Smiths, U2, REM, Cocteau Twins and New Order dominated the modern rock charts. Meeting in junior high school, the founding members of The Ocean Blue decided to start a band influenced by those chart-toppers. Forming in 1986 in Hershey, […]