Check out Dangerbird’s own ‘The One A.M. Radio’ remixing Radiohead…and then vote for it!

East Austin has long been a mecca for the local musician and artist scene in town. With the closeness to downtown and the low prices on housing (although they are quickly skyrocketing just like the controversial condos here), it’s our little version of Williamsburg or Silverlake. Over the years different local artists started to work and collaborate with each other, and eventually they launched an event called the East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.). Taking place one weekend in November, the event allows artists to see what others are working on, as well as giving people the chance to buy art directly from the artist at the studio in which it was created.

This year’s E.A.S.T. will take place from November 22-23 and if it is anything like last year’s, it will host art from more than 200 artists and 100 studios. In the upcoming weeks E.A.S.T.’s website will list all the studios and locations that are participating, along with bike-friendly routes to take and information on how to pick up a piece of locally created art that is not only cooler than anything you would find in a big store, but also helps the local community.

For more information, be sure to check out eastaustinstudiotour.com.

With the recent implosion (and pending relaunch) of Muxtape, it made me think back to the days of making real, physical mixtapes on analog cassette tape. Sure, the convenience of simply making an iTunes playlist and dumping it onto a CD for friends is much more efficient, but to me a vital part of making the mixtape itself was listening to the songs in real time as they are recorded to tape. It is a therapeutic process that makes the tape much more personal, giving the creator of the mix an excuse to sit down and listen to a solid ninety minutes of music.

This reminds me of a website that a friend of mine recently forwarded to my inbox. As a music fan who spent many years of my youth enjoying music on a tape deck and record player, this blast to the past database of various brands and types of cassette tapes brings back some fond memories. Head over to tapedeck.org to relive the magical days of throwing a Maxell C90 in your trusty Sony Walkman.

There are two things keeping me from attending the Ride to 3CR4 this weekend. One: I already had plans and more importantly, two: I need a Vespa.  Yeah, I have been drooling over them for sometime – I just need a bigger garage to hold it – as well as pick which one I want to get. They are all so pretty, but I am leaning towards the GTV and LXV vintage collection models…

The ride takes place this Friday and starts in Austin, cruising through Gruene for lunch and then ending up in San Antonio, where I grew up. After chilling in San Antonio for the weekend with other scooter nuts, the pack will return to Austin after the rally on Sunday.

For those that do have that pesky Texas-required motorcycle license, and are in the area, shut up and scoot.

It had been a while since I’d seen Silversun Pickups perform on stage. Having Brian, Nikki, Joe and Christopher back in my new hometown of Austin, TX was one hell of a treat, and seeing them in front of a massive crowd at the Austin City Limits Music Festival marked one of those spine chilling moments I’ll never forget. After seeing the Pickups years ago in front of much smaller crowds, it was a mind-blowing experience to see them on the main stage at ACL, with people completely losing it and singing along to “Lazy Eye.”

Before they took the stage, Erin Chandler & I wandered to the artist lounge to meet up for a bit of a reunion with the band. After a few margaritas while Brian and Nikki were ushered off to take care of interview responsibilities, we headed to the stage to catch their performance. We pushed as far as we could to the front, which as you can tell by the photos wasn’t all that close. The crowd was packed, eager for a healthy dose of Silverlake rock, which the Pickups delivered.

Along with fan favorites “Well Thought Out Twinkles,” “Kissing Families” and of course, “Lazy Eye,” the band also dished out two new jams fresh from the studio. In fact, after hanging with Christopher after the set, we found out that one of the new tunes had never been played live before, so fans at ACL were treated to a truly fresh from the oven rocker.  Now that the band is currently heading back to Los Angeles, they’ll be returning to the studio to continue working on their sophomore full-length album, Swoon.

Enjoy these photos from Sunday’s madness at the Austin City Limits Music Festival: SSPU @ ACL Music Fest Photo Gallery