Brian Frederick

The 2013 Westword Music Showcase ballot

Update 3/21/13: The poll is now open. Let the voting begin! The road to the nineteenth annual edition of the Westword Music Showcase is officially being paved. While we've already announced some of the acts appearing on the Main Stage this year, below are the acts appearing on this year's Showcase ... More >>

SXSW travelogue: Take to the Oars checks in from the streets of Austin

There is a place somewhere in the pacific ocean that is essentially a cesspool for plastic waste and various other bits of debris and man-made trash. The rudimentary physics and science behind this collection is that all ocean currents from all over the world eventually whirlpool and cycle through t ... More >>

2012 Westword Music Showcase Ballot

Update 3/14/12: The polls are officially open. Please feel free to make your way to the 2012 Westword Music Showcase ballot and register your vote! The 2012 Westword Music Showcase ballot is here -- no more waiting. Well, that's not entirely true: You will have to wait another day or so before the ... More >>

Slim Cessna, A. Tom Collins, Serious Moonlight and DJ MU$A top our weekly playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: Air Dubai engages in water gun fight and plays its first showcase

​ Saturday, March 19 (or Friday, March 18 -- since the night just isn't over) Let me first start today's travelogue by saying how amazing a time it has been here in Texas. It's 4 a.m. currently (technically, still the night of Friday the 18th, but whatev), and I am writing from our hotel roo ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: Take to the Oars and the Denver crew bring the ruckus to Peckerheads

Hi! How are you? The spirit of Daniel Johnston looms large in Austin​ Friday, March 18 Another one for the books... honestly, the worst part about today was that it had to end... After an ample five hours of sleep, the household hesitantly woke up, made coffee, and loaded the trailer in anti ... More >>

SXSW Travelogues: The Photo Atlas electrifies the crowd at Peckerheads

​ Saturday, March 18 Over the last six years playing SXSW, I've watched the "Denver parties" grow more and more every year. Last night, as the Illegal Pete's Starving Artist Showcase pushed the walls of Peckerheads to the limits with a one in, one out line around the corner, Denver has made ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: A. Tom Collins makes a snakeskin necktie and wakes up with driveway-inflicted swellbows

​ Saturday, March 19 Update From a Post-Show Hangover: Since our last post no one has died, though some attempts at inter-band murder have been made along with a few bouts of minor larceny. Shortly after our romp in the river, Andy befriended a good-natured water moccasin who shortly therea ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: The Photo Atlas checks in

Brian Frederick​ Thursday, March 17 And it begins ... 4 a.m. we arrive in Austin, Texas, at Casa de Epilogues greeted by hugs and cases of Upslope, after an amazing day of riding rollercoasters and playing three sets at Six Flags-Dallas and an awesome run of shows with the Epilogues, which i ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: Ballin' on a budget with Backbeat's own Brian Frederick

Brian Frederick​ Thursday, March 17 From the outside looking in, South By Southwest -- at least to those who haven't experienced it yet -- might seem like an event that only those who can afford to flip for the nearly $800 badges get to enjoy. Not so much. There's a ton of unofficial shows a ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: A. Tom Collins discovers that Texans evidently have a thing for the eyes of Coloradans

​ Friday, March 18 Morning: 1000 miles and over eighteen hours in a van with five man children. Our trip from Denver began at 5 a.m. yesterday with packing, grumpiness, excitement. Aaron puked at 7:10, and at 7:20, Aaron and Andy had a tickle fight in the back seat of the van, followed by ot ... More >>

SXSW Travelogue: The Epilogues house all of Denver, hang with the Bravery and do shots with Danny Pudi of Community

The Epilogues with Sam Endicott of the Bravery Friday, March 18 Here we are again in Austin for the least "Texas" thing that the state has to offer... thousands of liberal, godless musicians showcasing themselves to the world. We did a small tour on our way to SXSW this year with our dear friends ... More >>

Aloe Blacc, Harry Nilsson, Kid Cudi fill our playlists this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Pretty Lights, Ween and Jay-Z filled our playlists this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Grinderman, RJD2 and Dismemberment Plan fill our playlists this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Alkaline Trio's Dan Andriano the Warped Tour and the band's new label, Heart & Skull

​ Music and marriages have one major thing in common. By normal standard, the average life expectancy of either is around the three or four year mark, and sometimes ends due to a wandering eye, financial woes or just a blatant mismatch in chemistry. Fortunately for the Alkaline Trio, this isn ... More >>

Shira Girl's namesake on friends she made crashing the Warped Tour and being a role model for your young women

Acting on impulse is a great way to succeed. Shira is an answers-first-figure-out-the-questions-later type of lady who know this all too well. Some years ago, she and her band decided they wanted to play The Warped Tour. Rather than sitting around waiting for an acceptance letter, ShiraGirl brazen ... More >>

Big Boi, the Roots, Rick Ross, FOE & Whygee dominate our playlists this week

Jason StoffBig Boi, shown here at this past weekend's Pitchfork Festival, dominated our playlists.​ As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase 2010: Backbeat scribes' travelogue

​ Here's our massive, multi-page report/travelogue of the Westword Music Showcase from (in order) Tom Murphy, Cory Casciato, A.H. Goldstein, Jef Otte, Jon Solomon and Brain Frederick. Let us know in the comments what you saw and loved, saw and hated, or missed and hated yourself for missing. ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase 2010 reminder: Today's the last day to vote!

Aaron ThackerayWestword Music Showcase: Oh, oh, it's Magic!​ As you can see from the pictures, this year's Showcase was played in the key of awesome. Relive the whole thing with us. Over the course of the day as we get our wits about us, a few of our writers will share their thoughts on what ... More >>

Get to the Showcase early and catch Oh My Stars set at noon on the Main Stage

If you've listened to KTCL even briefly in the past year, you've heard the handiwork of Lee Miles. You've either heard his band, Oh My Stars, who has one of the top played songs on the station, or you've heard his production on songs by Colorado-based acts like Tickle Me Pink, Speakeasy Tiger and ... More >>

Astronautalis on over-the-top comparisons, hip-hop's progression and fans "getting it"

​Andy Bothwell, aka. Astronautalis, has oft times been labeled as the Tom Waits or Hunter S. Thompson of underground hip-hop. Like many others in his position, he began honing his skills in high school, battling on corners while climbing rank amongst industry-friendly peers. His unhurried and ... More >>

I Hate Kate's Justin Mauriello on the band's new album and impending name change

Starr LaRee​ Justin Mauriello, head of the I Hate Kate trio, is only in his mid-twenties and already has a seasoned career. At the beginning of the last decade with his first band, Zebrahead, he found respectable success both here in the States and in Japan. In 2004, he put all of his efforts ... More >>

Nathaniel Rateliff, Kinetix and Broken Social Scene top our weekly playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Presenting the 2010 Westword Music Showcase Ballot

​ This past February, when we started putting together the 2010 Westword Music Showcase, we posted an item asking you how we could improve our annual music festival, this year set for Saturday, June 19, in the Golden Triangle (if you haven't already purchased your tickets, you can still buy d ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of April 5, 2010

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

More picks from Moovers and Shakers 2009

​In this week's issue, as we do every year around this time, we published our annual Moovers and Shakers list and talked about how much the scene is thriving. In a testament to just how much the scene is thriving these days, we didn't have room to print all the write-ups of our favorite local ... More >>

Moovers and Shakers rounds up our favorite local releases of the year

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of December 21, 2009

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For ... More >>

Q&A with Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low

Adam Elmakias​Sleeping with band dudes doesn't make you famous." The words scrawl across a closed door after the stock "band slut" walks in behind the drummer in All Time Low's new video for "Weightless." Just a few years back, the four Baltimore-based post-punkers wouldn't have known anything abo ... More >>

Q&A with Thomas Turner of Ghostland Observatory

Chad Wadsworth​After turning their hometown of Austin, Texas upside down on several occasions, Thomas Turner and Aaron Behrens continue to electrify audiences around the world as Ghostland Observatory with its vibrant stampede of symphonic blips and driving rock. We caught up with one of the group ... More >>

Q&A with Jesper Anderberg of the Sounds

​Every artist's dream is to be able to control their own destiny. The Sounds, who have ignored all major label proposals for their new album Crossing The Rubicon, are doing just that. This album is their third full length studio and employs a handful of interesting producers that build on their fa ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 31, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 17, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>