Hey, looks like Bob Sambol’s boys are back: The once Dallas- and now Austin-based The Strange Boys recently announced that the follow-up to its well-received full-length debut, 2009’s …and Girls Club, would see its release February 23. And, to promote the album (called Be Brave), the boys went ahead released…

It’s a relatively slow weekend this time around, folks. At least when compared to last weekend. And next weekend, when the NBA All-Star game comes around, that’s gonna be… bananas. Maybe the Super Bowl’s to blame? Not necessarily–there’s some good Sunday night options either if you don’t really care about…

…and there’s some winners in that list, for sure: Kissaway Trail, Fergus & Geronimo, Ha Ha Tonka, French Horn Rebellion, Snarky Puppy, The Crash that Took Me, Dem Southernfolkz, Anonymous Culture (formerly Anonymous????), Woven Bones and Follow That Bird.For more info, check the press release after the jump…

We’ve made no secrets about our approval of Fizzy Dino Pop’s J-pop-infused electro sound. But even we’ll admit: Since beatmaster Avery Williamson’s singing collaborator Yuria Hashimoto moved off to Japan (as Williamson will soon do himself), the group’s live show has been somewhat lacking.But last weekend’s show at Hailey’s, where…

Tonight at the Double Wide, self-proclaimed local “sex rock” outfit Hello Lover will take to the stage to celebrate the release of its new self-titled affair.Should be a relatively well-attended affair, too, what with the Double Wide generally serving as home base for the band’s generally booze-influence performance hijinx–but also…

So, last week, we passed along a free Exit 380 mp3, a song called “Street Trash View” from the band’s new Cities Townies EP. That song highlighted the band’s ’90s alt-rock prowess and, uh, it sure was nice of the band to give it away for free, wasn’t it? Then,…

I stumbled across the NerdyShow.com after being directed there by a couple of tweets earlier this week. The reason? Sometimes locally based hip-hop favorite Astronautalis was appearing on the site’s podcast–and for a pretty interesting reason, too. See, the site’s been hosting a competition for its readers to submit beats…

In this week’s Observer (on newsstands now!), I caught up with Eleven Hundred Springs frontman Matt Hillyer to talk about the band’s just-released-this-week, sixth studio album, This Crazy Life. The subject matter of album, like so many other EHS releases, largely centers around gettin’ through life by whatever means possible…

Surely, you recall a few weeks back when we brought you the news of Fair to Midland’s trailer blowing a tire, which tossed the van the band was driving through the Arizona desert off the highway, ruining its gear and sending one member off to the hospital? Yeah? Well, then…

It shouldn’t exactly be a surprise at this point. Tales of drinking beers and smoking drugs and getting through life (if not flat-out reveling in it), all set to a score of classic, ’50s-inspired rock ‘n’ roll riffs and adorned with fiddle and pedal steel flourishes? On an Eleven Hundred…

In this past week’s issue of the Observer, Merritt Martin weighs in on Perilous Hits, the debut release from Sir Silky, the latest identity claimed by Cheyenne Schweitzer (formerly of Tiger Moth). It’s a heavily Prince-inspired disc–but in a good way, Martin assures:”This incredibly NSFW album… should be taken seriously,…

In the issue of the Observer set to hit stands today tomorrow (depending on your Metroplex locale), Chris Parker checks in with Bowerbirds’ Phil Moore. And, in the resulting piece, Moore was kind enough to candidly explain the differences between his band’s beautifully spare 2006 debut, Hymns for a Dark…

Per the request of a couple commenters who missed out on my last monthly get-together at The Libertine because I wasn’t shameless enough to post about it here, a quick reminder: Tonight, from 10 p.m. until closing time, I’ll be running the PA at The Libertine for my first-Monday-of-every-month residency…