There is something very endearing about photographic works rooted in simplicity. Texan native Keith Davis Young does it beautifully. Young shows us that photography doesn’t always have to be lavish or groundbreaking. Images elicit real, emotional responses for a purpose and it isn’t always due to their set up.

Man Man, a Philly based rock group, recently took the stage at Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Festival for a packed and raucous crowd. Man Man played a well-rehearsed set, as you might imagine they would if you have listened to their albums. While I am a big fan of Man Man, I still think that most of their songs sound the same, but that didn’t stop me nor the rest of the crowd from having a great time.

Wavves, a relatively young band out of San Diego, is typically known for their noise pop sound, but their set at Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Festival may have brought on new meaning to that term. Lead Singer Nathan Williams was having technical difficulties throughout the set that lead to an out of tune garage rock sound. Not quite as lo-fi as their album Wavvves, and not nearly as clean as their newest release King of the Beach.

If you haven’t had a chance to see Monotonix, you’re not trying hard enough. It’s one of the most must see shows ever. I had the pleasure of seeing yet another great set at Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Festival. While I am sure the lead singer Ami Shalev was not there, due to a previous injury, there was a look-a-like that was equally sweaty and a likely just as much of an adrenalin junkie.

‘Last Saturday was a fine night for an outdoor show in Austin. It was that perfect Goldilocks weather situation. By 11 o’clock, the time had come for Harlem to bring their brand of Garage Pop Rock back to Mohawk’s.  As the band nonsensically bantered back and forth before the set, it slowly became clear that they had not played in Austin for a while (their current place of residence), and they were ready for a good show.

I have been to a few Here We Go Magic shows, I have listened to their albums and I even consider myself a well-versed fan, but I was not ready for the Wednesday night show that Here We Go Magic brought to Emo’s in Austin Texas. I was fortunate enough to have the chance to interview Luke Temple and Peter Hale before their set (interview can be found below), but little did I know that what they told me would ring so true on stage that night.

Simply said, it was a hot night last Saturday in Texas. To make matters worse, Emo’s, an Austin outdoor music venue, comes equipped with a roof that also doubles as the State’s largest easy bake oven. Even with it only being 85 degrees outside, it would seem that the hottest an open air space could get would be slightly above standard body temperature. Not the case, it must have been 120 and humid as hell, but that didn’t stop the Delta Dedicated from coming out in full force.

The Numerators are everything you want out of low-fi, garage punk; frantic, energetic, jarring, noisy and of course, fucking rad. This Texas based trio obviously pride themselves on putting on a show, evident in their non-stop, frenzied EP (available for a free download here) and in reading personal accounts of their live shows. The Numerators sound, especially in the vocals, is often times incoherent and messy but the collective tone that the music sets is one of exhilaration. Picture the perfect 10-minute soundtrack to a flash mob dance party on The Brooklyn Bridge and you’ve got these Texas townies. For the East Coasters, check them out at their upcoming shows in Brooklyn and Boston, hey, you never know what you’re going to get.