Spring

© Joel Thomason

Spring has sprung here in Austin.

- Joel

The Walkmen

I've always been big fan of The Walkmen. It appears they have a new album coming out in June. They've released a trailer for the album, which is trendy these days (but still unusual if you ask me). They sound as good as ever, and the trailer is visually compelling. Take a look/listen below.

- Joel

Best Coast - "The Only Place"

In advance of their sophomore album, Best Coast is offering the single "The Only Place" as a free download. It's a sunny ode to their native California. The album, set to release in May, sounds like it will set the musical tone for a great summer.

- Joel

Best Coast - "The Only Place"

West Texas

© Joel Thomason

I went camping on a friend's land near Brownwood, Texas over the weekend. The day was spent rope swinging into the creek. The night was spent around a campfire. And in the morning, the sunrise over a foggy creek was incredible.

- Joel

Ben Howard - "Old Pine"

I feel like I've posted this song before, but maybe not. So I'm posting it again. Here's a pretty little number from Ben Howard.

- Joel

Ben Howard - "Old Pine"

(notes on) biology

I'm back in Austin after spending part of my spring break in Kansas City. SXSW is in full swing here. This clever little film, (notes on) biology, just won Best Animated Short Film at SXSW.

Check it out.

- Joel

Beach House - "Myth"

I'm a big fan of Beach House. Check out a track from their new album Bloom, which drops May 15.

- Joel

s / s / s

Sufjan is back and is still in love with auto-tune. This time he's collaborating with Son Lux and a rapper named Serengeti in the form of s / s / s. Check out a track from their forthcoming EP below.

- Joel

Zilker Park Kite Festival

Another reason to love Austin, Texas. The Zilker Park Kite Festival. The picture just doesn't do justice to how many kites were flying this afternoon.

- Joel

Malice at The Palace

Jonathan Abrams of Grantland.com put together a compelling oral history the 2004 brawl between the Indiana Paces, the Detroit Pistons, and Pistons fans. I can still vividly remember this fight; it was horrifying. It will go down as the most disappointing event in NBA history. The article is long but a fascinating read. If you don't remember the fight, you can watch the video below.

- Joel

Jonathan Abrams - "The Malice at The Palace"

Hospitality - "Friends of Friends"

Here's a track from Brooklyn pop-rockers Hospitality. It's a catchy tune. From what I can tell, Hospitality released an EP a few years back, but their debut, self-titled album just dropped Tuesday.

- Joel

Hospitality - "Friends of Friends"