KOOP-FM (Hornsby, TX)

By Ryan J. Nims In the mid-1990s, I was driving home from my college campus one day and tuned into KTRU, Rice University’s student radio station. I was greeted with a song called “The Gentle Man” by Los Angeles noise rock band Slug. It’s a nine-minute instrumental track featuring odd tunings, two bass guitars, and a somewhat unsettling atmosphere. It unlocked something in me and I realized that music can be atonal and not particularly melodic and still make the listener feel something.

By Stefny! Seventeen years after their last performance in Austin,The Academy Is… brought the pop punk heat back to the capital city in a joint celebration of their new record Almost There and the 20th anniversary of their hugely popular label debut Almost Here. The band played a 22-song set spanning their discography and covering all the hits. They also had the live debut of new track “100mph”, which the crowd loved.

By Isaac Torres Austin Psych Fest returns to The Far Out Lounge from May 8 to May 10 with over 25 diverse bands ranging from the soulful revival of Thee Sacred Souls to the avant-garde phantasm of The Flaming Lips. Here is my guide to Austin Psych Fest’s 2026 lineup, whether you’re a local or just visiting. Check out my Day 1 YouTube playlist. The festival kicks off loud with two local Austin bands, J’cuuzi and Almost Heaven.

By Stefny Twenty years ago, Ohio emo band Hawthorne Heights released their second studio album If Only You Were Lonely, their highly anticipated follow-up to their 2004 debut The Silence In Black and White. This year, they’ve embarked on a world tour to celebrate the major anniversary of the record. I was lucky enough to chat with lead singer JT Woodruff in February before the tour kicked off, so of course I had to catch them while they were in town on Sunday, March 29.

Art Decade Creatives is back for year two of curating official SXSW showcases, and this time, they’re bringing you Austin’s Heavy Hitters, a showcase highlighting the best of local femme and non-binary bands. With this year’s condensed SXSW schedule, there are a million showcases taking place at the same time. But this is my pitch on why this should be the one you see on Friday night. Friday, by the way, is Friday the 13th. And the show is at The 13th Floor.

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by Stefny! At the Disco Friday night was craaaaaazy. It was my first time back hosting Beat Happenings since September AND I got to see Yellowcard and A Day To Remember bring their Maximum Fun Tour to Austin! Since I was hosting BH, I didn’t get to see the two opening bands Dinosaur Pile-Up and The Wonder Years (😭) but we made it just in time to descend the stairs to Yellowcard absolutely shredding the Top Gun Anthem.

by Stefny! At the Disco On the morning of October 21, I received confirmation that I would be granted the opportunity to interview the band Thrice before their show at Emo’s that night. After screaming to myself at work, I used my lunch break to come up with questions and mentally prepare for the chance to interview one of the best rock bands of all time. When I got to the venue that night, I was able to hang out in the green room with Dustin Kensrue, lead singer and guitarist of the band.

By Zelenny Lozano / Pink B Austin put its “Headphones On” for Addison Rae this September for her first world tour at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Addison released her self-titled debut album earlier in June of this year, and is now embarking on her first world tour to finish out a career-defining year on her popstar journey. The tour began with a European leg, and then brought the show stateside starting in our very own Austin, Texas.

by Stefny! At the Disco Toronto punk rockers PUP are no strangers to The Emo Diaries, whether that be on the shows I curate or as inspirations for some of the bands that come into the studio. I was so excited to get the opportunity to speak with guitarist Steve Sladkowski ahead of their show on Saturday, September 27 at Radio/East. Unfortunately due to my work schedule we were not able to conduct the interview face-to-face, but he was gracious enough to take my questions over email.