We thoroughly enjoyed the two shows (Dengue Fever and Extra Golden) we've caught at the incomparable Orange Show thus far, so we've been looking forward to their next event ever since it was first announced. The wait is finally (almost) over: San Francisco's Xiu Xiu will grace the monument with their experimental indie stylings on Thursday, August 21. Xiu Xiu were originally scheduled to play the Orange Show back in April, but inclement weather forced the cancellation of the performance. The band was kind enough to agree to swing back through Houston to cash in their rain check, and we couldn't be more appreciative. (Unless, that is, Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down were coming along to make up their performance as well. What is it they say about gift horses?)

View the press release and more info after the jump

Xiu Xiu

For some reason, New Monsoon have found a nice little second home here in Texas. Even though they hail from San Francisco, Houston has been very kind to the ever-changing members of this jam-rock group. Their shows are always packed, whether it be an acoustic set at the tiny Jellyphish Lounge or an all-out rock show at the cavernous Warehouse Live. After catching them in several other locations, it's easy to see that they always put forth the extra effort to bring just
a little bit more to their Houston fans. They have held three-night Thanksgiving runs (including dinner) at Last Concert Cafe, their self-declared "Home Away From Home", as well as multi-night, multi-venue stretches throughout the city. They are an impressive live outfit that seem to improve with each line-up change. In a move that proves (at least to me) how much they enjoy playing here, New Monsoon have decided to record their three upcoming Texas dates, including the final stop at Houston's Warehouse Live.

Find out the details after the jump

From davematthewsband.com:

We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

Dave Matthews Band have been an integral part of my love for live music. They opened my eyes to many different acts that I now follow today. I knew that Moore had been in the ATV accident, and witnessed DMB play without him at ROTHBURY, but I did not realize that he was in such dire condition. While I have not paid as much attention to DMB lately, I am still deeply saddened by this news, and know that they will never be the same without him. His saxophone was a major part of DMB's sound, and cannot be filled by any other player. I want to send all of my thoughts and prayers to Moore's family, friends and fans that are all assuredly in the same state of shock as I am.

Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest first attracted our attention last year with an enticing sophomore lineup that included several indie treats. Given the festival's prime location in Waterloo Park and late fall weather (read: not blazingly hot like ACL), we'd already decided that we would be in attendance at this year's edition; now that we've taken a peek at the artists on the bill, FFFFest has leaped to the top of our can't-miss list. The 2008 lineup, released today by Austinist, includes such diverse acts as Clipse, the National, Bad Brains, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Annuals, Dengue Fever, Atmosphere, Grupo Fantasma, and Dan Deacon.

Fun Fun Fun Fest is set to take place on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9 at Austin's Waterloo Park. Two-day passes cost $59.99 and will go on sale soon.

View the full Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup after the jump

While Houston doesn't see quite as many great live shows as some other cities do, we still occasionally experience nights that find us deciding between performances from multiple equally good artists. One occasion that particularly stands out in my mind took place in April of last year, when Brooklyn's TV on the Radio were set to take the stage at the Meridian, mere blocks from Warehouse Live, where - on the same night - Yo La Tengo were booked to perform. We decided the only way to settle this dilemma was to head over to Pitchfork and choose which band we'd see based on whose name we spotted first. We soon spied a Yo La Tengo news feature, which sealed the deal and led us to the Warehouse that night. I don't at all regret seeing YLT - they knocked it out of the park that night - but still, I've been yearning to catch TV on the Radio ever since. It looks like I'll finally have my chance this fall, as they will be playing at Houston's yet-to-be-opened House of Blues, as well as at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans (which, thanks to Cereal's amazing talents, we will be attending clad in oversized, candy-themed costumes. Look out for a gigantic Hershey Kiss.)

If that's not enough, TVotR have completed their follow-up to 2006's Return To Cookie Mountain; entitled Dear Science (album artwork above), it's set to be released on September 23. You can stream the first track "Golden Age" at their official website.

Find the complete list of tour dates after the jump

The Stage Awaits Chris Cornell and Co.

Everyone experiences a handful of pivotal moments in life that they'll always recall in startling detail. There are two incidents that I vividly remember occurring while I was riding the bus home during my rebellious middle school career. The first (not chronologically) involved learning that the legendary Tom Osbourne, coach of the national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, was to retire following the 1997 season. Understandably, many of you don’t have the same respect for the original TO as I do, but let me tell you: it was as if my dog had been run over in front of my very eyes. The second on-the-bus incident that I'll never forget occurred while I was drowning out my frustrations by listening to my outdated Walkman. On this particular day, the announcement that Soundgarden were disbanding had just been announced, and I first heard the news on Lincoln's local rock station, The Blaze. Soundgarden is, and always has been, my true love from the grunge era. In my selfishness, I felt that it was incredibly unfair that they would do such a thing to me, especially since I'd never had a chance to see them live.

Read more after the jump

A while back, as you might remember, we posted eight videos from My Morning Jacket's stop at the Verizon Wireless Theater here in Houston. Those eight videos, which were the first documentation of any of MMJ's new material, found their way all over the web including different posts on Stereogum and Live Music Blog. We were very excited about the chance to let other people see what we Houstonians were lucky enough to experience that night, and knew just by hearing those tunes that their new album, Evil Urges, would be one of the best of the year. We were right. June 10th found MMJ's album released to rave reviews, and also found them with a huge late night slot at this year's Bonnaroo that gave them the opportunity to share their new songs with a much wider audience. Now, after the true fans have fallen in love with the album, MMJ has started their major publicity blitz which includes a full tour and a brand new video for "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. II." Take the time to watch their Where The Wild Things Are-inspired video.

Good, huh? Now go check them out on the road! See their full list of dates after the jump.

In what seems to be an endless quest to rock peoples' faces off, The Whigs have announced yet another round of dates that will see them traversing North America through the end of fall. After finishing off a few shows of their own, the road will find them playing gigs with Tokyo Police Club, Justice, MGMT, The Kooks, Kings Of Leon, and We Are Scientists. They'll also be making stops at the Monolith Music Festival at Morrison, CO's Red Rocks Ampitheatre, and Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival. We first fell in love with these guys after an amazing afternoon in-store performance and an even better (and louder) headlining set later that night. Their brand of garage rock sounds good on record, but even more powerful in a live setting, so take my word for it and check them out before the venues get bigger and the tickets get more expensive.

See The Whigs' full list of tour dates after the jump

Music television actually worth watching - who'd have thunk it? The MTV Network recently revealed that their Music High-Definition (MHD) channel will present a fresh face beginning September 1. The changes start with a new name - Palladia - and continue with expanded music programming. As part of the planned renovations, the channel will premiere a different concert every Saturday at 9pm EST/8pm CST. Palladia also aims to curate "the finest collection of seminal rock movies ever in one place," offering movies every Thursday at 9pm EST/8pm CST.

Palladia will kick off its first revamped week by celebrating "Outdoor Music Week," an event that will feature an impressive roster of outdoor music concerts. Footage from this year's Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals will be aired during the first week of September, as will open-air sets from Dave Matthews Band and Duran Duran. But the programming scheduled for Friday, September 5 is what really caught our eye: on that day, Palladia will premiere a special featuring BOT's favorite festival, ROTHBURY. If you weren't able to make it to the inaugural edition of this Michigan musical extravaganza, this will be a great opportunity to see some of the greatness you missed. You might also find yourself compelled to attend the 2009 event - if they include any footage from the Sherwood Forest, this is almost guaranteed.

Read the Palladia press release and view the upcoming show schedule after the jump

The Austin City Limits Music Festival released their lineup of official aftershows today. The schedule includes several bands that are involved in major set conflicts during the festival (for us, anyway), so it's great to see that we'll have another opportunity to catch them during the weekend. Besides, what's a festival without a little late-night action?

View the full ACL aftershow schedule after the jump