(Viva La Revolucion), Kirk Franklin for Best .... Sheet music for all of the songs is
also provid- ed on an included .... Thyme, rolls all this momentum into a piano-.
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March ‘09
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George Strait to play new stadium George Strait and Reba McIntire will team up to open the brand new Cowboys stadium in Arlington on June 6. The inaugural concert at the $1.1 billion complex will also include Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough, a former Dancing with the Stars champion. In addition to Cowboys football, the yet unnamed venue will be the site of NBA games, both college basketball and football matchups and the 2011 Super Bowl. Tickets for the opening event went on sale on March 2 and sold out in less than an hour.
Best Of album for Jennings He hasn’t been around very long, but already Shooter Jennings is putting out a careerspanning compilation CD. A tour will follow the March 24 release of Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings and the 357’s on Universal South. The album includes 13 fan favorites from his four albums and two new tracks previously unavailable on CD.
with fellow Texas legends Asleep at the Wheel, Nelson has another album scheduled for release early this year titled Naked Willie. The album will feature recordings Nelson did during his 1966-1970 RCA years, newly "stripped" of the lush string arrangements to showcase a more bare-bones sound. Nelson's harmonica player Mickey Raphael came up with the idea and produced the project. The CD will be released on March 17.
It seems Willie Nelson is always in the news, and always putting out new music. Close on the heels of his project Willie and the Wheel,
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Texas artists score at Grammys T Bone Burnett was the big winner at this year’s Grammy Awards as producer of the Robert Plant & Allison Krauss album Raising Sand, scoring wins for Album of the Year and Record of the Year (“Please Read the Letter”). Other Texas winners included The Mars Volta for Best Hard Rock Performance (“Wax Simulacra”), Ruben Ramos & the Mexican Revolution for Best Tejano Album (Viva La Revolucion), Kirk Franklin for Best Gospel Song (“Help Me Believe”). And believe it or not, George Strait scored his first-ever Grammy win for Best Country Album for Troubadour.
Kerrville New Folk applications Willie in the buff
March 15. As of Feb. 15, 400 entries had been received, so there’s still time to apply. Of the 800 entries, 32 performers will share their original songs and six will be invited to return to the festival on May 31. In addition to the honor of being named a Kerrville New Folk artist, winners receive cash and prizes. Past winners from Texas include BettySoo (2008), Danny Schmidt (2007) and Gordy Quist (2006), all from Austin. The New Folk competition will be held at the Threadgill Theater in the Quiet Valley Ranch campgrounds, nine miles south of the city of Kerrville on TX Hwy 16. Details and application information can be found at www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com.
The 2009 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition will be held during the 37th Annual Kerrville Folk Festival May 23-24. The first 800 entries will be accepted before
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SchoolJam finalists announced On Feb. 28, The Carson Brock Group of Austin took home the grand prize at the second SchoolJam Texas Battle of the Bands, which was held at the Parish in Austin. The event, sponsored by NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, and the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), featured six finalists going head to head to win a trip to the SchoolJam finals in Frankfurt, Germany and $750 toward new musical equipment. Winning at the international level ups the prize money to $3,000. The competition is designed to support local music education programs. The other five finalists were: Blankberry of Nederland, Edison Chair of Austin, El Mariachi Tejano de Sam Houston of Grand Prairie, The Standing of Vido, and While the World Sleeps of Plano. For more information, visit www.namm.org.
Lambert goes to the dogs Big softies for those with four legs, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton held a benefit concert on Feb. 12, raising $70,000 to help build an animal shelter in Oklahoma. The funds will go to the Texoma Animal Improved Living Society, an animal welfare agency. Lambert plans to help animals in Texas, too. The artist’s second annual Cause for Paws dinner and concert will be held on May 17 at Villa Di Felicita in Tyler to raise money for the Humane Society of East Texas. A wine tasting will feature wines from the Lambert family’s Red 55 Winery in Lindale as well as five other Texas wineries. A few of Tyler’s finest eateries will serve delicious cuisine followed by an upclose and personal acoustic performance. In addition to Lambert and Shelton, the concert will also feature Nashville Star alum Kacey Musgraves and singer-songwriter Adam Hood For more information, visit www.mirandalambert.com.
Texas Music Cafe tapings The Texas Music Cafe, a live music program that has been aired both nationally and abroad on PBS since 1997, Band of Heathens to perform on a live tap- launched it’s ing of Texas Music Cafe on April 11. eighth season of Photo: Cindy Royal live concerts on Jan. 31. The program, taped at Hog Creek Ice House in Waco, will feature a range of Texas greats including Gary P. Nunn (March 7) and Sam Anderson (March 17). Band of Heathens will wrap up the series on April 11. All ages are welcome at the live concert tapings, and tickets will be sold at the door on a first-come, first-serve basis. Now entering it’s 12th year, the Texas Music Cafe has broadcasted on more than 81 PBS television stations and in 60 countries on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). “For the last 12 years, TMC has been a champion for original music in all of its glorious forms: folk, alternative, indie, Spanish, polka, country, blues, etc.” said Chris Ermoian, producer for the Texas Music Cafe. “We aren’t just using another bar to bring in another band. At TMC, we believe that it’s our responsibility, our obligation, to share all kinds of music with the rest of the country, and to showcase truly rich talent in a diverse collection of musicians. We guarantee that all who come to the live tapings will experience a great show put on by excellent bands selected by people who know good music.” For more information, visit www.texasmusiccafe.com.
Live in Texas exhibit at Cactus Music fans can get a front-row perspective of some of rock’s most iconic performers at a new photo exhibition at the Record Ranch Gallery inside Cactus Music in Houston. The
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exhibit, which opened on Feb. 7, features images shot live by former Houstonian Stephanie (Roark) Alexander at entertainment venues throughout Texas during the past three years. “We are thrilled to present the opening of Stephanie Alexander’s work as the Record Ranch Gallery’s first show of 2009,” says Quinn Bishop, managing partner of Cactus Music. “Live music is an essential part of the identity of Cactus Music and the Record Ranch. It is fitting for us to host an exhibit of photography that so well documents the excitement of live musical performance: the whack of a drum, the clang of a power chord, the scream from a stage and the spirit that is Live in Texas.” The exhibition features concert photographs of more than 25 rock icons, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Pete Townshend, B.B. King, Joe Perry, the Cure, Tom Petty, Sting, Metallica, Roger Waters, John Mayer, Allison Krauss and Robert Plant, ZZ Top and more. The exhibition is free and runs through April 5, 2009. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/cactusmv.
Bill Mack joins "Willie's Place" One of the most lauded disc jockeys in Texas and country music history, Bill Mack, has a new home: SIRIUS XM channel Willie’s Place. The “Satellite Cowboy” — a member of both the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as the songwriter of LeAnn Rimes’ Grammy-winning “Blue” — has two shows on the outlawloving station: The Bill Mack Show (Mon.-Fri. from noon-3 p.m. ET), and the gospel-oriented The Sunday Special (Sundays at 10 a.m). Mack was joined live in the studio by Willie Nelson and Ray Price in late February, capping a week’s worth of celebrations for the “fifth annual” opening of Willie’s “other” place, the Carl’s Corner truckstop/music
venue outside Hillsboro. Other guests included Ray Benson, Steven Fromholz, Nelson biographer Joe Nick Patoski and Kinky Friedman, who announced his plan to run for Texas Governor next year — as a Democrat.
Hubbard gets Grit-n-Groove on Ray Wylie Hubbard has played a ton of festivals over the years, but he’s never played his own festival — or had his own, for that matter. Well, that’ll all change come April 4, when Hubbard takes the stage at the first (and hopefully not last) Ray Wylie Hubbard’s Grit-n-Groove Festival. The solid lineup reads like a who’s who of Hubbard’s favorite famous (or should-be-famous) friends: performers will include Patty Griffin, Charlie Sexton, Hayes Carll, the Band of Heathens, Sam Baker, Gurf Morlix and Omar Dykes. “It’s the type of festival where if you were an exotic dancer in the ‘60s and you came and heard these people playing these songs, the groove would subconsciously make you have to bump and grind,” enthuses Hubbard. “Or, if you were a grey-bearded college professor, the lyrics to these songs would tear your heart out. That’s the spectrum I’m going for: strippers and college professors.” And, he adds as an afterthought, everyone in between. The festival will be held at the legendary Luckenbach Dance Hall. For more information, visit www.raywylie.com.
Bingham’s Roadhouse Blues Ramblin’ man Ryan Bingham — aka Joe Ely and Terry Allen’s favorite troubadour under age 30 — will release his second major-label album, Roadhouse Sun, on Lost Highway May 5. Former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford, who produced Bingham’s 2007 Lost Highway
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debut, Mescalito, manned the boards on this one, too, and fans of Bingham’s rough and tumble country blues rock won’t be disappointed in the album’s 12 new tunes. What’s new this time around, though, is Bingham’s willingness to get political on a handful of the songs, including the standout “Dylan’s Hard Rain.” Bingham performed two of the album’s other new songs — “Snake Eyes” and “Tell My Mother I Miss Her So” — during his debut appearance on Austin City Limits on Feb. 7.
Paul Skelton succumbs to cancer El Paso-born guitarist Paul Skelton, a longtime member of Austin’s Cornell Hurd Band, died of lung cancer on Feb. 22. He was 55. In addition to being a master of his instrument onstage and in the studio with Hurd and other artists like Wayne “the Train” Hancock, Libbi Bosworth and Mandy Mercier, Skelton was also a skilled guitar maker and repairman, plying his trade for 13 years with Texas-based Collings Guitars. Skelton is the second member of the Cornell Hurd Band to pass in the last year; rubboard player and Texicalli Grill owner Danny Roy Young died on Aug. 20.
Keen collects memorabilia for book In February, the University of Texas Press published Robert Earl Keen’s The Road Goes on Forever and the Music Never Ends, a scrapbook-like coffee table tome compiling several shoeboxes’ worth of photos, press clippings, concert posters and personal memos along with the lyrics to 24 of Keen’s favorite songs. Sheet music for all of the songs is also provided on an included data CD, which means any new artists coming down the pike with intentions of butchering “Corpus Christi Bay” or “The Road Goes on Forever” can now at least play the right notes.
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MARCH
18–21
3–22
Red Gorilla Music Fest
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Various Venues
Clay Walker, Pat Green, ZZ Top and more
Austin
Reliant Park
www.redgorillamusic.com
Houston www.hlsr.com
18–22 South By Southwest Music
6–7
Bob Wills’ Birthday Texas State University San Marcos, March 6
& Media Conference
Argyle Bluegrass Festival
Various Venues/Convention Center
Cross Timbers Community Church
Austin
Argyle
www.sxsw.com
www.argylebluegrassfestival.com
6–8
Texas State University in San Marcos will celebrate Bob Wills’ birthday with a free concert and dance in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom. The all-star lineup includes members of Bob Wills’ original Texas Playboys, along with current and past members of George Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band, Asleep at the Wheel, and other prominent Western swing groups. This historic event is free and open to the public and will be filmed for the PBS television series Texas Music Cafe. Texas State University, San Marcos, March 6, 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.liberalarts.txstate.edu.
North Texas Irish Festival Fair Park Dallas www.ntif.org SpringFest Shake Russell, Max Stalling and more
ZZ Top performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on March 22.
Downtown Spring
21
www.oldtownspringtx.com
Texas Western Swing Fiddling Showcase
7
Johnnie Gimble, Bobby Flores and more
Texas Independence Day Celebration &
Bell County Expo Center
Cowboy Gathering
Belton
Tommy Alverson
www.texaswesternswing.com
Jackson Hole www.myspace.com/jacksonholetexas
20
13–14, 27–28
Texas Music Magazine Reader Appreciation Party
Heart of Texas Music/Association
Scholz Garten
Anniversary Party
Austin
Moe Bandy, Justin Trevino and more
www.txmusic.com
Ed Davenport Civic Center Brady
27–29
www.hillbillyhits.com
Bluebonnet Blues & Fine Arts Festival Main Street Marble Falls
13–28 Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo Clay Walker, Randy Rogers Band and more Travis County Expo Center Austin www.rodeoaustin.com
www.bluebonnetblues.com
29 Celebration of Life and Music Watermelon Thump Pavilion Luling www.celebratetom.com
... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead The Century of Self (Richter Scale) …Trail of Dead once again fight to fill their own shoes from the 2002 opus Source Codes & Tags, but instead of escaping that tremendous shadow with cliché attempts to redefine their sound, the band returns to what everyone loved them for in the first place — rocking epically. What was hinted at in the four song EP Festival Thyme has become a reality in Century of Self. Sans the label Interscope, the band recorded on their own dime and reportedly tracked all the songs live. Little children cry and men tremble as opener “Giants Causeway” sets the tone for the next four songs, each building upon the impending sense of awe conflicted with fear. “Bells of Creation,” first introduced on Festival Thyme, rolls all this momentum into a pianorhythm-based beast of a song perfect for any apocalyptic occasion. The latter half of the record is accented by twin songs “Insatiable One” and closer, “Insatiable Two,” with the curtains closing to building reiterations of the group chorus, “I’m the monster, I exist. On this summit, I am lost. On these slopes I’ve seen the world as she was meant to be seen.” Welcome home. Trail of Dead play SXSW at Emo’s Main Room on Sat., March 21, time tba. CHRIS TROUTMAN
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and ‘80s synth pop from the Fixx on the quirky “Robots May Break Your Heart.”Judas-Prieststyle, guitar-infused speed metal drives “DissDissDissKissKissKiss” and “Catastrophe.” And, lead singer Mike Wiebe’s vocals on “The Tearjerker” have a distinctive Bono vibe. It’s high-energy music that’s meant for sweaty rock clubs, but this is the next best thing. Catch Riverboat Gamblers at SXSW at midnight on Fri., March 20 at Buffalo Billiards and at 1 a.m. on Sat., March 21. at Emo’s Annex. CINDY ROYAL
Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves
Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You (8-Track Mind) These days, it’s hard to find a serious female power popster. They either fall under the Britney/Christina/Ashlee umbrella or lean toward the folksy singer-songwriter type. But Sally Crewe continues in the tradition of ‘80s and ‘90s female singers like Pat Benatar, Suzanne Vega, Juliana Hatfield, Liz Phair and Sam Phillips with child-like vocals wrapped around tight pop melodies. At the core, it’s Crewe’s songs played by a solid trio, adding George Duron on drums and Matt Baab on bass. But, a few friends show up to join the fun. Spoon’s Jim Eno gives a sampling of his trademark tight percussion (“How Can People Wear That Stuff”, “Kid Could Be You”) and Eric Friend showcases a range of keyboard skills Riverboat Gamblers from piano to Wurlitzer to clavichord Underneath the Owl (“Photofit” and “Sleepyhead”). There’s a defi(Volcom Entertainment) ant edge in the delivery that cuts across the The Denton-born, Austin-based sweetness, providing a nice change from the Riverboat Gamblers are best testosterone-fueled pop acts that seem to known for their rowdy and dominate airwaves and festival stages. Sally somewhat deranged live performances. This Crewe and the Sudden Moves play SXSW at St. release captures that spirit with tunes that David’s Church on Sat., March 21 at midnight. reflect a broad range of influences, like a poppy CINDY ROYAL Blink 182 (“A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology”), but also reaches further back to early ‘90s indie rockers like Afghan Wigs (“Sleepless”)
new releases Mar. 3 Mar. 3 Mar. 3 Mar. 3 Mar. 3 Mar. 10 Mar. 10 Mar. 10 Mar. 17 Mar. 24
Seth Walker Raul Malo Buddy and Julie Miller Justin Townes Earle Dallas Wayne Steve Earle Danny Schmidt Riverboat Gamblers Willie Nelson Various Artists
Mar. 24 Shooter Jennings Mar. 31 Apr. 7 Apr. 7 Apr. 14 Apr. 21
The Flatlanders Nakia Del Castillo Fastball Slaid Cleaves
May Bleu Edmondson May 5 Ryan Bingham June 9 Rhett Miller
Leap of Faith Lucky One Written in Chalk Midnight at the Movies I'll Take the Fifth Live at the BBC Instead the Forest Rose to Sing Underneath the Owl Naked Willie Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings and the 357’s Hills and Valleys Water to Wine Del Castillo Little White Lies Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away Live at Billy Bob’s Roadhouse Sun Rhett Miller
Nakia Water To Wine (KiaChia Productions) This northern Alabama native now makes his home in Austin, and has quickly become one of the hardest working musicians in town. It’s not unusual to see Nakia’s name on more than one bill a night. His live performances are akin to a religious experience. With his first full-length release, Water To
Hyena Fantasy New West Bloodshot Smith Entertainment Universal Red House Volcom Entertainment RCA/Legacy Vanguard Universal South New West KiaChia Smilin’ Castle Records MRI Red Music Road Smith Entertainment Lost Highway Shout Factory
Wine, Nakia captures his trademark soulful, spiritual sound. It’s a big, theatrical voice, and an execution that’s Southern gospel with more than a hint of Joe Cocker. The gritty “Elizabeth Lee” sets Nakia’s voice against heart-thumping percussion, and the title track soars like a church choir, backing vocals provided by his own “Fresh Up Girls,” Karla Manzur and Jessie England. Nakia plays SXSW at B.D. Riley’s, Fri., March 20 at 9 p.m. CINDY ROYAL
WINTER 2009 ISSUE AVAILABLE ON NEWSSTANDS NOW, OR CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE
SXSW time It’s a festival. It’s a conference. It’s music, film and online. It’s nine days of media overload, and it’s more fun than any one person should be allowed to have. There’s something for everyone, and if you love Texas music, then you’re certainly in luck. Of the almost 2000 showcasing acts during the South By Southwest Music and Media Conference, 325 of them are from Texas. Not surprisingly, Austin has the lion’s share, with 68% of Texas bands coming from the state’s capital. Here’s a small sampling of a few of the Lone Star musicians that will be performing March 18-22 all over the city. So, take your vitamins and start training for a busy week. This is a marathon, not a sprint. For more information, full schedule and complete band previews, visit www.sxsw.com. Gary Clark Jr. (Austin) Wed., Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room, 1 a.m. After being named the Best Blues Musician and Best Electric Guitarist at the 2008 Austin Music Awards, Gary Clark Jr. may feel like he has a lot to live up to, but all he needs to do is just keep on keeping on. Considered one of the best guitarists of his generation, Clark spends much of his time playing live shows, which could explain why he hasn’t released an album since 2005’s Tribute. Or it could be that he’s been busy honing his acting chops. In 2007, Clark dipped his toes into the waters of Hollywood, appearing with Danny Glover as a young guitar player in 1950s Alabama in the film Honeydripper. Ruthie Foster (Austin) Thurs., Mother Egan’s, 11 p.m. Growing up in the Brazos Valley of Texas, Ruthie Foster knew music would be her life. Since her debut as a soloist in her uncle’s choir at age 14, Foster has immersed herself with music — as a vocalist, guitarist, audio engineer and songwriter. With an honest, soulful sound that mixes blues, country, folk and even a little funk, it’s no surprise Foster
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packs ‘em in wherever she plays. And with the recent release of her fifth album, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, it’s evident this talented singer-songwriter is only just beginning to reveal herself. Hacienda (San Antonio) Wed., Headhunters, 8 p.m.; Wed., The Parish, 1 a.m.; Thurs., Emo’s Jr., 1 a.m. Sweet but not syrupy, and retro without being overly fussy about it, this family band has been honing its craft down in the Alamo City for nearly five years now. People started noticing, and fortunately one of those people was Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Sensing a roots-rock kindred spirit, he brought the boys into the studio to record their 2008 debut Loud Is The Night. Rich in melody, brotherly in harmony, and irresistible down in the grooves, Hacienda would sound great in a ‘70s roller rink. Brandon Rhyder (Austin) Sat., The Ranch, 10 p.m. It’s easy to lump Brandon Rhyder in with numerous other Texas country artists, but he’s much more than just a country singer. When he decided in 2001 to make a living playing music, he scrapped his 9-to-5 job, and later ditched his band (along with his cowboy hat) to go solo. Eight years later, Rhyder hasn’t looked back. His 2007 album, Conviction, picked up heavy radio play in Texas and his Live album, also released in 2007, featured one of his most popular singles to date, “Before I Knew Your Name.” In 2008, he collaborated with Radney Foster to release his fifth album, Every Night. The Gougers (Austin) Thurs., Lambert’s, 1 a.m. Sporting a winning mix of bluegrassy chops, folkie lyrical detail and rock ‘n’ roll ambition, the Gougers (co-fronted by singers Jamie
Wilson and Shane Walker) have grown an audience from grassroots all over the nation. Their most recent release (Long Day For The Weathervane) dates back to ‘07, but the past year has been one of their most high-profile with nationwide tours and opening gigs for Willie Nelson, Jack Ingram and Cross Canadian Ragweed, among other heavyweights. Folks who like their country spiked with texture and smarts would do well to start here. The Gourds (Austin) Thurs., Continental Club, 1 a.m. One of the Austin scene’s most distinctive mainstays, the roots-rockin’ Gourds rustled up another batch of rave reviews for this year’s Heymaker! Their earthy groove, steeped in roots styles ranging from bluegrass to Cajun to Tex-Mex, underpins lyrics that swing from profane to literate to surreal.
They’ve been known to call it “music for the unwashed and well-read”; most Austinites just say it sounds like home. Jon Dee Graham (Austin) Wed., Mother Egan’s, 1 a.m. The former guitarist for punk-tinged bands like the Skunks and the True Believers has aged gracefully into one of Austin’s greatest songwriters, a gravel-voiced poet whose mature ruminations on life, love, loss and struggle lend extra gravity to the electrifying crunch of his music. Last year a late-night auto accident took him off the road, both literally and figuratively, but fortunately the cantankerous poet is healed up and performing again — even with hundreds of bands knocking around town, SXSW wouldn’t be the same without him. Walt Wilkins (Austin) Fri., The Ranch, 9 p.m. He might be younger and not as well-known nationally, but among the Hill Country singersongwriter scene, Wilkins commands a reverence nearly on par with the likes of Willie
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SXSW continued Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker. He’s boosted the career of many of his peers as a writer (Pat Green’s albums usually feature at least one Wilkins tune), a producer (Brandon Rhyder, Sam Baker), and a mentor. Credits aside, put the man onstage with a guitar, and he’ll show you what he does best — write and perform timeless, rich and meaningful songs. Mitch Webb & The Swindles (San Antonio) Fri., Habana Bar, 10 p.m. A fair amount of folks moonlight from their day jobs in a honky-tonk band, but Webb does it better than most. Dishing out oldschool country music laced with rockabilly, Tex-Mex, and maybe even a hint of punk attitude, Webb & co. never fail to rock like they don’t have to get up in the morning. Last year’s new album (Lonely Kind) and DVD (Last Band In Taco Land) are the latest evidence. Carrie Rodriguez (Austin) Thurs., Antone’s, 10 p.m. After several years of wooing the country-folk crowd alongside veteran songwriter Chip Taylor, the young protégé amicably split for the solo limelight on 2006’s Seven Angels on a Bicycle. It was a worthy gamble, and a beautiful record; last year’s She Ain’t Me upped the ambition with bigger, punchier production without losing Rodriguez’ winsome personality or drowning out the twangy, angelic voice. Sleepercar (El Paso) Thurs., Club Deville, 11 p.m. Jim Ward rose to left-field musical prominence as a member of the acclaimed progpunk band At the Drive-In, splintered off to front the more-accessible Sparta, and has now followed his restless muse into the self-
described alt-country of his newest project, Sleepercar. Alternately wistful and swaggering, evoking artists from the Old 97’s all the back to Gram Parsons, Ward’s new material has a head start on finding a big audience: Sleepercar opened for Coldplay on several U.S. arena dates last year. And, they are the lone El Paso band showcasing at SXSW. Okkervil River (Austin) Fri., The Parish, 1 a.m. Okkervil River is known for smart pop songs frequently laced with literary references (even the band’s name comes from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya). But, lead singer and songwriter Will Sheff wants people to know that they are as much about whim as wit. With the release of The Stand Ins — just a year after and as a response to their last CD The Stage Names, and launching a YouTube channel featuring covers of their new songs performed by artists they’ve met while touring — they prove they’re not afraid to do things differently. Okkervil River may well be the Lone Star State’s most acclaimed “new” indie-rock export since Spoon. After SXSW, Okkervil River hops on the festival circuit with appearances scheduled for Coachella and Bonnaroo this spring. Electric Touch (Austin) Sat., Stubbs, 6 p.m. Electric Touch is an Austin-based four-piece that came together in 2007 when frontman Shane Lawlor, former bassist for British expats the IV Thieves, hooked up with twin brothers Christopher (guitar) and Louis Messina Jr. (drums) from the Houston bluesrock power trio Bojones. Lawlor and the Messinas crossed musical wires and plugged in third Texan Ross Dubois (bass), and the resulting mix of melodic, British-Invasionstyle pop and surging, progressive rock ‘n’
roll set off immediate sparks. Electric Touch has already toured extensively, and the band’s debut, produced in Austin by Chris “Frenchie” Smith (Dandy Warhols, Meat Puppets), was released last year on Texasbased Justice Records.
record. Harrison and his troop of veteran musicians — Hollie Thomas on keyboards, former Spoon bassist Josh Zarbo and Darin Murphy on drums — make delightful music, whether experimenting with an instrumental piece or crafting the perfect pop hook.
The Steps (Austin) Fri., Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room, 12 a.m. This band of young Austinites (the oldest member is 20) is impressing crowds wherever they play. With the release of their eponymous CD in 2008, the Steps were quickly lifted out of the novelty teen category and garnered some impressive comparisons that went way beyond their years, like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and the Replacements. Will Thompson’s snarling lead is complimented by rockin’ guitars and a tight drumbeat for songs that sound new, but have a classic groove. Winner of the coveted Sound and the Jury slot at this past year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival, the profile of the Steps continues to rise. This is definitely a band to watch.
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights (Dallas) Sat., Habana Bar, 1 a.m. After playing in several local Dallas bands Jonathan Tyler, Kansas, Nick Jay, and Jordan Cain formed Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. The band’s influences range from the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to Bob Dylan, The Band and Muddy Waters. Since releasing the full length album Hot Trottin’ in 2007, the band has opened for major acts such as Erykah Badu, Heart, Deep Purple, Cross Canadian Ragweed, the Arc Angels, Chicago, Kool and the Gang and many others. Recently the Northern Lights have ventured out of Dallas playing on regional and national tours opening for Stoney LaRue and O.A.R.
Future Clouds and Radar (Austin) Fri., Wave, 1 a.m. Robert Harrison isn’t afraid of a new challenge. After years fronting the acclaimed Austin pop band Cotton Mather (that disbanded in 2003), Harrison returned in 2007 with the self-titled double-album debut of Future Clouds & Radar. The band received rave reviews and national recognition as Harp Magazine’s Debut Artist of 2007, with the CD placing 4th on the magazine’s list of the Top 50 CDs the same year. That’s quite an accomplishment for a 27-song epic. Now, just a year later, FC&R’s second release, Peoria, is a mere eight songs, clocking in at just under 35 minutes, but it’s generating the same kind of positive buzz. It’s a tight package with lots of layers, a modular approach and theatrical presentation — not your typical pop
Texas hardcore showcase Wed., March 18, Red 7 SXSW is often associated with its pure indie vibe, but some of Texas hardcore’s finest will be laying down heavy sounds, sure to pierce through the countless acoustic guitars and synthesizers. If hardcore punk is your scene, check out the TXHC SXSW Showcase, featuring the Jonbenet, Iron Age, Mammoth Grinder, Hatred Surge, Born To Lose, Your Mistake and On My Side. Listen to Kathryn Legendre’s coverage on her hardcore radio show, The Real Deal on KTSW 89.9 FM or www.ktsw.net. Dates and times are subject to change. Please check the schedule at sxsw.com for up-to-date information.
