Wednesday, June 17, 2026
The Cosmic Clash

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Reviews

Paper Sister band photo
AlbumBecky RodriguezReview

Album Review: Austin’s Paper Sister release dreamy and punchy Quiet Betrayals EP

Becky Rodriguez

The new record, Quiet Betrayals is the first EP release by the four-piece band from Austin, Paper Sister. Combining elements of shoegaze and post-punk, dream pop, and indie alt rock, the 6-track EP highlights selected singles over the past couple years, with some releases as recent as April of this year. The  dreamy and punchy EP featured a release party presented by 101X Homegrown Live at The 13th Floor on May 29 with French Film, Feedr, and Variety to celebrate the group’s new recording.

Big Dumb Fest 4 crowd surfers Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Rickshaw Billy’s Big Dumb Fest Four invaded Mohawk again

Case Cockrell
Courtney Barnett 8 Radio East Drew Doggett
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett is back with a new record

Greg Ackerman
blackangels5 APF 2026 Drew Doggett
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Austin Psych Fest 2026 weekend highlighted Black Angels, Thee Sacred Souls

Case Cockrell
Paper Sister band photo
AlbumBecky RodriguezReview

Album Review: Austin’s Paper Sister release dreamy and punchy Quiet Betrayals EP

Becky Rodriguez 156 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

The new record, Quiet Betrayals is the first EP release by the four-piece band from Austin, Paper Sister. Combining elements of shoegaze and post-punk, dream pop, and indie alt rock, the 6-track EP highlights selected singles over the past couple years, with some releases as recent as April of this year. The  dreamy and punchy EP featured a release party presented by 101X Homegrown Live at The 13th Floor on May 29 with French Film, Feedr, and Variety to celebrate the group’s new recording.

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The DLC stage courtesy of Concert Archives
Greg AckermanLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Five bands to see at The DLC’s first Pogo Fest

Greg Ackerman 405 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

One of the cooler spots to check out live music in Salt Lake City is The DLC, a small-capacity live music venue situated inside Quarters Arcade Bar downtown in the heart of SLC’s nascent live music corridor.  The room is intimate, cool and you can battle your homie at Mortal Kombat after the show. This Saturday, June 20 the venue is hosting their first ever Pogo Fest to highlight the great psych-rock and similar acts the venue is booking. Aside from The DLC the area includes venues; International Artists Bar, and SLC Pub . Those locations along with a an outdoor stage at Exchange Place will serve as the four stages for Pogo Fest which is highlighting psych-rock and psych adjacent acts from Salt Lake City for the most part. We picked out five bands to see from the 20-plus artists line-up for SLC concertgoers. The mini-fest is an ideal way for local fans to get to know some of the better up and coming acts playing the growing Salt Lake music scene. Advance tickets are available via 24 Tix.

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Shakey Graves by straydog media
Greg AckermanInterviewsLive Music

Interview: Austin artist Shakey Graves is coming to Utah Arts Festival with a great new record

Greg Ackerman 479 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

When The Cosmic Clash got to Salt Lake City one of the first annual events we heard about was the Utah Arts Festival. We were duly impressed that a city SLC’s size, invested so heavily in visual art, music and literature. There were panels, live music and tons of visual artists represented. It seemed like the story of Salt Lake’s Mormon monoculture was exaggerated fiction. In town, at least culturally it kind of is. The city founded by Mormons has more similarities to Austin, Texas than it does to the Vatican; Blue dot in a red sea, state capitol, big public university north of downtown? Sounds like ATX. We learned the UAF is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, doubling down on quality musical headliners including Austin’s own Shakey Graves. The singer and songwriter performs June 20 (Saturday) early on in his recently launched tour supporting his new record, Fondness, Inc.

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Big Dumb Fest 4 crowd surfers Troy Gonzales
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Rickshaw Billy’s Big Dumb Fest Four invaded Mohawk again

Case Cockrell 544 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Annual traditions by Austin bands make the city unique. The Black Angels have Levitation, Big Bill hosts the Big Bill Ball, and Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol runs Big Dumb Fest. For its fourth year, the band  curated a heavy lineup across both Mohawk stages in the Red River Cultural District. Along with booking standout bands, Rickshaw ensures fans arrive early and stay late by collaborating with local food spots like Bad Larry Burger Club, Epic Jerk, and Busty’s to keep energy high. After returning from a tour with American Sharks (also on Saturday’s bill), Rickshaw kicked off another successful year of Big Dumb Fest, channeling undeniable energy in their tribute to their hometown.

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Courtney Barnett 8 Radio East Drew Doggett
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett is back with a new record

Greg Ackerman 484 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Australia has long produced standout rock talent – Amyl & The Sniffers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Chats, and legacy legends AC/DC among them, proving rock and roll thrives down under no matter what generation is listening. For Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett, the past decade yielded indie rock anthems full of emotional honesty and millennial angst. With 2026 LP Creature of Habit marking her first full-length since 2021, Barnett reunited with her band to feed live music fans once again. She opened her North American tour in Austin at Radio East on Friday night with a rain-soaked evening of sing-alongs and good vibes.

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LEV25PoonehGhana
Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Levitation 2026 genre bending lineup and schedule is out

Case Cockrell 754 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Levitation returns to Austin on September 10–13, 2026, bringing another epic four-day weekend of music and art to the city’s

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Frank and Margie's landscape
CultureOpinionRobert Dean

Restaurant review: Frank and Margie’s hit target with new Round Rock spot by Michelin starred chef

Robert Dean 2108 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

You’ve gotta give it up to the chef duo of Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee. When it comes to empire building, they can’t be beat. Their flagship Sushi By Scratch has a Michelin star and the man has been on Top Chef among other cooking shows. He and his wife are rockstars of the restaurant industry without a doubt. If you’ve not had the decadence of  their East Austin spot, NADC’s double Waygu cheeseburgers, you’re missing out. There’s nothing that these folks don’t do well. 

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blackangels5 APF 2026 Drew Doggett
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Austin Psych Fest 2026 weekend highlighted Black Angels, Thee Sacred Souls

Case Cockrell 819 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

It’s difficult to chose which day of Austin Psych Fest at Far Out Lounge and Stage was the best so we combined our Saturday and Sunday coverage into a single whopping review. After the elation of The Flaming Lips, it was time to get serious with The Black Angels as they celebrated the 20th Anniversary of their landmark recording, Passover. It was also an opportunity to bask in the glorious harmonies and feel good vibes on Sunday with the soulful tunes of Thee Sacred Souls closing out a Latin-themed day of music that felt made for the unofficial day of rest most Americans think of the beginning of the week as. Indeed, the vibe-shift was welcoming after two days of aural assault from some of the best psych-rock and psych adjacent acts in the world.

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Greg AckermanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Day one at Kilby Block Party 2026 featured Turnstile with up and coming acts

Greg Ackerman 1016 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

It was a picture perfect day in Salt Lake City at the Utah State Fairplex on Friday as Kilby Block Party geared up for its seventh edition of the mid-tier sized music festival with a lineup heavy on up and coming acts. Ireland’s Newdad, Austin’s Die Spitz and L.A. via Boise artist, Gelli Haha all turned in impressive performances as the schedule moved towards red-hot, melodic hardcore rock band Turnstile’s incredible main stage set to close night one of KBP.  Fans enjoyed a silent disco featuring local DJs, art installations and came dressed for fun.

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Flaming Lips 1 APF 2026 Mohawk Drew Doggett
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Fourth Austin Psych Fest at Far Out Lounge hosted Congressman Greg Casar

Case Cockrell 1068 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Austin Psych Fest 2026 marked another festival at far S. Congress Avenue mega-backyard, The Far Out Lounge and Stage. It brought the fourth spring edition since the brand’s 2023 return, featuring a star-studded lineup and a two-stage, no-overlapping performances setup. The Cosmic Clash team was on-site all weekend and highlighted what stood out over the three-day stint in South Austin and the satellite showcases in the Red River Cultural District. APF had a special guest on Friday as progressive Congressman Greg Casar joined the party to watch Wayne Coyne and company do their Flaming Lips party for the psych rock faithful. Who doesn’t like the fun, positive vibe of the Lips? Turns out even Austin politicians do.

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BADBADNOTGOODforAustinBluesFest2026byDusana-106164
Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Austin Blues Fest aims to preserve Antone’s legacy

Case Cockrell 785 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

There are few homegrown Austin events left as of 2026. We still have HAAM Day, Austin Psych Fest and Levitation, Eeyore’s Birthday,  and a handful of others, but times are tough, and the good folks that organize all these great things need the community to keep the traditions going. For Austin institution, venue and record store, Antone’s Austin Blues Fest, a gathering of adoring locals flocked to the Moody Amphitheater to experience both Texas Blues classics and other legacy acts to build a festival slate with so much talent in one weekend, it proved to be a must-see. On Sunday April 26, a stacked bill commenced for a day of showcasing undeniable fun with an experience that was uniquely Austin.

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